Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu

"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" is a song written and originally recorded in 1957 by Huey 'Piano' Smith, who scored a minor Billboard hit with it, peaking at No. 52 on the Top 100 chart, and a more successful No. 5 on the Most Played R&B by Jockeys chart.[1]

"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu"
side-A label by Ace Records
Single by Huey 'Piano' Smith
A-side"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" (Part 1)
B-side"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" (Part 2)
ReleasedAugust 1957
GenreRock and roll
Length2:14
LabelAce
Songwriter(s)
Huey 'Piano' Smith singles chronology
"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu"
(1957)
"Don't You Just Know It"
(1958)
Official audio
"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" on YouTube

Background

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The title is a reference to "walking" pneumonia and the Asian flu, which hit the United States in 1957–58. The lyrics recount the predicament of the singer who would like to approach a woman he sees in a club, or ‘joint,’ but due to his ‘musical ailments,’ he is unsuccessful.”

Musician credits

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Johnny Rivers recording

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"Rockin' Pneumonia – Boogie Woogie Flu"
 
Side A of the US single release
Single by Johnny Rivers
from the album L.A. Reggae
B-side"Come Home America"
ReleasedSeptember 1972[4]
Recorded1972
GenreBlues rock, electric blues
Length3:30
LabelUnited Artists
Songwriter(s)
Johnny Rivers singles chronology
"Think His Name"
(1971)
"Rockin' Pneumonia – Boogie Woogie Flu"
(1972)
"Blue Suede Shoes"
(1973)

1972 saw the song become an international hit single for Johnny Rivers, featuring Larry Knechtel on piano as well as other Los Angeles session musicians from the Wrecking Crew.[5] "Rockin' Pneumonia" reached No.6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 during the winter of 1973. It was Rivers' fifth highest charting song and spent a longer time on the chart (19 weeks) than any of his two dozen hits to that date. On the U.S. Cash Box Top 100 the song peaked at No.5, and in Canada it reached No.3.[6]

"Rockin' Pneumonia" gave Rivers his third gold record. His final gold record would be with the 1977 hit, "Swayin' to the Music (Slow Dancing)."

Chart performance

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Other cover versions

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References

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  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 535.
  2. ^ [The Blues Discography 1943–1970 The Classic Years, Les Fancourt & Bob McGrath (Eyeball Productions)]
  3. ^ Huey "Piano" Smith And The Rocking Pneumonia Blues, Author: John Wirt, LSU Press, 2014, P. 49
  4. ^ "Johnny Rivers – Rockin' Pneumonia – Boogie Woogie Flu". 45cat.com. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  5. ^ Hartman, Kent (2012). The Wrecking Crew. St. Martin’s Griffin. pp. 261–263. ISBN 978-1-250-03046-7.
  6. ^ a b "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  7. ^ a b "Song artist 376 – Johnny Rivers". Tsort.info. 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  8. ^ "flavour of new zealand – search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  9. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 1/13/73". Cashboxmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1973/Top 100 Songs of 1973". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-08-29.
  11. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1973". Cashboxmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  12. ^ Larry Williams: Bad Boy The Legends of Specialty Records, Speciality Records 1989, liner notes
  13. ^ Gonzo: Live 1976, Rockbeat Records, 2014-11-18, retrieved 2018-09-14
  14. ^ King of the New Orleans Keyboard, Jsp Records, 2000, retrieved 2018-09-14
  15. ^ Rock 'n Roll Gumbo, retrieved 2021-05-02
  16. ^ "Deep Purple – Turning to Crime Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
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