Slim Harpo was born James Isaac Moore in Louisiana in 1924. At 15, he turned an orphan when each his mother and father died. He left faculty, worked as a dock hand, started enjoying harmonica with local bands.

He had an early understanding of common style. He might ship soiled blues riffs; he might additionally write songs that sounded suspiciously like Nation & Western. Then his producer created an echo, giving his data a seductive distance that made you need to transfer into it. He was profitable — to some extent. He was by no means a full-time musician; even when he had hits, he operated a trucking enterprise. In 1964, the Rolling Stones recorded one among his songs. Wider exposure adopted. He died earlier than he might construct on it: coronary heart assault, at 46.

I’m listening typically to Slim Harpo because so lots of his songs are ferociously danceable: “I’m A King Bee,” “Acquired Love If You Want It,” “Shake Your Hips.” These and more are on “The Best of Slim Harpo,” an important collection. [To purchase the CD from Amazon, click here.]

My complete obsession is “Shake Your Hips.” It couldn't be easier, or more pressing:

I wanna inform you ’bout a dance
That’s goin’ around,
Everyone’s doin’ it
From the grownups down.
Don’t transfer your head,
Don’t move your arms,
Don’t move your lips,
Just shake your hips.
Do the hip shake, babe,
Do the hip shake, babe,
Shake your hip, babe,
Shake your hip, babe.

What you don’t know
Don’t be afraid
Just take heed to me
And do what I say.
Don’t transfer your head,
Don’t move your arms,
Don’t transfer your lips,
Just shake your hips.
Do the hip shake, babe,
Do the hip shake, babe,
Shake your hip, babe,
Shake your hip, babe,

Nicely, I met slightly woman
In a country city
She stated, “What have you learnt
There’s Slim Harpo!”
Didn’t move her head,
Didn’t transfer her palms,
Didn’t move her lips,
Just shook her hips.
Do the hip shake, babe,
Do the hip shake, babe.

This music is bullet proof. It does not tolerate a new interpretation; it was born good, and have to be obeyed. Right here’s the original. Slim Harpo:

Listed here are the Rolling Stones, circa 1972. They’ve modified it; no harp, but a masterful Keith Richards. And has anybody ever achieved extra with less than Charlie Watts?

The track is gender-neutral. Here’s a super-heated Joan Osborne:

[To obtain the MP3 of “Shake Your Hips” from Amazon for 99 cents, click here.]

Saturday night time social gathering music — that’s the theme right here. “Obtained Love If You Need It,” for example:

[To obtain the MP 3 of “Received Love” from Amazon for 99 cents, click here.]

As they say on TV when the show ends with reside music, let’s let the band play us out. In this case: royally.

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Initially Revealed on The Head Butler

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