Tim Easley - Susie Q (Parts One and Two)

Obscure take on the Dale Hawkins Rock and Roll standard

Label: Bell

Year of Release: 1968

Another mystery record to add to the never-ending pile. I bought this record almost exactly a year ago with the expectation that if I did enough research on it something useful would eventually come to light, but so far, there's been nada - just the vague suggestion that Tim Easley is a pseudonym for another recording artist.

The rockabilly song itself was written and originally performed by Dale Hawkins, who also produces this version, and reached the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release in 1957. It was then subsequently picked up by The Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival, the latter of whom reached number 11 with it in the USA in 1968, a few months before this single emerged. Whether Hawkins or the mysterious Easley figure were expecting to get a second wind of success from CCR's version is unclear, but the fact that it was seemingly only released by Bell in France and the UK - where CCR had considerably less impact - indicates that the label didn't fancy its chances Stateside. 

It's a perfectly sound take on the track, being woody, raw and bluesy, but nobody seemed to bite, and it's been largely ignored since. In a world filled to the brim with "Susie Q" covers, it's never really stood a chance, but the Dale Hawkins production credit on this intrigues me, as do the online rumours that Tim Easley was just a pseudonym for the successful recording artist Tony Joe White. If anyone has any clear ideas on who Tim was, and the story behind this record, I'd be interested to know.