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Host:
John
Birthday:
Big Joe Turner
Joseph Vernon Turner Jr.
Kansas City, Missouri
May 18, 1911
Song
Artist
1st Album or Single & Date
Disk Jockey’s Nightmare
Earl Bostic & His Orchestra
King Records 1949
Just A Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody
Louis Prima
The Wildest! 1956
Work Song
Omar & The Howlers
Swingland 1999
Feel So Bad
Terry Hanck
I Still Get Excited 2019
Blue Light Boogie
Taj Mahal
Dancing the Blues 1993
Let The Good Times Roll
Ray Charles & The Count Basie Orchestra
Ray Sings Basie Swings 1973
You’re Driving Me Crazy
Van Morrison & Joey DeFrancesco
You’re Driving Me Crazy 2018
There Is Always One More Time
Diane Schuur
Running On Faith 2020
Hoy Hoy
Goree Carter & His Hepcats
Freedom Records 1949
Drinkin Wine Spo-de-o-dee
Stick McGhee
Harlem Records 1947
Shuffle Bug
The Griffin Brothers w/ Noble “Thin Man” Watts
Dot Records 1951
New Coat of Paint
Ana Popovic
Trilogy 2016
Drinkin’ by Myself
Wynonie Harris w/ Sun Ra (Herman “Sonny” Blount)
Bullet Records 1946
Velvet
Sun Ra
Jazz In Silhouette 1958

8:00 AM Tribute to Big Joe Turner
Shake, Rattle & Roll
Big Joe Turner & the Paul Williams Orchestra
Show Time at The Apollo (TV show) 1954
Big Joe Turner made the original recording of “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” about four months before Bill Haley and the Comets made a slightly-sanitized version into a world-wide hit. Both versions are considered classics and Big Joe’s version is number 127 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the Top 500 Songs of All Time.
Low Down Dog
Joe Turner & Pete Johnson
From Spirituals to Swing 1938
Turner and Johnson’s performance at the first John Hammond’s From Spirituals to Swing concert at Carnage Hall in New York City rocketed them into the national spotlight.
Rocket 88 Boogie, Pt 1
Pete Johnson
Swing Time Records 1947
Pete Johnson’s playing on “Rocket 88 Boogie” was the basis for Ike Turner’s piano
part on “Rocket 88” by Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats in 1951.
Roll ‘Em Pete
Lou Rawls
Black & Blue 1963
“Roll ‘Em Pete” was Turner and Johnson’s first hit in 1938
My Gal’s A Jockey
Big Joe Turner With Wild Bill Moore’s Lucky Seven Band
Savoy Records 1946
Wee Baby Blues
Lynwood Slim
Last Call 2006
This song, written by Turner and Johnson, was a hit for Art Tatum in 1941.
Cherry Red
Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson
Cleanhead’s Back In Town 1957
One of Turner’s signature tunes, he first recorded “Cherry Red” in 1939.
Corrine Corrina
Big Joe Turner
Atlantic Records 1956
Switchin’ in the Kitchen
Roomful Of Blues
Under One Roof 1997
Flip, Flop, & Fly
Count Basie & Big Joe Turner
The Bosses 1974
The song, an obvious rewrite of “Shake Rattle and Roll,” shot straight
to number two on the national R&B charts in 1955.
Boss of the Blues
Dave Alvin
…And The Guilty Women 2009
Here’s the story:
When Dave Alvin and his brother Phil were teenagers they idolized Big Joe and other veteran bluesmen and would drive them from place to place whenever they were in LA. They went on to form The Blasters.
Boogie Woogie Country Girl
Candye Kane
Burlesque Swing 1992
Written by Doc Pomus, BWCG was the flip side of
“Corrine Corrina,” one of Turner’s biggest hits.
Gimme A Pigfoot
Laverne Baker
…Sings Bessie Smith 1958
Careless Love Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington
…Sings Bessie Smith 1958
(sign off)
Tag (You’re It)
Little Charlie & The Nightcats
Nine Lives 2005
Big Joe Turner Resources
Biography @ Wikipedia.Org
Discography @ Discogs.Com
Bio & Discography @ AllMusic.Com