Conway Twitty, a native of Mississippi, was an absolutely positive rock’n’roll hero, he was called the “best friend of the song.” Conway never drank or smoked, but loved the opposite sex – he was married 4 times to 3 women. By the time he started his career in rockabilly (year 1956), the genre was at the peak of popularity, all the seats were occupied and Twitty, being at first Harold Lloyd Jenkins, had not gained much success, despite his outstanding vocal abilities and songwriting talent. He wrote Rockhouse, but Sam Phillips took the song and gave it to Roy Orbison without asking Twitter’s permission.
Twitty was more than just an Elvis impersonator, he was a rocker with his own unique style, with a big emphasis on rhythm and blues. He was an author and performer of exceptional ballads. Unfortunately, his recordings in rockabilly and early rock’n’roll were ruined by clueless producers who added silly girly backing tracks and string arrangements to almost every song, making his initially rough rock’n’roll too emasculated. But all the same, Twitty’s powerful voice and wild energy break through this tinsel, and we can appreciate his talent.
If you listen to a bootleg by Conway Twitty with his band, recorded live at The Castaway Lounge, Cleveland, Ohio, 1963, where there are loud versions of Money, Shake Your Money Maker, Ain’t Goin’ Home, a killer rendition of Is A Bluebird Blue, which is much better than the string-laden studio version, as well as versions by Jimmy Reed and Bo Diddley, we’ll see that Twitty’s 1963 setlist was almost the same as that of the Rolling Stones, who were just learning to tune their guitars on the other side of the ocean, and whose arrival in the United States following the Beatles a couple of years later put an end to Twitty’s rocker career.
In 1965, the British invasion contributed to Conway’s disillusionment with rock and roll, and he switched to country music, where he became a superstar, and over the years he released dozens of #1 hits in this genre. The names of his country songs are sometimes more interesting than their musical content: take, for example, You’re The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly (“It’s because of you that our children are ugly”), a duet with Loretta Lynn. In general, Twitty’s later work is a solid country mainstream, but for us his early rock’n’roll recordings are much more valuable.
Download or listen online the best Conway Twitty – Rockabilly/Rock-n-roll songs (mp3, 94 Mb)
17. She Ain’t No Angel (1964)
Soul with pipes, reminiscent of Elvis’s work for the cinema, for example, the soundtrack to Speedway.
16. Reelin’ and Rockin’ (1960)
After this version, I absolutely don’t want to listen to Chuck Berry’s original. “I looked at my watch, it was 8:22, we were dancing, and the Moon was dancing with us.”
15. Walk On By (1964)
It’s a pretty well-known pop song with a striding tempo, as if it’s already the beginning of a Twitter journey into country music. Stops are crucial. An example when singing along is really appropriate.
14. It’s Driving Me Wild (1964)
It’s rhythm and blues in the rhythm of a waltz! As Conway sang in his other song, “I Still Believe In Waltzes.”
13. The Pickup (1964)
The history of the pickup truck before it became an unnecessary trend and all sorts of pseudo-gurus decided to make money from it.
12. I Vibrate (From My Head To My Feet) (1958)
A fun groovy rockabilly with a familiar opening riff and a great guitar solo.
11. Hallelujah I Love Her So (1958)
Ray Charles’s nettle is known in Eddie Cochran’s rockabilly version, but in Twitty’s interpretation it is more grandiose, there is less sand in the voice.
10. I Hope I Think I Wish (1964)
Twitty’s vocals here are deliberately lazy, almost recitative-heavy. Jerry Lee Lewis definitely heard Twitty and borrowed that style of singing.
9. Shake It Up (1957)
One of several songs for Mercury, after a couple of unsuccessful singles, the label showed Twitty the door. The phrasing is like Shake, Rattle & Roll, and on the backs is “be-bop-a-lula-lom-bem-boom.” A convincing start to Twitty’s creative journey with an interesting arrangement, with both sax and guitar, as if Bill Haley, Little Richard and Elvis had come together in a jam.
8. Make Me Know You’re Mine (1958)
A bluesy ballad with a downright menacing guitar. In 2023, a cover was recorded by the Reverend Rev. Horton Heat for his album Roots Of Reverend Horton Heat.
7. Danny Boy (1959)
Elvis’s traditional Danny Boy is slow and soulful from beginning to end, but Twitty’s begins as a ballad and suddenly accelerates into a fast action movie.
6. Lonely Blue Boy (1960)
Twitty carefully selected songs for Elvis that were not released in films. This song was intended for King Creole, but in the end it was not included in the film. Danzig recently presented his version in his tribute to Elvis.
5. Go On And Cry (1963)
Powerful rhythm and blues, Twitty’s blackest song. Cool vocalization. It’s like Conway walked into a girly doo-wop band like the Shirelles and said, “Hey, girls, let me show you a proper RnB! And you sing along!”. This is the beginning of soul music.
4. I’m In A Blue Blue Mood (1963)
It’s a rock and roll bolero, like Roy Orbison’s, and Twitty shows off his incredible vocal gift.
3. Platinum High School (1960)
In May 1960, the screening of the film “Platinum High School” began in US cinemas, where Mickey Rooney, Terry Moore and Dan Duria starred together with Conway Twitty. The title song from the film was not a success on the charts, but at that time there was already a song by Twitty, “What Am I Living For”. In 1960, Twitty also starred in two more “exploitation” films for teenagers: “College Confidential” and “Sex Kittens Go To College.” And we will hear a similar guitar riff in 30 years in King Cry Baby.
2. Long Black Train (1960)
In 1955, after Elvis’ Mystery Train, Conway immediately fell under his influence and began writing his own songs. However, he also performed songs from the King’s repertoire, such as Heartbreak Hotel, Just Because, Fever, Hound Dog, Such A Night, etc. Despite the name, his “Long Black Train” is not a dark theme at all, the plot is the same as in the Mysterious Train.
1. It’s Only Make Believe (1958)
Conway Twitty’s business card. The song was written by Jack Nance, Twitty’s drummer, who helped him finish it. And then they recorded it in 1958 with Jordanaris on backing vocals and Grady Martin on guitar. And of course, no one could sing it like Conway, imitating Presley – people mistook his voice for Elvis and thought that he had decided to work under a new pseudonym. The song became a gold standard, covered by Billy Fury, Glen Campbell and Robert Gordon.
