152:" to reach a widespread audience, and eventually sold nearly three million copies. It was the first guitar instrumental to climb the country music charts, and then crossover and also gain high rankings on the popular music charts. "Guitar Boogie" has been interpreted and recorded by a variety of musicians. It is among the songs discussed as the first
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on rhythm guitar and Roy Lear on bass. There has been conflicting information on the type of guitar Smith used for the recording; several sources identify it as an acoustic guitar and others as an electric guitar. The piece was released under the name "the
Rambler Trio featuring Arthur Smith" by the
255:
critic Bruce Eder describes these renditions as having "new accents and a beat that took it out of country boogie and
Western swing". In 1953, a version by the Super-Sonics was titled "New Guitar Boogie Shuffle" and another by the Esquire Boys with
223:(which had purchased Super Disc and Smith's contract) re-released the instrumental under the name "Arthur (Guitar Boogie) Smith and His Cracker-Jacks". By 1949, "Guitar Boogie" reached number eight during a stay of seven weeks on the
231:
chart, making it "the first guitar instrumental to climb the
Country charts crossover, and climb the Pop Charts". As an early popular example of hillbilly boogie, it is a link between 1940s
191:
In his version, Smith performs the piano parts on guitar, alternating between boogie rhythmic patterns and soloing. Originally a jazz musician, Smith explained, "I guess I picked that from
208:
independent Super Disc
Records label. Regionally "Guitar Boogie" did well, due in part to Smith's appearances on popular radio programs, such as Charlotte, North Carolina
338:" incorporates elements from various songs, including sections similar to those in "Guitar Boogie". Later renditions of "Guitar Boogie" include live versions by
279:
backed with "Bert's Boogie" reached number ten in the UK charts. A version of "Guitar Boogie
Shuffle" (simply titled "Guitar Boogie") by New Zealand musician
275:
chart, which Eder calls "one of the most popular and influential instrumentals of its era". Also in 1959, a version of "Guitar Boogie
Shuffle" by
677:
Although Craig Smith has written that "Guitar Boogie" was re-recorded for MGM, most sources, including
Birnbaum, Dawson and Propes, McNeil, and
251:
In the 1950s, rock and roll versions of "Guitar Boogie", usually titled "Guitar Boogie
Shuffle" (but credited to Arthur Smith), were recorded.
311:(1946 and 1948). In 1958, a different song titled "Guitar Boogie", with more chording and very different breaks, was included on
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in 1928. Music historian Larry
Birnbaum describes it as "not the same as Arthur Smith's country hit by the same title".
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393:
303:
Numerous guitarists have interpreted and recorded "Guitar Boogie". Early versions of the song include those by the
863:
858:
519:
181:
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264:, recorded it as "Guitar Boogie Shuffle". In 1959, the Virtues' single reached number five on the
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173:
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on guitar was titled "Guitar Boogie
Shuffle". In 1958, a Philadelphia band, Frank Virtue and
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became a bit hit in his native country in 1962. Ten years later, a rendition appeared on
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September 15, 1945, that generally precedes the actual releases about two weeks.
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195:'s 'Boogie Woogie', 'cause I didn't listen to country or blues, I listened to
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375:"Guitar Boogie" was included in an "Advance Record Releases" section of
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in 1945. It was one of the first recordings in the style later dubbed "
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recorded an instrumental "Guitar Boogie" in 1929, which was issued by
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in those days". Smith first recorded "Guitar Boogie" in 1945 with
196:
681:, indicate that the 1945 recording was re-released by MGM in 1948.
516:
The Encyclopedia of Country Music: The Ultimate Guide to the Music
362:"Guitar Boogie" first appeared in the "Record Review" section of
165:
330:
later based his "Jeff's Boogie" on Berry's version).
642:
645:Sonic Cool: The Life & Death of Rock 'n' Roll
168:-style instrumental and is patterned after older
840:
487:The Story of Boogie Woogie: A Left Hand Like God
514:Samuelson, Dave (2004). Kingsbury, Paul (ed.).
180:. It features a descending arpeggio based on "
458:Before Elvis: The Prehistory of Rock 'n' Roll
605:String Bands in the North Carolina Piedmont
16:Instrumental first recorded by Arthur Smith
640:
580:
451:
449:
447:
445:
429:Exhibit, The North Carolina Visitor Center
394:"Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith – Biography"
34:
696:The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits
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484:
164:"Guitar Boogie" is an uptempo twelve-bar
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624:A Concise History of the Electric Guitar
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418:
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144:" is a guitar instrumental recorded by
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334:'s 1960 blues guitar instrumental "
184:", a piano-based piece recorded by
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581:Manus, Ron; Manus, Morton (1994).
