According to someone (on Wikipedia):
""I Hear You Knocking" is a popular rhythm and blues song with emphatic syncopation, written by Dave Bartholomew and Earl King (under the pen name Pearl King) and published in 1955. The original recording was made by Smiley Lewis, reaching #2 on the Billboard R&B singles chart in 1955".
I'll take their word for it but I have no clue what 'emphatic syncopation' means!
When I first heard Dave Edmunds' version I thought he was an old blues guy. I had no idea who he was. At the time I had no access to Top Of The Pops, but I'd been alerted to him by John Lennon, who told Rolling Stone magazine that I hear You Knocking was his favourite new recording.
That was good enough for me so I bought a copy and you know what? Dr. Winston O'Boogie was spot on. And do you know what else? The song holds up.
The heavily treated vocal is what conveys the deception - making him sound like a haggard old bluesman; I understand that now that I've heard Dave on other things.
The slide guitar would also have appealed to Mr Lennon, I'm sure.
Hidden gem: The B side is an okay instrumental named in honour of Bill Black - bassist for Elvis in the early years. It's relatively rare in that it didn't appear on Dave's subsequent album Rockpile, but it has turned up as a bonus track on reissues.
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