A classic cornerstone of rock tune. Gene belongs with Elvis, Carl Perkins and Chuck Berry. This song has been covered by countless others including John Lennon. ☮🤎🎶
Thank you so much Jay and Amber for playing my request from my dad's band he was the drummer of Gene Vincent and the blue caps and like I said my uncle Tommy facenda did 28 versions of High School USA which he did an Oklahoma version that y'all should check out he was on the road Gene Vincent and blue caps are on the road when be by be po bula came out they were touring with Elvis he wasn't that famous then Elvis's mother heard the song and called Elvis and complimented him on the song she thought he did it Elvis came back and told Gene and the guys they joked on him and the rest of the tour every time gene sang the song He dedicated it to Elvis's mom they were good friends Gene was the first one to wear the black leather on stage Robert Plant Jeff Beck Keith Moon The Beatles have all said that Gene Vincent and the blue caps influence them they were a great band please check out Tommy facenda High School USA Oklahoma version like I said he did 28 versions for 28 states he got them from a telephone book from each state that he had on a bus they were touring from thank you so much this means so much as my dad Dickie Harrell just recently passed and he would have loved that y'all did his video thank you so much and everyone that enjoyed it. Please keep doing what you doing, you made a lot of people in my family smile today😂
An amazing band with an amazing legacy, and still beloved by many ❤ Lotta Lovin' is still one of my favourite songs to dance to, your dad threw down a fantastic beat!!
My father was an enormous fan of this record and always said Gene Vincent was the best of the early rock pioneers. So cool to be able to pass along the compliment to a family member of someone who was in the band.
When this came out Elvis' bandmates were upset that Elvis did the song with them. He had to explain that another guy did the song. Elvis happened to run into Gene and the first words out of Gene's mouth were " I wasn't trying to copy you. I wasn't trying to sound like you."
A hundred years ago when I was still listening to music, I bought a Gene Vincent CD. What struck me most was I could hear almost every 60s singer or band in his music, they all stole stuff from him.
@@jethro1963 I had a copy of the Time life series: The rock n roll era 1956. One of my friends had let me borrow his 1958 cd, and I loved it. So I bought 56’. It had Be Bop A Lula on it. To this day it’s my favorite cd of that whole series. Incredible rock n roll from that year!
I believe they’re actually discussing Gene Vincent’s Drummer’s son. Therefore Dickie Harrell’s son. But that’s still a cool 2012 R’n’R Hall of Fame inductee.
Gene Vincent brings to mind Eddie Cochran., another early rock pioneer, who died in a taxi accident during a British tour. Gene Vincent and Cochran's girlfriend, songwriter Sharon Sheeley were in the cab with him and survived, but not without injuries. "Summertime Blues" is perhaps his most famous song (covered by The Who, among others), "C'mon Everybody" and "Nervous Breakdown" are just plain fun to play. Paul McCartney performed Eddie's "Twenty Flight Rock" for an audition to impress John Lennon, and gain a spot in his band The Quarrymen (which later morphed into The Beatles).
The urban myth about Eddie Cochran's death is that one of the police cadets in Chippenham where the accident occurred picked up Eddie's impounded Gretsch guitar and started teaching himself to play. The cadet was David Harman who went onto be the Dave Dee in Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch. There's a memorial stone at the accident scene which always has flowers on it even today.
Gene is awesome! He has always been one of my all time favorites. His full name is Eugene Vincent Craddock and is the 1st cousin of Billy "Crash" Craddock, who was a contemporary rockabilly/country artist. For some reason when I hear Gene's music, hot rods, gang rumbles, pin-up girls, and motorcycle rebels come to mind!
Rockabilly is the flavor of early Elvis Presley records. It primarily comes from the south and can be heard in the hits of Carl Perkins, Janis Martin, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Eddie Cochran, The Stray Cats, Jerry Lee Lewis, and some country acts. Its roots come from jazz, blues, country, and trickles down from the twang of the great Hank Williams. Great stuff that defined the early styling of rock-n-roll. And I lived that Amber threw in the word ornery in as an ingredient. Great reaction, guys. Maybe next we could get a reaction to Edwyn Collins and his song GIRL LIKE YOU. Enjoy
kevincaulder20 - I love Rockabilly. The Stray Cats did a great job bringing it back for a new generation. And then Brian Setzer solo did a great job of bringing back the big band era.
