The Queen of Rock' a 'Billy

Last updated
The Queen of Rock' a 'Billy
Wanda Jackson--The Queen of Rock a Billy.jpg
Studio album by
Released1997 (1997)
Recorded1996 (1996)
StudioPek Farm Studio
Genre Rockabilly [1]
Label Elap
Producer Morten Kjeldsen
Wanda Jackson chronology
Let's Have a Party
(1995)
The Queen of Rock' a 'Billy
(1997)
The Wanda Jackson Show: Live and Still Kickin'
(2003)

The Queen of Rock' a 'Billy is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in 1997 via Elap Music and contained eleven tracks of material. The album was a collection of Rockabilly recordings, most of which were new to Jackson's catalog. The disc was the second Jackson recorded with rock group The Alligators. It was released exclusively for the European market.

Contents

Background, content and release

With a series of songs beginning in the 1950s, Wanda Jackson became among the first women to have commercial success in Country and Rockabilly music. Her most popular singles included "Let's Have a Party", "Right or Wrong" and "The Box It Came In". She left secular music in the 1970s and recorded a series of gospel albums before returning to rock in the 1980s. She was sought out by European fans and promoters and continued a steady fan base overseas. [2] [3] In 1994, she met Danish rock band The Alligators and released an album with them in 1995. [4] The Queen of Rock' a 'Billy would be her second collaboration with The Alligators. On the album's release, the band was not given dual credit. [1]

Jackson recorded the project alongside Alligators member Morten Kjeldsen serving as producer. The group served as her backing band on the album, similar to her previous release with the group. [1] [4] The album was recorded at the Pek Farm Studio located in Ormslev, Denmark. A total of 11 Rockabilly numbers were chosen for the album, which included a re-recording of Jackson's 1958 single "Fujiyama Mama". [5] She also re-recorded "Rip It Up", which originally appeared on her 1964 studio album Two Sides of Wanda. [6] Jackson also cut "Rockabilly Fever" again, which first appeared on her 1984 album of the same name. [7] Remaining songs were new to Jackson's catalog, including a cover of Tanya Tucker's "Walking Shoes" and Jann Browne's "You Ain't Down Home". The album was released in 1997 on the Elap Music label. It was issued as a compact disc only for the European market. [1]

Track listing

The Queen of Rock' a 'Billy [1]
No.TitleLength
1."Rock 'a' Billy Fever"4:13
2."Rip It Up"2:34
3."Walking Shoes"2:34
4."Find Out What's Happening"3:05
5."Rockin' Little Angel"2:36
6."Honey, Love Will"2:50
7."Did I Tell You?"2:24
8."A Blue Guitar"2:08
9."Fujiyama Mama"2:14
10."You Ain't Down Home"3:45
11."One Night"2:40

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of The Queen of Rock' a 'Billy. [1]

Musical personnel
The Alligators (see below)

Technical personnel

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
Europe1997Compact discElap Music [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wanda Jackson</span> American singer, songwriter, and musician

Wanda LaVonne Jackson is an American singer and songwriter. Since the 1950s, she has recorded and released music in the genres of rock, country and gospel. She was among the first women to have a career in rock and roll, recording a series of 1950s singles that helped give her the nickname "The Queen of Rockabilly". She is also counted among the first female stars in the genre of country music.

<i>Love Me Forever</i> (album) 1963 studio album by Wanda Jackson

Love Me Forever is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in May 1963 via Capitol Records and contained 12 tracks. It was Jackson's fifth studio album of her career and the second to included orchestrated production. Love Me Forever was a collection of country and pop music standards composed by other artists. The album received positive reviews from critics following its release.

<i>Two Sides of Wanda</i> 1964 studio album by Wanda Jackson

Two Sides of Wanda is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in March 1964 via Capitol Records and contained 12 tracks. It was the sixth studio release of Jackson's career; side one contained rockabilly performances, while side two featured country music selections. The album received a nomination from the Grammy Awards following its release and has since been re-released.

<i>Blues in My Heart</i> (album) 1965 studio album by Wanda Jackson

Blues in My Heart is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in April 1965 via Capitol Records and contained 12 tracks. It was the seventh studio album released in Jackson's career and the first to reach the Billboard country chart. The record was a collection of traditional country songs centered around themes of having the blues. It received a positive review from Billboard magazine following its release.

<i>Made in Germany</i> (Wanda Jackson album) 1967 compilation album by Wanda Jackson

Made in Germany is a compilation album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in 1967 via Capitol Records and contained 16 previously released tracks. It was Jackson's first compilation released outside of the American market. The songs included for the album were recorded entirely in the German language. Some of these tracks had been released as singles internationally and became successful. This included the number one single, "Santo Domingo", which was first released in 1965.

<i>The Many Moods of Wanda Jackson</i> 1968 studio album by Wanda Jackson

The Many Moods of Wanda Jackson is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in December 1968 via Capitol Records and contained 11 tracks. The project was Jackson's thirteenth studio album in her career and spawned two singles. Both "I Wish I Was Your Friend" and "If I Had a Hammer" reached charting positions on the American country chart. The album itself also reached charting positions in the United States.

<i>Wanda Jackson in Person</i> 1969 live album by Wanda Jackson

Wanda Jackson in Person is a live album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in October 1969 via Capitol Records and contained ten tracks. The project was Jackson's first live album in her career and was recorded at Mr. Lucky's, a performance venue in Phoenix, Arizona.

