Tennessee Ernie (Official Wiki AMG) is best known as the guy who recorded "16 Tons," and quite a few gospel records we all saw marketed on late-night television. Four years before his massive hit with "16 Tons," and seven years before anyone ever had a hit with Stag, Tennessee Ernie (still then working on a weekly radio show) recorded his take on Stag.Remember how I said that Tommy Roe's version of Stag was relentlessly upbeat? Well, so is Tennessee Ernie's, but don't hold that against him. This is a finger-snapping, foot-stomping boogie-woogie that'll stick in your head for days. Days, I tell you.
I've been planning a "best of Stag" compilation for a while now. I'd been holding off on posting such a thing for two reasons: Lloyd Price and Tennessee Ernie. Next week, I won't be putting up a new version, but you will get a CD's worth of the best of Stag, in chronological order. Stay tuned!
3 comments:
finally I know what these posts are about; & I don't believe I heard the song ever before. Great stuff.
I wonder why one bloody post of mine shows as linked to almost everything on the internet (slight exaggeration)
Seriously, this has to be the best documented Stag site on the interwebs.
Did I mention that I love this version? I do, I do.
I thank you for your kind words, but there are better Stagger Lee sites out there. I've linked them from the early posts -- there's a scholarly site on the social and cultural meaning, a site which lists over 200 versions with title and artist and record label/number and year.
If I keep this up for another year or three, then maybe this can be the best...
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