DUTC#31 August 20, 2023

Feature Song: “Susie-Q”

I am certain that I heard the original Dale Hawkins (1957) version of this song sometime in the early 60s when I got a cheap, portable transistor radio for my birthday. The next time I heard it was in 1968 when Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) released it on their eponymous debut album. I’m pretty sure that in 1968 I did not make the connection between the original and the “rock” version, which was the only Top 40 hit by CCR that was not written by John Fogerty. When I listened to the original last week in preparation for this post, I was surprised to hear how similar it was to CCR’s cover which, in retrospect, is really not that surprising given that there is a whole lot of “rockabilly” in rock and roll!

There were other covers done before 1968. Ronnie Hawkins, Dale’s cousin, recorded it in the early 60s with his band, The Hawks, who went on to become The Band. Bobby Vee recorded it in 1961, Johnny Rivers in 1965 and The Rolling Stones included a short cover on their 1964 US release 12×5. It was then released in the UK on “Rolling Stones 2” in 1965. Although I may have heard some of these versions, the only one that stuck with me was CCR’s cover, as I am sure is the case for most people. Since that time, the song has been covered by the likes of José Feliciano, Johnny Winter, The Everly Brothers, Suzi Quatro, and The Chuck French Band.

To be honest, this song has not been on my radar for quite some time, but that changed a week ago when I stumbled across this funkified cover of it by busker Markus K. I had never heard of him before, which is shame on me, as he has been busking for 30+ years. Not much is known about him, an enigma if you will, and it would appear he prefers it this way, as he wants his music to speak for itself. I have since listened to several of his performances, and I feel confident in saying that it certainly does! He was born in Holland, he’s been in the UK for over thirty years, and has spent those thirty years travelling around the globe busking and bringing joy to many people. He is an extremely accomplished musician, playing the guitar and wave drum, as well as vocals. He is also a looper master as you will see on his cover of “Susie Q.” Markus is firmly rooted in Blues and Soul, and although he performs mostly original music, he does do the odd cover. Although he uses the street as his stage, he has recorded a great deal of music, which is available in the usual places.

So, first up is the original by Dale Hawkins, followed by CCR, and finally Markus K live from a street in Frankfurt, Germany July 18, 2023. Enjoy.

Dale Hawkins “Susie Q” 1957

Creedence Clearwater Revival “Susie Q” 1968

Markus K “Susie Q” Frankfurt, Germany July 2023

Los Angeles 2023