Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo
Encyclopedia
"Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" is a rock song written by Rick Derringer
. It was first recorded by Johnny Winter
with Derringer in 1970. In 1973, Derringer recorded a solo version and it became his only Top 40 chart hit, peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 at #23. They both have recorded several live versions of the song and several other artists have recorded their interpretations.
. According to Derringer, "The first song I wrote for Johnny was 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo'. 'Rock and Roll' to satisfy the rock 'n' roll that I was supposed to be bringing into the picture, and 'Hoochie Koo' to satisfy the king of blues sensibility that Johnny was supposed to maintain. And it worked out great". However, for Winter "The reviewers liked it. I didn't think 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo' would do as well as it did 'cause it was a little corny. Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo. You don't ever know". The song is included on the Johnny Winter And
album, which reached #154 in the Billboard 200
album chart. In 1970, they recorded the song during the Live Johnny Winter And
tour, which was released as Live at the Fillmore East 10/3/70 in 2010. Together they later recorded the song with Winter's brother for Edgar Winter's White Trash live 1972 album Roadwork
.
. The song was released as a single and reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100
, making it his highest showing in the record charts. It has become a staple of 1970s rock music compilations and classic rock
radio. Derringer has recorded several live versions of the "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" over the years.
was recorded, although it is officially unreleased. Suzi Quatro
recorded the song for her 1978 album If You Knew Suzi
. Canadian funk/rock band Bootsauce
covered the song on their 1993 album Sleeping Bootie. Superfly included it on their albums My Best of My Life (2009) and Wildflower & Cover Songs: Complete Best 'Track 3'
(2010).
Rick Derringer's solo version of "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" has appeared in several films, including The Spirit of '76 (1990), Rush (1991), Dazed and Confused
(1993), Stag
(1997), and What A Girl Wants
(2003). The song is available as a downloadable track for the music video game Guitar Hero III Mobile
and a cover version is featured in the Xbox 360
version of Guitar Hero II
.
Derringer plays the song live with the 11th Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
in the November 2011 tour. The band also features Edgar Winter.
Rick Derringer
Rick Derringer is an American guitarist, vocalist, and entertainer.-1960s:When he was seventeen years old, his band The McCoys recorded "Hang on Sloopy" in the summer of 1965, which became the number one song in America before "Yesterday" by The Beatles knocked it out of the top spot. The song was...
. It was first recorded by Johnny Winter
Johnny Winter
John Dawson "Johnny" Winter III is an American blues guitarist, singer, and producer. Best known for his late 1960s and 1970s high-energy blues-rock albums and live performances, Winter also produced three Grammy Award-winning albums for blues legend Muddy Waters...
with Derringer in 1970. In 1973, Derringer recorded a solo version and it became his only Top 40 chart hit, peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 at #23. They both have recorded several live versions of the song and several other artists have recorded their interpretations.
Johnny Winter And versions
"Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" was recorded by Johnny Winter in 1970 with his band "Johnny Winter And", which included Rick Derringer and other former members of The McCoysThe McCoys
The McCoys were a rock group that started in Union City, Indiana, in 1962.-Career:The original members, all from Union City, were guitarist Richard Zehringer , his brother Randy on drums, and bassist Dennis Kelly. This first line-up was known as The Rick Z Combo, and later known as Rick and the...
. According to Derringer, "The first song I wrote for Johnny was 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo'. 'Rock and Roll' to satisfy the rock 'n' roll that I was supposed to be bringing into the picture, and 'Hoochie Koo' to satisfy the king of blues sensibility that Johnny was supposed to maintain. And it worked out great". However, for Winter "The reviewers liked it. I didn't think 'Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo' would do as well as it did 'cause it was a little corny. Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo. You don't ever know". The song is included on the Johnny Winter And
Johnny Winter And
Johnny Winter And is the fourth studio album by Texas blues guitarist Johnny Winter, released in 1970. This was the first album released with Rick Derringer as sideman...
album, which reached #154 in the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart. In 1970, they recorded the song during the Live Johnny Winter And
Live Johnny Winter And
Live Johnny Winter And is a 1971 album by Johnny Winter recorded live at various locations during the fall of 1970 including the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, and Pirate's World in Dania, Florida.- Track listing :...
tour, which was released as Live at the Fillmore East 10/3/70 in 2010. Together they later recorded the song with Winter's brother for Edgar Winter's White Trash live 1972 album Roadwork
Roadwork (album)
Roadwork is a live album by vocalist/keyboardist/saxophonist Edgar Winter and his band White Trash, a powerful revue famous for their fusion of funk, gospel, R&B, and rock 'n' roll. It was released as a double LP in 1972...
