Nut Rocker
| "Nut Rocker" | |
|---|---|
| Single by B. Bumble and the Stingers | |
| B-side | "Nautilus" |
| Format | 7", 45 rpm |
| Genre | Instrumental rock |
| Length | 1:59 |
| Label | Rendezvous R 166-1 (UK Top Rank Records) |
| Writer(s) | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Kim Fowley |
| Producer(s) | Kim Fowley |
| "Nutrocker (Live)" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Emerson, Lake & Palmer | |
| from the album Pictures at an Exhibition | |
| B-side | The Great Gates Of Kiev |
| Format | 7", 45 rpm |
| Genre | Progressive rock, jazz fusion |
| Length | 4:25 |
| Label | Cotillion |
"Nut Rocker" is an instrumental rock single recorded by American instrumental ensemble B. Bumble and the Stingers that reached number 23 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in March 1962 and went to number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1962. It was a version of Tchaikovsky's "March of the Toy Soldiers", from his ballet The Nutcracker.
The recording was made by the house band of session musicians at Rendezvous Records in Los Angeles, including drummer Earl Palmer and guitarist René Hall, who had already had hits in the US charts with rocked-up versions of "In the Mood" (1959, credited to the Ernie Fields Orchestra) and "Bumble Boogie" (1961, also credited to B. Bumble and the Stingers, with Ernie Freeman on piano). "Nut Rocker" was produced by Kim Fowley, and, since Freeman did not show up, featured pianist Al Hazan.
In 1962, Fowley secured the copyright to an arrangement of Tchaikovsky's "March of the Wooden Soldiers" from his ballet The Nutcracker, and took this to local entrepreneur and pianist H. B. Barnum. Barnum recorded it as by "Jack B. Nimble and the Quicks" on the small Del Rio label. However, when Rod Pierce of Rendezvous Records heard it, he convinced Fowley that his label could do a better version with their own band. A new recording was arranged, but on the day, Ernie Freeman, who had played piano on "Bumble Boogie", did not appear, apparently due to heavy partying the night before. In his place, guitarist and arranger René Hall rushed pianist Al Hazan into the Rendezvous office, which was rigged up as an improvised studio. According to Hazan, "Rod decided to record the first take while I was still trying to practice the piece with the other musicians. Because I was so rushed to learn 'Nut Rocker', I was not happy at all with my performance on that first take. However, in spite of my asking Rod to let me do it over again, he said he liked it just fine the way it was." Released as "Nut Rocker" in February 1962, the record went to No. 23 in the US and No. 1 in the UK.
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