Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo
| "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Johnny Winter And from the album Johnny Winter And | |
| Released | 1970 |
| Recorded | 1970 |
| Genre | Hard rock |
| Length | 3:29 |
| Label | Columbia (no. C 30221) |
| Writer(s) | Rick Derringer |
| Producer(s) | Johnny Winter, Rick Derringer |
"Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" is a rock song written by Rick Derringer.[1] It was first recorded in 1970 by Johnny Winter And, Johnny Winter's band from 1970-71, which included Derringer. In 1973, Derringer recorded a solo version and it became his only Top 40 chart hit as a solo artist, peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 23. They both have recorded several live versions of the song and several other artists have recorded their interpretations.
Original song
"Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" was recorded by Johnny Winter in 1970 with his band "Johnny Winter And", which included Rick Derringer and other former members of The McCoys. According to Derringer, "The first song I wrote for Johnny was 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo'. 'Rock and Roll' to satisfy the rock 'n' roll that I was supposed to be bringing into the picture, and 'Hoochie Koo' to satisfy the king of blues sensibility that Johnny was supposed to maintain. And it worked out great".[2] However, Winter noted, "The reviewers liked it. I didn't think 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo' would do as well as it did 'cause it was a little corny. Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo. You don't ever know".[2] The song is included on the Johnny Winter And album, which reached number 154 on the Billboard 200 album chart.[3][4] In 1970, they recorded the song during the Live Johnny Winter And tour, which was released as Live at the Fillmore East 10/3/70 in 2010. Together they later recorded the song with Winter's brother for Edgar Winter's White Trash live 1972 album Roadwork.
Rick Derringer renditions
In 1973, the song's author, Rick Derringer recorded the song for his solo debut album All American Boy. The song was released as a single and reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his highest showing on the record charts. It has become a staple of 1970s rock music compilations and classic rock radio. Derringer has recorded several live versions of the "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" over the years.[1] In 2012, Derringer recorded and released a new version of the song with lyrics reflecting his Christian beliefs. Titled "Read the Word and Live It Too," the song also credited a "Big D" for the rapped verses.
Recordings by other artists and appearances
In 1975, a live performance of "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" by Van Halen was recorded, although it is officially unreleased.[5] Suzi Quatro recorded the song for her 1978 album If You Knew Suzi... Superfly included it with the single "My Best of My Life" (2009) and on the compilation album Cover Songs: Complete Best 'Track 3' (2010). Four By Fate included a version in their debut album "Relentless" (2016)
Derringer's solo version of "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" has appeared in several films,[6] including The Spirit of '76 (1990), Rush (1991), Dazed and Confused (1993), Stag (1997), and What a Girl Wants (2003).
References
- 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo – Song Review". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- 1 2 Sullivan, Mary Lou (2010). Raisin' Cain: The Wild and Raucous Story of Johnny Winter. Backbeat Books. pp. 139–140. ISBN 978-0-87930-973-2.
- ↑ "Johnny Winter – Billboard albums". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ↑ A promotional single of "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" b/w "21st Century Man" was also released in 1970 (Columbia 4-45260).
- ↑ Bubba (27 Jul 2007). "Bubba-Rocks: Van Halen - 1975 and 1976 - School's Out". Bubba-Rocks. Archived from the original on 13 Feb 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
- ↑ "Rick Derringer – Filmography". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved March 25, 2011.