A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love) explained

A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)
Cover:Rockin'_Good_Way.webp
Type:single
Artist:Dinah Washington and Brook Benton
Album:The Two of Us
B-Side:I Believe
Released:May 1960
Recorded:March 1960
Genre:Soul
Label:Mercury Records

671629

Producer:Clyde Otis
Prev Title:Baby (You've Got What It Takes)
Prev Year:1960
Next Title:This Bitter Earth
Next Year:1960

"A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)" is a song first recorded in 1958 by Priscilla Bowman, on the Abner Records label (ABNER DJ 1018).[1] Bowman was given vocal backing by The Spaniels.[2]

Dinah Washington and Brook Benton version

In 1960, the song was recorded as a pop and R&B duet by Dinah Washington and Brook Benton. The single was the second pairing for the singers and, like their first single together, it went to number 1 on the R&B chart and was a top ten pop single as well.[3]

The song was written by Benton, Clyde Otis and Luchi de Jesus.[4] The single, with the song title styled "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around And Fall I Love)", included orchestra arranged and conducted by Belford Hendricks.

Weekly charts

Chart (1960)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 28
Canada (CHUM)[6] 17
US Cash Box Top 100[7] 5

Year-end charts

Chart (1960)Position
US Billboard Top 100[8] 75
US Cash Box Top 10044

Shakin' Stevens and Bonnie Tyler version

A Rockin' Good Way
Cover:File:Shakin' Stevens Bonnie Tyler A Rockin' Good Way.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler
Album:The Bop Won't Stop
B-Side:Why Do You Treat Me This Way?
Recorded:1983
Studio:Eden Studios, London
Genre:
Label:Epic
Producer:Christopher Neil

A duet by Welsh singers Shakin' Stevens and Bonnie Tyler was released on 30 December 1983 and made number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 1 in Ireland. It was included on Stevens' 1984 album The Bop Won't Stop. The B-side was a live recording by Stevens' of "Why Do You Treat Me This Way?" at the Birmingham Odeon.

Charts

Year-end charts

1984 year-end chart performance for "A Rockin' Good Way"!Chart (1984)!Position
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[10] 60
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 33

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Cohodas, Nadine . Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington . 18 December 2007 . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group . 978-0307427380 . 341.
  2. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 54.
  3. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 612.
  4. https://archive.today/20120718212547/http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1263408&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID BMI entry for the song
  5. Web site: Every AMR Top 100 Single in 1960. www.top100singles.net.
  6. Web site: CHUM Hit Parade, week of June 13, 1960. 13 June 1960. 4 November 2020.
  7. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending July 9, 1960 . Cash Box magazine. 2020-11-04.
  8. Web site: Song artist 615 - Dina Washington. Tsort.info. 4 November 2020.
  9. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6.
  10. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1984. Ultratop. 4 November 2020.
  11. Web site: Top Selling Singles of 1984. Official NZ Music Charts.com. Recorded Music New Zealand Limited. 4 November 2020.