"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" is a song written and originally recorded in 1957 by Huey 'Piano' Smith, who scored a minor Billboard hit with it, peaking at No. 52 on the Top 100 chart, and a more successful No. 5 on the Most Played R&B by Jockeys chart.[1]
Background
The title is a reference to "walking" pneumonia and the Asian flu, which hit the United States in 1957–58. The lyrics recount the predicament of the singer who would like to approach a woman he sees in a club, or ‘joint,’ but due to his ‘musical ailments,’ he is unsuccessful.”
1972 saw the song become an international hit single for Johnny Rivers, featuring Larry Knechtel on piano as well as other Los Angeles session musicians from the Wrecking Crew.[5]
"Rockin' Pneumonia" reached No.6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 during the winter of 1973. It was Rivers' fifth highest charting song and spent a longer time on the chart (19 weeks) than any of his two dozen hits to that date. On the U.S. Cash Box Top 100 the song peaked at No.5, and in Canada it reached No.3.[6]
