Wow growing up I only ever heard The Penguins version of this song. This is terrible. Nothing against their vocals or musical style, they perform just fine. This version just does not have the mmph of The Penguins. It sounds very blah.
just come out of the Marine Corps in February 1955, took a date to the Statler Hotel
to see the Crew Cuts and I loved this song, Married the girl and were together for 52 years, lost her in 2008, God I miss her
Hey! Cut these Canadians some slack (it's hard enough for us to get ahead in "show business" LOL). My Dad had this version on his old 78s and I loved it. Sigh. I do think the "flip side" Sh-Boom was a better song for The Crew Cuts and showed their style and talent. The Penguins did Earth Angel with such beautiful agony in their voices that it is hard to compete.
Dear folks, this song is based on chord changes, as can be heard in the Richard Rodgers & Lorenzhart composition "Blue Moon". Both were whites, not blacks. I say this only because I hear again and again that whites stole the blacks of their music. That's nonsense! Leiber and Stoller were two white Jews who wrote songs for Amos Milburn, Little Esther Phillips, Bullmoose Jackson, Little Willie Littlefield, and Big Mama Thornton. Hound Dog is from Leiber and Stoller. Nobody has stolen from the blacks.
Why can't people just like the song? Both versions of the songs were outstanding, and unique in their own ways. It is saddening even the thought of racism comes to music even if they are blind to know that artists often asked other artists to sing their songs, which is why you have many songs by different people but all are the same at the same time.
cover records: keep in mind that this is the world of 1955...Unfair Jim Crow laws were in full force....But that's the way it was. Many good rock and roll songs were cut by R & B artists and were sold specifically to black audiences. R & B records were kept under the counter at record stores and had to be specifically asked for. Or, in bigger cities, R & B records were sectioned off in areas knows as "Race Music". Again, fair or unfair, that's the way it was in 1955. Savvy record producers who had an ear for great R & B music ran with cover versions for white performers specifically for white audiences. Many today blame the actual artists themselves for the covers, when in fact the artists were totally powerless as to what they were told to record by the record producers / companies. At this time, because of racial tension, R & B had to be introduced slowly to white listening audiences and cover versions like this one were the venue for that endeavor. To be quite honest, if these covers had not been made, we would have never later discovered the original authentic R & B versions. (Just saying.)
I love to read the comments. We recorded this record for Mercury Records in Chicago. I am now 88 years old and I'm still singing the song at public appearances I make. I am John Perkins founder and member of the original Crew-Cuts. My brother Ray, who sang bass in the group and myself are the only two remaining members of The Crew-Cuts.
it's sad that racial hate rears its ugly head in regards to this verson of the song. Both black and white versions are great and there's no need to make rotten comments!
Shaena Houser As long as a song is used with permission or royalties are paid to the copyright holder it is 100% legal for one band to cover another bands song.
This song has was covered by many bands during this time period.
