"All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley, published by Elvis Presley Music, and composed by Otis Blackwell. The single topped the U.S. Billboard Top 100 on April 13, 1957, staying there for nine weeks.[1] It also topped the BillboardR&Bchart for four weeks, becoming Presley's second single to do so, and peaked at No. 1 on the country chart as well.[1] It is certified 2× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Blackwell wrote the song at the offices of Shalimar Music in 1956 after Al Stanton, one of Shalimar's owners, shaking a bottle of Pepsi at the time, suggested he write a song based on the phrase "all shook up".[1] According to Peter Guralnick, the song has a different origin. In his book Last Train to Memphis, he wrote that Elvis thought "All Shook Up" was a good phrase for a refrain. For this he received a co-writing credit.[2] Elvis himself, during an interview on October 28, 1957, said: "I've never even had an idea for a song. Just once, maybe. I went to bed one night, had quite a dream, and woke up all shook up. I phoned a pal and told him about it. By morning, he had a new song, 'All Shook Up'."[3]
Future Last House on the Left actor David Hess, using the stage name David Hill, was the first to record the song on Aladdin Records, titled "I'm All Shook Up". In a 2009 interview, Hess revealed the origins of the song, and claimed to come up with the title of the song: "As far as 'All Shook Up', the title came from a real set of circumstances and when I decided not to write it, Otis Blackwell did and I had the first recording for Aladdin Records. It was my title, but Otis wrote the song and Presley took a writing credit in order to get him to record it. That's the way things happened in those days."[4][5][6]
Vicki Young recorded a different song with the same title, "(I'm) All Shook Up", on Capitol Records with Big Dave and His Orchestra, written by Bill Bellman and Hal Blaine in 1956.[7] On January 12, 1957, Presley recorded the song at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.[1] The duet vocal on the record is by The Jordanaires first tenor Gordon Stoker. Take 10 was selected for release, and in March the song entered Billboard's Top 100 chart at #25.[1] Within three weeks it had knocked Perry Como's "Round and Round" off the top spot, and stayed there for nine consecutive weeks.[1] The song also became Presley's first No. 1 hit on the UK Singles Chart, remaining there for seven weeks.[8] Sales of the single exceeded two million,[1] and the song was named Billboard's Year End number one song for 1957.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Beatles versions
According to biographer Mark Lewisohn in The Complete Beatles Chronicle, The Beatles (first as The Quarrymen) regularly performed the song, from 1957 through 1960 (possibly later) with Paul McCartney on lead vocal. There is no known recorded version from that time. However, Len Garry of The Quarrymen (in his book John, Paul & Me) states that it was one of the songs the group played on July 6, 1957, the day John Lennon met Paul McCartney and that the song was recorded then (but was erased later). Author Doug Sulpy (in Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image) adds that on January 13, 1969, during the massive "Get Back" sessions, they did record a "spirited" version of it with McCartney and George Harrison sharing vocals. Lennon did not join in the recording, as he was sitting watching while having tea. That version of the song remains officially unreleased (due to it being in mono and McCartney and Harrison not remembering all the lyrics by that late date). In 1999, McCartney cut a hard-rocking version on the album Run Devil Run, while his surviving Quarrymen bandmates recorded it in 2004 on Songs We Remember.
In 1991, Billy Joel recorded the song for the movie Honeymoon in Vegas, which also featured other Elvis Presley songs by various artists. It was released as a single and peaked at No. 92 in the US and No. 27 in the UK.
Suzi Quatro recorded the song for her debut solo album Suzi Quatro in 1973 (titled Can the Can in Australia).[19] Her recording of the song was released as a single in 1974 and peaked at number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100.[20] Presley invited Quatro to Graceland, commenting that her version was the best since the original. Quatro declined the offer.
A version by English DJ and producer Adamski titled "The Space Jungle" was released in 1990 and was a hit across Europe, peaking in the top 10 of the Finnish and UK charts, as well as on the U.S. Billboard dance chart at No. 8.
Derivatives and parodies
Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey included a strongly derivative piece, "All Choked Up", as part of the original version of the musical Grease. The song was included in the Broadway version, then in 1978, when the musical was adapted as a feature film of the same name, "All Choked Up" was not included, and a new song, "You're the One That I Want" (which bore no musical resemblance to "All Shook Up"), was used instead and went on to become a major hit.
Filipino comedians Joey de Leon and Vic Sotto parodied "All Shook Up". A full version was released by Tito, Vic & Joey in 1979 and featured on the trio's Sgt. Pepe (Tito, Vic & Joey, Vol. IV) album.
