rocket 88 "Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats"

[ztormar]

holy father! this kicks!

[SuperCosty2010]

the question is "true" or not "true", and what is the exact definition or rock'n'roll. Yes - there is none. What we now understand as RnR, what Alan Freed meant by that, what is in Wiki - all different things. That's why there is NO definitive one and only first RnR record, but the whole list of them who might be that.

I personally prefer Fats Domino and "The Fat Man" - the timing is perfect (December 1949 recorded, Januar 1950 released)

[gr8gizmo]

Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats is actually an alias for Ike Turner and his band The Kings of Rhythm. recorded by Sam Phillips for Sun Records in March 1951.

[rnrdemon]

@gr8gizmo

Of course it's Ike Turner's band The Kings Of Rhythm, but not to confuse people: Jackie Brenston is the singer and saxophonist on this song.

[dopeman72]

Timeless hit

[dopeman72]

Great song before my time but it's a times hit.

[SoulCat59]

This is Just the Best

One Of My Favs This was one of Elvis favorites

When he was a kid  and you know that story

Just the story "about" this song is legendary

[andersport]

This also the first real hot rod song before the Beach Boys or jan & Dean. They liked this type of music.

[lbarraza94]

is this the original one

[jaemel1]

@lbarraza94 Can't say 100% sure. Anybody?

[mrhonkeytonker]

@jaemel1 I would say yes, my dad had an original copy and it sounds spot on

[honkeytonker]

@lbarraza94 original cut for sure written on the ride to Memphis to record at Sun

[trancentralovertone]

khreat, i thank you!!!!!!!(7)

[138hyde]

the intro sounds like good golly miss molly

[P11GT]

göttlich (german)

[nghoaini]

@Flagman00 and SunStudioSessions, would love to visit Sun and see the studio--and amp--in person; is that even possible? Am in Va, not all that far a drive.. As a rock and roll fan and musician it's basically Mecca.

Most the comments here sound like they're from people who really know their history. So glad i looked. Rocket 88's my favorite song hands down. Simple upbeat recording with a piece of fascinating luck thrown in. Without it you can kiss Elvis, The Beatles, the Ramones, etc goodbye..

[Rowland108]

This is Ike Turner's King of Rhythm band recorded at Sun in Memphis in 1951 & leased to Chess. Jackie was tenor sax in the band along with Raymond Hill who gets the name check "blow your horn Raymond" The tune was adapted by Ike from Jimmy Liggins "Cadillac Boogie that Jimmy recorded in LA in 1947.

[SunStudioSessions]

@Rowland108 you got it!

[freeserburn9]

it was recorded at sun records but sam phillips didn't do records so he sold it to CHESS.

[joebloization]

It was recorded at Sam Phillips studios in Memphis. Phillips hadn't started Sun Records yet. There are actually two other test pressing versions of the song. Chess bought the masters

[goody82az]

Thanks for the upload, this song is featured in my textbook for rock and roll history and Youtube is delivering.

[jphasty]

The track was recorded at Sam Phillips' Memphis Recording Service when it was just a studio before there was a Sun Records label. The track was a huge hit for Chess (and made the label a lot of money). Phillips knew he was only going to make serious money if he also had his own label, prompting him to start Sun.

[Wolf251982]

Great Song!

[therealCanablisS]

boozin n cruizin along ,,, woot

[54Moredoor]

It was Jackie Brenston singing but it was Ike Turner and The Rhythm Kings band, Ike on guitar.

[JudyGurl]

OK, my bad..........the amp is stuffed with newspaper, not a shirt. And the legend has it that the amp was dropped from the car but what really may have happened was simply damage from rain. Anyway, cool song...the coolest.

[nghoaini]

i have an original pressing on chess - and yes it's the first true rock and roll song. a car, chicks, drinkin and drivin, everything a good rock n roller needs... more importantly it's also the first recording with distorted guitar (when someone dropped the amp on way into the studio).

[jaemel1]

I'm jealous :~)

Thanks for the comment!

[Michiganman2cali]

@nghoaini Well put. And true. It was to early to add the drugs

[unholyaquarius]

@nghoaini serious? because an amp was dropped on the way?

[JudyGurl]

@unholyaquarius yep, on the way to Memphis (Sun Studios) to record, they had a flat, had to get the gear out to get to the spare, and BAM goes the amp. They stuffed a shirt inside it and that's the unique sound. And yes, this is definatley the first real rock and roll song.

[sgunn2001]

@JudyGurl it was rcorded in chicago at chess

[jaemel1]

@sgunn2001 Hmmm...I had read somewhere that it was actually recorded at Sun Studios-but I don't really know.

[haneysbighouse]

@jaemel1 it was recorded at sun, but sold to chess

[SunStudioSessions]

@jaemel1 - you are absolutely correct, Rocket 88 was recorded right here in Memphis at Sun Studio! Chess Records released the song, but it was 100% recorded right here in our building in 1951.

[Flagman00]

@jaemel1 You are corrcect

[JudyGurl]

@sgunn2001 No, "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brentson and his Delta Cats/featuring Ike Turner was recorded in Mempis TN at Sun Studios aka: Memphis Recording Services.

[JudyGurl]

@sgunn2001 let me be perfectly clear. It may have been released or re-released on the Chess label, but it was originally recorded (by Jackie Brentson/Ike Turner/Delta Cats) at Sun Studios in Memphis.

[darush012]

@JudyGurl it was recorded at sun but chess are the people who marketed it as jackie brenston and his delta cats sam phillips had it labeled as just jackie brentston

[darush012]

It was recorded at sun records in memphis tennesee and then passed by sam phillips to chess but the actual recording happened at sun, look it up if you dont beleive me

[darush012]

@sgunn2001 actually it was recorded at mephis recording studios by sam phillips before he started the sun label it was distributed under the chess label

[Caprock64]

@sgunn2001 It's was recorded at Sun. Ike was under contact elsewhere, so they used Jackie's name. He was the sax player.

[Flagman00]

@sgunn2001 Just got back from Memphis. It was recorded at Sun, but they were just a recording studio. Chess was a label and they released it.

[darush012]

@nghoaini it was recorded in memphis by sam phillips then distributed under the chicago based chess label because sam had yet to start his own label

[Flagman00]

@nghoaini I took a photo of that amp. It is in Sun Records.

[789pequignot]

great song

[allaboard70]

Bill Haley and Chuck Berry was great, but this was the very first car song with a rockin' beat. Very good music by Jackie Brenston and Ike Turner.

[MrSean677]

What movie(s) was this song in?

[miketheshanmanmangan]

This is the original and today some 57 years later still remains The Classic Rock and Roll song!!!

[darlene1029]

Let's Rock :)

Thank you jaemel1

remember this from way back

[gigafortress]

Needed this for an assignment at college

thanks for uploading man