Rip It Up/Shake, Rattle And Roll/Blue Suede Shoes

These rock ‘n’ roll oldies were recorded during The Beatles’ Get Back/Let It Be sessions in January 1969, at Apple Studios in London.

The Beatles recorded a great many cover versions during the January 1969 sessions. It is likely that these were partly to motivate the group at a time when their enthusiasm was often lacking, and also as an avoidance strategy when inspiration was needed.

Although released as a medley on Anthology 3, ‘Rip It Up’, ‘Shake, Rattle And Roll’ and ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ weren’t actually recorded as one. The songs were among a number of rock ‘n’ roll songs played by The Beatles on 26 January 1969; others performed, with varying degrees of success, were ‘Great Balls Of Fire’, ‘High School Confidential’, ‘Twist And Shout’, ‘Kansas City’, ‘Miss Ann’, ‘Lawdy Miss Clawdy’, ‘You Really Got A Hold On Me’, and ‘Tracks Of My Tears’.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney shared vocals on Little Richard’s ‘Rip It Up’, which segued into ‘Shake, Rattle And Roll’ – a song first recorded in 1954 by Big Joe Turner, but popularised later that year by Bill Haley and his Comets.

Later that day The Beatles recorded Carl Perkins’ 1955 hit ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, again with Lennon and McCartney on vocals. Their arrangement was closer to Perkins’ original, rather than Elvis Presley’s better-known cover version from the following year.

Lyrics

Walk on out unto the sky
I don’t care if I spend my dough
Tonight I’m gonna be one happy soul
Gonna rock it up
Gonna shake it up
Gonna roll it up
Whoah, have a ball tonight

Rattle and roll
I said shake, rattle and roll
You never do nothing
To save your doggone soul

Well get out of that kitchen
And shake those pots and pans
I said get out of that kitchen
And shake those pots and pans
I said to my soul:
You’re the devil in a frying pan

Well I said shake, rattle and roll
I said shake, rattle and roll
I said shake, rattle and roll
I said shake, rattle and roll
You never done nothing
To save your doggone soul

You can knock me down
Slap my face
Slander my name all over the place
Do anything that you want to do
But ah-ha honey lay off them shoes

Now don’t you step on my blue suede shoes
Well you can do anything
But lay off of them blue suede shoes
Ah go!

You can burn my house
Steal my car
Drink my liquor from an old fruit jar
Do anything that you want to do
But ah-ha honey lay off them shoes

And don’t you step on my blue suede shoes, please
Well you can do anything
But lay off of them blue suede shoes
Ah go, hit it, Carl!

Well it’s blue blue, blue suede shoes
Yeah, blue blue, blue suede shoes
Babe, blue blue, blue suede shoes

Yeah, brown brown, brown suede boots
Well do anything but lay off of them blue suede shoes