I'm a King Bee: The Early Swamp Blues Classics

by Slim Harpo

Overview

The sensual, sultry vocals, heavy backbeat, and undertow rhythm of Slim Harpo's first hit, "I'm a King Bee," virtually defined the swamp blues and swamp pop that influenced musicians like Clifton Chenier, The Rolling Stones, and The Kinks. This 24-track collection demonstrates the Louisiana rocker's zeal and appeal, from the Top 40-friendly C&W stroll "Raining in My Heart" to mid-tempo shuffles like "Buzz Me Babe." Harpo's vocals and music could also get very dark, as on the down-at-the-heels lyrics and slow, loping grooves of "Blues Hangover." The inventive productions feature wood blocks, echo-heavy guitar lines by Guitar Gable, and Harpo's trademark forced, nasal twang on vocals. Yet the stark simplicity of the arrangements on tracks like "My Home Is A Prison" and Harpo's half-spoken lyrics and tooting, sorrowful harp create music that is hesitant, mysterious, and chilling.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/03/2002
Label:	Ace Records Uk
UPC:	0029667151023
catalogNumber:	510
Rank:	75590

Tracks

1. I'm a King Bee
2. I Got Love If You Want It
3. Wonderin' and Worryin'
4. Strange Love
5. You'll Be Sorry One Day
6. One More Day
7. Bobby Sox Baby
8. Late Last Night
9. Buzz Me Babe
10. Dream Girl
11. Yeah Yeah Baby
12. What a Dream
13. Don't Start Crying Now
14. Blues Hangover
15. Moody Blues
16. My Home Is a Prison
17. Please Don't Turn Me Down
18. Snoopin' Around
19. Rainin' in My Heart
20. That's Alright Baby
21. Lover's Confession
22. Buzzin'
23. I Love the Life I'm Living
24. Boogie Chillen'

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Slim Harpo   Primary Artist,Guitar,Harmonica,Vocals
Lazy Lester   Harmonica
Sammy K. Brown   Drums
Rudolph Richard   Guitar
Clarence "Jockey" Etinne   Drums
James P. Johnson & His Orchestra   Guitar
Sonny Martin   Piano

Technical Credits

Jon Broven   Liner Notes

Editorial Reviews

Slim Harpo brought a good bit of the Louisiana swamp vibe with him when he recorded these immortal sides for Jay Miller's Nashville-based Excello Records in the early '60s, and the rustic, laconic way these recordings unfold, aided and abetted by Miller's trademark echo-laden production, makes them singular even inside the Excello stable. This set sticks to Harpo's earliest Excello material, and therefore lacks some of his best-known tracks like "Baby Scratch My Back," the two-part "Tip on In," and "Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu," but it does have his signature tune, "I'm a King Bee" (and its many variations, like "Buzzin'"), as well as the gorgeous "Rainin' in My Heart." Also included are a rare Harpo cover of John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen'" and some wonderfully ragged gems like "Bobby Sox Baby."

All Music Guide - Steve Leggett