Ronnie Hawkins "Forty Days"

[@algywatt]

63 years ago,in the North of Scotland...a teenage boy bought this record and has been a Ronnie Hawkins fan ever since...Thanks old pal,now rest in peace...you've earned it!

[@stacyblue1980]

I would love to travel back in time to be there. Northern Scotland. Rock n roll. Good gawd lol Peace and best from North Carolina USA.

[@truthmarshal6627]

An awesome comment. Coming from a Texan with Scotland ancestry.

[@davidlamb7524]

Originally 30 Days...by Chuck Berry meant as a tribute to Hank Williams. Ronnie even enters doing the Chuck Berry duck walk. I love both versions though.

[@radomirratkovic9014]

@@stacyblue1980 just play good music and join the time warp club

[@mariannwatt2678]

Watt ? Im in los angeles when i was young there was two watts in the phone book my dad and my uncle ha ha never stop rocking,cheers j watt

[@steveps2]

Rest in peace, Ronnie Hawkins. Your influence on Rock 'n Roll will live on.

[@robertacton1271]

Good bye to Hawk , Robbie Robertson now too.

[@Freecan67]

Ronnie past away this morning. May 29th 2022. Rip Ronnie Hawkins.

[@stevebrothers9470]

Wow, you gotta give Ronnie and the band some love. Ronnie was one helluva character, singer and frontman.

[@stephenewooten2136]

This man NEEDS to be in the rock and roll hall of fame! Shame on them for not inducting him already !!

[@craighunt6098]

Love that jump and fancy footwork Rompin Ronnie! R.I.P. Brother!

[@cynthiamelanson7591]

Sang with him at Lulu's in Kitchener many years ago on a Canadian show called Thrill of a lifetime.....was a lot of fun!! R.I.P. Mr. Hawkins

[@thomasthom6583]

Hi Cynthia

[@davidmoore2325]

Hello dear,how are you doing?

[@recordguy4321]

Thanks for reposting , i don't remember the quality before but just seeing the late great 17 year old Levon Helm on drums twirling those sicks says it all . The first edition of the the great Hawkins band with Will 'POP" Jones on piano and Jimmy Ray Paulman on guitar along with Levon and Ronnie made them one of the top live bands in Canada and across the Staes back in 59.

[@roncarpenter7240]

Thanks for your comments. I was wondering who was on piano and guitar; didn't look like Richard Manuel and Robbie Robertson.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

So it was Levon. I knew The Band backed Ronnie in their beginnings. I hope the piano player received mileage also.

[@recordguy4321]

@@lawrencetaylor4101 Will Jones was replaced by Stan Szelest and then by Richard Manuel. Jones was a flat out rock and roll pianist as was Szelest. Richard really added to the hawks with his vocals and he was a damn fine pianist who left us too early.

[@jackdawes120]

​@@recordguy4321 Cheers! Still so sad to think of the passing of the angelic.

[@SpeegBJ]

I was 11, watched it when this aired on TV. My god...what we had to watch. Tremendous.

[@thomasthom6583]

Hi Bonnie

[@davidmoore2325]

Hello dear,how are you doing?

[@cindys1819]

My whole family used to watch the Dick Clark from the Little Theater in Manhattan. And I remember this show where everyone was dresses up in Western clothes...they had the sky- liners on this show....great times.....

[@DUCKSAREEVILLLLLLLL]

You couldn't even hear any piano at all, but this still sounds good.

[@lucasvangompel6382]

My first record was one by Ronny Hawkins. I was maybie 15 years old, now i'm 60. I bought that record in an supermarkt. In Belgium Sinds than, he was always in my mind. Great mussician, and an verry humble man. He was the mentor of The Band! Yes, mentor to these young mussicians. One of the greatest.

[@daniaa.oliva-pena7338]

Wow, this is great music. May he rest in peace . It's sad , I hadvnever heard his name before or this music. I love it !

[@davidmoore2325]

Hello dear,how are you doing?

[@barbarasherman4870]

Goodbye to the one and only Ronnie Hawkins!

[@davidmoore2325]

Hello dear,how are you doing?

[@funnrun3399]

Rompin Ronnie Hawkins told me to keep on playing guitar I was only 13 I kept my word thank goodness God bless Rompin Ronnie Hawkins soul

[@joepalooka2145]

Ronnie and Levon and the Hawks were already outstanding recording and performing musicians in 1959, while over in Liverpool John Lennon and Paul McCartney and George Harrison were just beginning their first gigs at the Casbah Club as the Quarrymen. Young teenage musicians everywhere who heard Ronnie's records were immediately educated in what it took to do it right.

