Now that’s she’s retired from live work, we look back at the
most electrifying performances from the Queen Of Rockabilly
WANDA JACKSON
10 CLASSIC
PERFORMANCES
A
t the grand old age of 81 Wanda
Jackson has chosen to hang up her
boots and box up her infamously
fl amboyant touring wardrobe. A hero
to many stars that followed including Bob
Dylan (who dubbed her the “Hurricane
in Lipstick”), Cyndi Lauper, Imelda May,
Adele and numerous others, Wanda’s career
has had many varied highlights. Plenty of
storming performances are missed out
here, from the incendiary Mean Mean
Man on Town Hall Party to the serene Right
Or Wrong on vinyl, but nonetheless, here
we handpick 10 of her fi nest, fi eriest and
funniest performances on stage, on record
and on television – chosen from across the
length and breadth of her incredible career.1
I Gotta
Know
Augumented
by some superb
fretting from
ace guitarist
Joe Maphis,
Bakersfi eld stars
Buck Owens and
Lewis Talley, and
pedal steel legend (and country music giant)
Ralph Mooney, Wanda Jackson’s career shot
into orbit via this debut slice of wax, a piece
of sophisticated country rockin’ penned by
Thelma Blackmon – the talented mother
of one of Wanda’s friends. Cleverly showing
off both her country side and her emerging
rockabilly persona via some canny tempo
shifts, I Gotta Know made the Top 20 in
the Billboard country listings immediately.Perhaps most importantly, it was during the
single recording session that her trademark
growl was born – aired live to America on
50s TV show Town Hall Party.2
Funnel
Of Love
One
of Adele’s
favourite songs,
Wanda’s at
her vocal best
for this utterly
entrancing 1961
cut, fl ipside to the Right
Or Wrong single and weaved together by
Nashville all-rounders Charlie McCoy
and Kent Westbury. While (shockingly)
never a hit, as that swirling slide guitar riff
rolls out of the speakers and circulates the
room, it conjures up a rockabilly voodoo
unlike anything else released at the time.
By the time Wanda’s gutsy vocal joins the
fray – singing “my head is spinning around
and around, as I go deep into the funnel
of love” – we’re deep under its spell. For
a different live experience seek out her
duet with Cyndi Lauper from the America
Salutes You benefi t concert staged in 2016. A
neon pink-haired Cyndi clad in black leather
introduces Wanda as “my hero”, as Jackson
arrives on stage in matching, suitably loud
pink tassled jacket – and their voices meld
together wonderfully.3
Hard Headed Woman
Ex-boyfriend Elvis hit US No.1
with this tune from the King Creolesoundtrack but Wanda gave him a serious
run for his money with her growling take on
Hard Headed Woman, sung when Jackson
was at the apex of her rockin’ powers in
the 50s. It was a powerful blueprint for all
female performers that followed.
On record she was accompanied by Roy
Clark and several Nashville A-teamers,
but for the full Wanda whirlwind seek out
her turn on 1958’s Town Hall Party. It’s
mesmerising: Wanda with her acoustic
guitar draped around her shoulders, “King
of the Strings” Joe Maphis sizzling on the
guitar and that sassy, slightly sarcastic intro:
“we think this is one of the most beautiful
love songs that’s ever been written”. (Find
it on Sundazed Records’ 2008 EP Live At
Town Hall Party 1958)
Says Imelda May: ‘She just freaks out. It
was very unusual for a woman to be letting
it rip like that in the 50s, and also singing a
lot of ‘male’ songs. It put a different take on
it. Other rockabilly women like Alis Lesley
dressed up like men, but Wanda put on an
absolutely fabulous fi gure-hugging frock,
took out a guitar, put on her lipstick and
really rocked it.”Wanda Jackson