Jailhouse Rock (song)

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"Jailhouse Rock"
Single by Elvis Presley
B-side	"Treat Me Nice"
Released	September 24, 1957
Format	45 rpm single,78 rpm single
Recorded	1956
Genre	Rock and Roll
Writer(s)	Leiber/Stoller
Producer	Leiber/Stoller
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" (June 11, 1957) "Jailhouse Rock" (September 24, 1957) "Don't" (January 7, 1958)

"Jailhouse Rock" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller that first became a hit for Elvis Presley. The song was first released as a 45rpm single on September 24, 1957, to coincide with the release of Presley's motion picture, Jailhouse Rock. Composer Mike Stoller can be seen playing piano in the film presentation of the song.

The song as sung by Elvis Presley is #67 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time^[1] and was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

[edit] Releases and chart performance

The single, with its B-side "Treat Me Nice," was a US #1 hit for 7 weeks in the fall of 1957, and a UK #1 hit for three weeks early in 1958. in addition "Jailhouse Rock" spent one week at the top of the country charts ^[2].

Also in 1957, "Jailhouse Rock" was the lead song in an EP (extended play single), together with other songs from the film, namely "Young and Beautiful," "I Want to be Free," "Don't Leave Me Now," and "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care." It topped the Billboard EP charts, eventually selling an additional two million copies and earning another double-platinum RIAA certification.

In 2005, the song was re-released in the UK and reached #1 for a single week. The song, which is an example of simple verse form, eventually sold four million copies in the US, thus earning a Double Platinum certification by the RIAA.

[edit] Characters and themes

Some of the characters named in the song are real people. Shifty Henry was a well known L.A. musician, not a criminal. The Purple Gang was a real mob. "Bugs" was probably Bugsy Siegel, the Jewish gangster. "Sad Sack" was a U.S. Army nickname in World War II for a loser, who also became a popular comic strip and comic book character.

As noted by Rolling Stone magazine parts of the lyrics in which the prisoners flirt and dance with one another may be hinting at homosexual relationships between inmates. ^[3]

[edit] Covers and references

"Jailhouse Rock" was performed regularly in a medley along with many old rock and roll hits by Queen and was the opening song on Queen's 1980 North American tour for The Game. It was the last song in the motion picture The Blues Brothers. This song was featured on American Idol when Season 5 contestant Taylor Hicks performed it on May 9, 2006 and when Season 7 contestant Danny Noriega performed it on February 20, 2008. The song was also featured in Disney's animated film Lilo & Stitch during the ending credits. In an episode of Full House Jesse and Becky sing this song at their wedding reception.

The German rock band Spider Murphy Gang is named after one of the characters in the lyrics. In Stephen King's novel Christine, "Jailhouse Rock" is playing when the car runs down Buddy Repperton, one of the guys who smashed up the car at the garage.

American rock and roll revival act Sha Na Na performed Jailhouse Rock live at the Woodstock Festival in August of 1969.

"Jailhouse Rock" has also been recorded by:

• Jerry Lee Lewis
• Miranda Lambert
• Merle Haggard
• The Residents
• Mötley Crüe
• Brownsville Station
• The Blues Brothers (This version was the ending song of the movie, performed with other musicians like Ray Charles or Cab Calloway)
• Patti Smith
• ZZ Top
• The Animals
• Twisted Sister
• The Cramps
• Judy Nylon
• John Cougar Mellencamp
• Michael Bolton
• Jeff Beck Group (featuring Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood)
• Billy "Crash" Craddock
• Adriano Celentano
• Cliff Richard - at concerts
• ABBA with Olivia Newton-John and Andy Gibb
• Queen
• Frankie Lymon
• Danny Noriega
• Enrique Guzmán (in Spanish)
• Dean Carter (1967)
• Mind Garage recorded by Elvis Presley's sound engineer Tom Pick and Recording technician Roy Shockley in RCA's "Nashville Sound" studio, under the management of Chet Atkins.
• IBEX pre Queen era band featuring Freddie Mercury on the recording Live In Liverpool
• Carl Perkins
• Eilert Pilarm

[edit] Notes

1. ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". RollingStone.com. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/11028260/the_rs_500_greatest_songs_of_all_time/1. Retrieved 2007-06-02. 
2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 272. 
3. ^ "Jailhouse Rock (brief essay)". RollingStone.com. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6595912/jailhouse_rock/1. Retrieved 2008-08-21.