Whenever Bruce visits Philly, odds are pretty good that he’ll break out “You Can’t Sit Down” in the encores.
Made famous by local group The Dovells, this encore cover favorite goes back a ways farther. It was originally released as an instrumental in 1959 by The Bim Bam Boos. Take a listen to that first incarnation–it’s certainly recognizable, but it swings more than rocks:
That’s a young Philip Upchurch on guitar. Two years later, he recorded and released it on his own, changing the title a bit to “You Can’t Sit Down.” Still an instrumental, it’s a lot more rocking, and you can hear the signature handclaps:
Fast forward another two years, add lyrics, and we’ve got the version that made it to #3 on the Billboard pop chart. It’s probably that this was the first version to capture Bruce’s attention, but both the Upchurch and Dovell versions feature a rocking beat and smoking sax solo that were bound to capture Bruce’s imagination.
Bruce has performed “You Can’t Sit Down” so many times in concert that it’s difficult to find one standout performance. But this one has to be a contender–from Bruce’s Darkness show in Houston:
You Can’t Sit Down
First performed: August 1, 1976 (Red Bank, NJ)
Last performed: September 2, 2012 (Philadelphia, PA)
