Sunday 13 February 2011

I Feel So Bad - Chuck Willis

"I Feel so Bad is a song written and originally recorded by Chuck Willis in 1953, a cover of the song was recorded by Elvis Presley on March 12, 1961 in RCA Studio B, in Nashville. Presley covered the song following the arrangements by Willis and his singing style, his version reached the #5 in Top 20 Billboard's Pop chart in 1961 and #15 in Billboard's Top 20 R&B Singles chart the same year." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Feel_so_Bad





" Harold "Chuck" Willis (January 31, 1928 – April 10, 1958) was an American blues, rhythm and blues, and rock singer and songwriter. He was known as "The King of the Stroll" for his performance of the 1950s dance The Stroll. Willis was born in Atlanta, Georgia.Willis was spotted at a talent contest by Atlanta radio disc jockey Zenas Sears, who became his manager and helped him to sign with Columbia Records in 1951. After one single, Willis began recording on a Columbia subsidiary, Okeh. During his stay at Okeh, he established himself as a popular R&B singer and songwriter. In 1956, he moved to Atlantic Records where he had immediate success with "It's Too Late (She's Gone)", "Juanita" and "Love Me Cherry". His most successful recording was "C.C. Rider", which topped the US Billboard R&B chart in 1957 and also crossed over and sold well in the pop market. "C.C. Rider" was a remake of a twelve-bar blues, performed by Ma Rainey in Atlanta before Willis was born. Its relaxed beat, combined with a mellow vibraphone backing and chorus, inspired the emergence of the popular dance, The Stroll. Willis's follow-up was "Betty and Dupree", another "stroll" song, which also did well. Willis' single "Going to the River", a song by Fats Domino, was a prototype for his "stroll" sound, reaching #4 on the R&B chart." Read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Willis






And for perhaps a wilder version by Elvis - there's Take one -

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