Golden Hits Of The 60s”
Main MenuConcept Refinement The Author..Wayne JancikGolden Age Of The 50sGolden Age Of The 60s1970s and There After
JUMPIN’ GENE SIMMONS
HAUNTED HOUSE
(R. Geddins)
Hi 2076
No. 31 August 26, 1964
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“One day, I guess it was about 1954, I was visiting a cousin of Elvis Presley’s,” Simmons (b. 1933, Tupelo,
Miss.) recalled to Randy McNutt in We Wanna Boogie. “I didn’t know who Elvis was at the time, but
somebody said he played the guitar, so I handed him one and he just smiled. He said, ‘I only play for
myself.’ Personally, I thought the guy looked weird. Greased-back hair, tight pants, all that. Yeah,
this guy was hipper than we country boys.”
Weeks later, Elvis linked up with Sun Records, and Gene, not one to be left shakin’ in the cold, asked
the Pelvis to put in some good words for Jumpin’ Gene at Sun Records. Sun issued one Simmons single,
“Drinkin’ Wine,” but it went down the drain. With kind words, the guys at the label snuffed out Gene’s
hopes of having any more yellow-labeled Sun releases bearing his name. Fortunately, a good buddy and
fellow one-off Sun recording artist, Ray Harris, got Gene a spot singing with the big-time Bill Black
Combo. Hi Records, Black’s label, issued a pile of sides with Jumpin’ Gene’s name on them, but nothing
moved an inch.
Gene crossed paths with the man who would later become “Sam The Sham,” Domingo Samudio. Dom
had been doing a well-received Johnny Fuller R & B horror called “Haunted House” as part of his club
set. Hi Records asked Gene to bring Samudio into the studio to wax the number, but Domingo refused,
for some reasons now lost in the cracks of pop history. Hi was hot for the thing, so Gene offered to step
in and record the contagiously inane tune.
Even though the British Invasion was in full force, Gene’s Memphis ditty soaked up airplay time and
creamed the charts. Follow-ups like “The Dodo” (#83, 1964), “The Batman, ” and “Keep The Meat In The
Pan” did little to establish any momentum, however, and as the years rolled on, numerous 45s with
Simmons’ name on them sat around radio stations unplayed.
Gene was not deterred–well into the ’70s, the lad from Tupelo continued finding record companies
willing to give him one more shot. Nearly a dozen labels issued Jumpin’ Gene records. Some sold to
country listeners; some were high-quality but sold poorly anyway; and some just plain stiffed.