Johnny Otis wrote this song and had a hit with it in 1958. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #5 on the Billboard R&B chart. The song had a Bo Diddley type rhythm to it and it’s such a great groove.
Both versions are great…I think out of the two I favor Johnny’s version.
Eric Clapton included this song on his classic album 461 Ocean Boulevard. Willie and The Hand Jive peaked at #27 for Eric in the Billboard 100 in 1974.
The origin of the song came when one of Otis’ managers, Hal Ziegler, found out that rock’n’roll concert venues in England did not permit the teenagers to stand up and dance in the aisles, so they instead danced with their hands while remaining in their seats. At Otis’ concerts, performers would demonstrate Willie’s “hand jive” dance to the audience, so the audience could dance along.
Willie and the Hand Jive
I know a cat named Way-Out Willie
Had a cool little chick named Rockin’ Billie
Made a heart of stone Susie-Q, doin’ that crazy hand jive too
Papa said “You will ruin my house.
You and that hand jive have got to go”
Willie said “Papa, don’t you put me down,
Been doin’ that hand jive all over town.”
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive, doin’ that crazy hand jiveI don’t want you to get on the floor
Gettin’ low, getting down with sister go
Come on, get baby, little sister’ll die
Said doin’ that hand jive one more time
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive, doin’ that crazy hand jive
Doctor getting low and he getting check
Now they’re all digging that crazy beat
Way-Out Willie gave ’em all a treat
Been doin’ that hand jive with his feet
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive, doin’ that crazy hand jiveWilli and Billie got married last fall
Had to live with his sisters and that ain’t all
Daddy got famous it’s plain to see
Been doin’ that hand jive on his knees
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive, doin’ that crazy hand jive
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Quite a decent track I guess but whenever I hear this and some of his other later material I miss the Clapton who was once in cream n derek and the dominos
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The only group that I ever herd doing this song was the New Riders of the Purple Sage and they played it a lot in concert.
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Not really Clapton’s style, but he did it around the time he did I Shot the Sheriff, which was also on 461 Ocean Blvd iirc. I think he’d found God after addiction and had mellowed out for this album….
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Yea he was never like he was with Cream or the Dominoes.
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Never knew he put that out as a single, though I knew he liked playing it live through the years
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