Big Joe Turner: Shake, Rattle & Roll - 1950's
Master 'shout blues' artist Big Joe Turner marks another high point of his career here with "Shake, Rattle & Roll."
Although Bill Haley's later sanitized version became a top rock-n-roller hit, it's said many folks sought out Turner's version instead.
A pivotal figure in popularizing blues, jazz, classic R&B, and rock and roll, Turner's career lasted from the 1920's busking on the streets of Kansas City through the 1980's at the most lauded jazz festivals in America and Europe.
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Big Joe Turner
After watching the movie Malcolm X I've gained a new and healthy respect for music that came from other era's and now because of that I have the name of Big Joe Turner permanently etched in my memory banks thank you Spike Lee.
You Tube Comments #3
ilovedallascowboys
true i hate that crap hey lets me and u think of a catchy word and put it to a beat and get rich watd ya say?
sexychrisb
UPRIGHT BASS !!! God bless ( and for our sakes save ) Rock n Roll !!!!
utubeindc
buckeyesrulemichigan: Elvis is better? Please, Elvis is not even good enough to carry Joe Turner's dirty socks. No doubt, you're also a Garth Brooks fan.
Big Joe rules!
kc10ken
I absolutely agree. Elvis couldn't shine Joe Turner's shoes.
Bumblebee38
Listen to his recording issued on Atlantic 1026 from February 15 1954 with Piano Van Walls and Mickey Baker
southie231
WOW!! BIG Joe Turner...what a showman! Noticed he changed the lyrics a bit from the Atlantic Records studio version..super job. He will go down in R&B and R&R histories as one of the alltime greats, and pioneers!! May he rest in peace!!
royalefreshness
rock n roll is coooooooooooooool
southie231
Absolutely SUPER!!! Big Joe Turner indeed was the greatest shouter of the blues ever. He gave us great pleasure in his music over many years...God Bless you Joe!!
AchillesShield
Why didn't Atlantic put THIS version out? The version they released seriously lacked energy and lustre.
GolumTR
They did, it just got overshadowed.
No one would promote it because they knew white parents wouldn't let kids buy black rock n' roll. And because they didn't go out and promote it, the record got overshadowed.
rcp1936
I liked the Atlantic version better
I bought it in 78 format when I was a junior in HS
The black owner of the record store sorta looked at me funny
moonsafari4
hey explosions, are you feeling hurt?
skeptyky
PAS BELLE CETTE VERSION ? HEIN LES AMIS , shake!
shake!shake!!! year!!! ...
jimjam4419
Big Joe Turner was truly one the great pioneers of the early rock and roll years.
ffairlane57
Don't forget Wynonie Harris and T-Bone Walker. Jump Blues was really the beginning of rock & roll.
Rogere76
Pat Boone covered Little Richard . Need anymore be said ?
ibm650
Well, having heard both Bill Haley (live!) and Pat Boone (on radio) back in the day, I must say Bill Haley actually did rock, and played pretty good guitar. Pat Boone should have had more sense than to try "Tutti Frutti".
1940semochild
this is great! can see sorta of a Cab Calloway influence in his voice + style.
goodmusicday
YEAH!! Great post. Thanks.
xevcosmo
This is the original and still the best, remember bill haley just covered it.
Buckeyecat2002
My mother said he was her cousin.
shirleylanser
I love the way the host slowly exits from the stage dancing like he's loving life.
kark56cc
...I hear Big Joe and the day turns happy.
I am one year old 'cos I first heard Joe a year ago...
kark56cc
...I hear Big Joe and the day turns happy.
I am one year old 'cos I first heard Joe a year ago...
CalypsoClassic
wow. no one beast the original. Big Joe Turner is beast.
JAARNO88
this is where swing morphed into r'n'b . the missing link!
halibutty
at
1:44 that piano player looks like a real young Oscar Peterson, is that even possible?
fmichaelb
P W - obviously the initials of the band leader, but who?
MedwayMan1945
Paul Williams.
fmichaelb
Thank you.
sunfighter86
I just love this guy, he was the best! "I'm like a one-eyed cat peeping in a seafood store"! Classic lyrics!
freakbeatno1
Cooler than cool
DejaVuSu
Hey Joe!! Cool vid weirdovideos..
thanks FoJ for intoducing me to this.. XD
kinghendrixx
thanx for this true piece of history
arjhendrix have no fear, BIG JOE IS HERE!!! go go go me man and do bring down that house....etc.
THX(XnotC)
odoylerules2010 put him on itunes
arjhendrix 'THE BIG JOE' ----->>> some of the greats play one to a few (musical) instruments..... but when uz gott a man like me main man 'THE BIG JOE' playing a whole orchestra (5+ people & on a good day) my/ur knees knock and somehow do it in tune.
MAGICO240 I like it, Elvis version is revolutionary too!
