Rich Derringer: Rock & Roll Hootchie Koo

       Rock & Roll Hootchie Koo is a classic rock song from guitarist Rick Derringer.  Lyrically it's a simple acclamation of teenage life in the late 60's & early 70's.  A young man attends a dance at the local town hall featuring a band called The Jokers who were "layin' it down".  The boy spots a girl, or more accurately her dancing, hip shaking ass. They slip off together and find privacy behind a nearby barn.  While "rollin' in the grass" they started getting bit by mosquito's, referred to in the song as "'squitas".  This apparently ends their sexual encounter and they return to the party.  Not exactly deep poetry, but Derringer's high tenor does make it fun to listen to.
       In 1973 Derringer seemed poised to join Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Carlos Santana on what was the current Mount Rushmore of "Guitar God's". Due to his inability to consistently write great music, it didn't quite work out that way.  Derringer did however go on to become one the most respected and sought after guitar players & producers in the industry for the next three decades.

The McCoys 1965

       Derringer, whose given name is actually Richard Zerhinger, changed his name to make it more memorable. He helped form The McCoys with his brother Randy on drums, keyboard player Ronnie Brandon, and bassist Randy Jo Hobbs.  Hobbs himself was a sought after bassist who went on to accompany Edgar, & Johnny Winter with the Derringer Brothers. Later he joined up with Ronnie Montrose and Sammy Hagar in the band Montrose and was also did a lot of studio work.  He was a highly skilled and respected musician who passed away in 1993 from heart failure.

Edgar Winter & his famous strap on
Keyboard with Derringer

       The McCoy's came to national attention when they had a hit in 1965 covering of The Vibrations My Girl Sloopy. The McCoy's version, renamed Hang On Sloopy went on to become a garage band staple for decades to come.  After limited success finding a strong follow up to Sloopy, they decided to move on to new projects and disbanded in 1969.  Hobbs and the Derringer's joined The Winter Brothers in many various incarnations of their bands. These former McCoys can be seen in this extended version of The Edgar Winter Group playing Frankenstein.

Johnny Winter & Derringer 1970

       In 1970 Derringer wrote the song Rock And Roll Hootchie Koo and recorded it with Johnny Winter And:  Despite being a strong production with a nice blues influence, the song only charted modestly.  Three years later Derringer recorded it for his first solo album entitled All American Boy.  Both are played in "A" but Derringer's version is slightly faster, contains strong backing vocals and features metal guitar accents.  The Derringer update was rewarded with a much stronger chart performance than it's earlier incarnation and became an instant rock and roll classic.

Jenda Derringer

       While he never penned another chart topping record, his prowess as a guitar player has made him a staple in the music industry.  His playing and production work can be heard with Steely Dan, Alice Cooper, & Kiss. He also toured with Cyndi Lauper (Change Of Heart live ), The Winter brothers and other various bands.
       During the 90's he developed a strong Christian faith and, along with his wife Jenda, recorded quite a bit of music.  This included a re-worked version  of Rock And Roll Hootchie Koo named Read The Word, Live it To.  Most recently he has toured with Ringo Starr's All-Star Band.  Here is a version of The Beatles The Birthday Song played with Ringo and the All-Star's with special guest Paul McCartney.  While it is a poor quality video it's still pretty cool to see Derringer playing along side Ringo & Paul McCartney who is playing his Hofner Violin Bass.  You should check it out.

But really why you came here today is to hear Rick Derringer playing his rock and roll classic

         Rock And Roll Hootchie Koo