A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)

"A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)"
Single by Dinah Washington and Brook Benton
from the album The Two of Us
B-side "I Believe"
Released May 1960
Genre Soul
Length 2:25
Label Mercury Records: 671629
Writer(s) Brook Benton, Clyde Otis
Luchi de Jesus
Producer(s) Clyde Otis
Dinah Washington and Brook Benton singles chronology
"Baby (You've Got What It Takes)"
(1960)
"A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)"
(1960)
"This Bitter Earth"
(1960)

"A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)" is a song first recorded in 1958 by Priscilla Bowman, on the Abner Records label (ABNER DJ 1018).[1] Bowman was given vocal backing by The Spaniels.[2]

Dinah Washington and Brook Benton

In 1960, the song was recorded as a pop and R&B duet by Dinah Washington and Brook Benton. The single was the second pairing for the singers and, like their first single together, it went to number 1 on the R&B chart and was a top ten pop single as well.[3]

The song was written by Benton, Clyde Otis and Luchi de Jesus.[4] The single, with the song title styled "A ROCKIN' GOOD WAY (To Mess Around And Fall I Love)", included orchestra arranged and conducted by Belford Hendricks.

Charts

Chart (1960) Peak
position
US Billboard Top Pop Songs 7
US Billboard Hot Rhythm&Blues Songs 1

Shakin' Stevens and Bonnie Tyler

A cover version of the duet by the UK's Shakin' Stevens and Bonnie Tyler was released in 1983 and made number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 1 in Ireland. It was included on Stevens' 1984 album "The Bop Won't Stop".

Charts

Charts (1983) Peak
position
Irish singles charts 1
Norway singles charts 4
UK singles charts 5
Dutch singles charts 8
New Zealand singles charts 8
Austria singles charts 9
Swiss singles charts 10
Sweden singles charts 11
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 21
Germany singles charts 22

Australia: Austria Sweden Ireland UK Switzerland New Zealand Holland Germany Norway

References

  1. Cohodas, Nadine. Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 341. ISBN 0307427382.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 54.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 612.
  4. BMI entry for the song
  5. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 316. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.


Preceded by
"Cathy's Clown" by The Everly Brothers
Billboard Hot R&B Sides number-one single
June 20, 1960-July 4, 1960 (three weeks) (first run)
Succeeded by
"There's Something on Your Mind" (Part 2) by Bobby Marchan
Preceded by
"There's Something on Your Mind" (Part 2) by Bobby Marchan
Billboard Hot R&B Sides number-one single
July 18, 1960 (second run)
Succeeded by
"This Bitter Earth" by Dinah Washington


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