A good year for some classic blues and rock ‘n’ roll songs, and another Aussie (Johnny O’Keefe) makes the list with his song “The Wild One (Real Wild One)”. Now, before yáll go, wasn’t that an Iggy Pop song? The answer is yes, but it was a cover. Also staying with Johnny O’Keefe, I saw him at the Sunbury Music Festival (1973). I thought his style of rock music would be out of place. He wandered out on stage in a white suit, and I waited for the boos. I was blowin’away with his performance. After only one song, he had the pot heads and the piss heads in the palm of his hands.
It is interesting to note that several songs on the ’58 list were first heard by me on records by other bands as I began exploring music in the ’60s. I first heard “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” and “Money” sung by the Beatles; the Rolling Stones also did a cover of “Dizzy Miss Lizzie”. I first heard “Summertime Blues” sung by the Who at Woodstock. Also listed are some groundbreaking instrumentals by artists such as Duane Eddy, Link Wray, the Shadows, and Little Walter.
The song “I’m Battie Over Hattie”, sung by the out there Esquerita, who often wore heavy makeup, sunglasses, and two wigs, piling his pompadour high on his head. Little Richard ( also on this list) was greatly influenced by Esquerita (photo below).
The Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly and pilot Roger Peterson all died in a plane crash on February 3rd 1959. The event is infamously known as “The Day the Music Died,” a name popularised by Don McLean’s song “American Pie”.
A couple of interesting notes: The Beach Boys song “Surfin’ U.S.A. (1962). Listen to the song and you will hear Chuck Berry’s ‘Sweet Little Sixteen”, so much so that Chuck eventually collected a writer’s credit and royalties! How politically incorrect in today’s world is The Pips singing “Ching Chong”? Jimi Hendrix recorded Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B.Goode in 1972. The Zanies Novelty Hit “The Blob” was from the movie of the same name
“Stagger Lee” by Lloyd Price dates back a long way. Variously known as “Stack O’Lee”, “Stack O’Lee Blues” and sung by so many old-time Blues singers. The earliest recorded version of the song I have is “Stack O’Lee Blues” by Ma Rainey (1926). The “Twist” by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters was, of course, made famous by Chubby Checker in 1961.
Ninteen and fifty – eight
- All American Boy – Bill Parsons
All I Have to Do Is Dream – The Everly Brothers
Big Man – The Four Preps
Bluebirds Over the Mountain – Ershel Hickey
Candles – The Crests
Cha Dooky-Doo -Art Neville *
Chantilly Lace – The Big Bopper
Chisholm Trail – Cisco Houston
Cigarettes and Coffee Blues – Lefty Frizzell
Come On, Let’s Go – Ritchie Valens
Didn’t It Rain – Evelyn Freeman
Dizzy Miss Lizzy – Larry Williams
Do You Wanna Dance? – Bobby Freeman
Donna – Ritchie Valens
Don’t You Just Know It – Huey ‘Piano’ Smith
Don’t Your House Look Lonesome – Cat-Iron
Down by the Riverside – Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Drip Drop – The Drifters
Early in the Morning – The Ding Dongs
Endless Sleep – Jody Reynolds
Everything’s Gonna Be All Right – Magic Sam
Evil – Howlin’ Wolf
Fever – Peggy Lee
For Your Love – Ed Townsend
For Your Precious Love – The Impressions
Forty Days – Ronnie Hawkins
Gee Whiz – Bob & Earl
Good Golly Miss Molly – Little Richard
Got A Job – The Miracles
Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley
He’s Gone – The Chantels
High Blood Pressure – Huey ‘Piano’ Smith
Hollywood Party – Dick Bush
Honky Tonk – Dinah Washington
How Many More Years – Howlin’ Wolf
I Cried A Tear – LaVern Baker
I Wonder Why – Dion & The Belmonts
I’m A Mojo Man – Lonesome Sundown
I’m Battie Over Hattie – Esquerita
Itchy Twitchy Feeling – Bobby Hendricks
Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
Juke – Little Walter
Jungle Rock – Jim Bobo
Junker Blues – Champion Jack Dupree
Just a Dream – Jimmy Clanton
Just Walkin’ In The Rain – The Prisonaires
Justine – Don & Dewey
Koko Joe – Don & Dewey
La Bamba – Ritchie Valens
Little Star – The Elegants
Lonely Teardrops – Jackie Wilson
Lovers Never Say Goodbye – The Flamingos
Matilda – Cookie And The Cupcakes
Memphis Boogie – Jesse Fuller
Moanin’ At Midnight – Howlin’ Wolf
Money – The Miracles
Moonlight Bay – Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters
My Starter Won’t Start – Lightnin’ Slim
Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu – Dicky Doo And The Don’Ts
Need You – Donnie Owens
One Night – Elvis Presley
One Summer Night – The Danleers
Ooh! My Soul – Little Richard
Over And Over – Bobby Day
Peggy Sue – Buddy Holly
Poor Boy – The Royaltones
Pretty Girls Everywhere -Eugene Church
Rama Lama Ding Dong – The Edsels
Ramrod – Duane Eddy
Rave On – Buddy Holly
Rebel Rouser – Duane Eddy
Reelin’ And Rockin’ – Chuck Berry
Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay – Danny & the Juniors
Rockhouse – Big Maybelle
Rockin’ Robin – Bobby Day
Rumble – Link Wray & The RayMen
Short Fat Fannie – Larry Williams
Since I Don’t Have You – The Skyliners
Sit and Cry (The Blues) – Buddy Guy*
Smokestack Lightnin’ – Howlin’ Wolf
So Blue – The Jades
Splish Splash – Bobby Darin
Summertime Blues – Eddie Cochran
Sweet Little Sixteen – Chuck Berry
Symbol of Heaven – Little Julian Herrera & Johnny Otis
Tears On My Pillow – Little Anthony & The Imperials
Tequila – The Champs
The Blob – The Zanies
The Twist – Hank Ballard & The Midnighters
The Walk – Jimmy McCracklin
The Wild One – Johnny O’Keefe*
To Know Him Is to Love Him – The Teddy Bears
Train To Nowhere – The Champs
True, Fine Mama – Little Richard
Try Me – James Brown
Two People In the World – Little Anthony & The Imperials
Under the Stars of Love – The Shadows
Walkin’ With Mr Lee – Lee Allen
We Belong Together – Robert & Johnny
Western Movies – The Olympics
What Am I Living For – Chuck Willis
What’d I Say, Pt . 1 & 2 – Ray Charles
Willie and the Hand Jive – Johnny Otis
Yakety Yak – The Coasters
You Cheated – The Shields
You’re So Fine – Little Walter
- *Seen perform live
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