A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love) explained

A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)
Cover:	Rockin'_Good_Way.webp
Type:	single
Artist:	Dinah Washington and Brook Benton
Album:	The Two of Us
B-Side:	I Believe
Released:	May 1960
Recorded:	March 1960
Genre:	Soul
Label:	Mercury Records 671629
Producer:	Clyde Otis
Prev Title:	Baby (You've Got What It Takes)
Prev Year:	1960
Next Title:	This Bitter Earth
Next Year:	1960

"A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)" is a song first recorded in 1958 by Priscilla Bowman, on the Abner Records label (ABNER DJ 1018).^[1] Bowman was given vocal backing by The Spaniels.^[2]

Dinah Washington and Brook Benton version

In 1960, the song was recorded as a pop and R&B duet by Dinah Washington and Brook Benton. The single was the second pairing for the singers and, like their first single together, it went to number 1 on the R&B chart and was a top ten pop single as well.^[3]

The song was written by Benton, Clyde Otis and Luchi de Jesus.^[4] The single, with the song title styled "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around And Fall I Love)", included orchestra arranged and conducted by Belford Hendricks.

Weekly charts

Chart (1960)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[5]	28
Canada (CHUM)^[6]	17
US Cash Box Top 100^[7]	5

Year-end charts

Chart (1960)	Position
US Billboard Top 100^[8]	75
US Cash Box Top 100	44

Shakin' Stevens and Bonnie Tyler version

A Rockin' Good Way
Cover:	File:Shakin' Stevens Bonnie Tyler A Rockin' Good Way.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Shakin' Stevens & Bonnie Tyler
Album:	The Bop Won't Stop
B-Side:	Why Do You Treat Me This Way?
Recorded:	1983
Studio:	Eden Studios, London
Genre:	Rock and roll pop rock
Label:	Epic
Producer:	Christopher Neil

A duet by Welsh singers Shakin' Stevens and Bonnie Tyler was released on 30 December 1983 and made number 5 in the UK singles chart and number 1 in Ireland. It was included on Stevens' 1984 album The Bop Won't Stop. The B-side was a live recording by Stevens' of "Why Do You Treat Me This Way?" at the Birmingham Odeon.

Charts

Year-end charts

1984 year-end chart performance for "A Rockin' Good Way"!Chart (1984)!Position

Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)^[10]	60
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[11]	33

External links

• "A Rockin' Good Way (to Mess Around and Fall in Love)" at 45cat.com

Notes and References

1. Book: Cohodas, Nadine . Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington . 18 December 2007 . Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group . 978-0307427380 . 341.
2. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 54.
3. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 612.
4. https://archive.today/20120718212547/http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=1263408&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID BMI entry for the song
5. Web site: Every AMR Top 100 Single in 1960. www.top100singles.net.
6. Web site: CHUM Hit Parade, week of June 13, 1960. 13 June 1960. 4 November 2020.
7. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending July 9, 1960 . Cash Box magazine. 2020-11-04.
8. Web site: Song artist 615 - Dina Washington. Tsort.info. 4 November 2020.
9. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6.
10. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1984. Ultratop. 4 November 2020.
11. Web site: Top Selling Singles of 1984. Official NZ Music Charts.com. Recorded Music New Zealand Limited. 4 November 2020.