Willie and the Hand Jive
| Willie and the Hand Jive | |
|---|---|
| Johnny Otis | |
| publication | 1958 |
| Genre (s) | Rhythm & Blues |
| Author (s) | Johnny Otis |
| Cover versions | |
| 1974 | Eric Clapton |
| 1985 | George Thorogood |
Willie and the Hand Jive is a rhythm and blues song written and published by Johnny Otis in 1958 .
History of origin
The song is about a man who becomes famous through a hand dance . Otis alluded to the teenagers in Europe who were sometimes not allowed to dance in the concerts and instead danced with their hands during the concerts. This hand jive can also be understood as an allusion to masturbation .
Musically, the song was based on the beats of Bo Diddley . The guitar riff that Jimmy Nolen played in the original version was used by Otis to create the theme tune for his radio show. The song ranked ninth on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958 and number five on the Billboard R&B charts. Otis also appeared with the song in the film Juke Box Rhythm (1959) and in Play Misty for Me (1971).
Cover versions
In the 1960s, Cliff Richard and The Strangeloves recorded the song for their album I Want Candy . Johnny Rivers covered the song in 1973 for his album Blue Suede Shoes .
Eric Clapton interpreted the song in 1974 on his album 461 Ocean Boulevard . In his interpretation he slowed down the piece. Critic Chris Welch said that this added a "slow burn" to the song. Rolling Stone's Ken Emerson, on the other hand, described the slow pace as "confusingly sad". Other critics praised Clapton's vocal performance of the interpretation. The single reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 28 in the Netherlands . In 1982 the song appeared on the album Timepieces: The Best of Eric Clapton .
George Thorogood and the Destroyers recorded a version for their album Maverick in 1985 . The interpretation was ranked 25th and 63rd on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and the Billboard Hot 100. Allmusic critic James Christopher Monger described the song as one of Thorogood's "highlights". The song also appeared on the albums Anthology from 2000, On Tap Plus from 2002, The George Thorogood Collection from 2003 and The Best of George Thorogood & the Destroyers from 2008.
Other artists who covered the song include New Riders of the Purple Sage , The Flying Burrito Brothers , Sandy Nelson , The Tremeloes , Levon Helm and the Grateful Dead .
Soundtrack
Performances of the play were used in Clint Eastwood's Sadistico and in the film The Condemned .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c G. Lipsitz: Midnight at the Barrelhouse: The Johnny Otis Story , 2010, University of Minnesota Press, pp. 68-69, 93-116, ISBN 978-0-8166-6679-9
- ^ M. Dean: Rock 'n' Roll: Gold Rush: A Singles Un-Encyclopedia , 2003, Algora Publishing, page 330, ISBN 978-0-87586-207-1
- ^ Best Selling Pop Records in Britain, April 4, 1960, Billboard Magazine
- ^ I Want Candy: The Best of the Strangelovers | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic , accessed November 19, 2014, allmusic.com
- ↑ Chris Welch: Clapton: The Ultimate Illustrated History , 2011, Voyageur Press, p. 175, ISBN 978-0-7603-4046-2
- ↑ Ken Emerson: Eric Clapton 461 Ocean Boulevard Album Review | Rolling Stone , Aug 29, 1974, rollingstone.com
- ^ M. Schuhmacher: Crossroads: The Life and Music of Eric Clapton , 2003, Citadel Press, page 181, ISBN 978-0-8065-2466-5
- ^ Marc Roberty: The Complete Guide to the Music of Eric Clapton , 1995, Omnibus Press, p. 72, ISBN 0-7119-4305-2
- ↑ 461 Ocean Boulevard - Eric Clapton | Awards | AllMusic , accessed November 19, 2014, allmusic.com
- ↑ dutchcharts.nl - Eric Clapton - Willie and the Hand Jive , accessed on November 19, 2014, dutchcharts.nl
- ↑ George Thorogood | Awards | AllMusic , accessed November 19, 2014, allmusic.com
- ^ Anthology - George Thorogood & the Destroyers | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic , accessed November 19, 2014, allmusic.com
- ↑ On Tap Plus - George Thorogood | Credits | AllMusic , accessed November 19, 2014, allmusic.com
- ^ The Collection - George Thorogood | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic , accessed November 19, 2014, allmusic.com
- ^ The Best of George Thorogood & the Destroyers | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic , accessed November 19, 2014, allmusic.com
- ↑ AllMusic | Music Search, Recommendations, Videos and Reviews ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed November 19, 2014, allmusic.com
- ^ O. Trager: The American Book of the Dead: The Definitive Grateful Dead Encyclopedia , 1997, Simon & Schuster, page 407, ISBN 978-0-684-81402-5
