Dale Hawkins - Susie-Q [Remastered]

Chicago's Chess Records. Classic Rock & Roll!

[floydcouncil]

At 17, James Burton, the guitar player using the only available strings at that time, 13-17-26-36-46-56 gauge, decided he didn’t need all that string tension. So he removed the 56, bumped every string down one gauge, and took a 10 gauge banjo string and used that for the top E string. That is how 10-46 gauge strings came about, and bending strings became possible. Mr. Burton, my fingers and ears thank you.

[darlarogers]

Fully agree, this guy was hard rock in rockabilly disguise, he totally invented a whole new sound when he made this recording! Mad respect

[GrtSatan]

The first time a producer asked for more cowbell and the result was an instant masterpiece.

[ledlight]

I didn't know Susie - Q belonged to Dale Hawkins, all that time I thought it was Creedence Clearwater Revival 's song 😊thanks ❤

[PamelaAmberson]

The first time I heard it my family was at a resort in the Ozarks. I can still hear it echoing over the water. I loved it then and I love it now and I will be 77 in August. One of my all time favs.

[bearclaw]

Burton's guitar sounds like an entire horn section in the solo section. So dope.

[SteveStalzle]

So damned many people only know the famous Creedence Clearwater Revival version, of this song, HERE IS THE ORIGINAL! ROCK & ROLL!

[thom]

Good gracious, this original sounds like it was released yesterday! It's punk, rockabilly, and heavy metal all at once.

[steverlfs]

Never heard of this fellow before. My jaw is wide open and should close around next Tuesday.

[LL-blhd]

Over 60 years later this still sounds raw and dangerous. You can hear why all those schoolkids rioted over this rock n roll thing and why parents were scared!

[bigdancd]

This classic was a smash right outta the gate! One of the solid gold greats from the 50's! I was a freshman in high school back then and loved this forever!

[hestheMaster]

More cowbell! Rocking that Rockabilly sound. Awesome guitar riff often imitated but never as good as this!

[niccoarcadia]

Dale Hawkins Susie Q will always be the most innovative early guitar heroes quality rock song..

[BrianCarnevaleB]

Long before CCR we had the great and often forgotten Mr. Dale Hawkins on the banging jam. Thanks to the words of Sir Jimmy Page and his honorable mention we found this forgotten original version of the composition! this is some of the music he listened to coming up playing the guitar.

All about the riff Jimmy mentions on numerous interviews and this song really has it with that old steel electronic guitar with the echoes in the sound playief by Mr Hawkins Fantastic Sound
Thank you!

Solid Gold Hits! 🙏🏼❤️

[admiralbenbow]

I had never heard of Dale Hawkins till now, but he more than does this one justice!

[fletcherhawkins]

I love CCR and I just got a cat to keep my dog company while I'm away working since I work a lot. The first name that popped into my head was Suzy-Q. I knew it was a cover but I didn't know who did the original. Thank you, Mr. Hawkins for your amazing song writing. From: Mr. Hawkins.

[peterward]

Earliest reference I can find to "Suzie Q", ,, is the Lilian Hardin Armstrong (February 3, 1898 -- August 27, 1971) composition - *_Doin' The Suzie Q - 1936_*
*_"Lil Hardin"_* - - was a jazz pianist, composer, arranger, singer & bandleader, ,, & the second wife of Louis Armstrong with whom she collaborated on many recordings in the 1920s. She basically *_"made"_* Armstrong.

When he was based in Shreveport, Louisiana, Del Hawkins lived in a shack in the black part of town, , , , & inside that shack - there was only a folding camp bed, a record player & thousands of 78RPM blues records. Nothing else at all. I do believe "Suzie Q" may well have been his "tribute" to the - beyond brilliant - musicianship of Maestro Lillian Hardin.

[stephenstone]

I love this song. I remember seeing the "Rim shots" in Cardiff in 1988 playing this song opposite the indoor market by the Church. It was fab. But when I heard the original it was electrifying. Great track by Dale Hawkins.

[dianelowery]

I was just a “receptionist” at KSFO/KYA in the late 90s. The station played oldies, and I had to listen to the station as I greeted guests and answered phones. CCR’s version was playing—and it’s good, unless you hear it 8, 000 times. The music director came strutting by, and I said hey, why don’t you add Dale Hawkins version to the playlist (I was a college radio DJ at the same time, so I was knowledgeable.) He responded arrogantly with “CCR’s version is the only version.” Twerp, I thought. He left. Two days later, waiting for the phone to ring, suddenly Dale Hawkins version is playing. Did I get credit? No, and I didn’t care. Dale was blasting over the San Francisco Bay Area, to everyone’s benefit.

[c.t.turner]

I remember hearing this in St Charles, Iowa at night on 1130 am KWKH out of Shreveport Louisiana.