Artist: Little Willie Littlefield
Author: Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller
Label: Federal
Year: 1952
Leiber & Stoller were teenagers in '52, white teenagers that is. Obviously frequenting the right places, peddling streetwise black musicians the right stuff, one of the most intriguing behind-the-scene stories in early rock 'n roll. They both dated black girlfriends; that helps! They wrote it as Kansas City but Federal labelboss Ralph Bass deemed K.C. a hipper term. Inspired by Denver Darling's Juke Joint Mama (Decca). Answered by Littlefield as Miss K.C.'s Fine.
Covers:
Little Richard [as Kansas City; master cut at Cosimo's in New Orleans and in Hollywood; released in '59 in the slipstream of Wilbert Harrison's hit]
Johnny Otis [as Hey Hey Hey Hey on Dig Records; must have heard Little Richard's Hollywood cut (with its distinctive Hey Hey Hey Hey stanzas)]
Little Richard [as Hey Hey Hey Hey (Going Back To Birmingham)]
Wilbert Harrison [n°1 US & R&B as Kansas City]
Ronnie Hawkins [as Rockin' Ronald & The Rebels]
Bob Gaddy [as The Girl Who Promises]
Memphis Slim [with Alexis Korner]
Beatles [in Hamburg and in the Cavern Club and in '64 in medley with Hey Hey Hey Hey on Beatles For Sale]
Gene Vincent [as Hey Hey Hey Hey]
Undertakers [as Hey Hey Hey Hey]
Commander Cody [as Hey Hey Hey Hey]
Ten Years After [as Going Back To Birmingham]
Graham Parker [live at Marble Arch]
Flamin' Groovies [as Hey Hey Hey Hey]
Stan Webb [as Hey Hey Hey Hey]
Bram Vermeulen [as 1 + 1 = 1]
Willie Nelson [all as Kansas City]
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)