Our Blues Roots: "Rock Me, Baby"

[Don D.]

I’m happy to be covering this one—for one thing, it means I had some downtime to listen to music. It’s a great song for practicing bends, bending the flat 7 up. Because there are so many versions, I didn’t try to be comprehensive; please add your favorite version in the comments. The dates in parentheses indicate the release.

Here’s a link to the Wikipedia article about it.

Big Bill Broonzy, “Rockin’ Chair Blues” (1940). A lot of the songs we know and love passed through Big Bill’s and/or Tampa Red’s hands first.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORJ6i1OQfyk

Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, “Rock Me Mama” (1944).

Some people say Lil’ Son Jackson’s “Rockin and Rollin” from 1951 is really the first version. It’s still one of the coolest.

Muddy Waters, “Rock Me” (1956).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOSemBw0myk

Although this song is most often credited to B.B. King/Joe Josea, you can see it goes back a lot further. Here’s B.B. King’s original 1964 Kent release, recorded 1962.

Sugar Pie DeSanto “Rock Me Baby,” live at the American Folk Blues Festival in England (1964).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZIzF2uC9MM

This is my (current) favorite version of the song, Johnny “Clyde” Copeland’s “Rock Me Baby, Part 1” (there’s also a part 2, but I can’t find it online). It’s available on a reissue album called Houston Roots, released by Ace in 1988. It’s played in E, and with the reverb, it goes into the same territory as Link Wray’s “Rumble”; it also goes back and forth in and out of “Sugar Mama.”

Here’s a better quality recording of the same song (Johnny Copeland’s “Rock Me, Baby, Part 1”), starting at 6:11 in the video. It looks like the person who posted this version says the recording is from 1960 but I think the album says it’s from 1965 (I’ll comment tomorrow with the exact date).

Otis Redding, “Rock Me Baby” from Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965).

Junior Wells “All Night Long (Rock Me Baby)” from Chicago: The Blues Today, Volume 1 is just one classic track among many; everything on this 3-volume series was crucial (1966).

The Animals, “Rock Me Baby” from Animalism (1966).

A ska version by Ken Boothe (1966).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abwe59pE0ho

Jimi Hendrix “Rock Me, Baby” at the Monterey Pop Festival (June 1967). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyuqWFqyJ0E

Jeff Beck Group, “Rock My Plimsoul” from Truth (1968).

Big Mama Thornton, “Rock Me Baby,” live (1971)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14q235TcZpI

Luther Allison
, “Rock Me, Baby” (1972).

Etta James and Stephen Stills “Rock Me, Baby,” live (1972?)

Another great Texas musician, Johnny Winter from Still Alive and Well (1973)

Robin Trower, “Rock Me Baby” from Twice Removed From Yesterday (1973).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Di9Z-_aHmk

Yet another great Texas musician, Lightnin’ Hopkins playing an electric gittar (around 1972-1975, please correct me if you know better).

Eddy Clearwater and Jimmy Dawkins live, “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “Rock Me, Baby” (starts at 6:59, 1976).

Muddy Waters and Johnny Winter “Rock Me Baby” from I’m Ready (1978)

Don D.

[Don D.]

Has anyone noticed yet? The B.B. King video I posted above isn’t “Rock Me, Baby.” After a couple additional hours searching I still haven’t found a U.S.-playable version of the original 1964 release. I’m sorry. There must be a licensing issue. There are very few of him playing it at all, even albums of his “50 Greatest Hits” don’t have a version.

It’s been a while since I heard the original but I don’t think it has an organ. This one sounds most like it to me, like a late ’60s or early ’70s version.

Here’s a live version from 1979, B.B. King “Now Appearing” at Ole Miss.

B.B. King, live at the Rosengarten (1994).

B.B. King, live at the Royal Albert Hall (2011).

Here’s a confused version, claiming both B.B. King and Johnny “Guitar” Watson are present—I don’t think B.B. King is present at all. Do you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeUAHgatZWI&list=PLWCJOLJ9si2m6Btg1Y60t9DZZO6_Sqah_&index=11

Here’s a great one by Memphis Slim with either Matt “Guitar” Murphy or Mickey Baker playing minimally. It’s from sometime in the early ’60s.

Here’s another one by Memphis Slim, solo, from the early ’60s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVYLmTifqEU

Don D.

[San Luis Rey]

Thanks for all those versions Don. One of my favorites is Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart on vocals. Saw them back in the 70’s. I believe Ronnie Wood played bass guitar.
Mike

Mike

[Don D.]

The Johnny Copeland record didn’t give recording dates, so I don’t know where I got 1965 from, but that is what I think. The album is 100% great, picture of titles attached.

Also wondering if anyone knows anything about the Johnny “Guitar” Watson recording. Is B.B. King anywhere near it, is he on it?

Don D.

[Don D.]

Here’s one I missed and couldn’t ignore. Jackie Brenston with the Earl Hooker band (Earl Hooker on gittar, don’t know who others are) from sometime between 1959 and ’63, “(I) Want You to Rock Me.”

Jackie Brenston “was an American R&B singer and saxophonist, who recorded, with Ike Turner’s band, the first version of the pioneering rock and roll song ‘Rocket 88’,” from Wikipedia. More about the many songs with a claim to be the “first rock ‘n’ roll song” in a coming installment of Our Blues Roots; “Rocket 88” was released in 1951.

Also, the Johnny “Guitar” Watson version of “Rock Me, Baby” above is number 11 on the playlist, if it doesn’t come up immediately upon clicking on it. I don’t hear the presence of B.B. King, even though his name is listed on the video. Do you have an idea one way or the other?

Don D.

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