If You Really Want Me To I'll Go - Delbert McClinton (The Rondells) 1965

Delbert dscovered the blues in his teenage years, quickly became an accomplished harmonica player and found plenty of work on the local club scene, where musicians often made their living by playing completely different styles of music on different nights of the week. His most prominent early gig was with the Straitjackets, the house band at The Cellar a blues/R&B club; it gave Delbert the opportunity to play harp behind blues legends like Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Sonny Boy Williamson II, and Bobby "Blue" Bland. In 1960, McClinton's cover of Williamson's "Wake Up Baby" made him the first white artist to have a record played on the local blues station KNOK. McClinton's harmonica was prominently featured on Fort Worth native Bruce Channel's 1962 #1 smash "Hey! Baby"; brought along for Channel's tour of England, McClinton wound up giving cross harp lessons to a young John Lennon. Upon returning to the States, McClinton founded a group called the Rondells (sometimes listed as the Ron-Dels), which had this minor chart single in 1965 with "If You Really Want Me to, I'll Go." To hear this and other "Great Moments In Rock and Roll," listen to Jimmy Rabbitt's "Saturday Afternoon Drive" on KOCI-fm Newport Beach, CA. Streaming at KOCIradio.com from 3-6pm PST

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Delbert McClinton
• The Rondells
• John Lennon
• Bruce Channel
• Hey Baby
• The Rabbitt Report
• KOCI-fm
• rock and roll

[fernleyguy48]

No offense but that is Rodney Crowell

[elconejo9]

yes it is, I have the record! Read his bio!

[golfitogene]

I don't know how I missed Delbert all my life...I am two days older than him...born on November 2 and he on November 4, 1940....been listening to music all my life...especially country, old time rock and roll, blues...etc....but just missed him until recently when a friend of mine from Texas/Arkansas and I were playing guitars together and he started playing and singing one by Delbert...then I saw him on Fox News channel...so that's it from an ole S. Georgia boy now living in Costa Rica...

[jasonerling]

@fernleyguy48 it does sound sorta like Rodney, but it is Delbert, i have the record on my channel too

[richadNtexas]

My 45 of this song spells the band (duo) name as Ron-Dels. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 1986 edition, lists the members (& perhaps includes the lead vocalist?) as Ronnie Kelly (that'd be the Ron) and Delbert McC.

[91Bear]

The Straitjackets were the same band as the Rondells. Their manager/producer, Major Bill Smith, did not like the name Straitjackets, so he took the Rondells name from two of the members Ron and Del(bert).

[richadNtexas]

Who's Rodney Crowell? Do you mean the singer in this song (instead of McClinto)? Speaking of Jimmy Rabbit, does anyone but me have "Pushover" on Knight 1049?

[tatwl]

Thanks for posting this great song. Would anyone happen to have the chords for this song? I've searched for a long time and had zero luck finding them. Thanks.

[bulbheadmyass]

This really is early, I guess, but it doesn't even sound like Delbert.