<back - SLIM HARPO - Born January 11, 1924 near Baton Rouge, Louisiana as James Moore, he would go on to become one of the most successful crossover acts in the history of the Blues. Thirty-four years after his untimely death in 1970, at least five of Harpo's songs have become dependable vehicles for countless Blues, Rock n' Roll, Cajun, and even Country bands, to cut their teeth on. It was like the man had a magic potion for a secret recipe, enticing listeners from widely divergent backgrounds. Some of the artists that covered Slim's songbook include The Rolling Stones (King Bee); John Hammond Jr. (Got Love if You Want it) and The Fab-TBirds (Baby, Scratch My Back).

As for the derivation of his name, back in 1955 JD Miller, (producer at the Excello studio), dubbed his new artist with half of Lightnin' Slim's name and partnered it with the slang term for harmonica. Even though his career assumed a higher profile in the wake of several British groups covering his songs, Slim had earlier established himself as Excello Records most commercially successful artist, starting with his 1957 single I Got Love If You Want It b/w I'm a King Bee. Blues nectar! Warren Storm, a white Excello artist, did a Rockabilly cover of 'I'm a King Bee'--a harbinger of an eventual pattern. The moving soul ballad Rainin' In My Heart was Slim's first successful crossover single (making the Top 40/1961). The Rolling Stones would later pay their respects while also tuning their fans to I'm A King Bee. 1965's Baby Scratch My Back was the essence of intoxicating Funk and his best seller ever (reaching #16). It also made Slim Harpo a front-line player in the Rock n' Roll world. 1966 through 1969 would also mark a period of high achievement, such as 1966's Shake Your Hips, probably Slim's most covered song and one of the last traditional Rock n' Roll tunes in the Little Richard/Jerry Lee Lewis vein. On That Ain't Your Business, Harpo spits out those lyrics with Chuck Berry-like precision. Tip On In was the follow-up to Baby Scratch My Back and Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu. It's now apparent that Slim Harpo's versatility was thirty years ahead of his time, and today he's rightly regarded as a Blues icon. Anyone who doubts Slim Harpo's credibility as a dominant Bluesman, however, will soon be set straight. Strange Love (the B-side of Buzz Me Babe) locks into a trance-like vibe and rides it for everything it's worth. Slim could be as dire, dark, and affecting as John Lee Hooker at his bleakest, just check out This Ain't No Place For Me--possibly the most forlorn Blues song ever. One More Day is Slim Harpo at his moody best, while featuring a greasily effective guitar break dripping with reverb-drenched edginess. On Blues Hang-Over, Slim plays the role of comic imbiber, as a series of non-sequiturs spill from his tongue. On the surface, Slim Harpo's artistry was the essence of simplicity: slack-jawed vocals, and only guitar-bass-drums, plus harmonica. Slim Harpo was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1985. -Gary Tate/LivinBlues
MP3- Shake Your Hips | King Bee | Scratch my Back |