Song of the Day: Classics Revisited | CARL PERKINS, ERIC CLAPTON & JOHNNY CASH ‘MATCHBOX’ [1971]

 Someone posted this clip on Facebook and it amused me . . .how good is Carl Perkins here!?

Like many of us my first hearing of this standard old classic (written of course by the author of Blue Suede Shoes in 1956) was through Ringo’s version covered by the Beatles early on . . . . . loved his version and still do!

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . but this is fun too!

the poster noted:

The video here is JOHNNY CASH, CARL PERKINS & ERIC CLAPTON performing MATCHBOX on The Johnny Cash Show live in 1971. Clapton's then-band, Derek and the Dominos, is joined by Cash and Perkins for a rousing cover of the tune Carl Perkins originally recorded in 1956 and released in 1957. 

Carl Perkins' influence as the quintessential rockabilly artist has played a big part in the development of every generation of rockers to come down the pike since, from the Beatles' George Harrison to the Stray Cats' Brian Setzer to a myriad of others in the country field as well. 

His guitar style is the other twin peak -- along with that of Elvis' lead man Scotty Moore -- of rockabilly's instrumental centre, so pervasive that modern-day players automatically gravitate toward it when called upon to deliver the style, not even realising that they're playing Perkins' licks, sometimes note for note. 

As a singer, his interpretation of country ballads was every bit as fine as his better-known rockers. And within the framework of the best of his music was a strong sense of family and roots, all of which traced straight back to his humble beginnings.