James Cotton - Rocket 88
I love the way James Cotton attacks this song! Many people consider this to be the first Rock and Roll tune. It was apparently co-written by James Cotton and Ike Turner, and was recorded on Sun by Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm - fronted by their sax player, Jackie Brenston, who sang the tune on the Sun Record in 1951.
Wikipedia says the tune was written by Ike Turner, but I heard an interview with Cotton several years ago in which he said he and Turner co-wrote it. The Sun Label credited the tune to Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, a non-existent band.
5 comments:
I heard a version of this song on an old record called Gabe's Dirty Blues, and of course that version was called "Rocket 69". I recall a few other subtle titles & lyrics such as "Keep on Churning 'til the Butter Comes". But it was also on that album that I heard Hank Ballard and the Midnighters singing "Work Me Annie", and that's a great song! He wrote a companion to it called "Annie Had a Baby, Can't Work No More" (they get to working and she has to stop to walk the baby 'cross the floor)(while the male backgrounds sing: nomore nomore nomore)
If you ever see that vinyl anywhere, grab it!!!!!!!!
I know the Annie tunes, LM. I had the pleasure of being at a very packed Hank Ballard show at the Horseshoe back in the late 80s or early 90s. Fantastic show, complete with great outfits.
I never saw him when he played Toronto, so he stayed kind of mythic for me, (I remember seeing his tour bus one day and feeling like I was suddenly transported to a movie set, ...even the damn bus was glamorous!)
There just ain't enough stars in the universe when it comes to rating James Cotton.
Hey Belle, I agree... I like the James Cotton Band sound a lot and he's had some terrific bands...
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