Generally pop lyrics don’t must imply a lot, they simply must really feel good, specific youthful pleasure and be simple to sing. That was usually true within the early days of rock‘n’roll, and barely extra so than on the basic “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” recorded by Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps on on Could 4, 1956.
The person born Vincent Eugene Craddock, from Norfolk, Virginia, was a newly-signed artist to Capitol Data on the time. He reduce a quantity that had echoes of previously-recorded numbers, similar to Helen Humes’ 1945 R&B hit “Be-Baba-Leba.” Vincent shared the composer credit for the tune with Donald Graves, whom he had met the 12 months earlier than, and with Gene’s supervisor Invoice Davis, referred to as “Sheriff Tex.”
A bit of the Elvis motion
It was Vincent’s demo of “Be-Bop-A-Lula” that helped him win his contract with Capitol. They have been on the lookout for an artist to offer them a bit of the rock‘n’roll phenomenon being spearheaded by Elvis Presley. Vincent and his Blue Caps, that includes crack guitarist Cliff Gallup, rhythm guitarist “Wee” Willie Williams, bassist “Jumpin’” Jack Neal, and drummer Dickie “Be Bop” Harrell, recorded “Be-Bop” at Owen Bradley’s Nashville studio.
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When the tune was launched in June, it wasn’t even the unique A-side. Capitol initially pushed “Woman Love,” however “Be-Bop-A-Lula” quickly caught the creativeness of radio DJs after which the general public. It entered Billboard’s High 100, because it was then known as, within the June 16 problem at No. 78. It made the Greatest Sellers In Shops listing for June 23 at No.24.
Rock’n’roll immortality
Among the many journal’s numerous reputation charts of the time, its finest rating was No.7 on that Greatest Sellers listing, in late July in early August. It reached No.9 on the High 100, No.10 on Most Performed In Juke Bins and No.11 on Most Performed By Jockeys, and was nonetheless on the charts in September. A era of would-be rockers was listening, together with Paul McCartney and The Beatles. A spot within the Grammy and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame awaited it, because the tune, and Vincent, each secured an immortal place in early rock’n’roll historical past.
Purchase or stream “Be-Bop-A-Lula” on Gene Vincent’s Capitol Collectors Sequence compilation.
