<P> "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" (sometimes rendered "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On") is a song written by Dave "Curlee" Williams and usually credited to him and James Faye "Roy" Hall . The song was first recorded by Big Maybelle, though the best - known version is the 1957 rock and roll / rockabilly version by Jerry Lee Lewis . </P> <P> The origins of the song are disputed, but the writing is usually co-credited to singer / songwriter Dave "Curlee" Williams, and pianist and club owner James Faye "Roy" Hall . Hall said: </P> <P> We was down in Pahokee, on Lake Okeechobee...out on a damn pond, fishin' and milkin' snakes...drinkin' wine, mostly...This guy down there had a big bell that he's ring to get us all to come in to dinner, an' I'd call over (and) say,' What's goin' on?' Colored guy said,' We got twen'y - one drums, we got an old bass horn, an' they even keepin' time on a ding - dong .' See, that was the big bell they'd ring to git us t'come in . </P> <P> On 21 March 1955, Big Maybelle made the first recording for Okeh Records . The songwriting was credited to D.C. Williams, and the record was produced by Quincy Jones . Roy Hall made a recording of the song in September 1955 for Decca Records and maintained that he had written it and had secured the legal copyright as co-writer under the pseudonym of "Sunny David". However, a Decca sample copy of Hall's recording lists Dave Williams as the sole writer . On the Pop Chronicles documentary, Jerry Lee Lewis incorrectly credited Big Mama Thornton . All subsequent recordings of the song (including Lewis' recording for Sun Records) list the composers as Sunny David and Dave Williams . Hall was also a Nashville club owner, who later claimed to have employed the young piano player Lewis at some point around 1954 . </P>

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