Saturday Night Fish Fry

"Saturday Night Fish Fry (Part 1)"
Single by Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
B-side"Saturday Night Fish Fry" (Concluded)
Released1949 (1949)
RecordedAugust 9, 1949
GenreJump blues[1]
Length
  • 3:12 (Part 1)
  • 2:48 (Part 2/concluded)
  • 5:21 (full version)
LabelDecca
Songwriter(s)Louis Jordan, Ellis Walsh
Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five singles chronology
"Beans and Corn Bread"
(1949) 		"Saturday Night Fish Fry (Part 1)"
(1949) 		"School Days"
(1950)

"Saturday Night Fish Fry" is a jump blues song written by Louis Jordan and Ellis Lawrence Walsh,[2] best known through the version recorded by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five.[3] The recording is considered to be one of the "excellent and commercially successful" examples of the jump blues genre.[4]

While the origins of rock and roll are disputed, some have also suggested that the song may be the first rock 'n' roll record.[5] The song contains elements later common in rock 'n' roll such as electric guitar, a brisk tempo and "a mix of the bass," and the singer begins each chorus with the catchphrase, "It was rockin'," repeating it several times.[1][6]

  1. ^ a b Perone, James E. (February 15, 2019). "Listen to the Blues! Exploring a Musical Genre". ABC-CLIO – via Google Books.
  2. ^ BMI entry for song, Repertoire.bmi.com
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference pc40s23 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Perone, James E. (February 15, 2019). "Listen to the Blues! Exploring a Musical Genre". ABC-CLIO – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "Louis Jordan | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". Rockhall.com. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  6. ^ "Saturday Night Fish Fry Lyrics". Genius.com. 30 June 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2020. It was rockin', it was rockin' You never seen such scufflin'