Blues about Chickens
Tad Callin
listening to the blues...
When I was a high school student in Phoenix, AZ, way back when, there was a
radio station called KJZZ, which became popular with us band geeks because
it played (as the call letters might suggest), jazz. Now, there happened to
be a program devoted to the blues once a week, and me and my best friend
Chris used to get in the car with anyone we could corner and drive around
the outskirts of town with the all-blues program blasting as loudly as the
crappy stereo in my Chevy Malibu would go.
One week, the DJ was obviously feeling his oats, and he said he was devoting
his entire show to Blues songs about chickens. One of our friends had taped
that show, and we listened to it on our band tour that year, but I never got
a copy. What I'm wondering is, have you ever heard some of these songs?
There's "Chicken Stuff", which is primarily instrumental, and between
soloists in the band, the music stops and everybody yells, "Chicken Stuff!"
before they move to the next soloist.
Then there's "Greasy Chicken", in which they name off different parts of the
US and tell you how they say "Greasy Chicken" (you'd remember this one if
you'd heard it).
The last one I specifically remember (dragging from the depths of my 286
memory in a Pentium III world), was just an old sounding fellow on a badly
tuned guitar singing about all the different foods he would rather eat,
"...but the doctor said, I got's to EAT the chicken; eat the chicken ever'
day."
On a related note, there was a station based in Freedom, California by the
name of KPIG, which played nothing BUT blues, and me and my fellow language
students in Monterey loved it when we could tune it in. I remember a song
they played once (before being threatened by the FCC) entitled "I Wish I Was
a Lesbian (and Not a Hetero)". My wife and I almost drove off of Highway 1
in hysterics over that one.
If anyone can help me track down some of these artists, or at least suggest
some additions to the possibilities, I'd be much obliged.
One more thing...the newsreader I use is a couple of days behind the posts
(I don't ask why, because I don't want the boss to realize what I'm REALLY
doing over in my corner!), so my responses to the posts on the group may be
a little bit delayed. Thanks in advance for your patience!
T+
"I know there are some things that you say that you can never take back, but
please, if it's not too late...
...make it a CHEESE burger!"
- Lyle Lovett, "Here I Am"
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Brian Calway
<<There's "Chicken Stuff", which is primarily instrumental, and between
soloists in the band, the music stops and everybody yells, "Chicken Stuff!"
before they move to the next soloist.>>
That's Hop Wilson, one of our great out of tune Texans.
<<Then there's "Greasy Chicken", in which they name off different parts of the
US and tell you how they say "Greasy Chicken" (you'd remember this one if
you'd heard it).
>>
That's Andre Williams
HB
Tim Northcutt
Much Fun" called Chicken ala Blues. I play this one whenever I can.
im
01:27 PM 8/17/99 PDT, Tad Callin wrote:
>I know this is a little odd, but, hey, this is a major reason I started
>listening to the blues...
>
>
>
>One week, the DJ was obviously feeling his oats, and he said he was devoting
>his entire show to Blues songs about chickens. One of our friends had taped
>that show, and we listened to it on our band tour that year, but I never got
>a copy. What I'm wondering is, have you ever heard some of these songs?
>
>There's "Chicken Stuff", which is primarily instrumental, and between
>soloists in the band, the music stops and everybody yells, "Chicken Stuff!"
>before they move to the next soloist.
>
>Then there's "Greasy Chicken", in which they name off different parts of the
>US and tell you how they say "Greasy Chicken" (you'd remember this one if
>you'd heard it).
>
Vincent Vialard
>
> One week, the DJ was obviously feeling his oats, and he said he was devoting
> his entire show to Blues songs about chickens.
Here's a repost of the summary Art Schuna offered the L
last december:
Arthur Schuna wrote:
>
> Several people asked for the "complete list" of Chicken
> Blues songs, so here it is. I want to thank all of those who
> rose to the "chicken blues challenge". It's a great list of
> songs. My only problem will be paring this down to a
> 2 hour show. Maybe I'll need to do a part 2. In addition
> to posts to blues-l and direct emails, I did a search of
> the blues-l archive (thanks Oded) and went through the
> song title index from Dixon, Godrich & Rye's "Blues &
> Gospel Records 1890-1943". I hope you enjoy this list
> and that at least a few of you can put together your own Chicken
> blues cassette tape.
>
> Art Schuna
> ______________________________________________
> Chicken Blues Songs
> Slim Harpo/Scratch My Back
> Grady Champion/Scratch My Back
> Louis Jordan/Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens
> Louis Jordan/Barnyard Boogie
> Long John Hunter/Rooster & The Hen
> Super Chikan (who else??)/White Rock Rooster or Super Chikan Strut
> Rufus Thomas/Funky Chicken
> Amos Milburn/Chicken Shack Boogie
> Lloyd Price/Chicken and the Bop
> Rufus Thomas Fried Chicken.
