Flip, Flop and Fly

"Flip, Flop and Fly" has an arrangement similar to Big Joe Turner's 1954 number one R&B chart hit "Shake, Rattle and Roll".[3] Music critic Cub Koda suggests that "leftover verses [from the 'Shake, Rattle and Roll' recording session] were then recycled into Turner's follow-up hit, 'Flip, Flop and Fly.'"[4] Both are up-tempo twelve-bar blues with a strong backbeat. "Flip, Flop and Fly" reached number two on Billboard magazine's R&B chart in 1955, less than one year after "Shake, Rattle and Roll".[5]

Accompanying Turner on vocals are the song's writer Jesse Stone on piano, Al Sears on tenor sax, Connie Kay on drums, and unidentified trumpet, alto sax, baritone sax, guitar, and bass players. Turner subsequently recorded several live versions of the song.

The song appeared on the 1957 album Rock & Roll (Atlantic: 8005).[6]

Elvis Presley performed "Flip, Flop and Fly" during his first television appearance on January 28, 1956. It was included with a medley of "Shake, Rattle and Roll" and "I Got a Woman" and released on his posthumous compilation album A Golden Celebration. A live version from 1974 was included on Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis.

Several artists have recorded their versions of "Flip, Flop and Fly," including Johnnie Ray (1955), Bill Haley & His Comets on the album Rock Around the Clock (1956), Downchild Blues Band (1973), Paolo Noel in French (1974), the New York Dolls during live performances (1976), Doug Kershaw on his album also titled Flip, Flop & Fly (1977), the Blues Brothers on Briefcase Full of Blues (1978), Geraint Watkins Band on It's Rock 'N' Roll Vol. 2 (1978), Jerry Lee Lewis on The Return of Rock (1999), and Ellis Hall on the Chicken Run soundtrack (2000).