Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Song of the Week: Tiny Bradshaw - The Train Kept A-Rollin'

The Train Kept A-Rollin'!!!!!!!! Sure, you've heard the song before. Probably from The Yardbirds. Maybe Aerosmith. But here is the original recording. 

The Train Kept A-Rollin' was recorded in 1951 in Cincinnati, Ohio by it's composer, Tiny Bradshaw. Bradshaw led a jump blues/swing band that recorded for King Records and had a number of regional hits, but his recording of The Train Kept A-Rollin' is his most enduring legacy. Not necessarily for his recording of it alone, but for what the song would become in the hands of others.

Tiny Bradshaw's pre-Rock n' Roll original is a rollicking up-tempo swing number that features solid saxophone playing, subtle jazz guitar, driving drums and a great vocal performance filling out a largely traditional I-IV-V jump blues arrangement. In the original version, the sexual innuendos are far more evident than any other version. Perhaps Tiny wasn't so tiny after all. D'oh!
Until next time, we'll see you On The Flip-Side!


2 comments:

  1. Scott Mckay Quintet did cool cover on Acid Visions comp.

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    1. Very cool version indeed. Hmmm, maybe we'll spin her here.

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