ELLA MAE MORSE ~ ROCK ME ALL NIGHT LONG ~ 1953

[MrJNScott]

@horarwgt In your view, what influence did C&W have on any of the '47-'49 stuff that mentioned “rock”ing over backbeat through most of the tune, e.g. Preston's “Rock The Joint” & Smith's “Rock That Boogie” (both on youtube)?

[MrJNScott]

@horarwgt Hadda Brooks' version of "Jump Back..." was also in the r'n'r style. There are many '20s recordings that "rocked," if we define "rocked" widely or vaguely enough, but the fad for actually singing secular music about "rock"ing over a backbeat didn't exist yet in '46, the notion of a "rock and roll" style arose because of that fad style with the backbeat, and all the recordings I've mentioned are in that fad style.

[59cadcoupe]

This song just sends me - way up to the stratosphere!!!

[chrisradano]

"Rock me".....slang for sex.

[martygro]

A crossword clue brought me to this lady. Wow. I was just a kid in England when this stuff was around but still never heard of her when I came to Canada in 1957. You tube doesnt always suck Martyg

[whispperson]

Ella Mae Morse. The Forgotten Queen of Rock N Roll.

What a Incredible and Very Underated Talent.

[MrPETER1947]

second that comment about youtube just opening up all this great , great music to all us starved people out here,thanks

[horarwgt]

Although this record wasn't a chart hit, keep in mind that Ella recorded it the year BEFORE Elvis cut HIS first record. Ella was indeed a rocx pioneer!

[MrJNScott]

@horarwgt "Ella recorded it the year BEFORE Elvis cut HIS first record. Ella was indeed a rock pioneer!" Pretty much, but the idea that Elvis was early is itself a myth. The Jackson Brothers' "We're Gonna Rock This Joint" was '52, E. Ford & the Dinning Sisters' "Rock City Boogie" was '51, K. Starr's "Oh Babe" & Pee Wee Crayton's "Poppa Stoppa" were '50, R. Brown's "Boogie At Midnight" & J. Smith's "Rock That Boogie" were '49, B. Moore's "Rock And Roll" & J. McNeely's "Man Eater" were '48, etc.

[horarwgt]

@MrJNScott Well, of course. Wynonie Harris ("Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well," 1945), Arthur Crudup ("That's All Right," 1946) and others were cutting records that rocked even before any of the other pioneers you list. What's particularly noteworthy about Ella is that she was one of the few WOMEN to do so.

[MrJNScott]

@horarwgt "Wynonie Harris ('Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well,' 194[4]), Arthur Crudup ('That's All Right,' 1946) and others were cutting records that rocked" There was a fad as of '49 for tunes that (1) mentioned rocking in the lyrics and (2) had backbeat through most of the tune -- e.g. "Boogie At Midnight," "Rock That Boogie," J. Preston's "Rock The Joint," & J. Turner's "Jumpin' At The Jubilee." That sound was a newer development than Wynonie's '44 sound, & was nicknamed rock & roll by '51.

[MrJNScott]

@horarwgt "she was one of the few WOMEN" Well, Ella Mae's "Jump Back..." was previously done by Hadda Brooks, Albennie Jones' "Hole In The Wall" was rightly called a "rocker" in the 5/28/49 issue of Billboard, "Jump And Shout" by Erline "Rock And Roll" Harris is from '50, "The Walkin' Blues" aka "Walk Right In" by Fluffy Hunter is from '51, "Drill Daddy Drill" by Dorothy Ellis is '52, "Mr. Low Love" by Terry Simmons is '52, "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean" by Ruth Brown is '52...

[horarwgt]

@MrJNScott Yes, Ell;a WAS one of the few women who rocked. Yes, some other artists may have previously cut versions of some tunes she recorded, but then again, during that period everybody covered everybody -- and most oif Ella's hits were totally original. There were lots of records which rocked prior to 1949. There is no first rock record because rock 'n' roll is a hybrid -- a blend of pop, country and R&B. Hadda, BTW, while known as "Queen of the Boogie," actually preferred ballads.

[buddyeagle]

Rock-Boogie.

[WimGrundy]

This ain't rockabilly, it's Hill-boogie!

[AllBobsAllTheTime]

The "other Ella" really cooked!!!

[MrChillin65]

pure class.....

[jazzmanzoot]

Man ! If I was the Piano Player, and Miss Ella Mae came that close ! I`d play the Boogie Woogie alrite.