TWUGxKR3W true fuckin classic
Obscurity3 a great version of this song is done by Bill Haley
gebeeze Shame that many of the great songs of the 50's/60's were made by black artists in America but only made it commercially when it was redone by white artists. How many top songs have been covered note for note by white artists, lacking the 'soul' of the originals? Songs like Shout, Go Now, Let's Stick Together and pretty much half of the Rolling Stones 60's catalogue. Its amazing that a band like Oasis can be derided for 'copying' a sound, yet the 60's bands (including Beatles) aren't critizised
Logstoned This poster makes the world a little better :) keep up the good work and please keep on posting great peaces of heavenly history
beberoo i'm currently researching on early american rock and roll, i guess it's one of the perks of my work. i'm very grateful to all whom have posted wonderful videos of truly revolutionary and moving songs. you guys are making my work easier :) ... now the hard part is staying focused enough so as not to get distracted. there's a lot of great music out there just waiting to be played.
DandJRuffin It is funny, but I am doing a little research on the Blues, too. I noticed that I knew almost nothing about this wonderful music unique to the U.S. I'm trying to share what I've learned through a blog with a handful of German Bluesfans. It is amazing what a wealth of music is out there without us knowing about it.
oramikleepunk
I agree with you...Blues music is amazing.
Efan56 Respect due.
gitoffmylawn I remember this song going "Get out of that bed, wash your face and hands." Must've been too much for the white audience then. Times change, today a line like that would probably be considered "too lame" by many. But Big Joe himself wouldn't, unless by a total idiot. This man is a legend, and I consider this song to be the first rock n' roll song ever. "Rock Around the Clock" is ok, but Bill Haley owes everything to artists like Big Joe. Give credit where credit is due.
Roland Faust
Weirdo Video
You Tube Comments #2
knuteboy36
This is it right here.
The roots of rock n' roll.
takao691150
Big Joe Turner
Robi2912
so cool
al43860
Fantastic.
mojogypsy
That's what I'm talkin' about...!
tinnedweasel2
oh yeh11 LOVE THIS..MEMORIES FROM DANCING AROUND THE MUSIC CLASS !!
michaelhutchinson
Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagic Maaaaaaagic AND
Magic
Kdees
GOLD
TONYFROMRANCHO
THIS IS AWESOME GOLD TREASURE......
honetone
good music and video thanks for this
honetone
great old sounds thanks for this
firegod45100
Big Joe Turner kick ass
weedstraw1
Like cool man!
lilginagee87
amazing video realli helped me out to understand .. old Rhythm and blues.. amazing music.... upliftin hyper music!!! love dancing to this x
FivePointsPlan
Thanks for putting this up. I'm addicted to the R&B from this era. It's alive like no other kind of music I know.
frenchabortion
it aint r n b
it's a woogie boogie rock n roll
BMZSOUL
it aint r n b
it's a woogie boogie rock n roll
uhmm,R&B is Rocks original name!!!
LizzyDouglas
In my view all Rock 'n Roll is according to the Boogie Woogie laws of rhytm.
The 'classic' R & B is the 'quicker' blues from the postwar area, you also can count Boogie Woogie to R & B.
mhomer4
Big Joe Turner was known for Jump Blues
andrew17660
who cares whats it called? it's just good music don't over complicate things
xoxohotie
lo man thanx for the r'n'b its the best music ever!!!!!
DeceasedDeath
Brilliant! Absolusitively brilliant! Do you have any more Joe Turner clips? Please upload if you do
NipkowDisk
Thank you for posting this. SUPERB!!!!!
biglongcadillac
he was smooth and he KNEW he was smooth. great, great stuff.
LykopisGilneas
when I was growing up my dad use to always say 'shake rattle and roll' .. was years before I knew what he was talking about.. then a few more before I heard this version.
rogerb385
Kicks A*S! All the way! Sounds way better than the Crap today,'
marctrainor
Man, if this isn't one of the pre-curser songs to Rock and Roll, I don't know what is. Here we have this 40's looking big band scenereo, but the guys are gettin' kind of loose, and starting to have fun with it. Holy Mackeral, I think we've got something here, and what a band to back him up. Marc Trainor.
progjunky
just what i was thinking
Paulmaxrobert
Rogerb, u are damn right, this stuff is
WAY, WAY, WAY better then todays 'rap'!!!!
ROCK ON TO THE GOOD OL' DAYS!!!!
PS I wasnt even born!!!!!! LOL
lhcarter
seems like rocknroll came out of a combination of black church music, boogie woogie and blues.
andrewr62
You must include swinging country music in that mix as well as well as jazz.
RobinMetrocolor
For some reason I like this version better than Bill Haley's version.
urrachunt
Heck yeah this was the first one.
urrachunt
TOTALLY AND UTTERLY AWESOME. THIS MUSIC IS GOLD!!!!!!!!!!
WOW THAT WAS FANTASIC! Anyone got a link to where he or his family are now?
ameyoshida
Big Joe Turner is dead. He died in 1985. I'm sure you can look up more info on Wikipedia about him.
buckeyesrulemichigan
Elvis is ten times better
HDbiikerchick
Rarely can anything surpass an original. This is yet another example of that. Great video, great version! Thanks!
filthyfunke
i don't think it's the borrowing that bother people but the fact the credit or props (the creation of Rock and Roll) goes to the wrong artists.
rushfanatic16
Best blues song ever
musicteachr
I agree that Big Joe Turner deserves to be credited as one of the pioneers of Rock and Roll. Unfortunately, many African American artists did not get their due credit and their original songs became the financial gain of another artist (white) through cover songs.