> Frank Stokes "Chicken You Can Roost Behind The Moon"
> Charley Patton's "Banty Rooster Blues
> Chicken - Mississippi John Hurt
> If You Steal My Chickens You Can't Make 'Em Lay - Sonny Terry
> Crowing Rooster Blues - Lonnie Johnson
> Little Red Rooster - Ron Thompson, Luther Allison, Willie Mabon, Lucky
> Peterson, Howlin' Wolf, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Willie Dixon,
> Big Mama Thornton
> Divin' Duck - Johnny Winter (Sleepy John Estes)?
> Six Eggs And A Pint Of Vodka - Vala Cupp
> Chicken ala Blues (Joseph & Thomas) -Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan and
> Jim Biersdorf & Jim Kolbe
> Crow Black Chicken- Ry Cooder on Boomer's Story
> Little Red Hen (said to the little red rooster)- Taj Mahal with the Pointer
> Sisters
> Leadbelly -Crow Black Chicken
> "Bottle Up & Go" - Bobby Rush
> "Mamma Killed A Chicken" - John Lee Hooker
> "Meet You At The Chicken Shack" - Lightnin' Hopkins
> "A Chicken Ain't Nothin' But A Bird" - Louis Jordan
> "Chicken Stuff" - Hop Wilson
> "Before The Rooster Crows" - Chris Cain
> "Big Butter And Egg Man" - Louis Armstrong
> Chicken, Gravy and Biscuits, by Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials
> Run, Chicken, Run by Link Wray (not blues but a great instrumental)
> I Ain't Henpecked by Bobby Rush
> The Duck's Yas Yas
> by ...uh....well, the Hokum Boys, Georgia Tom Dorsey, Tampa
> Red, Three Peppers
> Roosevelt Sykes - I'm A Dangerous Man - The Meek
> Junior Parker - Mother-In-Law Blues - The Duke Recordings
> Son Seals - Mother-in-Law Blues - The Son Seals Blues Band
> Little Milton - Like a Rooster on a Hen - I'm a Gambler
> Robert Nighthawk - Crowing Rooster Blues - Robt Nighthawk w/ Johnny Young
> Sandra Hall - My Hen House - One Drop Will Do You
> Bobby Rush - Chicken Heads - Rhino 70's Blues
> Hop Wilson - Chicken Stuff - Rhino Bluesmaster Series
> Beale Street Sheiks - Chicken You Can't Roost Behind That Moon
> Big Time Sarah - Chicken Heads - Delmark
> Bunn, Teddy - Chicken and the Worm, The - RST
> Calloway, Cab - Chicken Ain't Nothin But A Bird - Columbia
> Chubby Checker - Chicken, The - Parkway
> Commandos - Chicken Scratch - EMI
> Cooke, Sam - Little Red Rooster - ABKCO
> Cotton, James - Chicken Heads
> Day, Margie - Little Red Rooster - Mr R&B
> Dixie Power Trio - Wicked Jer Chicken - DPT
> Dixon, Floyd - Chicken Crowing - Specialty
> Domino, Fats - Rooster Song, The - UA
> Dominoes - Chicken Blues
> Five Scamps - Chicken Shack Boogie - OKeh
> Gaillard, Slim - Chicken Rhythm
> Howlin Wolf - Red Rooster - Chess
> Hunter, Long John - Rooster and the Hen - Alligator
> Keller, Sue - Chicken Pie - HV
> Marathons - Chicken Spaceman - Ace
> McDonald, Earl - Under The Chicken Tree
> Memphis Minnie - If You See My Rooster
> Meters - Chicken Strut - Rhino
> Morath, Max - Rooster Rag - Pianomania
> Ravens - Rooster - - Savoy
> Smith, Huey - Little Chicken Wah Wah - ACE
> Super Chikan - White Rock Rooster - Rooster
> Tarver, Leon - I'm A Young Rooster - Chess
> Taylor, Koko - Which Came First The Chicken or the Egg
> Turner, Big Joe - Chicken and The Hawk
> Williams, Andre - Greasy Chicken - Fortune
> Woods, Mitch - Chicken Shack Boogie
> The Chicken" - Roscoe Gordon, Earl Hooker
> Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" - Louis Jordan, Gay Crosse, James Brown
> A Chicken Ain't Nothin' But A Bird" - Louis Jordan, Cab Calloway, King
> Perry, Nellie Lutcher
> "Chicken Shack Boogie" - Amos Milburn, Lionel Hampton, The Scamps
> "Chickie Um Bah" - The Moonglows, The Flamingos
> "The Duck" - Jackie Lee, The Olympics
> "Little Red Rooster"/"The Red Rooster" - Howlin' Wolf, Sam Cooke, Carla
> Thomas, J. W. Alexander, Willie Dixon, Z. Z. Hill, Ted Taylor,Willy Mabon,
> Lucky Peterson, Smokin' Joe Kubek
> "My Pigeon's Gone" - Charles Calhoun & The Four Students, The Five Keys
> "The Nest Is Warm" - The Turbans, The 4 Deuces (as "The Goose Is Gone")
> "That Chick's too Young To Fry" - Louis Jordan, The Deep River Boys, Bill
> Samuels & The Cats 'N Jammer Three
> "Turkey Hop" - Johnny Otis (vo: The Robins), Lionel Hamptone (vo: The
> Hamptones)
> I'm A Young Rooster - Leon D. Tarver & The Chordones
> Little Chickie Wah-Wah -- Huey Piano Smith
> Gatermouth Brown -- Chickenshift, from the 1977 "Blackjack" LP on
> Music is Medicine (MIM 9002)
> Elvin Bishop -- famous for doing his barnyard chicken-scratch routine.