<i>Wanda Jackson Country!</i> 1970 studio album by Wanda Jackson

Wanda Jackson Country! is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in February 1970 via Capitol Records and contained ten tracks. It was Jackson's fifteenth studio album released in her recording career and her fifteen with the Capitol label. The album included four single releases that made chart positions on the American country music survey: "By the Time You Get to Phoenix", "Everything's Leaving", "My Big Iron Skillet" and "Two Separate Bar Stools".

<i>A Woman Lives for Love</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Wanda Jackson

A Woman Lives for Love is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in August 1970 via Capitol Records and contained ten tracks. It was the sixteenth studio album released in Jackson's career and the first to be solely-produced by George Richey. The album's title track, became a top 20 charting single on the American country chart prior to the album's original release. A Woman Lives for Love received a positive review from Billboard magazine in 1970.

<i>Rockabilly Fever</i> 1984 studio album by Wanda Jackson

Rockabilly Fever is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in 1984 via Tab Records for the Scandinavian market in Europe. It was then re-released to other markets, including Jackson's home country in 1986 and was re-titled Rock and Roll Away Your Blues.

<i>Teach Me to Love</i> 1984 studio album by Wanda Jackson

Teach Me to Love is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in 1984 via Vine Records and contained 11 tracks. It was the thirty first studio recording of her career and was a collection of gospel songs. It was also her first album to issued with the Vine label.

<i>My Kind of Gospel</i> 1983 studio album by Wanda Jackson

My Kind of Gospel is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in 1983 via Vine Records and contained ten tracks of material. It was the twenty ninth studio record released in Jackson's career and among a series of gospel recordings she released during the 1980s decade.

<i>Lets Have a Party in Prague</i> 1988 studio album by Wanda Jackson and Karel Zich

Let's Have a Party in Prague is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson and European recording artist Karel Zich. It was released on the Supraphon label in 1988 and contained a total of 13 tracks. The album was a collection of Rockabilly songs released exclusively for the European market. It was Jackson's first collaborative studio album and Zich's second. One single was spawned from the album in 1988.

<i>Classy Country</i> 1988 studio album by Wanda Jackson

Classy Country is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in 1988 via Amethyst Records and contained 11 tracks. The album was a mixture of re-recorded tracks, along with several new songs cut exclusively for the album.

<i>Encore</i> (1988 Wanda Jackson album) 1988 studio album by Wanda Jackson

Encore is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in 1988 via Amethyst Records and contained 11 tracks. The album was a collection of gospel selections and her second album with the Amethyst label. It was re-released on the Tab label in 1989 and was sold exclusively in Europe. It was the thirty fourth studio album of Jackson's career.

<i>Dont Worry Be Happy</i> (Wanda Jackson album) 1989 studio album by Wanda Jackson

Don't Worry Be Happy is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in 1989 via Amethyst Records and contained 12 tracks. It was Jackson's thirty fifth studio recording released in her career and the third issued on the Amethyst label. Don't Worry Be Happy was a collection of gospel songs, including the title track, which was first recorded as a pop song by Bobby McFerrin.

<i>Live in Scandinavia</i> 1989 live album by Wanda Jackson

Live in Scandinavia is a live album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in 1989 on Tab Records and contained 14 tracks. The album was collection of country and Rockabilly songs. It was also her third live project in her career and her second released through the Tab label. The album was released exclusively to markets in Scandinavia, notably Sweden.

<i>Lets Have a Party</i> (1995 Wanda Jackson album) 1995 studio album (re-recording) by Wanda Jackson

Let's Have a Party is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released in 1995 via Elap Music and Success Records. Released exclusively for the European market, the album project included Danish rock band The Alligators and contained 12 tracks. While some songs were new recordings for Jackson, most of the album was re-recordings of Jackson's rockabilly and country hits from decades prior.

<i>The Wanda Jackson Show: Live and Still Kickin</i> 2003 live album by Wanda Jackson

The Wanda Jackson Show: Live and Still Kickin' is a live album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released on March 25, 2003 via the Digital Club Network and contained a total of 27 tracks. The album was recorded in New York City nearly a year prior and marked Jackson's first American live record in over two decades. It was also the third live album of her career. The disc received positive reviews from critics following its release.

<i>Heart Trouble</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Wanda Jackson

Heart Trouble is a studio album by American recording artist Wanda Jackson. It was released on October 14, 2003 via CMH Records and contained 16 tracks. The disc was Jackson's forty first studio release of her career and her first disc released in the United States in a decade. The album was a mixture of rockabilly and country recordings, featuring collaborations with musicians Elvis Costello, The Cramps and Rosie Flores. Heart Trouble received a positive response from critics following its release.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Jackson, Wanda (1997). "The Queen of Rock' a 'Billy (CD Liner Notes and Album Information)". Elap Music. 41645-CD.
  2. Wolff, Kurt. "Wanda Jackson: Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  3. Bomar, Scott; Jackson, Wanda (2017). Every night is Saturday night : a country girl's journey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. United States: BMG. pp. 281–283. ISBN   9781947026070.
  4. 1 2 Jackson, Wanda (1995). "Let's Have a Party (CD Liner Notes and Album Information)". Elap Music/Success Records. 16239-CD.
  5. Jackson, Wanda (December 1957). ""Fujiyama Mama"/"No Wedding Bells for Me" (7" vinyl single)". Capitol Records . F3843.
  6. Jackson, Wanda (March 1964). "Two Sides of Wanda (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Capitol Records . T-2030.
  7. Jackson, Wanda (1984). "Rockabilly Fever (LP Liner Notes and Album Information)". Tab Records. TAB-LP-8404.