Tropical Jon: Hank Ballard

Showing posts with label Hank Ballard. Show all posts

Sunday, September 14, 2014

September 15, 1954: A bit of Rockin' Rhythm 'n Blues...

September 15, 1954:

Annie Had A Baby by

Hank Ballard And The Midniters,

reaches

on the Billboard R'n'B singles chart in the USA…

On the same day, a cover of Arthur 'Big Boy'Crudup's

That's All Right by Elvis Presley

enters the local singles chart in Nashville, Tennessee, at #7, giving him his first chart success outside of his home town of Memphis…

Some “Pre Rock ‘n Roll”

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Friday, January 17, 2014

January 17, 2012: Johnny Otis, a Rock 'n' Roll pioneer who reached #9 in America (Number One R ‘n B Charts) with "Willie And The Hand Jive" in 1958, died of natural causes at the age of 90…

Johnny Otis was an influential performer, disc jockey, record producer, TV show host and talent scout.

He is credited with discovering such artists as Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John, Hank Ballard, Big Mama Thornton
and Little Esther….

Otis scored 15 Top 10 R ‘n B hits between 1950 and 1952, including his #1 cover of the jazz standard “Harlem Nocturne.”

Not only was he ultra talented, he could spot it in others. Johnny opened up his own club in L.A., the Barrelhouse, to showcase his discoveries…

When Etta James only 13 years old, Johnny produced and co-wrote her first hit single “Wallflower (Roll With Me Henry).”

He also discovered Big Mama Thornton singing while cleaning hotel rooms. He co-wrote, produced and played on her seminal recording of “Hound Dog” in 1953, several years before Elvis Presley brought the song to the charts; however Otis’ songwriting credit was removed from Elvis’ recording by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. “Every Beat of My Heart” was a hit tune he wrote for The Royals in 1952…

And, of course, Gladys Knight & The Pips had a hit with the same tune in 1961….

Johnny Otis produced Johnny Ace’s number one hit “Pledging My Love”

and The Fiestas’ classic hit “So Fine”

—He was also playing on those two hit records!

He’s most remembered for a 1958 release that climbed all the way to #9 on the Pop charts and #1 R ‘n B; that song with the infectious Bo Diddley beat and terrific guitar work by Jimmy Nolen, “Willie and the Hand Jive.”

The song is about a dance featuring hand movements called “The Hand Jive.”
The “Hand Jive” dance came from England where teenagers were not permitted to stand and dance at concert venues. Instead they created a hand movement dance that could be done from their seats.
It’s also been said that the “Hand Jive” was also slang for masturbation…

Eric Clapton had a #26 chart hit with the song in 1974, as had Johnny Rivers in 1973. George Thorogood also had a minor chart hit with the song in 1985...

Johnny Otis was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1994. He died of natural causes on January 17, 2012.

R.I.P. Johnny Otis, the original

KING OF ROCK ‘n ROLL…

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

October 23 ROCKS in The Evolution of Rock and Roll: Hank Ballard, The Duals, Dion, The Chantels, ? and The Mysterians, Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon...

In the 1950s there was a cat by the name of HANK BALLARD who knew about Rock and Roll before there was such a thing!

In 1960 he wrote and recorded THE TWIST and it was ripped off by Chubby Checker. This is what he was doin’ (with a taste of RAP)

before THE TWIST…

October 23, 1953:

Hank Ballard & the Royals hit #6 on the R&B chart with "Get It". Hank does a bit of rappin’…

(Remember, this was in 1953!)…

Check ‘em out doing the tune as The Midnighters…

October 23, 1961:

Instrumentals were rockin’ and The Duals hit #25 with "Stick Shift"…

Same date in 1961:

Almost one year after splitting with his backing group the Belmonts, Dion's "Runaround Sue" hits #1…

Again on October 23, 1961:

"Look In My Eyes" by the Chantels goes to #14…

October 23, 1966:

"96 Tears" was a hit…

Also on October 23, 1966:

The Jimi Hendrix Experience records its first two songs, "Hey Joe"

And also,“Stone Free”…

Both recorded at London's De Lane Lea Studios…

October 23, 1980:

John Lennon's first new single in more than five years...

"(Just Like) Starting Over," is released…

Thursday, September 19, 2013

September 19: Chubby Checker hits it big on the strength of Hank Ballard's "The Twist" and Steppenwolf does the same with Mars Bonfire's "Born to Be Wild' while CCR hits #1 in the UK and The Stones go to #1 for the last time; In The EVOLUTION of ROCK 'n ROLL...

September 19, 1960:

Chubby Checker's version of "The Twist" reached the top of the Billboard Pop chart for a one week stay. The same record would make a return to number one in January, 1962, becoming the first single in history to accomplish that feat—AND IT WASN’T EVEN CLOSE TO BEING HIS TUNE!!!

Check this out…