[@MrThedonhead]

I know it just shows how brilliant the Beatles were, they never had no one to teach them like the band did and never traded on anyone like Dylan! It's crazy to think the Beatles and the stones had to go to America to teach rock n roll and the band were still doing nothing...crazy

[@reded1905]

Back when music WAS MUSIC. Rock on forever, brother!

[@edouglaspratt]

Ronnie and The Hawks are roots heroes, Canadian-based rockers who gave birth to what we now call "Americana". Around 1956, as young teens, they got their inspiration from the same source I found at the same time; but I was 7 just years old then, when we discovered George "Hound Dogger" Lorenz on WKBW radio. -Doug Pratt, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

[@domwyz7237]

wish I had discovered Ronnie long ago..fantastic performer. RIP

[@janeblake5083]

Rompin Ronnie was one of a kind! Would it be interesting to know how many people in that studio audience are watching this video on KZbin and then suddenly realizing "hey, that's me!"!!

[@tomv4408]

First time hearing/seeing Ronnie perform. Thanks for sharing!

[@CharlieMessing]

I saw this when it was first broadcast - I was really impressed by that first jump onstage - wow! Later I found out he had been a gymnast, and did backflips onstage and more! Great frontman.

[@nandhanakrishnanr4990]

How old are you now?

[@CharlieMessing]

@@nandhanakrishnanr4990 75

[@nandhanakrishnanr4990]

@@CharlieMessing 😱 It's my pleasure to meet you. I am just a teenager. I hope you are feeling well and I'm wishing you happiness.🤗

[@CharlieMessing]

@@nandhanakrishnanr4990 Thanks kid! I would trade my wisdom for youth if I could. A pleasure to meet you too!

[@nandhanakrishnanr4990]

@@CharlieMessing You're welcome. 🥰

[@johnlennon8653]

I have a picture of myself, Ronnie and my about six months old daughter together. Ronnie had my baby on his shoulder, his arm around my shoulder. Priceless photo that I’ll pass along to to my kid in the picture. Raised my two daughters on rockabilly and country and they both still love it.

[@larrymarchiony3166]

RIP, Thanks for all the great music and the artists that followed.

[@paulgleitman7754]

Used to see him all the time in Toronto.Great guy,

[@dreadnought45]

As did I. First at the Coq Door Tavern on Yonge St. and then at the Concord Tavern up on Bloore St. near "Honest Ed's store. Still lives on his farm in Peterborough, Ontario, one hour north-east of Toronto. Ken, Toronto

[@SmeeUncleJoe]

It's for sale. Probably sold by now. I have a hunch he's either not long for this world or heading to a seniors home or nursing home. Just been a lot of gatherings that have a farewell kind of vibe to them.

[@colinbryan8265]

@@dreadnought45 Those were the days, that block on Yonge street was full of night clubs, just above Dundas , wasn’t it? Unfortunately he’s passed away. Guess we’ve all gotta go sometime. We’ll be, the oldest rockers in Toronto, although I’m in the UK, for the last 40 years.

[@terryc.3624]

Dwayne Ford played piano for Ronnie Hawkins while in Toronto....

[@bluejazz517]

R.I.P. Ronnie Hawkins; January 10, 1935 - May 29, 2022

[@bobcarlsson4]

Played the Holiday Inn in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario. RIP greatest musical influence of all time.

[@sauquoit13456]

On this day in 1959 {May 9th} Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks performed "Forty Days" on the late Dick Clark's American Bandstand... One month later on June 8th it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; eventually it peaked at #45 and spent 8 weeks on the Top 100... It was originally recorded by Chuck Berry as "Thirty Days" in 1955; his version reached #2 on Billboard's R&B chart... R.I.P. Mr. Clark {1929 - 2012} and Mr. Hawkins celebrated his 78th birthday this pass January 10th...

[@davidlamb7524]

Not only recorded by Chuck Berry, Chuck wrote it. Apparently as a tribute to Hank Williams.

[@tonybensley6246]

RIP Hawkman! :( :( Ronnie Hawkins 1935 - 2022

[@wizardmix]

Levon's book brought me here. If that isn't the best thing ever, to read a line then find the actual moment here... Everyone should buy and read "The Wheel's on Fire" just to get a candid look into early Rock'n'Roll.

[@DaveandWendy1]

Great book!

[@zenbabaloo1931]

Robbie's book brought me here and these guys sucked.

[@wangson]

Man! Next time I'm around a bookstore, I'll be looking for it. That sounds like it really would be a FANTASTIC, entertaining, compelling autobiography! I'm sure ol' Ronnie Hawkins (along with The Band) lived some wild and crazy days in their youth....Man....I've got to get that book immediately!

