"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (also rendered "Whole Lotta Shaking Going On") is a song best known in the 1957 rock and roll/rockabilly hit version by Jerry Lee Lewis.
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The origins of the song are disputed, but the writing is co-credited to African American singer/songwriter Dave "Curlee" Williams, and white pianist, bandleader and songwriter James Faye "Roy" Hall (May 7, 1922 - March 2, 1984).[1] On March 21, 1955, Big Maybelle made the first recording for Okeh Records; it's produced by the young Quincy Jones.
Roy Hall made a recording of the song in September, 1955 for Decca Records, and maintained that he had written it and had secured the legal copyright as co-writer under the pseudonym of "Sonny David". However, a Decca sample copy of Hall's recording lists Dave Williams as the sole writer. On the Pop Chronicles documentary, Jerry Lee Lewis credited Big Mama Thornton.[2]
Other early recordings include Dolores Frederick and The Commodores (no relation to the '70s Motown group). However, none of these early recordings found much commercial success. All subsequent recordings of the song list the composers as Sonny David and Dave Williams. Hall was also a Nashville club owner, who later claimed to have employed the young piano player Lewis, at some point around 1954.
Lewis had been performing the song in his stage act, and recorded it at his second recording session for Sun Records, at an unknown date in February 1957. The release is reviewed in Billboard magazine on May 27, 1957.[3] Supervised by producer Jack Clement, Lewis radically altered the original, adding a propulsive boogie piano that was complemented by J.M. Van Eaton's energetic drumming, and also added suggestive spoken asides. Lewis later stated : "I knew it was a hit when I cut it. Sam Phillips thought it was gonna be too risqué, it couldn't make it. If that's risqué, well, I'm sorry."[4]
In Lewis' biographical film, Lewis is shown spying in on black American speak-easy type club, listening to "Whole Lotta Shakin Goin' On" by a black female soloist. The part was played by the singer Valerie Wellington, her version was also on the film's soundtrack. The next scene depicted Lewis using the song without crediting the original artist.
Released as Sun 267, the record reached number three on the Billboard pop chart, and number one on the Billboard R&B chart.[5] The single also hit number one on the country charts, and number eight in the UK. Lewis became an instant sensation and, as writer Robert Gordon noted: "Jerry Lee began to show that in this new emerging genre called rock 'n' roll, not everybody was going to stand there with a guitar."
Lewis's version of the song is ranked as the 61st greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. In 2005, it was selected for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.
The song has become a rock and roll standard, recorded by many performers including Little Richard, Daddy Cool, Carl Perkins, Rick Nelson, Chubby Checker, Duffy Power, Conway Twitty, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Lee Hazlewood, Wanda Jackson, John Lennon, Paul McCartney (during some of his soundchecks) Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, Johnny Rivers, The Hurricanes, Mae West, Mott the Hoople, Big Star, Uriah Heep, Johnny Winter, Bill Haley & His Comets, Georgia Satellites, Ten Years After (I'm Going Home medley), Savoy Brown (Savoy Brown Boogie medley), experimental band The Flying Lizards on their 1984 cover album Top Ten and Elton John, whose version appeared on the 2001 "Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records" collection.
Levi Kreis, portraying Lewis, sang "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" in the Broadway musical "Million Dollar Quartet," which opened in New York in April, 2010;[6] and Kreis covered the song on the "Million Dollar Quartet" original Broadway cast recording (copyright 2010 by MDQ Merchandising, LLC).[7] Levi Kreis won a 2010 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Lewis in “Million Dollar Quartet.”[8]
| Preceded by "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" by Elvis Presley |
Billboard R&B Best Sellers in Stores number-one single September 9, 1957 - September 16, 1957 (two weeks) |
Succeeded by "Diana" by Paul Anka |
| Preceded by "Bye Bye Love" by The Everly Brothers |
C&W Best Sellers in Stores number one single by Jerry Lee Lewis September 9, 1957 (two weeks) |
Succeeded by "Fraulein" by Bobby Helms |
