Lonnie Donegan - The EP Collection, Vol. 2 (1993)

No Jimmie Rodgers song has shown more enduring appeal than Blue Yodel No. 8, although it's doubtful the Singing Brakeman would recognize his song in its current incarnation. Nearly all contemporary versions can be traced directly to Bill Monroe's high-adrenaline bluegrass arrangement or the manic rockabilly approach best known through the Fendermen's 1960 single. In this 1957 concert recording, the song gets a skiffle treatment from Lonnie Donegan (1931-2002), the acknowledged founder of this distinctively British genre. Skiffle developed when British trad jazz players attempted to reproduce Southern country blues performances on stage. Donegan's take on Lead Belly's Rock Island Line became a fluke hit single in 1954, inspiring many young Britons to learn the guitar and eventually change the direction of popular music. (Dave Samuelson)