Twenty Flight Rock (1956) - Eddie Cochran

Like Lonnie Donegan, Eddie Cochran was another artist who deeply influenced the young Beatles, back in the the 1950s.

Cochran was an American rock pioneer, who had other hits including Summertime Blues, C'mon Everybody and Something Else.  Now, I knew all of these last 3, not least of which due to Sid Vicious doing quite straight covers of them. But the Beatles book "Shout" (see the Donegan post of mine, above) mentions his first song - Twenty Flight Rock - as one the young lads really got into.

Sadly Eddie Cochran died in a car crash in 1960.  And here's the song, possibly as JPG&R first saw it, in the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It.

Rock Island Line (1957) - Lonnie Donegan

Beatles!  Some 30 years on I'm re-reading the excellent "Shout! - The True Story of The Beatles" by Phillip Norman.  Still have my original hardcover too.

As I may have mentioned, I'm quite into meta-influences; that is who influenced artists I like. And the book makes it clear that John and Paul et al looked up, with wonder, at Lonnie Donegan. In fact it says that "...(in 1956)...it was after seeing Lonnie Donegan that Paul began clamouring for a guitar" [p28]

The book particularly names his cover of Rock Island Line. Which I'd never heard in any form.  Thanks to the Interwebbynet thingy that was quickly rectified. And I'm impressed.

It certainly starts slowly, but then rapidly builds up as the train, travelling on the Line, accelerates away.  It's well worth a listen.