I Gotta Know (Wanda Jackson single)
Encyclopedia
"I Gotta Know" is a rockabilly
song recorded by Wanda Jackson
in 1956, and released as a single
by Capital Records as 45-15586. It was written by Thelma Blackmon. Jackson's version of the song reached #15 on the Billboard Country Singles
chart. It was later included in the 1960 album Rockin' with Wanda.
Iain Ellis of PopMatters
described Jackson's performance: "Honing her Elvis-style hiccup vocal, Jackson satirized the prevailing male hits of the day, songs that posited either romantic illusions or 'cool' boasting. Rather than passively wallowing in these conceits, or swallowing their deceits, Jackson set to de-bunking them with brutal 'response' lyrics."
Billy Poore wrote that it "starts out like a sad, sappy country ballad, and then all of a sudden, Wanda just roars into the meat and potatoes boppin' rockabilly sound."
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
song recorded by Wanda Jackson
Wanda Jackson
Wanda Lavonne Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist who had success in the mid-1950s and 60s as one of the first popular female rockabilly singers and a pioneering rock and roll artist...
in 1956, and released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by Capital Records as 45-15586. It was written by Thelma Blackmon. Jackson's version of the song reached #15 on the Billboard Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart. It was later included in the 1960 album Rockin' with Wanda.
Critical response
Buzz McClain of the Washington Post called Jackson's version "a hook-filled number that zips from ballad to rocker and back again."Iain Ellis of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
described Jackson's performance: "Honing her Elvis-style hiccup vocal, Jackson satirized the prevailing male hits of the day, songs that posited either romantic illusions or 'cool' boasting. Rather than passively wallowing in these conceits, or swallowing their deceits, Jackson set to de-bunking them with brutal 'response' lyrics."
Billy Poore wrote that it "starts out like a sad, sappy country ballad, and then all of a sudden, Wanda just roars into the meat and potatoes boppin' rockabilly sound."
Chart performance
| Chart (1956) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 15 |