“Knock On Wood” is a 1966 hit song written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper and originally performed by Floyd. His recording peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent one week at number 1 on the Soul Singles chart. The song was written in the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee (now The National Civil Rights Museum). The song has been frequently covered, first by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas in 1967. The American Breed covered it on their 1967 debut album, The American Breed. There have also been charting singles by David Bowie (1974), Amii Stewart (1979), Razzy Bailey (1984), Eric Clapton (1985), Michael Bolton (1992), and Safri Duo featuring Clark Anderson (2004). (More from Wikipedia)
“Johnny No” by the Primitives is identified by Mal Ryder and others as being a cover of “Thunder and Lightning”; I have been unable to find the connection, however. Most of the songs called “Thunder and Lightning” that are mentioned on the Internet were released long after this song.
The only song that I know of which (barely) predates “Johnny No” is “Knock on Wood” (written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper) that features the dramatic lyric: “It’s like thunder . . . lightning / The way you love me is frightening”. Otis Redding, David Bowie and Eric Clapton all recorded versions of this song; however, “Knock on Wood” doesn't sound at all like “Johnny No” to me. (I finally thought to track it down through the songwriting credits; “Johnny No” is based on a 1963 Hoyt Axton song that I did not know called “Thunder N’ Lightnin’” that Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs also released as a “B” side).
(May 2015)
