Neha Patil (Editor)

Strange Things Happening Every Day

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Released
  
1944 / 1945

Length
  
3:38

Recorded
  
1944

Label
  
Decca

Genre
  
Blues, gospel, spiritual

"Strange Things Happening Every Day" is a traditional African American spiritual.

It was most famously, and influentially, recorded by Sister Rosetta Tharpe in late 1944, becoming a hit record in 1945. Released as a single by Decca Records, Tharpe's version featured her vocals and resonator guitar, with Sammy Price (piano), bass and drums. It was the first gospel record to cross over and become a hit on the "race records" chart, the term then used for what later became the R&B chart, and reached #2 on the Billboard "race" chart in April 1945. The recording has been cited as an important precursor of rock and roll.

In recent years, versions of the song have also been recorded by Michelle Shocked, Johnny Cash, Linda Gail Lewis, and Tom Jones.

References

Strange Things Happening Every Day Wikipedia