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69:Prior to January 5, 1946
14:
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19:For the 1971 record release, see
795:The Official Bert Weedon Website
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174:Roosevelt Graves and His Brother
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747:
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583:The Complete Acoustic Guitarist
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536:
507:
478:
425:"Arthur Smith – Living Legend"
369:
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46:by the Rambler Trio featuring
1:
607:. Jefferson, North Carolina:
349:
485:Silvester, Peter J. (2009).
146:Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith
7:
641:Harrington, Joe S. (2002).
271:chart and number 27 on the
227:chart and number 25 on the
84:Prior to September 15, 1945
10:
880:
520:Oxford University Press US
18:
728:"The Virtues – Biography"
554:University of Texas Press
295:guesting on lead guitar.
126:
116:
100:
88:
80:
65:
53:
42:
33:
28:
456:Birnbaum, Larry (2012).
622:Ingram, Adrian (2010).
609:McFarland & Company
289:Rock & Roll Forever
182:Pinetop's Boogie Woogie
832:Capitol 318 and 15223
549:Country Music, U.S.A.
464:. pp. 108, 222.
247:Guitar Boogie Shuffle
21:Guitar Boogie (album)
489:. Lanham, Maryland:
460:. Lanham, Maryland:
423:Smith, Clay (2013).
299:Recordings by others
864:1940s instrumentals
491:The Scarecrow Press
61:"Beaty Steel Blues"
859:The Virtues songs
762:Nickelodeon 102–A
709:978-0-8230-8291-9
664:978-0-634-02861-8
567:978-0-292-75262-7
529:978-0-19-517608-7
471:978-0-8108-8629-2
273:Hot R&B Sides
229:Billboard Hot 100
225:Hot Country Songs
219:In October 1948,
178:Paramount Records
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366:January 5, 1946.
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318:One Dozen Berrys
315:'s second album
214:Carolina Hayride
201:the Rambler Trio
150:hillbilly boogie
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95:Hillbilly boogie
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702:. p. 317.
700:Billboard Books
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579:
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552:Austin, Texas:
544:Malone, Bill C.
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522:. p. 489.
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493:. p. 269.
483:
479:
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462:Scarecrow Press
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392:Harris, Craig.
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29:"Guitar Boogie"
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692:Whitburn, Joel
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611:. p. 179.
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500:978-0810869332
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477:
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381:
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340:Tommy Emmanuel
300:
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287:' 1972 album,
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172:piano pieces.
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791:"Discography"
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726:Eder, Bruce.
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305:Les Paul Trio
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293:Harvey Mandel
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258:Danny Cedrone
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233:Western swing
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186:Pinetop Smith
183:
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170:boogie-woogie
167:
160:Original song
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155:
154:rock and roll
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147:
143:
142:Guitar Boogie
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129:Songwriter(s)
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854:1948 singles
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798:. Retrieved
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737:. Retrieved
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587:Alfred Music
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432:. Retrieved
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403:. Retrieved
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332:Freddie King
326:, then with
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285:the Ventures
266:
250:
218:
213:
193:Tommy Dorsey
190:
163:
141:
139:
134:Arthur Smith
48:Arthur Smith
823:Decca 29013
651:Hal Leonard
601:Carlin, Bob
313:Chuck Berry
307:(1947) and
277:Bert Weedon
262:the Virtues
221:MGM Records
849:1945 songs
843:Categories
800:August 31,
739:August 31,
653:. p.
556:. p.
434:August 31,
405:August 31,
350:References
309:Alvino Rey
281:Peter Posa
241:rockabilly
239:and 1950s
237:honky-tonk
122:Super Disc
73:1946-01-05
679:Billboard
377:Billboard
364:Billboard
344:Tom Petty
336:Hide Away
324:Jeff Beck
267:Billboard
814:UAS 5649
771:Hunt 324
733:AllMusic
694:(2006).
603:(2004).
546:(2002).
399:AllMusic
253:AllMusic
205:Don Reno
197:big band
156:record.
81:Recorded
66:Released
628:Mel Bay
269:Hot 100
203:, with
71: (
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661:
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526:
497:
468:
166:boogie
101:Length
56:B-side
44:Single
291:with
118:Label
90:Genre
802:2013
741:2013
704:ISBN
659:ISBN
562:ISBN
524:ISBN
495:ISBN
466:ISBN
436:2013
407:2013
342:and
235:and
558:203
212:'s
210:WBT
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322:(
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106:3
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