ROCK Sex thinks "It's such a sight to see/ somebody steal the show".
Chuck Berry kicks this relay race into gear with this homage to the original Rock'n'Roll grrrls, the teens that made it all explode, with "Sweet Little Sixteen":
CHUCK BERRY -"Sweet Little Sixteen" (1958)
The song was immediately covered by many greats like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and soon the young Beatles. But here's a live version by GENE VINCENT which nicely proves how live Rock'n'Roll was the original Punk rock:
GENE VINCENT -"Sweet Little Sixteen" (live, 1960)
Brian Wilson expanded the iconography and the sonic palette with this revamp for the Beach Boys' worldwide hit, "Surfin' USA":
THE BEACH BOYS -"Surfin' USA" (1963)
Perhaps inspired by The New York Dolls' "Jet Boy", Elton Motello did his Glam-Punk variation on Chuck's riff, "Jet Boy, Jet Girl". Its forward depiction of teen gay sexualilty was too much for radio, and it was declared "obscene" by the FCC as late as 1989:
ELTON MOTELLO -"Jet Boy, Jet Girl" (1977)
French pop star Plastic Bertrand quickly used the same backing band and arrangement of that song with less controversial lyrics to achieve far more success. He also turned the 'hoo-hoos' into falsetto 'woo hoos' that emulated Brian Wilson's early surfing hits, showing how intertwined Chuck and the Beach Boys had become.
PLASTIC BERTRAND -"Ca Plane Pour Moi" (1978)
"Jet Boy, Jet Boy" got its most high-profile infamy in a cover by the Punk band, THE DAMNED:
THE DAMNED -"Jet Boy, Jet Girl" (1982)
Sweet Little Sixteen!"
© Tym Stevens
See Also:
• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: A Music Player Checklist
• CHUCK BERRY: The Guitar God and His Disciples, with 2 Music Players
• BRIAN WILSON-esque: All The Songs Imitating His BEACH BOYS Music Styles!, with 3 Music Players
• Shock Waves: How SURF MUSIC Saved Rock'n'Roll!, with 2 Music Players
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