THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

257-Big Joe Turner-Flip, Flop and Fly.

1955-Has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 2.08. The lyrics tell us that the best was to beat the blues is to look forward to meeting up with your ‘main squeeze,’ but at the same time not to forget you are also very attractive, so it’s only fair to share yourself around.

‘Flip, Flop and Fly’ was co-written by Big Joe Turner, and Charles E. Calhoun, who also played the piano on the song. The two had previously teamed up in 1954 to write ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll,’ which is considered by many to be the very first ever Rock N’ Roll hit when recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets (see also best songs 855.) ‘Flip, Flop and Fly’ has a similar arrangement to ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll,’ and it is rumoured that some of the left over lyrics from that song were recycled for this. ‘Flip, Flop and Fly’ has been covered by many of the Rock N’ Roll greats including Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, but the only charting version I could find was by the ‘Downchild Blues Band’ who took their version to Number 35 on the Canadian ‘RPM 100 singles chart’ in 1973.

Big Joe Turner was born Joseph Vernon Turner Jr. on May 18th, 1911, in Kansas City, ,Missouri, United States, he died of heart failure, having suffered the effects of arthritis, a stroke and diabetes, on November 24th, 1985, at the age of 74. Turner is recognised as one of the main protagonists in the development of Rock N’ Roll, transitioning from Big Bands, to Jump Blues, to Rhythm and Blues, and finally Rock N’ Roll. Turner was known as a ‘Blues Shouter,’ which is a Blues singer, often male, capable of singing unamplified with a band. On announcing his death in 1985, the British music magazine the ‘New Musical Express’ described him as the ‘Grandfather of Rock and Roll.’ There have been 39 official Albums of music released by Big Joe Turner between 1953-2013, including studio recordings, live music, and compilations. None of his singles released between 1941-1973 have charted on the Billboard or UK top 40, although 20 of his songs have made the Billboard R&B chart.

This songs other writer was Charles E, Calhoun who was born Jesse Albert Stone on November 16th, 1901 in Atchison, Kansas, United States, he died after a long illness on April 1st, 1999 at the age of 97. Stone first recorded music in 1927 as a member of the ‘Blue Serenaders,’ releasing the Blues song ‘Starvation Blues’ on ‘Okeh Records.’ He then went on to work as a pianist, before forming his own orchestra, and working as a bandleader. In 1947 he joined the staff at ‘Atlantic Records’ to work as a producer, songwriter and arranger, he was the only black person employed by Atlantic Records at that time. Other notable songs written by Stone include ‘Losing Hand’ for Ray Charles in 1953, and ‘Money Honey’ which became the first hit for The Drifters, also in 1953. Stone also notably arranged the song ‘Sh-Boom’ for The Chords, which reached Number 9 on Billboard in 1954, and is widely considered to be the first ‘Doo-Wop’/ ‘Rock N’ Roll’ song to reach the ‘Pop’ top 10.

‘Here comes my baby flashin’ her new gold tooth, well she’s so small she can Mambo in a pay phone booth. I’m like a Mississippi Bullfrog sittin’ on a hollow stump,, I got so many women I don’t know which way to jump.’