Rip It Up Medley: Introduction
The Rip It Up Medley contains the following old-time rock and roll songs: Rip It Up, Shake, Rattle And Roll and Blue Suede Shoes. The medley is on their “Anthology 3” album. The three individual songs are rolled into one track.
In Detail
- Released: October 28, 1996
- Recorded: January 26, 1969
- Studio: Apple Studio
- Track Duration: 3:11
- Songwriters: Rip It Up: Robert Blackwell/John Marascalco, Shake, Rattle and Roll: Charles E. Calhoun (aka Jesse Stone); Blue Suede Shoes: Carl Perkins
- Producer: George Martin
- Engineer: Glyn Johns
Performers And Instruments
- John Lennon: vocals, also the bass guitar
- Paul McCartney: vocals, piano
- George Harrison: electric guitar
- Ringo Starr: drums
Other Performer
Where To Find The “Rip It Up Medley”
You can still buy this medley on the following album:
Rip It Up/Shake, Rattle And Roll/Blue Suede Shoes Medley: Background
This Beatles’ medley includes three separate songs joined together, of course. In other words, the band didn’t record this track in one go. However, they did record them on the same day.
While The Beatles were fragmenting in the late 1960s, Paul McCartney would often get the band members to join in with some oldies. Indeed, the “Get Back” project came about to encourage more camaraderie and further inspiration. During the odd impromptu day, they would play some old rock and roll classics, just like they did in their early days.
So, let us break down the medley “Rip It Up/Shake, Rattle And Roll/Blue Suede Shoes” into its component parts.
- Rip It Up: This was a hit record by Little Richard from 1956 that peaked at number 17 in the American pop charts.
- Shake, Rattle And Roll: This was a hit record by Bill Haley & His Comets from 1955, and it peaked at number 7 in the American pop charts.
- Blue Suede Shoes: This was a hit song from Carl Perkins in 1956, and it reached number one in the American charts. Of course, we are all familiar with the Elvis Presley version, too.
Recording Studio
The Beatles recorded the three songs on January 26, 1969, during the Savile Row sessions at the Apple Records HQ, No. 3 Savile Row, London. There were many old-time rock and roll songs sang that day, as well as many other classic Beatles’ songs.
As far as we know, this medley consists of three separate songs. But, from that, came a decent sing-a-long to add to their “Anthology 3” album.
Take A Listen To The “Rip It Up Medley.”
Finally, listen to the song by clicking the play button. Then, let us know your thoughts below.