Raunchy (instrumental)
| "Raunchy" | ||||||||
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US single
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| Single by Bill Justis | ||||||||
| from the album Cloud 9 | ||||||||
| B-side | "The Midnite Man" | |||||||
| Released | September 23, 1957 | |||||||
| Format | 7" single | |||||||
| Genre | Rock and roll | |||||||
| Length | 2:20 | |||||||
| Label | Phillips International | |||||||
| Writer(s) | Bill Justis, Sidney Manker | |||||||
| Producer(s) | Sam Phillips | |||||||
| Bill Justis singles chronology | ||||||||
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"Raunchy" is an instrumental by the American rock and roll artist Bill Justis, co-written by Sidney Manker and produced by Sam Phillips. From the album Cloud 9, the song was released as a single in September 23, 1957 from the record label Phillips International Records, a sub-label of Sun Records.
The song is one of firsts to use the twangy lead guitar effect, which was later developed by others and became a staple for the next few years.
In 1958 a then fourteen-year-old George Harrison performed the song to John Lennon and Paul McCartney on the top deck of a bus in Liverpool, and was so note-perfect Lennon decided to let him into his band, the Quarrymen, which later became the Beatles, despite earlier reservations about Harrison's age.
In 1962, Justis recorded another rendition of the song, in stereo and with considerably different guitar, for his album Bill Justis Plays 12 More Big Instrumental Hits. He recorded it once more in 1969, for his album Raunchy & Other Great Instrumentals.
Competing with Justis' release in 1957 were renditions of the song, by Billy Vaughn and Ernie Freeman. Freeman's version was his biggest solo success, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1957, #1 on the R&B singles chart and #11 on the Country singles chart in 1958.
Justis' version charted in the UK in 1958 at #11 beating off competition there too from Ken Mackintosh whose version charted at #23
Soon after the hit, guitarist Duane Eddy and producer Lee Hazlewood took it upon themselves to develop that style to an ultimate degree. Far from a light lead guitar sound, they greatly enhanced the reverberation in their recordings. Eddy started with the big hit "Rebel Rouser" in 1958; he later made a recording of "Raunchy" for the RCA Records album Twangin' the Golden Hits in 1965.
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Wikipedia