[@BringANickel]

Me tooooo!

[@chuckkirkpatrick6712]

Best rock and roll autobiography I've ever read....on my 5th read now.

[@vitopaolillo4069]

one of the best rocks ever written&performed for me great great Ronnie Hawkins I was just a grow' boy when I first heard it and bought the 45 in my town Turin Italy and was struck 'badly' and the piano solo? not to talk of the other wondy slow rock' one of these days' thanks more Ronnie. Even now I'm never tired of listen' to them!

[@davidlamb7524]

Chuck Berry wrote it and recorded it before Ronnie. Both great versions though

[@vitopaolillo4069]

@@davidlamb7524 thanks for the further deeping inside, David! Actually Chuck Berry, whom performance I didn't listent to, recorded it as 30 days, and I don't know why Ronnie Hawkins preferred titling this song 40d.. By the way my favourite, since my little boy days, is the slow rocking 'one of these days' might I ask you a favour you might help me with.. In so many years I wasn't able to translate a part of the song when it becomes 'syncopated' and couldn't find a lyric test in the web..would you help me, please? I ignored Ronnie was such a long survivor from a terrible killer, pancreas Krebs, tks also to mental&herbal med, and even more surprised he died, apparently, from its recurrence almost 20 years later! When I wrote my msg He was still alive! By the way He lived a full&meaningful life! Great great singer in a word RIP!

[@lindakate4644]

What amazing energy!!! You don't get to experience this live today...just WOW;)))❌⭕❤💯

[@davidmoore2325]

Hello dear,how are you doing?

[@C6H12B26]

Same version from Thirty Days (Chuck Berry) as the one by Cliff Richard and The Shadows. Great ! Great thanks, indeed !

[@garyspring5981]

what a great line up the great Ronnie hawkns and the great levon helms on drums. and killer guitar player.

[@marcdurham5168]

Man, the band! Talk about rockin! Ronnie did what he did, and it worked!

[@CharlieMessing]

This is a superior remastering - I had the original album, and essentially you couldn't hear the bass or drums. Sold it on Ebay. Bear Family CD sounds great!

[@sooz9433]

I remember gathering on the living room floor in front of our Motorola TV, pretty sure it was a 16inch screen to watch Dick Clark, rock from side to side and clap our hands... it was a remarkable time to be alive. If you had told me back then that one day I'd be watching that same program on my phone, I'd have laughed my head off..🤭

[@jimw.4161]

I saw Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks in 1963 in Fayetteville when I was a student at the University of Arkansas. Unforgettable experience. This man was a tremendous showman and the Hawks were a rockin' band. By the way, that's Levon Helms (later with Ronnie Robertson & The Band) on drums.

[@jimbo1959]

Robbie Robertson

[@jimw.4161]

@@jimbo1959 Exactly! My mistake..... My mind ain't what it used to be. Too much sex, drugs, and Rock N Roll, I guess. 😁

[@jimbo1959]

@@jimw.4161 Thats exactly how I want to lose my mind!!!

[@recordguy4321]

Keep up the great postings, havent seen some of these beechnut shows since the night they aired

[@bradyrennick8976]

Ronnie Hawkins lives down the road from me and I’ve drove passed his house, no joke all you have to do is drive down my road and then take a right and then drive down that road and at the end of it his house is in the left

[@lumpenomewr]

Wow... holy crap... do you know him personally?

[@robinbailey3052]

So you live near Peterborough On.

[@MrThedonhead]

What's the point of your story?

[@bergkamp48]

Always remember the first broadcast of the Saturday Night Beech Nut Show...first act was The Royal Teens "Short Shorts"

[@petersokol1603]

That’s a very young Levon Helm on drums.

[@antiquesman7]

R.I.P. Rockin' Ronnie ...

[@jaymichaels5187]

RIP, Ronnie

[@sharonfogg1336]

Love this song

[@davidmoore2325]

Hello dear,how are you doing?

[@michaelciccone2194]

I love the way the guy plays the piano

[@janicesusanjones9312]

Sorry to disappoint you, the guy was NOT playing the piano, he was just acting. How do I know? I am a musician and anyone who bangs on a piano the way that HE did will just make a ROWDY DIN. That is NOT the way to play a tune on a piano, keyboard, whatever. The SAME applies to guitar playing, it has to be precise. What he did was JUST FOR SHOW. There probably weren't any connection to the keys that he was banging, otherwise it would have sounded TERRIBLE.

[@CharlieMessing]

@@janicesusanjones9312 Read Levon's book - he was such a nut on piano that he could make the hammers fly off during a show! Yes, it fked up the pianos, and yes he was that nuts! Levon remarks upon it enthusiastically.

