Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy
Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy was country singer Red Foley's biggest hit . It was released in 1950 and was the first million seller of country music to be produced in Nashville .
history
Emergence
The song about a shoe shiner working in a boogie rhythm was actually composed by the successful country composer and music publisher Fred Rose . However, this had transferred the rights to the managers of the Grand Ole Opry , Harry Stone (program director) and Jack Stapp (vice president) in return for having a young singer named Hank Williams perform in the Opry. For Rose, the loss of royalties was limited, as his Acuff-Rose Publishing acted as the music publisher for this composition .
The recording date was November 7, 1949, when Foley's regular line-up was Grady Martin ( guitar ), Billy Robinson ( pedal steel guitar ), Zeb Turner (rhythm guitar), Harold Bradley (guitar), Ernie Newton ( bass ) and Owen Bradley ( Piano / organ ) was present. Drummer Farris Coursey used his thigh, which he slapped with his hands, to make the shoe-shine sound. Rhythmically, the lively song was designed as a shuffled boogie . The song produced by Owen Bradley was the prototype of the later "Nashville sound".
The recording was made in the just two year old Castle Recording Studio (in the Tulane Hotel, 206 West 8 N Avenue) in Nashville. Within just three days of recording, the productive session with Foley between November 7th and 9th 1949 resulted in no fewer than eight top 10 hits, a total of 13 recordings were completed. Originally the song was titled Boogie Woogie Shoe Shine Boy , but at the last minute it was decided to stick to the popular concept of geographical names in song titles. Foley already had four top 10 hits with "Tennessee" in the title, so that "Chattanooga" located in Tennessee should now be used.
success
Released on January 21, 1950 as Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy / Sugarfoot Rag (Decca # 46205), the song first hit the country charts on January 21, 1950, where it immediately took first place and stayed there for 13 weeks. This makes it one of the few country music titles that took first place in the charts immediately after its publication. The title turned out to be a huge crossover hit in the country and pop charts, as it spent eight weeks at number one in the latter. The peppy and lively song was by far Foley's biggest hit, later became his signature tune and developed into Red Foley's first million seller.
Cover versions
Several covers appeared in early 1950. The first was Bing Crosby (recorded January 3, 1950), followed by Frank Sinatra (January 12, 1950), Bill Darnell (February 1950, with the same B-side as the original) and Phil Harris (March 1950). A total of 12 cover versions were published, including the German version Schuhputzboy by Renée Franke from 1952. The original received a BMI award.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Randy Fox, CMT News, Shoe Shine Boys Sugarfoots and a Closer Walk With Thee , Nov. 8, 1999
- ^ WK McNeil, Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music , 2005, p. 126
- ↑ Kurt Wolff / Orla Duane, Country Music: The Rough Guide , 2000, p. 114
- ^ Joseph Murrells, Million Selling Records , 1985, p. 63
- ↑ Cover info entry for Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy