Artist: Roy Brown
Author: Roy Brown
Label: DeLuxe
Year: 1947
With Bob Ogden's orchestra at Cosimo Matassa's studio. First song with the word "rocking" in the title. Inspired by Sy Oliver's There's Good Blues Tonight ('46), covered by Lucky Millinder. Roy first tried to convince his idol Wynonie Harris to cut it. When Wynonie rejected it, Roy was convinced by Cecil Gant to do his own version and he intruduced him to DeLuxe Records boss Jules Brown. One condition: "Do me some more songs". That's when Roy added Lollypop Mama (see there). Became the most popular race record of the year.
Covers:
Wynonie Harris [n°1 R&B; version proclaimed one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock 'n Roll by the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame; years later as Good Mambo Tonight]
Elvis Presley [following Roy Brown's original, rather than Wynonie Harris' hit version; first one to sing "Have YOU heard the news" instead of "I heard the news, there's good rockin' tonight"]
Link Davis [as Have You Heard The News]
Ricky Nelson [as There's Good Rockin' Tonight]
Eddy Mitchell [as Et la voix d'Elvis]
Honeydrippers [as Good Rockin' At Midnight]
Shawn Camp & Billy Burnette [The Bluegrass Elvises]
Of all names listed only Pat Boone had a US pop hit with it. See also: Ain't It A Shame, Long Tall Sally and Tutti Frutti. Roy still has to be inducted in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)