@@lorizrhythm8171 That was just around the time I became old enough to go clubbing and the Stray Cats always got people on the floor even though it wasn't the fad of the day. They did bring it back.
You guys need to do more 50's. You both like harmony, and the 50's was the age of that. Groups like the Four Aces, Four Lads, Four Freshmen and many others had harmony that won't ever be seen again.
If you mean instrumental rock and roll or rockabilly yeah there's this great thing called strumming mental it's several compilations on CD and vinyl all of instrumental rock and roll from the earliest days until the mid-60s.@@user-ii4zf5iq3t
I can still see my Parents dancing in the Living Room back in the 70's when this came on the Oldies Radio. They had danced to this back in the 50's when they were dating. They loved this song. I have pictures of them with leather jackets, and boots and riding on my Dad's big Indian Motorcycle. They always said it was such a cool time to be a young. They also liked the song "Lotta Lovin" by Gene Vincent. More Rockabilly..... Eddie Cochran - "Summertime Blues", Carl Perkins - "Blue Suede Shoes", Buddy Knox - "Party Doll" , Bobby Helms - :My Special Angel" (Bobby also did the original "Jingle Bell Rock).
You guys should really also check out “Twenty Flight Rock” by Eddie Cochran, he was a friend and a contemporary of Gene Vincent. The two of them were amongst the first rock ‘n’ rollers to write their own songs along with Buddy Holly and a few others.
This is a backhanded request, but fate a cruel turn when Gene Vincent was in a cab accident in London that killed his best friend Eddie Cochran. The request (if you haven't already done it) is Eddie's big hit...Summertime Blues. Gene reportedly never got over it.
Neither the accident nor the death took place in London. The accident itself happened in Chippenham, which is in Wiltshire (the same county that Stonehenge is in) and emergency services took everyone that was in the taxi to a nearby community hospital from where they were transferred to St Martin’s Hospital in Bath (under twenty miles from the area the crash took place), Somerset (pronounced summer-set) where Eddie Cochran died from his injuries the afternoon after the crash, having never regained consciousness, at the age of 21.
Here come Johnny singing oldies goldies Bebop a Lula baby what I say. Here come Johnny singing I got a woman down in the tunnels trying to make it pay.
Gene Vincent released this hit in 1956, 2 years (1954) after Elvis had released his first commercial record That's All Right. Fats Domino had the first 1 million selling Gold Rock Record in 1950. Big Joe Turner has his big rock hit Shake Rattle And Roll hit the charts in 1954, 3 months before Elvis released .
Be Bop a Lula was one of the first songs I ever really loved. I was born in 1964, but I have two brothers who were born in the '40s,, so I listened to their music first before I got into my own generation's music. One of the first records my older brother gave me was this one, and I literally played it and played it and played it. Gene Vincent is awesome. You just don't get any better than that. Rockabilly is the best.
This song was on rotation of my dad's Saturday night. Every Saturday night he would get his records out and we would just rock until we fell asleep. Dad really loves Sandy Nelson's drumming. He's gonna be 82 this month and still plays his records.
Just to set the record straight I recommended this song from my dad's band my dad was Dickie Harrell the drummer of the band my uncle was Tommy Faceda he sang backup vocals. My name is Richard Charles Harrell Junior. Somehow it got twisted around never said I was Gene Vincent son sorry for the confusion
Gene Vincent is a legend!. There's also a great homage to him by the incredible Ian Dury called Sweet Gene Vincent. Dury is famous for Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick.