.
Rick Derringer versions
In 1973, the song's author, Rick Derringer recorded the song for his solo debut album All American BoyAll American Boy (album)
All American Boy is an album by Rick Derringer, released on Blue Sky Records in 1973. "Joy Ride" and "Time Warp" are instrumentals.- Track listing :...
. The song was released as a single and reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, making it his highest showing in the record charts. It has become a staple of 1970s rock music compilations and classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
radio. Derringer has recorded several live versions of the "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" over the years.
Other versions and appearances
In 1975, a live performance of "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" by Van HalenVan Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
was recorded, although it is officially unreleased. Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
recorded the song for her 1978 album If You Knew Suzi
If You Knew Suzi
If You Knew Suzi... is the sixth regular studio album by Suzi Quatro, released at the end of 1978, with a 1979 copyright date . The credits show it to be a multinational production: tracks were recorded in Cologne, Germany, Paris, France, and Glendale, California...
. Canadian funk/rock band Bootsauce
Bootsauce
Bootsauce was a Canadian rock band formed in Montreal, Quebec in 1989 composed of Drew Ling , Pere Fume , Sonny Greenwich Jr. , Alan Baculis , and John “Fatboy” Lalley...
covered the song on their 1993 album Sleeping Bootie. Superfly included it on their albums My Best of My Life (2009) and Wildflower & Cover Songs: Complete Best 'Track 3'
Wildflower & Cover Songs: Complete Best 'Track 3'
"Wildflower & Cover Songs: Complete Best 'Track 3" is a single and cover compilation album by Japanese band Superfly, released on September 1, 2010, Superfly's tenth single overall. The release consists of three discs: one four-tracked CD single , one 15-tracked album , and one 8-cm CD single...
(2010).
Rick Derringer's solo version of "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" has appeared in several films, including The Spirit of '76 (1990), Rush (1991), Dazed and Confused
Dazed and Confused
"Dazed and Confused" is a song by Jake Holmes, which was covered by The Yardbirds, and later reworked by Led Zeppelin who hold a separate copyright on the song.-Jake Holmes:...
(1993), Stag
Stag (film)
Stag is a 1997 film, directed by Gavin Wilding, made for HBO and later released theatrically after drawing large ratings. STAG features an ensemble cast including Ben Gazzara, Andrew McCarthy, Taylor Dayne, Mario Van Peebles, Lawrence Leritz, William McNamara, John Henson, Kevin Dillon, and Jerry...
(1997), and What A Girl Wants
What a Girl Wants (film)
What a Girl Wants is a 2003 film starring Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston and Oliver James. Directed by Dennie Gordon, the film is a remake of the 1958 film, The Reluctant Debutante which had a screenplay by William Douglas-Home, based on his play of the same name.The title, "What a Girl...
(2003). The song is available as a downloadable track for the music video game Guitar Hero III Mobile
Guitar Hero III Mobile
Guitar Hero Mobile is a series of rhythm video games in the Guitar Hero series, adapting the normal console-based gameplay which uses a guitar-shaped controller to match notes of popular rock music songs to work with the face buttons on advanced mobile phones, including BlackBerry devices and those...
and a cover version is featured in the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version of Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero series and is the sequel to Guitar Hero...
.
Derringer plays the song live with the 11th Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
To date, Ringo Starr has toured with eleven versions of his All-Starr Band where "everybody on stage is a star in their own right." Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band is a concept that was created by producer David Fishof...
in the November 2011 tour. The band also features Edgar Winter.