Gukuthegreat
Good Song!!
hv03vfx
What a great song. Rock n Roll is way better than this Soulja Boy Nonsense
Roland Faust
Weirdo Video
You Tube Comments #1
Fahrvergnugen This is now my favorite version of this song I've ever heard! Thanks for posting.
coyotesong did joe write shake rattle and roll?
melodyqueen composed by jesse stone (aka charles calhoun)
BergLarsen110 Also known as Joe Turner!
redmanthinks Leaves the recorded version in its awesome wake.
roscoe008 Big Joe Turner, The Boss of The Blues.
Pickinbuddy Good ol' Joe! Sure miss him! By the way, HE himself did a 'sanitized' version of this song when he started going on TV. Bill Haley's version differed in that it was "Rock & Roll"...not Rhythm & Blues. There's a whole lot more to it than a mere change in the lyrics-the Comets supercharged it, with a heavier backbeat, a quicker tempo, and a higher key.
HOTma18 Joe was playing rock n roll before Bill was playing Rock n roll.Rock n roll is Rhythm & blues.Bill Haley only added C&W to his version,and made it PG13 for Pop music.
mhomer4 Big Joe Turner was the best in the 40' & 50's. He was the man!
kansascityjumper AWSOME!!
tonibet41 Not for nothing he was called Mister Shake, Rattle & Roll
SuperHans64 "I'm like a one-eyed cat peepin' in a seafood store!"
That line rules.
ThomasDeLello You can't beat that...!!!
jacobsimon one of the biggest voices ever. Would sing without a microphone with Count Basie band.
hec913 I like it this song.
kamckenzie I love Joe Turner. He was one of the first rhythm and blues artists I remember listening to on 78 records.
Maya54321
This the oringinal Rock 'n' roll!!! Elvis is just an impersonator, fake ass thief!!
coolhandjones You don't really know anything about rock and roll.. anyway, black people stole melodies and songs from each other constantly. Elvis really had an awesome version and black people loved him.. Chuck Berry loved him, too.
JosephNScott "Elvis is just an impersonator, fake ass thief!!" Most of Elvis's stuff from "Heartbreak Hotel" to "Don't Be Cruel" to "Surrender" to "Suspicious Minds" didn't sound much like Joe at all, and those four songs didn't sound much like each other, either. You might as well call the great Wynonie Harris a "thief" if you think that way, because he emulated Joe more closely.
ExplosionsHurt86
Elvis was just like an American idol star of today, he was white and fit the clothes, and at that time they couldn't have middle class white kids going to the chitlin circuits so Elvis was created to segregate the races again. Elvis was just another invisible rope at the mixed dances.
benjaminBarr
Yes explo. you rite. I gues no black kids ever go on 'american idol'. shit, elvis wanted to be FAMOUS, that all. dont make me laff with that 'invisible rope' shit. Dude just wanted to get laid allatime. he wasnt makin no statements like that. none of them were. People like you, thats all who careabout that crap
ZomBrad
So, you failed US History? Had American Idol been around back then, black people would most certainly either been banned from it, or have their own separate (but "equal") version of it. Oh, and I think you're confusing Elvis with the bland manufactured shit you see on Mtv. Elvis may have been manufactured, but pop music of the past is infinitely better than today's generic, cookie cutter shit.
bsshuman I had dinner with Chuck D one time and to kiss up to him, I tried comparing Elvis to Vanilla Ice. He told me I was an idiot because Elvis was a bad motherfucker. Big Joe was so bad (as in good, kids) he didn't even need a microphone! It's alright that Elvis sold more records. Doesn't stop me from getting more pleasure from Big Joe and the one and only Pete Wilson than from just about anybody else out there!
JosephNScott "Had American Idol been around back then, black people would most certainly either been banned from it, or...." Nah. Acts like the Treniers, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and the Platters did appear on shows like Martin and Lewis's, Ed Sullivan's, Dick Clark's, and the Dorseys'. Even Groucho Marx had Gladys Bentley on and referred to her as "the" Gladys Bentley and directed her to the piano. National TV wasn't coming out of Alabama.
violet2048 If these guys were on American idol, they'd blow 'em all away. This is the best! Idol is too commercial and none of them have the same passion that these guys have.
djsundancekid Wow...that's how everybody should talk. Real love for rock'n'roll...
creole58 Was Ray Charles a theif? He sang Hank Willams and Buck Owens songs.
refici222 awesome
tienshanpai Big Joe!!You can see where Elvis borrowed some of his phrasing...Ain't no shame, it's just that Joe Turner cast that big of a musical shadow!
medic198oo "I'm like a one eyed cat peepin in a seafood store"......I love that line!
GrayDroid Great version. I believe this is from 1955; I was about to post an inferiour version of the same show myself. Now you saved me the trouble.
Roland Faust
Weirdo Video
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