'Wrong Yo Yo' before Carl Perkins

First recorded version of Wrong Yo Yo

A short history of the song

Paul Oliver suggests in his book 'Screening The Blues' that Wrong Yo Yo probably came from black songwriters Cecil Mack and Chris Smith who wrote You're in the Right Church But the Wrong Pew in 1908, which became a major hit in 1909 when it was recorded by Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan, the leading blackface duo of the day. You're in the Right Church But the Wrong Pew inspired a number of variants, notably You've Got the Right Key But the Wrong Keyhole, which was recorded in New York for OKeh in October 1924 by Virginia Liston with Clarence Williams' Blue Five (including Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet).

This bawdy song was revived in Vernel Bagneris 'One Mo' Time' musical and Alan Parker's movie “Angel Heart”, where composer credits read Clarence Williams.

In November 1929, Douglas Finnell and His Royal Stompers recorded The Right String But The Wrong Yo Yo in Dallas for Brunswick. The writer credit on the label reads Finnell. Next was Speckled Red's version, recorded in Chicago on April 8, 1930, which was also released on Brunswick and credits Finnell.

Piano Red's 1951 hit The Wrong Yo Yo became his signature tune. His remake on Groove was just out in '56, when Speckled Red recorded another version in September 1956 for Bob Koester's Delmark label (with no credits at all). He cut it again for Storyville (as by Speckled Red) in 1960 during his sole trip to Europe. In between, a cover version appeared on 'The Dance Album of Carl Perkins' on Sun which had no writer's credits. Piano Red came up with yet another version released on OKeh as by Dr. Feelgood which hit the #26 slot on the Cash Box “Hot 100” chart in August 1962. Then it was credited to P. Red. Willie Perryman (Piano Red) may have claimed authorship, probably because he felt that he had made a new arrangement.

The Wrong Yo Yo went on to become Piano Red's most recorded song. It appeared on seven more albums recorded throughout the 70s, and in the '80s, it even gave Red a late hit in the country charts. It was still being covered as late as 1988, when Elvin Bishop included it in his 'Big Fun'Alligator album. 

Information above (slightly edited) is from The Story of Willie Perryman

In THIS FILE, you will find five pre-Perkins versions of Wrong Yo Yo



1 - Douglas Finnell and His Royal Stompers, 1929
2 - Speckled Red, 1930
3 - The Jubileers,  1942 (rec. 1941, Dallas)
4 - Piano Red, 1950
5 - Piano Red, recorded at a concert in Atlanta, Georgia, February 1956 (Groove, LP)