LOL it took me this long to realize! Now that listened to this song, I heard the beginning of this song before but from another artist and to another song. There is a song called Gene and Eddie by The Stray Cats. You reacted to two songs from them so far. Now I know where they got the opening line of that song! They are singing about rockin' out to Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran! (Eddie sang a song called Summertime Blues) you reacted to that song about a couple of years ago. Jay and Amber this was nice to listen to, I can hear how the Stray Cats were influenced by this man too, and to watch you two react to it. I am so glad you enjoyed the song too! I love it! ☮💕
"Be-Bop-a-Lula" was a big influence on The Beatles. The band often performed it in their early years before making it big. John Lennon recorded a cover version of it for his 1974 album, "Rock 'n' Roll," and in the final interview he did before his death, he stated that it was one of his favorite songs. Paul McCartney has covered it live in concert and he's mentioned a couple of times that it was the first record he ever bought when he was a kid. George Harrison owned a 1964 Fender Stratocaster electric guitar that had rainbow stripes, Eastern imagery and "BEBOPALULA." painted on it.
This song caused a Navy officer to swear at a group of teenagers. When this song came out, it was very popular, and my mother, her sister, and several other teens were playing it on the record player by the swimming pool of the Officer's Club at Naval Air Station Quonset Point, RI, where my grandfather was stationed. As happens with teenagers, sometimes, they enjoyed the song so much that they listened to it over and over. During the 8th or 9th repeat, they heard someoneone yelling to "Stop playing that g*****n record!". It was Fleet Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey, Jr., yelling from his backyard, where he had been trying to take a nap.
Y’all should keep on deep diving into 50’s stuff regularly.. there’s nothing but loads amazing talent and mojo suave stylings there for you to love. Some key tracks I’d recommend would be Billy Lee Riley- “Red Hot” and an absolutely INCREDIBLE one hit wonder by The Musical Linn Twins- “Rocking Out The Blues”, I can’t hear either of those tunes without wanting to bounce off the walls and howl like a crazy cartoon wolf! 😉
Gene Vincent was a class act. A major influence on John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ian Dury, Gene also had one of the greatest guitarists of the period - Cliff Gallop. Fabulous stuff.
You should check out the video. When this song came out a lot of people thought it was Elvis. I am an Elvis fan and have this original 78 record. He inspired the Beatles and I read he traveled with them on their first trip to perform on Ed Sullivan. I believe he did an 0:40 appearance on Ed Sullivan also. I got several videos and a tour Gene Vincent did just by googling. He was a true Rock and roller to the end of his short life. RIP Gene Thank you for your music.
Rockabilly was in the 50s. I played bass and backing vocals in a rockabilly band that was also kind of a surf band in my late twenties into my early thirties, and I got a huge music education on all of this. You guys are literally looking at the tip of the iceberg of such an important musical phenomenon, and it was basically the punk rock music of its time. Check out another of his big hits, Blue Suede shoes, which Elvis covered. Ronnie Self was a tragic figure that was just the raw energy in the rockabilly scene, along with others like Sonny Burgess from Texas. He was known for his crazy hit Redheaded Woman. Back in those primitive days where the studio Engineers really had to know everything about mic placement in a room, because everybody was not individually mic'd. In the band that I played in, all of them were slightly older than me but there was a poster on the guy's door where we practice and it was from the late 1950s and it had Ronnie self opening up for James Brown at the venue in Topeka, Kansas, which isn't far from where I am, and where the band Kansas hails from, decades later. Like Chopin, one of my favorite classic composers from the romantic era, and not all that different from the 27 Club here in America in the 60s, he drank himself to death by the age of around 41, but he was highly influential in what we do have from his catalog is pretty cool. He could crown like nobody's business but here is him just ripping things apart. And by the way he was a close confidant with Wanda Jackson, whom I have met three different times and also I helped her and contributed to her website at one point. While he can croon, this one just tears it up on this one. You're So Right For Me. m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gF4ziQzZlgY.html&pp=ygUicm9ubmllIHNlbGYgeW91J3JlIHNvIHJpZ2h0IGZvciBtZQ%3D%3D
Very cool! I have actually heard it! Someone said the Stray Cats did a great cover and I bet that is where I heard it! I love it!!🔥 So cool that his son requested it!❤❤ Awesome guys!!👏👏
Back to the 50s !! & Gene Vincent. Gene had 3 chart hits in the US, and a few more than that in the UK. His life was cut short though. Here's a snippet from the internet... Vincent died at the age of 36 on October 12, 1971, from a combination of a ruptured ulcer, internal hemorrhage and heart failure, while visiting his father in Saugus, California.[38][41][42] He is interred at Eternal Valley Memorial Park, in Newhall, California. 😮
Be Bop a Lula, what a blast from the past, my older sister had this album back then, I heard this at least every other day at least, more often if my Mom got control of the record player. Still a nostalgic favourite to this day… 😎🍺☮️
One of my favorites from back then. My nickname was Lulu and I thought he was singing about me. I was like 6 when this came out!!! So thrilled his son connected with y'all!!!
