walk right in

The Rooftop Singers had everybody talkin' 'bout a new way of walkin' with their beatnik adaptation of this jug stompin' country blues.  'Walk Right In' was written by Gus Cannon and Hosea Woods who recorded it as the Jug Stompers in 1929.  It was included on a compilation called 'The Country Blues' in 1959, on which Former member of the Weavers Erik Darling first heard the song.  He recruited Bill Svanoe and Lynne Taylor to record the song; but wanted to do it with duel twelve string guitars for a unique sound.  Darling said:   "You couldn't buy a twelve-string guitar...I ordered one from the Gibson Company, but in order to record with two twelve-strings, we had to wait for the company to build a second one for Bill!"  

They changed some of the lyrics for the recording which was produced by Darling and Svanoe for Vanguard Records.  'Walk Right In' sauntered up to number twenty-three on the US country music chart; ten in the UK; four on the US R&B chart; and number one in Australia.  In the US, it spent two weeks at the top of the pop chart and five weeks on top of the easy listening chart.  It sold over a million copies and was nominated for a Grammy for  Best Folk Recording.  












Walk right in, sit right down
Daddy, let your mind roll on
Walk right in, sit right down
Daddy, let your mind roll on
Everybody's talkin' 'bout a new way of walkin'
Do you want to lose your mind?
Walk right in, sit right down
Daddy, let your mind roll on

Walk right in, sit right down
Baby, let your hair hang down
Walk right in, sit right down
Baby, let your hair hang down
Everybody's talkin' 'bout a new way of walkin'
Do you want to lose your mind?
Walk right in, sit right down
Baby, let your hair hang down

Walk right in, sit right down
Daddy, let your mind roll on
Walk right in, sit right down
Daddy, let your mind roll on
Everybody's talkin' 'bout a new way of walkin'
Do you want to lose your mind?
Walk right in, sit right down
Daddy, let your mind roll on
Daddy, let your mind roll on









Cannon's Jug Stompers featured Gus Cannon on banjo and jug and Hosie Woods on guitar and kazoo.  




The success of the Rooftop Singers version provided Cannon with some much needed cash from the royalties.  He had recently sold his banjo to get money for coal during the winter.  He also was signed to a record deal with Stax Records.  







French performer Claude François had a big hit with his own version 'Marche tout droit' on his debut album.