Artist: Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
Author: Sam Theard/Fleecie Moore
Label: Decca
Year: 1946
The good times roll three different ways: this way (also the Ray Charles- and B.B. King way), the Shirley & Lee way (the most popular one) and the Earl King way (adopted by Alvin Robinson, Jimi Hendrix, Dr. John, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Steve Miller). Then there's versions picking up elements from different variations and last but not least you can 'laisser le bon temps rouler' (see: Bon Ton Roulet). Coauthor Fleecie Moore was Louis Jordan's second wife.
Covers:
Shirley & Lee [with own lyrics]
Ray Charles [produced by Quincy Jones]
Earl King [as Come On, with elements of Let The Good Times Roll (Shirley & Lee) and Bon Ton Roulet]
Caesar & Cleo [Sonny & Cher]
Judy Henske [the Shirley & Lee variation on Ace comp A Third Wall Of Soundalikes - Phil's Spectre III]
Rising Sons [with Taj Mahal]
Bunny Sigler [in medley with another Leonard Lee composition Feel So Good]
Jimi Hendrix [as Come On Part I]
Dr. John [was utterly charmed realizing Lovin' Sam Theard, mad comedian from New Orleans, some way or another managed to claim coauthorship for this standard; his Spo-de-ode moniker apparantly works like a local variation on 'Kilroy was here']
Cars [as Good Times Roll]
Anson Funderburgh [as Come On]
Stevie Ray Vaughan [as Come On Part III]
B.B. King [later the title track of a full cd with Louis Jordan covers]
Quincy Jones [with Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Bono]
Popa Chubby [on the Jimi Hendrix Music Festival]
Steve Miller Band [as Come On (Let The Good Times Roll)]
With two Let The Good Times Roll's firmly established, producer Dave Bartholomew suggested Earl King to rename his intended third version Come On. Came out on Imperial on both sides of a 45 as Part I & II. That's why Stevie Ray Vaughan named his version Come On Part III. As for the Shirley & Lee variation, in 1988 Shirley won a federal court judgement earning her half the writing royalties on their Let The Good Times Roll and derivatives. When Leonard Lee's widow contested the decision, Shirley suffered a fatal stroke.
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)