Elvis Songs: All Shook Up

Written by: Otis Blackwell

Recorded: January 12, 1957, Radio Recorders, Hollywood
Released master is take 10

Single: w/ "That's When Your Heartaches Begin", 47-6870 (20-6870 for 78rpm), March 1957 (Million Seller)
Also re-released as Gold Standard Series, 447-0618, March 1959

Highest U.S. Charts Positions:
#1 on Billboard Hot 100 for 8 weeks
#1 on Rhythm & Blues chart for 4 weeks
#1 on Country Juke Box chart.
#3 on Country Best-Seller chart.This was also Elvis' first #1 in Britain, topping the charts for 7 weeks.

1st LP release: Elvis' Golden Records - April 1958

Songwriter Otis Blackwell was in the Shalimar Music office in 1956 when one of the owners, Al Stanton, walked by, shaking his bottle of Pepsi. Stanton joked to Blackwell, "Why don't you write a song called 'All Shook Up'?". So, Otis Blackwell did just that!

Elvis wasn't the first artist to record "All Shook Up". That honor went to another Shalimar songwriter named David Hess, who went by the name David Hill for the single release (Aladdin 3359) in late 1956. David would also go on to write, along with Aaron Schroeder, the Elvis classic "I Got Stung", and sang demo versions of other songs written for Elvis, such as "It's Now or Never".

On January 12, 1957, Elvis recorded the song. Elvis had loved "Don't Be Cruel", and certainly would've been on the lookout for another song from Otis Blackwell. A common practice was for songwriters to record demos of the song for the artist to listen to, especially for those who didn't read music, like Elvis. Although they never met face to face, Elvis got to know Blackwell through those demos, and apparently was influenced by his performances of the songs. "I didn't mind that he copied the demos so closely," Blackwell said. "I figured making good demos was a surer way of getting him to record my stuff." Unfortunately for songwriters, it was also common practice for the artist to share songwriting credit as an incentive to get the artists to record the songs. It's not too hard to imagine that the Colonel took full advantage of that practice! Accordingly, Elvis gets co-writer credit for "All Shook Up", as he had earlier for "Don't Be Cruel", but in both cases, Otis Blackwell had written them on his own.

"All Shook Up" immediately shot up to the top spot on all the major U.S. music charts, and the phrase made its way into everyday language. Apparently, some other phrases from the song had an influence, too. John Lennon said, "I remember thinking when Elvis did 'All Shook Up' that it was the first time in my life that I heard 'uh huh' and 'oh yeah' and 'yeah yeah' all sung in the same song." Elvis' popularity in Britain was already on the rise in early 1957, but "All Shook Up" sealed the deal! When John Lennon first met Paul McCartney in the summer of '57, this would've been the current Elvis hit on the radio at the time. Six years later, the phrase "yeah yeah yeah" would be all theirs!

On either side of the big pond, it's easy to see why the song was so popular. The basic boogie-woogie shuffling rhythm, the rather strange and sometimes cryptic lyrics (what's so wild about a bug, and what exactly is a fuzzy tree?), the sudden stop with Elvis sort of ejecting the words, "I'm in love... I'm all shook up!" Elvis also decided to provide a beat by slapping the backside of his guitar, which adds to the deceptively informal atmosphere. It's like Elvis is trying to make us believe that he and the musicians and the Jordanaires are just foolin' around in the studio. Don't be fooled, though, it takes a lot of work to sound that relaxed! This was a well-crafted recording and proof that rock 'n' roll could be presented as pure mainstream pop, complete with lyrical and melodic hooks, and not lose any of its power or fun!

"All Shook Up" was ranked #352 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.