[@ELIZABETHANNEBuonagura]

RIP 💜💜💜💜

[@edwardbreadman9473]

Withour Ronnie, there never would have been " The Band "

[@karininca3723]

RIP, Ronnie… 🎶

[@davidmoore2325]

Hello dear,how are you doing?

[@charleso8826]

RIP Ronny

[@antarctic8560]

Evan, I'm reading Levon's book as I post this. Great book, and it also brought me here!

[@chrismasson2603]

antarctic me too! it's been great to find these old clips as I read along

[@jeffclement2468]

Gotta be in my top 5 favorite rock autobiographies...in fact, right now only one other comes to mind, Dion DiMucci 😻

[@martin7464]

RIP Ronnie Hawkins... :(

[@coolworx]

RIP Ronnie.

[@renebezuidenhout1649]

Takes me back to my Rock n Roll dance classes. 🤩

[@CaptainGoodguySentientAI]

r.i.p taylor hawkins dad.

[@MTMountainMan5411]

Not

[@mscommerce]

What a showman Ronnie Hawkins was! The Hawks were phenomenal; they really should belong in the R&R Hall of Fame. And Ronnie, by himself too. ps: It's weird to see a 17 year old Levon!

[@burningrabbitacres8330]

Levon lives forever. As he should.❤

[@a3a14613]

RIP Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins. 😥

[@jakebunnymusic]

As John L. call him SIR RONNIE the Great Mr. Rompin' RONNIE HAWKINS and life began ..Jan 10 1935 posted JAN 10 2015 .. Thank you for this post happy 80

[@Playbyplaymedia]

That drum set looks like it could be a walnut-finish Gretsch. Fits the profile for Levon.

[@patriciajohnson3017]

Rip Ronnie

[@davidmoore2325]

Hello dear,how are you doing?

[@rogermharris4268]

Rock in peace, no Ronnie, no Band........Legend .....

[@DarkXAngel55]

Does anyone have the 1980s version? The one that he played for the 80s movie Meatballs III?

[@miketheshanmanmangan]

Levon helms of THE BAND playin Drums for THE HAWKS!

[@JayDizz92]

No Levon Helm played for the hawks, so did Robbie, Rick, Richard and Garth eventually then they started the band.

[@koylesmasterpeice]

Levon was also in the original group and stayed with Ronnie where they recruited the rest of the members that you speak of. The video shows levon on drums. Robbie, rick, richard and garth would come later.

[@glennleybourne145]

Basically when Ronnie came to Canada they could play everyday of the week without getting ripped off and beer bottles thrown at them..one by one the band members got homesick and being replaced by the young Canadian players til only Levon was left

[@jaymailloux5726]

That looks like Richard on the 88's

[@wangson]

@@koylesmasterpeice So that's really Levon Helm at the drum kit in this video?

[@tyrapp262]

Levon Helm is the only Band member in this video.

[@erikb835]

Today we lost Ronnie Hawkins 😢

[@eppletoncw]

That's Levon Helm on the drums, I'm pretty sure! You were a ball of fire, Ronnie!

[@justinshively9530]

Yes it is

[@jackmiller4946]

The Hawks eventually left Ronnie and become The Band.

[@royrose2969]

RONNIE HAWKINS never failed to keep the joint jumpin

[@jameskennedy721]

Its kind of bizarre to think that Dylan saw this act and said " this is who I want to take on a world tour - backing me , not Hawkins " . Of course , he wanted Bloomfield on guitar , but only got him for session work , mainly , but still . The early sixties was still a time of rock music figuring out what was cool , and this clip shows how dull alot of it all was .

[@paulbeukers2800]

Saw ronnie in 1980 in flushing holland great performance due to lots of belgian beer.thanks to hans lambermont for organising the concert

[@seanmeisner3190]

Single-cut Gretsch Country Gentleman...very nice.

[@joanblack346]

Miss Dick Clark show Ronnie Hawkins great singer🙏🦋❤️💙💙💛

[@peteshirley7182]

78 and on the road again! Love the Hawk

[@KEEPONROCKINKID]

Thanks for this great clip. Im looking forward to more. .

[@mlbolts72]

Rip mr hawkins ..👏😪🎤

[@GeneRogers-di6cl]

Now this is Rock and Roll! Just like Buddy Holly! The Original Rock.

[@gbsk12]

I never heard this song. I like it. I guess the stations around here did not play it.

[@davidlamb7524]

Chuck Berry's song. Recorded as 'Thirty Days' made number 2 in the charts.