With No hands ! ! !

[largelester]

definetly rock & roll

[gangerollo]

Ella Mae Morse is just GREAT!!!

[MrChillin65]

fantastic voice, love this girl.

[RockabillyWilly1]

Same here! Never heard her before and now realise that she is one of the top female Rock n Roll singers!!!

[JubalCalif]

Outta site, daddy-o! I never get tired of listening to the late great Ella Mae Morse! If she had been any more cool, she'd have been frozen! THANKS for sharing this swingin' rockabilly tune with us! You've made my day & my week! :)

[SuperSquid007]

Well in as contender for leading rock 'n' roll progenitor!

[Bumblebee38]

Who is the PIANIST ?....definitely NOT Freddie Slack

[eotto2001]

Wow! Geez, doesn't this remind you Lambert, Hendrix and Ross's stuff? She predates them I think. I wonder how many rock and rollers listened to her? Thank for the post.

[59cadcoupe]

Great sound! Real HI-FIDELITY! Ella Mae could R-O-C-K !

[steve89z]

omg if it wasn't for the internet and youtube i would have not been able to get a musical education and enjoy all the great musicans! i'm diggin' it!

[camking88]

I always say the same thing!

[JubalCalif]

@steve89z

I second that emotion, Steve! The internet (and you tube particulary) has exposed me to so much ultra cool music from yesteryear....I've fallen in love with the work of the late great Ella Mae Morse especially...she should be in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame as an early influence of the genre. THANKS for your insightful comment! :)

[swinginkatz]

Go Baby Go.

[mrgbennet]

I would have liked to have rocked her all night long.

[EricColeUK]

Can't believe I never heard of her and I've been into Rockabilly stuff for years. What a great find, I love YouTube...

[gangerollo]

@EricColeUK there you go, I mean...it took me some years before I found her here on YT and I consider me knowing pretty much about Rock-a-billy/Rock'nRoller/R&B et cetera (late '40s-50s music).

[mspartimarti]

@EricColeUK

I know what you mean

Ella Rocks...

Love the big "C" in Chicago!1

[mojojee]

@EricColeUK Same here. This gal was DYNAMITE!

[wallpole]

@EricColeUK same as that she's grreat

[satomiwa]

This is awesome. I love youtube.

"And all these years I thought Ella Mae Morse was a black woman." - my dad, who has a nice little collection of Ella Mae Morse 78s from the 40s.

[Shamagogue]

The melody to this tune is almost identical to that of "Route 66"!!!

[Medgey]

Yet another great that we never heard in England . We heard enough of second rate copyists and imitations. Scandal and conspiracy?

[ventnor43]

Great stuff. Ella Mae Morse is my favorite vocalist. She could swing without effort. Thanks for posting the clip!

[zbelzanger]

Ella Mae Morse...."the most requested gal singer of them all"--Martha Wilkerson (aka: G.I. Jill), Armed Froces Radio G.I. JIVE female disc jockey: May 7, 1945.

[JosephNScott]

"Ella Mae Morse....'the most requested gal singer of them all'--Martha Wilkerson (aka: G.I. Jill), Armed Forces Radio G.I. JIVE female disc jockey: May 7, 1945." Yeah, she was FAMOUS, contrary to revisionism that imagines (for no better reason than it's romantic, I guess) that she must have had a hard time in the '40s. At her peak she was outscoring Billie Holiday and Cab Calloway even on the _black_ charts.

[tubelogin1]

ooooooooooooo AMAZING! 1953? ELLA RULES.

[RockabillyWilly1]

All started with boogie stuff in the early 40s

[Gorsegrower]

And this, students, is how rock and roll got started.

[RockabillyWilly1]

Agree!!!

[JosephNScott]

"And this, students, is how rock and roll got started." "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Wynonie Harris, "Rock The Joint" by Jimmy Preston, "We're Gonna Rock This Morning" by Doles Dickens, "Rock That Boogie" by Jimmy Smith were recorded before 1950.

Ella Mae is great on this.

[hebneh]

Lyrics like this, at that time, were far more likely to be heard in what were called "race records". I'm kind of surprised to encounter this proto-rock & roll coming from a young white woman and not a black man. Pretty hot!

[koosmal]

I've listened to her over and over. Going to search for CD. Thanks for posting the songs. She's really HOT. Really rocks, should have been up with Elvis at the time.

[Cameragirl803]

This is a cool one;) I had never heard this one, but it's great! 5*****Jane