I’ve been reading about the Beatle’s early days when they were leather-bound hoodlums on the streets of Hamburg and Liverpool. Liverpool had a lot of bands and they tended to do the same songs. The Beatles broke out of that by picking B sides rather than playing a top 40 hit every time. They had excellent taste. They played this one in Hamburg at the Star Club. If you haven’t heard the low-quality album Beatles Live At the Star Club…it’s worth listening to. It’s The Beatles in rock/punk mode.
Eddie Fontaine, singer and actor, released this song in 1958. It has it all…twangy 1950s guitar and a cool lyric to boot. Eddie Fontaine never became a major name in rock and roll but his song left an impression on a generation of young rockers.
Eddie was from Massachusetts and RCA signed him in 1954 as a vocalist. He first gained attention as a singer with his single Cool It, Baby in 1956, which had moderate success. It was featured in the film The Girl Can’t Help It. However, Nothin’ Shakin in 1958 brought him more recognition, especially within the rockabilly crowd.
Eddie was an actor as well. He has 27 actor credits in IMDB. He appeared in TV shows like 77 Sunset Strip, The Wild Wild West, Ironside, Kojak, Planet of the Apes, Baretta, and many more.
This song peaked at #64 on the Billboard 100 in 1958. Below is a more refined Beatles version they did on the BBC radio and the original by Eddie himself.
Nothin’ Shakin’
I’m finding out what love is all aboutAnd every day at three when school lets outI see my baby I get weak in the kneesThere’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the treesWhy must she be such a doggone tease?There’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the trees
We meet the gang and go to Rockin’ Joe’sThe cats are stompin’ on their heels and toesI grab my baby, tried to give her a squeezeNothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the treesMy daddy told me there’d be times like theseThere’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the trees
She’s got a way that makes me act like a foolOh, she spends my money then she plays me cruelI’m beggin’ her for kisses on bended kneesGimme some lovin’ baby, please, please, please
But I keep trying hard to make her mineSomeday the wind will blow, the sun will shineUntil that time she puts my heart at easeThere’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the treesShe locked my heart and threw away the keysThere’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the treesHa ha ha!
Nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the treesShe’s got a way that makes me act like a foolOh, spends my money then she plays me cruelI’m beggin’ for her kisses on bended kneesWhy don’t ya gimme some lovin’ baby, please, please, please
But I keep trying hard to make her mineSomeday the wind will blow, the sun will shineUntil that time she puts my heart at easeThere’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the treesWhy must she be such a doggone tease?There’s nothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the treesNothin’ shakin’ but the leaves on the treesNothin’ shakin’, oh shakin’
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Wow I really thought I had heard everything by The Beatles but Live at the Star Club is something I missed. The BBC recordings I have heard but never did a deep dive into all the songs. Great stuff Max!!
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Oh the Star Club album….it was a regular two track home recorder that another band ran….it’s their last session in Hamburg….it’s crude but the only recording we have of them there. I’m surprised it ever got released. Thanks!
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Good stuff Max! As usual I learn something new from your article/blog every time that I read it…thanks.
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Thanks for reading and listening Carl!
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Fun, thanks Max!
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Thank you for reading Dana!
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fun little rockabilly track. You’re right, another example of beatles being smarter than the competition, they seemed to know if they were going to do a cover, pick something relatively unknown, not something that was already a big hit that people liked.
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They had a really good taste of what would work and what would not. My favorite of these was the song Some Other Guy Now….that one is great as well. I first heard this on the Star Club album…it got me into a lot of 50s stuff.
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The Beatles recorded a version of ‘Nothin’ Shakin’ (But The Leaves On The Trees)’ for a BBC radio show in 1963 with George Harrison singing lead vocals.
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Yea I have that one…I do like the Star Club one as well because it’s so raw…but I do like the BBC version.
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Max is that 2nd version being sung by Geo or is that another recording.
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George did sing in both…
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Sounds danged good!
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Just listened to it again. Def Geo. Good catch, Jim.
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I thought it was Lennon, but the Beatles Bible said it was George.
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I should have listed that…yea it was George.
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Yes, the Beatles did a great version on their first ‘Live at the BBC’ album.
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They cut their teeth playing this stuff live. You can hear that raw rock n roll on the early records. What am I saying, you know all that.
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I go through those old setlists and find some diamonds like this…some great music at that time.
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What a great time the Beatles must have had then- pick’n’play a little of your own material, mixed in with some quality covers- and boy, did they have a good ear for others song, as you said. And can you ever hear the the poor guy’s aching frustration in the lyrics too.
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I’m re-reading (4th time) Tune In about them…I never had realized that from 1961 on….they were kings in Liverpool and Hamburg to a large extent.
Outside of a Chuck song…this song was really wordy for the 50s…and in a good way.
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Yeah, Chuck had a real knack, but there were a few who put in a bit more effort than ‘Boom bup a boom bup a boom boom a yip yip yip mmm bah a bah a baby I lurves you an’ just you ooh ooh a hooh.’ Thank Gawd.
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Oh yea…Chuck had that rhyming slang down…he was like the cool. I’m glad some others built something more than just blue moon and june and such.
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Whew that first track was rough. Seconds sounds much more polished. I can see why Eddie Fontaine’s version would be a hit. Kinda reminds me of Chantilly Lace.
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Oh yea….that first track Lisa is the only copy of the Beatles in Hamburg. It’s an album…it would be if you or me would walk into a club and turned on a home recording unit from back then…it’s terrible quality but it’s all we got of that era before they broke.
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WOW, I learned something new today. I remember reading about they in Hamburg but did not know there was only one album from them. Isn’t that where they met Klaus?
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Yes Klaus and Astrid. It was recorded on something less than a cassette probably but that is all we have.
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That’s a cool, song. While I own a vinyl copy of that Beatles Live at the Starclub album, I haven’t listened to it in ages, so I didn’t remember the song. Eddie Fontaine’s original sounds great. I also think The Beatles did a nice job with their rendition for the BBC. Their Hamburg time was gruesome in many regards, but it surely turned them into a great rock & roll band
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Yea I love their stuff at the Star Club. I’m glad we got this from that period. If King Sized Taylor don’t push record that night…we wouldn’t know what they sounded like.
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