Quivers down me backbone

I'm going to interrupt Pink Floyd week for International Talk Like A Pirate Day and celebrate one of the best rock 'n roll songs ever, "Shakin' All Over", originally recorded in 1960 by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, and covered later by every garage band on every continent.

I can't find any youtube of Kidd & the Pirates performing it (just a clip of the record playing), but here's a 1961 copycat performance by Vince Taylor and the Playboys.



"Shakin All Over" didn't find it's way across the Atlantic until Chad Allen & The Expressions, a bunch of hosers from Winnepeg, covered it in 1965. They wanted to cash in on the British Invasion, so they printed the words "Guess Who?" on the cover of the record, and when the song became a hit, everyone thought the Guess Who was the name of the band. And now you know the rest of the story.

The song also made it's way down under in 1965 via this cover by Normie Rowe which was the top selling Australian single of the 1960s.

"Shakin' All Over" was also famously covered by The Who (on Live At Leeds) as well as everyone from Suzi Quatro to Cliff Richard to Rick Springfield (but not Shakin' Stevens, amazing as that may seem!)

Here are Ireland's Horslips, performing "Shakin' All Over" with strings! And here's a live version (audio only) by Alex Harvey and Cheap Trick. So many versions, so little time!