Rusty Draper

Charted at #6 on Billboard Hot 100 in May 1957. Rusty's last Top 10 hit. Original Billboard review: "Draper has a very strong cover of this tune, already making noise via the Charles McDevitt skiffle group original. Draper's version has some of the gory lyrics cleaned up and can cut in plenty on the loot. Likely to get solid disk jockey and jukebox support."

Also charted #40 for the Charles McDevitt Skiffle Group mentioned in the review (#5 UK). Later, it charted at #110 for Duane Eddy in 1970 (#24 Adult Contemporary).

Written by Elizabeth Cotten.

B-side is "Seven Come Eleven".

Highly unlikely this , but does anybody know the exact title of another train song which starts , "Waiting at the station for the freight train to come by" ? Also has a bit that goes "Locomotive , locomotive hurry round that hill" . No idea how but it is a woman that sings it . Anybody have any idea ?

10 years назад

Charles Martini

dusty draper - freight train (1957)

11 years назад

Richard Smith

How many stations banned Louie Louie- Kingsmen because they couldn't understand the words. All they had to do was listen Richard Berry's original and they would have found out it was not dirty. How many stations banned Ramblin' Gamblin' Man by Bob Seger in 1968 because they thought he used the "F" word. Not true.

11 years назад

rob steven

Great song;but sadly,none of these hit versions credited the real composer i.e.Elizabeth Cotton.However,she did manage to collect something from McDevitt/Whiskey,I believe.So much of this went on.EC wrote this at the turn of the century,and performed it for decades.

12 years назад

sauquoit13456

On this day in 1957 {November 20th} Rusty Draper performed "Freight Train" on the late Dick Clark's 'American Bandstand'... Six months earlier on May 20th it entered Billboard's Top 100 chart; eventually it peaked at #6 and spent 18 weeks on the Top 100... Also in 1957 Chas. McDeviit's Skiffle Group featuring Nancy Whiskey released their version of the song; it reached #40 on the Top 100 and #5 on the United Kingdom's Singles chart... R.I.P. Mr. Draper {1923 - 2003} and Mr. Clark {1929 - 2012}

12 years назад

TheLang0lier

Do not agree Blood on the saddle by Tex Ritter , Tie me Kangaroo down spot (contained racial sagments , also slap the little jap in 1942- who will sing slap the little jap now? And many other examples.

12 years назад

Robbi496

Have not heard this one since I was about 10 (I will be 60 on 10/07/12) !!

13 years назад

Chandra Garsson

Elizabeth Cotton wrote the song, and played it beautifully into her nineties.

13 years назад

TheSteamtramman

You youngsters missed our Glasgow beauty Nancy Whiskey who really 'made' the Chas. McDevitt version. Tiny, pretty and 'gamin' - pity as far as I can see there are only two tracks recorded of her. Me - I was a washboard man - big, hard hands.....

13 years назад

lateforbreakfast

Good version but i must admit i prefer the McDevitt version done in skiffle style.

13 years назад

CatsPjamas1

@musicmandon1 Oh yes, it was a different time all right. Now, anything goes.

13 years назад

musicmandon1

I'm going to see if the McDevitt version is on youtube. if it has gory lyrics, I want to check those out. probably mild by today's standards but even "Transfusion," in this country ran into problems,, and that's mild. I've even heard that radio stations were reluctant to play "Tell Laura I Love Her," if you can believe.