Strange Things Happening Every Day

"Strange Things Happening Every Day"
Single by Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Released 1944 / 1945
Recorded 1944
Genre Blues, gospel, spiritual
Length 3:38
Label Decca
Songwriter(s) Traditional
Audio sample
30 second sample of Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Strange Things Happening Every Day"
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"Strange Things Happening Every Day" is a traditional African American spiritual.

It was most famously, and influentially, recorded by Sister Rosetta Tharpe in late 1944, becoming a hit record in 1945. Released as a single by Decca Records, Tharpe's version featured her vocals and resonator guitar, with Sammy Price (piano), bass and drums. It was the first gospel record to cross over and become a hit on the "race records" chart, the term then used for what later became the R&B chart, and reached #2 on the Billboard "race" chart in April 1945.[1][2] The recording has been cited as an important precursor of rock and roll.[3]

In recent years, versions of the song have also been recorded by Michelle Shocked, Johnny Cash, Linda Gail Lewis, and Tom Jones.

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 440.
  2. ↑ Jason Ankeny, Biography of Rosetta Tharpe, Allmusic.com
  3. ↑ Dan DeLuca, Sister Rosetta Tharpe got rock rolling long before Elvis, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 26 February 2007
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