When i was 15 in 1980 I was obsessed with Gene (ian dury did a tribute their stories are similar) being a ned/chav a friend with Indian ink and a needle put Gene Vincent on my forearm.. still there to this day!! (mate was an Eddie Cochrane fan!), thankfully i'm a lot less chavvy now! :) Gene was in a few movies of the day if you want to see them live
Two of my best friends for over 50 yrs & the best guitarists I ever played in bands with were Jack & Dave Gallupe (Cliff changed the spelling), nephews of Cliff Gallup. Jack sadly drank himself to death in the 80s, & troubled Dave (who never recovered from his big brother's death) sadly died from health issues related to substance abuse a few yrs ago. I have a leather flat cap that belonged to Cliff Gallup.
Gene Vincent is great. I think he should have had more hits. That guitar solo is great as well. I love the drums and upright bass, which gives the recording more texture than an electric bass for this kind of music. Gene Vincent was contemporary with Elvis, Carl Perkins, and Eddie Cochran. There was some live videos of Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps from the late 1950s on RU-vid a year or two ago. Heh, I'm a Tenor Saxophone player whose first love is Jazz, and I love Gene Vincent's music. He had an ailment that only worsened when he was in the car crash that killed Eddie Cochran in England in 1960. I give Vincent lots of credit for being a Rockabilly legend despite his physical ailment. Lotta Lovin' and Dance to the Bop were big hits in 1957, but I really like the follow-up hit to Be Bop A Lula, which was Race with the Devil. Thanks for reacting to Gene Vincent.
Gene even influenced the most British of artists, Ian Dury, who wrote 'Sweet Gene Vincent'. Paul Mccartney spoke about listening to the radio and trying to write down what they heard.
Wow...I was a kid when this came out in the mid 50's. The Everly Brothers also sang this about the time they were becoming popular...as were Buddy Holly, Big Bopper, Richie Valens...oh..and Elvis Presley. This heavy blues/bop/rock sound was so evident in the music of this era. Thanks to the people who had this!
Yay! Love Gene Vincent and TBC! I consider this the earliest Punk Rock. What a talent! If you want to see the fellas perform in a really good movie, watch "The Girl Can't Help It" with Jane Mansfield. The movie is a hoot!. ❤
Gene Vincent...a fabulous vocalist performer...love this era. Great reaction you guys. And...WOW...congrats on the 500K subscribers !! ...definitely deserved 🎤🎶👍🇨🇦
In my opinion no other artist than Gene Vincent has been able to fully describe that incredible feeling when a boy watches a beautiful girl walking down the street. This is it. You hear the steps, you feel the nerve, you feel the pride and joy. Be Bop a Lula is the anthem of Rock n Roll. God bless Gene Vincent
I had heard this song as a kid but always thought it was Elvis, years later I was a fan of Billy Idol in the 80’s, he did an interview w/MTV & he said how Gene Vincent was 1 of his influences, so I started listening to Gene & got into the rockabilly vibe, feel good, fun rockin’ music!
Gene was in the car with the legendary Eddie Cochran when Eddie was killed in a car wreck while they were on tour in the UK in 1960. Gene survived but sustained a broken collar bone and leg injuries.
