Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
| "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Big Maybelle | ||||
| B-side | "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" | |||
| Released | 1955 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 3:00 | |||
| Label | Okeh Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Dave "Curlee" Williams | |||
| Big Maybelle singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (sometimes rendered "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On") is a song written by Dave "Curlee" Williams. The song was first recorded by Big Maybelle, however, the best known version is the 1957 hit rock and roll/rockabilly cover by Jerry Lee Lewis.
Origins of the song
The origins of the song are disputed, but the writing is usually co-credited to singer/songwriter Dave "Curlee" Williams and pianist, bandleader, and songwriter James Faye "Roy" Hall (7 May 1922 – 2 March 1984).[1]
On 21 March 1955, Big Maybelle made the first recording for Okeh Records. The songwriting was credited to D. C. Williams, and the record was produced by Quincy Jones.[2]
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 "Sunny 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.[3] All subsequent recordings of the song list the composers as Sunny David and Dave Williams (including Lewis' recording for Sun Records (see image at right)). Hall was also a Nashville club owner, who later claimed to have employed the young piano player Lewis at some point around 1954.[4]
Jerry Lee Lewis version
| "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Jerry Lee Lewis | ||||
| B-side | "It'll Be Me" | |||
| Released | April 1957 | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll, rockabilly, country | |||
| Length | 2:52 | |||
| Label | Sun Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Dave "Curlee" Williams, James Faye "Roy" Hall | |||
| Jerry Lee Lewis singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Lewis had been performing the song in his stage act and recorded it at his second recording session for Sun Records in February 1957. The release is reviewed in Billboard magazine on 27 May 1957.[5] 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."[6] The song was engineered by Jack "Cowboy" Clement.[7]
In Lewis' biographical film, Great Balls of Fire!, Lewis is shown spying in on an African American speak-easy type club, listening to "Whole Lotta Shakin Goin' On" performed by a black woman, supposedly Big Maybelle. The part was played by the singer Valerie Wellington and her version was also on the film's soundtrack. The next scene depicted Lewis using the song without crediting the original artist, Big Maybelle.
Released as Sun 267, the record reached No. 3 on the Billboard pop chart and No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart.[8] The single also hit No. 1 on the country charts an No. 38 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.
Levi Kreis version
Levi Kreis, portraying Lewis, sang the song in the Broadway musical "Million Dollar Quartet," which opened in New York in April 2010;[9] and Kreis covered the song on the "Million Dollar Quartet" original Broadway cast recording (copyright 2010 by MDQ Merchandising, LLC).[10] Levi Kreis won a 2010 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Lewis in “Million Dollar Quartet.”[11]
References
- ↑ Roy Hall, Pumpin' and Drinkin'.
- ↑ Big Maybelle, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", at 45cat.com
- ↑ Show 8 – The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies. [Part 2] : UNT Digital Library
- ↑ Roy Hall at Black Cat Rockabilly. Retrieved 17 February 2014
- ↑ Lewis, Jerry Lee (RCS Artist Discography).
- ↑ NPR Music: Jerry Lee Lewis: 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On'.
- ↑ Jack "Cowboy" Clement Interview c.1977 at Clement's Official Site. Retrieved 1 July 2013
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 347.
- ↑ Zielinski, Peter James. "Photo Coverage: Million Dollar Quartet Opens on Broadway". Posted: 12:04 PM; Monday, 12 April 2010.
- ↑ MDQ Merchandising LLC (2010). "Song List" and "Performing Credits". In Million Dollar Quartet (p. 5) [CD booklet]. New York City: Avatar Studios; and Chicago: Chicago Recording Company.
- ↑ Braodway.com Staff. "Rocker-Turned-Broadway Star Levi Kreis Wins Tony for Million Dollar Quartet". Broadway.com: Posted 9:23 PM, 13 June 2010.
External links
- The 1957 Sun recording by Lewis showing the composers as S. David and D. Williams: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/134/327675769_7ccfe7666d.jpg
| Preceded by "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" by Elvis Presley |
Billboard R&B Best Sellers in Stores number-one single 9 September 1957 – 16 September 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 9 September 1957 (two weeks) |
Succeeded by "Fraulein" by Bobby Helms |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
