Jackie Brensten And The Delta Cats are probably best known for recording the pioneering song, Rocket 88 which, according to some historians, has been named as the very first rock and roll song ever! Brenston was a singer and saxophonist and the Delta Cats were a R&B band led by Ike Turner; together they created this explosive song!! (Brenston sang the lead vocals and was credited with authorship). In March 1951, Sam Phillips recorded several songs by Ike Turner’s band in Memphis, but it would seem that Brenston never gained the recognition he so rightly deserved for the input he put into this new sound! After one further recording session, Brenston and Turner parted company.
Music historian Richie Unterberger once wrote: “If ever there were a case of the record overshadowing the artist, it would be Jackie Brenston’s ‘Rocket 88.’ … Brenston is often dismissed as a footnote to his own landmark, with pianist/bandleader Ike Turner’s role in the recording getting more ink, Brenston sometimes characterized as a journeyman who lucked into the spotlight almost by chance. …Brenston was something of a journeyman R&B vocalist, but wasn’t as inconsequential as some critics have opined….”
Brenston’s brilliance didn’t end there and it has been noted that he had a significant influence on Bill Haley and the Comets as well as other artists that followed.
I Want To See My Baby was part of those 1951 recordings and demonstrates Brenston’s swagger and brilliance when it comes to vocal prowess, songwriting and rock’n’roll mastery! It’s such a cool track! Listen above.
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