Hi, you two! It's Andrew Erroch fae Paisley in Scotland here again. This one really takes me back to when I was growing up, as my Mum and Dad had this on 7 inch vinyl. A great tune that was played often and still can be at gatherings these days. An absolute classic. Æx 🙏
I just remembered another from around the same time that you would absolutely love. It's 'Shakin' All Over' by Johnny Kidd and The Pirates. I think I might like that one even more! I just searched for them to check the spelling and found out they were from London. Wow! I was sure they were American, as they had that sound... Have a listen and tell me if you agree. Æx 🙏
Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran were the Kings of Rockabilly... you talked about Wanda Jackson, but you obviously forgot about some other awesome Rockabilly tunes that you already listened to like Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran) or Train Kept a Rollin (Johnny Burnette & the Rock 'n' Roll Trio). More Rockabilly recommendations: Somethin' Else / C'mon Everybody (Eddie Cochran), Mystery Train / Baby Let's Play House (Elvis), Blue Jean Bop / Who Slapped John (Gene Vincent)
If you can find it, watch the 50’s rock & roll movie called “The Girl Can’t Help It” with Jane Mansfield. It has the live acts including this song as well as Little Richard, and many more. Lots of music in it. You’ll love it!
One of the most important songs of the Rock'n'Roll era. A huge influence on the Quarrymen who will become the Beatles. When they moved to Hamburg for the first time to play their live sets there for a while they were dressed as "little Gene Vincent impressionists" in leather outfit.
Just come across your channel while looking for 50's music reactions, specifically two of my favourites in Larry Williams (not the bass player) and Frankie Vaughan and it appears nobody has done a reaction at all to those two. This Gene Vincent song is one of my favourites along with Blue Jean Baby. Been going through some of your videos and I love that you listen to all different genres with an open mind. Hoping you do more 50's reactions and whilst I don't expect you to read this comment, I hope you will do reaction of Larry Williams and/or Frankie Vaughan at some point. Songs I would suggest are Slow Down, Bony Moronie, Garden of Eden and Well Alright (A fun little performance Frankie did on TV in 1959). Looking forward to more great content.
His band was The Blue Caps. The guitar player was named Cliff Gallup and he influenced all of the important early rock guitar players like Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck
Yes, Awesome is right. Another great 50's hit you'd love is "El Paso" by Marty Robbins. Story-telling so good it feels like you're watching a Clint Eastwood movie. It would be your Second Marty Robbins reaction.
As a Pioneer of Rock and Roll in the late 50s, he stood out, but we almost lost him while on tour in 1960. On April 16, while riding in a taxi they were in an accident, Gene was seriously injured and was flown back to the US, but Eddie Cochran, another Pioneer of early Rock A Billy was thrown from the car and sustained head injuries from which he died, at the time he was a bigger hit than Gene. Eddie had several hits, his biggest being Summertime Blues. I was 14 and growing up in England at the time and a big follower of their and Buddy Holly's music who had been killed in an air crash just the year before. 2 Pioneers killed in such a short time.
I was a latino kid in southern California in the early 1960's when I first heard this song on the radio and to this day I'll still break into singing it. It's also a great song to practice or play along with on the drum using Jazz brushes.
Fantastic. I'm so old I remember rocking out to that song in my stocking feet at high school dances a lifetime ago. We didn't even notice that the lyrics said almost nothing at all. Who cares about lyrics when you're young and in love?
Gene is my absolute hero, the true epitome of a surly Rockabilly. Rebellious, angry (chased the infamous Gary Glitter through a hotel with a gun) competitive (drag raced cars) . His Legacy...? Lived fast died young, real wild cat! RIP one of the greatest Rock 'n' Rollers with the most purest of voices, sadly missed :(
One of the only rock-a-billy band where the Whole Track had a delay put on it. The Beatles loved Gene Vincent and they were on the bill with the Beatles in Hamburg, Germany. He was wild and sometimes dangerous guy.