"Straight Skirt" (later "Straight Skirts") is a song written by Mary Tarver in 1958 and published by Song Productions, BMI the same year. It was originally recorded by Gene Summers and his Rebels, a rockabilly band from Dallas, Texas and was first released in February 1958 by Jan Records #11-100. On March 8, 1958, Cash Box picked it as their 'Sleeper of the Week'. In Billboard 's 'Reviews of Pop Records' they wrote: "The artist is backed by a chorus and cheerful rockabilly support on this blues. The kids might take to this".

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"Straight Skirt" was flipped with "School Of Rock 'n Roll", an upbeat rockabilly song written by James McClung who was a high school friend of Summers. McClung was also the original guitarist for The Rebels and would continue to work with Summers well into the mid-1960s.

In the 1970s, at the beginning of the rockabilly revival in Europe, "School Of Rock 'n Roll" and "Straight Skirt" were re-discovered by a new legion of rockabilly fans and bands. Since that time they have become classic dance floor-fillers and have renewed Gene's career to the extent of worldwide concert appearances from 1980 to the present.^{[citation needed]}

Cover versions

• Johnny Devlin & His Devils - 7” 45rpm single “Straight Skirt”/”Slipping Around”

Prestige Records #PSP 0066, New Zealand September 1958

• 7” 45rpm EP Johnny Devlin “How Would Ya Be”, “Slipping Around”, “Straight Skirt”, “I’m Grateful”.

Prestige Records PEP 2017, New Zealand October 1958

• Sheet Music Johnny Devlin “Straight Skirt”

Southern Music Publishing Company, New Zealand 1958

• 7” 45rpm EP Johnny Devlin “Rock To Johnny Devlin” “ Slipping

Around,” “ Straight Skirt,” “ I’m Grateful,” “ How Would ‘Ya Be” Bell Records BE-198, Australia 1959

• LP Johnny Devlin “24 Golden Greats”

Music World Records MALPS-536, New Zealand 1972

• CD Johnny Devlin “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”

Festival Records CD 26255, Australia 1998

• CD Johnny Devlin “Lawdy Miss Clawdy-Prestige Years 1958-1959”

Festival Records CD D26481, Australia 2000

• CD Various Artists “The Very Best Of Kiwi Rock & Roll”

EMI Records 5784512, New Zealand 2004 (Johnny Devlin “Straight Skirt” track #2.)

• The Diamonds - 7” 45rpm single “Straight Skirt”/ “Patsy”

Mercury Records # , United States 1958

• 7" 45rpm single The Diamonds “Straight Skirts”/”Patsy”

Mercury PYE 7MT.208, U.K. 1958

• 7” 45rpm EP The Diamonds “Straight Skirts”/”Patsy”

plus The Platters “Winner Take All”/”My Dream” Mercury Records MG 10114, Spain 1959

• LP The Diamonds“America’s Famous Song Stylists”

Mercury Wing Records MGW 12114 (Mono), United States 1959 (Straight Skirts- Side 2, Track 3)

• LP The Diamonds "America’s Famous Song Stylists"

Mercury Wing Records MGW 12114, Canada 1959 (Straight Skirts - Side 2, Track 3)

• LP The Diamonds “The Definitive Collection Of The Diamonds”

Ebenezer Records 01, (country) (year) (Straight Skirts - Side 1, Track 6)

• LP The Diamonds “Best Of The Diamonds”

Rome Records 157, Italy 1990

• CD The Diamonds “Diamonds Collection”

Stardust Records CD 1010, United States 1996

• CD The Diamonds “Little Darlin’-25 Golden Hits”

Remember Records CD RMB 75072, Portugal 1999

• CD The Diamonds "Songbook"

Canetoad Records CTCD-1013, Australia 2007 (Straight Skirt-Track #11)

• Ronnie Dawson - LP Ronnie Dawson “Rockin’ Bones”

No Hit Records LP-001, U.K. 1988

• CD Ronnie Dawson “Rockin’ Bones”

No Hit Records CD-001, U.K. 1993

• CD Ronnie Dawson “Rockin’ Bones The Legendary Masters”

Crystal Clear Sound Records CD CCR 9643-2, United States 1996

• The Sureshots - CD “Rock ‘n Roll Ball” (‘Live from Finland’)

Empire Records EMPCD-105, U.K. 2005

References

External links

• Gene Summers "live" version of "Straight Skirt" on YouTube
• "Straight Skirt" (2) cover versions by The Diamonds and by Johnny Devlin on YouTube

Sources

• Liner notes "The Ultimate School Of Rock & Roll" 1997 United States
• Article and sessionography in issue 15 (1977) of New Kommotion Magazine UK
• Article and sessionography in issue 23 (1980) of New Kommotion Magazine UK
• Feature article and sessionography in issue 74 (1999) of Rockin' Fifties Magazine Germany
• Feature article with photo spread in issue 53 (2000) of Bill Griggs' Rockin' 50s Magazine United States
• Feature Article with photo spread in issue 54 (2000) of Bill Griggs' Rockin' 50s Magazine United States