THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

293-Hank Mizell-Jungle Rock.

1958-It did not chart until it was re-released in 1976, when reaching Number 3.

Best Bit-At 0.10. It took 18 years for this song to become a hit, so it appears that the ‘Jungle Drums’ were communicating very slowly.

Hank Mizell was born William M. Mizell, on November 9th, 1923, in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States, he died on December 23rd, 1992, at the age of 69. After joining the United States Army, and serving in the Second World War, Mizell decided to take up singing professionally in a band that included a guitarist named Jim Bobo. Mizell got a job in Montgomery, Alabama, singing regularly on a local radio station, which was where one of the presenters nicknamed him ‘Hank,’ after the Country singer Hank Williams (1923-1953) (see also best songs 555.) In 1958 Hank Mizel and Jim Bobo were approached by a local Country vocalist called Gene Parsons, (not to be confused with the drummer in the Byrds) who had just set up his own record label called ‘Eko Records,’ the duo recorded three songs for the label, including ‘Jungle Rock.’ Although ‘Jungle Rock’ made no impression with the record buying public, it did receive favourable reviews from the Billboard magazine which wrote, ‘A persistent jungle blues item, would make good swingin’ dance fare.’ Some eight months later after the song had come to the attention of an employee at the ‘King Records’ label, the song was re-issued, but once again failed to make any real impact. Hank Mizel and Jim Bobo continued playing live together until 1962, until it was no longer financially viable. Mizel was now married, and also had four children to support, and he took the decision to give up music, and become a preacher for the Church of Christ.

In 1971 unbeknown to Hank Mizell, ‘Jungle Rock’ was one of the tracks reissued on a Dutch bootleg compilation Album called ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll, Vol 1,’ it had been issued by the Dutchman Cees Klop (-2017) who was a collector of rare 1950’s Rock ‘N’ Roll. Some of the early ‘Eko Records’ recordings of ‘Jungle Rock’ has mistakenly credited Jim Bobo with being the songs writer, and Klop took that information, and Bobo was credited as the songs writer on the Album. The Album came to the attention of the British DJ Roy Williams, who started playing ‘Jungle Rock,’ this led to ‘Charly Records’ who specialised in reissuing old songs releasing it in the UK in 1976. The song went on to reach Number 3 in the UK, Number 27 in Germany, Number 9 in Sweden, Number 2 in Belgium, Number 1 in the Netherlands. Hank Mizell who was now 53 years old had no idea that ‘Jungle Rock’ had become a European hit some 18 years after he first recorded it. The British flagship music programme ‘Top of the Pops,’ had to use their in house dancers ‘Pans People’ to perform the song when it first charted, but Mizell was finally tracked down in Tennessee, and was persuaded to come over to England and perform the song on the show, he also appeared on the Dutch music programme ‘Toppop.’

The discography of Hank Mizell includes one Album called ‘Jungle Rock,’ released in 1976, which only charted in Sweden, reaching Number 36, the Album was hastily put together from Mizell’s old material, and some covers. There are also 14 single available, (including four re-issues of Jungle Rock) released between 1958-2014, of which only ‘Jungle Rock’ has charted within any top 40 chart, although that songs follow up release ‘Kangaroo Rock,’ also in 1976, did reach Number 59 in the UK.

‘Jungle Rock’ is a ‘Rockabilly’ track. ‘Rockabilly’ (see also best songs 664) is one of the earliest styles of ‘Rock and Roll’ music. It dates back to the early 1950’s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as ‘Country’ with that of ‘Rhythm and Blues,’ The term ‘Rockabilly’ is a blend of the word ‘Rock’ from ‘Rock ‘N Roll,’ and ‘Hillbilly,’ which is a reference to the ‘Country music’ often called ‘Hillbilly music’ from the 1940’s and 1950’s, that contributed strongly to the style. Defining features of the ‘Rockabilly’ sound included strong rhythms, boogie woogie piano riffs, vocal twangs, doo-wop acapella singing, and common use of the tape echo. The genre peaked in popularity in the late 1950’s, due to artists of the calibre of Carl Perkins, (1932-1998) (see also best songs 664) Elvis Presley, (1935-1977) (see also best songs 954-664-442 and 194) Johnny Burnette, (1934-1964) and Jerry Lee Lewis (1935-2022) (see also best songs 362 and 99.) There were numerous amounts of musicians who recorded songs in the Rockabilly style, and many record companies were eager to release Rockabilly records. Some enjoyed major chart success and were important influences on future Rock musicians.

On March 21st, 1997 the ‘Rockabilly Hall of Fame’ was established by Bob Timmers, to present early Rock and Roll history and information relative to the original artists and personalities involved in the ‘Rockabilly’ music genre. It was headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2000 an International ‘Rock-A-Billy Hall of Fame’ and Museum’ was established in Jackson, Tennessee, and in recent years, the works of both ‘Halls of Fame’ have been absorbed.

‘Oh well the fox grabbed the rabbit and they hit the bunny hug, and all the beasts that fly was a cutting the rug.Oh well the camel was a jitter buggin’ with a kangaroo, and the elephant, the mover with the ring-ding-oo.’