K.C. LOVING

Created on 05/03/2008
Latest update on 15/03/2024

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:

1955:

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]

1956:

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)]

1956:

Little Richard [as Hey Hey Hey Hey (Going Back To Birmingham)]

1959:

Wilbert Harrison [n°1 US & R&B as Kansas City]

1959:

Hank Ballard & The Midnighters [idem]

1959:

Ronnie Hawkins [as Rockin' Ronald & The Rebels]

1959:

Bob Gaddy [as The Girl Who Promises]

1960:

Memphis Slim [with Alexis Korner]

1961:

Brenda Lee

1961:

Fabian

1962:

Beatles [in Hamburg and in the Cavern Club and in '64 in medley with Hey Hey Hey Hey on Beatles For Sale]

1963:

Trini Lopez

1963:

Jan & Dean

1964:

Fats Domino

1964:

Gene Vincent [as Hey Hey Hey Hey]

1965:

Everly Brothers

1965:

Undertakers [as Hey Hey Hey Hey]

1966:

Tom Jones

1967:

James Brown

1967:

Albert King

1968:

Brenda Lee

1973:

Commander Cody [as Hey Hey Hey Hey]

1974:

Ten Years After [as Going Back To Birmingham]

1975:

Muddy Waters

1977:

Graham Parker [live at Marble Arch]

1977:

Mike Bloomfield

1978:

Flamin' Groovies [as Hey Hey Hey Hey]

1983:

Roland & Friends

1984:

Mickey Jupp Band

1988:

Paul McCartney

1990:

Hothouse Flowers

1995:

Duke Tumatoe

1997:

Stan Webb [as Hey Hey Hey Hey]

1999:

Alex Chilton

1999:

Bram Vermeulen [as 1 + 1 = 1]

2000:

Willie Nelson [all as Kansas City]

Contact


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)

info@originals.be

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