[@andy8073]

That was so cool Ronnie!

[@DeepWoodsBand]

Levon Helm on drums, Robbie Robertson on guitar, Garth Hudson on piano.

[@billlloyd4029]

not here. garth and robbie hadnt joined the hawks yet. that is however mark lavon helm on drums.

[@stacyblue1980]

Rest easy sir.🙏🌻💕

[@rogerfournier3284]

Rock & Roll history--Be bop!

[@jagtone]

Why does the audio matter? It's lip-synched and the guitar isn't plugged in. Find the original recording and you're good as gold.

[@gatorrick]

I didn't see the amp cord plugged into the guitar. Sound must have been canned as were many of these shows.

[@srercrcr]

Original done by somebody, titled 30 Days!!!

[@davidlamb7524]

Chuck Berry who also wrote it.

[@Mynamesalexa]

Levon Helm from the Band was in this group 1st.

[@margotbronski2234]

I was a freshman in hight school when this show aired.

[@claudiodean6363]

Rock n Roll !!!

[@jackcliffe6040]

Rip The Hawk 💙

[@almanull3931]

Love Ronnie Hawkins !

[@bilgeratjim]

At the end, doesn't he say "isn't that a wild thing?". Well, yes, it most certainly is a wild thing. It's THE HAWK.

[@robnamowicz8073]

Is the announcers voice I hear Ed McMann?

[@larsivar8772]

Is that Richard Manuel on the piano?

[@karlgillies]

That's when music had a beat, so good in fact, it didn't matter if you had 2 left feet, and One of these Days, was fantastic, also .

[@mlbolts72]

thx 4 the post

[@marvinrufus8216]

GREAT RONNIE

[@larryzink8978]

Levon Helms on drums?

[@ThomasDeLello]

It's s'pose to be "Thirty Days" not fourty days. This was Chuck Berry's song about "Mabeline" after she gets away from him. Nuther words it's Part 2 of the Mabeline story.

[@seanmeisner3190]

In fact, it predates Chuck Berry. Earnest Tubb did it originally.

[@davidlamb7524]

Chuck apparently claimed it was a tribute to Hank Williams ! Who knows ?

[@abacus1980]

what the heck, no microphone, no patch cable. i guess lip syncing was around in those days too.

[@scottsoucy6186]

Was this before he was backed by the future members of The Band?

[@neilwood8794]

RIP Ronnie ❤️

[@dajonbradford]

recommend reading Levon Helm's autobiography This Wheels on Fire for plenty of Hawks memories

[@Alwayswilling]

I've been a fan of Hawkins since he showed up in Toronto bringing genuine rockabilly style rock to Canada, but I always have to question if Ronnie wasn't aware of another song made famous by rock's greatest music producer called 30 Days by Chuck Berry. There are KZbin videos of Berry speakingvand remanissing with Robbie Robertson post-The Band about all that old stuff, but I don't remember if Berry ever raised an issue about Hawkin's song. Check them out. Chuck and Robbie, two of rocks biggest creators of genuine rock'n'roll were also well versed in the industry. Berry did take legal action against the Beachboys for using stuff that proved to have been plucked from Berry's earlier music. Oh, what a time to be growing up.

[@Alwayswilling]

There are videos of Robbie Robertson speaking with Chuck Berry and I beleive Chuck did mention the fact that Hawkins had borrowed his Thirty Days theme. Chuck was no doubt used to being undercut by others, especially those who hired him but refused to pay him,thus his insistance for his pay up front. Sad reality for the true king of rock 'n' roll.

[@davecarveswood2645]

How tall is that piano player? he looks like a 7 footer

[@mylesgeronimo4976]

Did Chuck Berry cop the song '30 Days' from this, or vice versa? Aside from the 30 v. 40 days, the music and lyrics are identical?

[@dreadnought45]

It was first recorded in 1955 by country singer Ernest Tubb as "Thirty Days". I think the lyrics are identical. I don't know how Hawkins got away with it except to change the title to "Forty Days". I never heard of Chuck Berry singing it, but it sounds like something he would sing. Ken, Toronto

[@donhawk5763]

No, this was Chuck's song, he wrote it and recorded it first. And yes, the lyrics are the same other than the number change.

[@deejaysilver9]

Clive something (i forgot his last name) recorded a song called "forty days". this is a cover of it.

[@seanmeisner3190]

It predates both Chuck and Ronnie. Earnest Tubb did it originally.

[@bornonsouthside3094]

Chuck Berry recorded "Thirty Days" in May 1955; Earnest Tubbs recorded his version in late October 1955. The record label for Tubbs' release clearly gives writing credits to Chuck.