Dave Edmunds - I Hear You Knocking.mp3 May 2026

The song held the top spot in the UK during the 1970 Christmas season.

Edmunds originally planned to cover Wilbert Harrison’s "Let’s Work Together," but after Canned Heat released their version first, he used the same 12-bar backing arrangement he had already developed to record "I Hear You Knocking" instead. Availability & Media Dave Edmunds - I Hear You Knocking.mp3

A defining characteristic of the track is Edmunds’ "out-of-phase" vocal sound. This was achieved by recording his vocals through a telephone line , giving it a distant, mechanical quality that stood out on 1970s radio. The song held the top spot in the

During the instrumental break, Edmunds pays homage to 1950s legends by shouting: "Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Chuck Berry, Huey Smith!" . Historical Significance This was achieved by recording his vocals through

Edmunds played almost all the instruments himself during the session, including the prominent slide guitar fills and the pounding, straight-quaver rhythm.

Dave Edmunds’ 1970 version of is a landmark of rootsy rock and roll that became a worldwide smash, reaching #1 in the UK for six weeks and peaking at #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. Originally written by Dave Bartholomew and recorded by Smiley Lewis in 1955, Edmunds transformed the piano-driven R&B original into a guitar-heavy anthem that eventually sold over three million copies. Production & Technical Insights