Day 200: “Rip It Up” / “Shake, Rattle and Roll” / “Blue Suede Shoes”

When was it recorded?   Jan. 26, 1969

When was it first released, and on which album?   Oct. 28, 1996 on “Anthology 3”

Who wrote it?   Robert Blackwell & John Marascalco / Jesse Stone / Carl Perkins

Have I heard this song before?   No

What my research dug up:

Let’s get ready to rumble!

Little Richard first released “Rip It Up” as a single in June 1956 (later on his album “Here’s Little Richard”). In America, it reached #1 on the R&B charts and #17 on the pop charts. Later the same ear, Bill Haley and His Comets released the song as a single, too. While both versions are interesting and both bands influenced the Beatles (as did Elvis, Chuck Berry, Budd Holly, and the Everly Brothers, who all also covered “Rip It Up”), I’m only posting Little Richard’s version here for brevity’s sake.

Jesse Stone wrote “Shake, Rattle and Roll” in 1954, though he published it under his stage name, Charles E. Calhoun. Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records requested a song for American bluesman Big Joe Turner, and he recorded the original version of “Shake, Rattle and Roll” on Feb. 15, 1954. It was released as a single two months later.

Like “Rip It Up,” the song reached #1 on the US R&B charts and peaked at #22 on the pop charts. Also like “Rip It Up,” Bill Haley & His Comets covered “Shake, Rattle and Roll” and released it as a single later the same year. According to Wikipedia, “Both versions sold over one million copies, making ‘Shake Rattle and Roll’ the first giant rock’n’roll hit.” Rolling Stone ranked Turner’s version #127 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. You might also be familiar with Elvis’s single version released two years later.

You’re almost definitely familiar with Elvis’s version of “Blue Suede Shoes.” I think everyone in North America is familiar with Elvis’s version of “Blue Suede Shoes.” It was, however, originally released as a single by its songwriter, Carl Perkins, on Jan. 1, 1956.

“Blue Suede Shoes” was both #95 (Perkins) and #423 (Presley) on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. More importantly, it was named one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll b the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Perkins’ version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the National Recording Preservation Board in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry based on its “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significan[ce].” Not too shabby!

While appearing as a medley, the Beatles actually recorded “Rip It Up” and “Shake, Rattle and Roll” together but “Blue Suede Shoes” separately during their Get Back sessions (though they were all recorded during the same day).

 

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rip_It_Up_%28Little_Richard_song%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shake,_Rattle_and_Roll

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Stone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Suede_Shoes

Rip It Up/Shake, Rattle And Roll/Blue Suede Shoes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Joe_Turner