Song: Sanford and Son Theme (The Streetbeater) (1972/1973) Artist: Quincy Jones Album: You’ve Got It Bad Girl Label: A&M Composer: Quincy Jones Sanford and Son is one of the greatest American television shows of all time. I’m still amazed that Redd Fox was only 49 years old when the show started. He so successfully portrayed … Read more
Canned Heat had a smash hit with their 1968 song ‘Going Up the Country.’ Few know that their song was actually a reprocessed version of a much earlier blues song by Henry Thomas, aka “Texas Ragtime” called Bull Doze Blues, recorded in 1928. Although the melody line and lyrics of the song are not all … Read more
Song: Black Magic Woman (1969) Artist: Fleetwood Mac – Peter Green Album: English Rose (Epic) Starting with the lyrics ‘don’t turn your back on me baby,’ Black Magic Woman, is best known for the Santana version from 1971. The original, and the best, is from Fleetwood Mac, off the album English Rose, in 1969. The song … Read more
Song: Coffee Blues (1966) Artist: Mississippi John Hurt In the song Coffee Blues, the legendary blues artist Mississippi John Hurt, in his usual good-natured way, talks about wanting a spoonful of something. He claims, in the beginning, that it’s Maxwell House coffee (he calls it Maxwell’s House), his favorite coffee that really is good to the last … Read more