Lawdy Miss Clawdy

"Lawdy Miss Clawdy" is a song by Lloyd Price.^[1] It was first recorded by Price at the New Orleans recording studio of Specialty Records in March 1952. It was released under the Specialty label in April and was number one on the Billboard rhythm and blues chart for seven weeks and stayed on the chart for six months. An 8-bar blues with a rolicking piano backup, with the words written by Price, but the melody adapted from the older Junker Blues (Champion Jack Dupree, 1941), it became the biggest rhythm and blues hit of the year and sold over one million copies by crossing over to the white record-buying market. It was the first hit from New Orleans to be accepted into rock and roll. The word "lawdy" means Lord.^[2]

History

Art Rupe, founder of Specialty Records in Los Angeles, was looking for new talent in New Orleans where Price turned up at an audition. Rupe liked "Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" so much that he is said to have canceled his plane ticket home to stay and record Price's song.^[3] Since Price did not have a band, Rupe hired the band of Dave Bartholomew which included Fats Domino and drummer Earl Palmer to arrange the song and back him up in the recording session.^[2]

Song

The recording begins with some characteristic Domino rollicking piano triplets as the drummer sets down a heavy New Orleans backbeat. Price's vocals are gritty yet relaxed as he begins:^[2]

Oh now lawdy lawdy lawdy, Miss Clawdy,

girl you sho' looks good to me

Cover versions

In 1956, the song was covered by Elvis Presley and stayed on the charts for ten weeks.^[2]

The following list contains some of the many cover versions of this song.

• Elvis Presley (1956)
• Little Richard (1956)
• The Teen Kings (1956)
• The Four Lovers (1956)
• Johnny Devlin (1956)
• Larry Williams (1957)
• The Martians (1962)
• Johnny Rivers (1964)
• The Swinging Blue Jeans (1964)
• The Hollies (1965)
• The Buckinghams (1967)
• The Beatles (1969, in the film Let It Be)
• Joe Cocker (1969)
• Led Zeppelin (in concert, 1970–72)
• The Dave Clark Five (1970)
• Fats Domino (1971)
• The Nashville Teens (1972)
• Ronnie Hawkins (1972)
• Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen (1973)
• Conway Twitty (1974)
• Mickey Gilley (1976)
• Ronnie McDowell (1978)
• Paul McCartney (1988)
• Poison Idea (1991)
• Travis Tritt (1994)
• The Replacements (1995)
• Steve Young (2000)
• Eric Burdon (2000)
• The Head Cat (2006)
• Eric Burdon performed it with The Animals in 1966 for the BBC. In 1983 he performed it on the show "GasTank," in 1985 at a concert in Karlsruhe, Germany (released on "That's Live" (1992), and in 2000 he released another live cover version. It's available on the "Official Live Bootleg 2000."

Musical

A musical version is set to have its pre-Broadway engagement in New Orleans, Louisiana in fall 2011. Casting to be announced.

Notes

1. ^ Shaw, Arnold (1978). Honkers and Shouters. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 188–189. ISBN 0-02-061740-2. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Jim Dawson, & Steve Propes (1992). What Was the First Rock'n'Roll Record. Boston & London: Faber & Faber. pp. 108–111. ISBN 0-571-12939-0. 
3. ^ "Specialty Album Discography". Archived from the original on 2006-11-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20061116145354/http://www.bsnpubs.com/specialty.html. Retrieved 2006-11-25.