Nervous (song)
Encyclopedia
"Nervous" is a rockabilly
/doo-wop
song first recorded by Gene Summers
and His Rebels in 1958 and later covered by Robert Gordon
and Link Wray
, among others. It was composed by Mary Tarver in 1957, published by Ted Music, BMI and issued on Jan/Jane Records. The "Nervous" recording session took place at Liberty Records
Studios in Hollywood, California in June 1958 and featured Rene Hall
and James McClung on guitar, Plas Johnson
on saxophone, Earl Palmer
on drums, and George "Red" Callendar on bass. The background vocal group was the Five Masks (Al "TNT" Bragg, Cal Valentine, Robert Valentine, Billy Fred Thomas and Jesse Lee Floyd). The flipside of "Nervous" was "Gotta Lotta That
".
GENE SUMMERS
Nervous....83
JAN 102 - Strong material and strong performance by the new talent. It's a powerful beat job and the kids should flip over it. Action already reported from the southwest territories. (Ted, BMI)
The Cash Box - The Cash Box Best Bets - June 14, 1958
"NERVOUS" (2:22) [Ted, BMI - Tarver]
Gene Summers & His Rebels (Jan 102)
"...exciting opus...could spread like wildfire...strong merchandise..."
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...
/doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
song first recorded by Gene Summers
Gene Summers
Gene Summers is an American rock/rockabilly singer and entertainer. Some of his classic recordings include "School of Rock 'n Roll", "Straight Skirt", "Nervous", "Gotta Lotta That", "Twixteen", "Alabama Shake" and his biggest-selling single "Big Blue Diamonds"...
and His Rebels in 1958 and later covered by Robert Gordon
Robert Gordon
Robert Gordon , a 17th century merchant and philanthropist, was born in Aberdeen. He was the only son of Arthur Gordon who married Isabella Menzies of Balgownie...
and Link Wray
Link Wray
Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr was an American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter and occasional singer....
, among others. It was composed by Mary Tarver in 1957, published by Ted Music, BMI and issued on Jan/Jane Records. The "Nervous" recording session took place at Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
Studios in Hollywood, California in June 1958 and featured Rene Hall
René Hall
René Hall , was an American guitarist and music arranger.He was born in Morgan City, Louisiana, and first recorded as a banjo player with Joseph Robichaux in New Orleans in 1933. He then worked around the country as a member of the Ernie Fields Orchestra, before joining Earl Hines as musical arranger...
and James McClung on guitar, Plas Johnson
Plas Johnson
Plas John Johnson Jr. is an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most familiar as the lead on Henry Mancini’s "The Pink Panther Theme"....
on saxophone, Earl Palmer
Earl Palmer
Earl Cyril Palmer was an American rock & roll and rhythm and blues drummer, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame....
on drums, and George "Red" Callendar on bass. The background vocal group was the Five Masks (Al "TNT" Bragg, Cal Valentine, Robert Valentine, Billy Fred Thomas and Jesse Lee Floyd). The flipside of "Nervous" was "Gotta Lotta That
Gotta Lotta That
"Gotta Lotta That" is a song written by Bernice Bedwell in 1958 and published by Song Productions, BMI. It was first recorded by Gene Summers and His Rebels in 1958 and issued by Jan/Jane Records...
".
Reviews
BILLBOARD MAGAZINE - June, 1958 Reviews of New Pop RecordsGENE SUMMERS
Nervous....83
JAN 102 - Strong material and strong performance by the new talent. It's a powerful beat job and the kids should flip over it. Action already reported from the southwest territories. (Ted, BMI)
The Cash Box - The Cash Box Best Bets - June 14, 1958
"NERVOUS" (2:22) [Ted, BMI - Tarver]
Gene Summers & His Rebels (Jan 102)
"...exciting opus...could spread like wildfire...strong merchandise..."
"Nervous" cover versions
- Johnny Devlin - New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
- Lonstars - FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
- Rock-Ola & The Freewheelers - FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
- Robert Gordon - USA
- Robert Gordon with Link Wray - USA
Sources
- Billboard Magazine - June, 1958 Reviews of New Pop Records USA
- The Cash Box - June 1958 The Cash Box Best Bets USA
- Liner notes "The Ultimate School Of Rock & RollThe Ultimate School of Rock & RollThe Ultimate School Of Rock & Roll is a 32-track CD by Gene Summers. It is a compilation of his biggest hits including out-takes and alternate tracks. The CD was released nationally in the United States by Crystal Clear Sound Records in 1997 and is still in print...
" 1997 USA - Johnny Devlin, "Hit Tunes" EP Boutique/Coca Cola Records C-1001 AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 1959 - Lonestars, "Bop & Roll" CD Jungle Records 3003 FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, 1981 - Rock -Ola and the Freewheelers, "Upskirt" CD Bluelight Records BLR-3374 2 FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, 2000 - Robert Gordon, "Bad Boy" LP/CD RCA Records AFLI 3523 USA, 1979
- Robert Gordon with Link Wray, "Fresh Fish Special" CD Raven Records RVCD 57 AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, 1997 - "Cover Versions Of The Songs Made Famous By Gene Summers" 2007 USA
- Article and sessionography in issue 15 (1977) of New Kommotion Magazine UK
- Article and sessionography in issue 23 (1980) of New Kommotion Magazine UK
- Feature article and sessionography in issue 74 (1999) of Rockin' Fifties Magazine GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
- Feature article with photo spread in issue 53 (2000) of Bill Griggs' Rockin' 50s Magazine USA
- Feature Article with photo spread in issue 54 (2000) of Bill Griggs' Rockin' 50s Magazine USA