> He must have a tune with a chicken title.
> Luther Allison's Little Red Rooster from the Live at Montreux 1976 CD
> Clarence Samuels's "Chicken Hearted Woman," released on Excello
> in 1956 and reissued on The Best Of Excello Records (Excello/Avi CD 3001).
> Big Bad Smitty - Rooster Blues/Cold Blood
> Billie The Kid Emerson/Do The Chicken/VJ
> Chicken Heads-Jimmy Johnson, James Cotton, Kinsey Reprot, Bobby Rush
> Clarence Gatemouth Brown-Dixie Chicken
> Lonnie Brooks-Rockin' Red Rooster-Roadhouse Rules
> Little Walter/Chicken Shack/Blues With a Feeling
> Rosco Gordon/The Chicken (Dance With You)/Sun
> Hubert Sumlin/Red Rooster/Heart & Soul
> Persuasions/Red Rooster/Right Around the Corner
> Ike Turner/Chicken Shack
> Sonny Boy Williamson I/Mellow Chick Swing
> Deford Bailey/Old Hen Cackle
> Gus Jenkins: I ate the wrong part
> Meters: Chicken strut
> Joe Turner: The chicken and the hawk
> Charles Sheffield: Shoo, shoo chicken
> Five DuTones: The chicken astronaut
> (several artists): The chicken scratch
> Lightnin' Slim: Rooster blues
> Fats Domino: The rooster song
> Chuck Higgins: The rooster
> Ike Turner: The rooster
> Slim Gaillard: The dirty rooster (might not be suitable for airplay!)
> Hank Moore: Knock kneed rooster
> Lloyd Price: Barnyard rock
> Big Al Downing: Down on the farm
> Snooks Eaglin: Down yonder
> Blue Charlie Morris - "I'm Gonna Kill That Hen" / The Real Blues Excello 8011
> Bobby Rush -Henpecked - One Monkey Don't Stop No Show
> Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" Alligator
> Nathan & Zydeco Cha Cha's "Follow Me Chicken"
>
> The following were found in Blues & Gospel Records (Dixon, Godrich & Rye)
> Henry Thomas - Chicken Rag
> Pete Hampton, Archie Lewis, Utica Institute Jubilee Singers - Chicken
> Richard Amerson - Chicken and the Hawk
> William Moore - Chicken Feathers
> Samuel Jones - Chicken Can Waltz the Gravy Around
> Ruby Harris, Willie Moss, Florence Rember - Chicken-Ma-Craney Crown
> Hall Negro Quartette - Chicken Song
> Asa Ware Chicken Stealing Man
> Whistler & His Jug Band - Chicken Tree
> Geroge Wilson Jimmy HInton -Chicken Wilson Blues
> Asa Ware - Chicken You Can't Roost Too High For Me
> Leadbelly - Chickens Crowing For Midnight
> Albertine Keith - Chickens In The Garden
> Black Billy Sunday Chickens WillCome Home to Roost
> Deryck Sampson - Hen House Blues
> Dixieland Jug Blowers - Hen Party Blues
> Hezekiah Jenkings Hen Pecked Man
> Jimmie Gordon - Henpecked Man
> Casey Bill Weldon - Rooser Blues
> Scrapper Blackwell, Charlie Moore & Scrapper Blackwell - Rooster Crow
> Hound Head Hnery Rooster Crowin' Blues
> Gus Cannon Rooster's Crowing Blues
Steven Edmonson
to check out Dan Penn's "Memphis Women and Fried Chicken" on our (The
Dynatones) new CD, "Shake That Mess." I always think of Slim Harpo's, "Baby
Scratch My Back," as being a "Chicken" song, not because of the lyrics, but
because of the guitar lick. ;^D>
Steve E.
Edmo...@aol.com
<A HREF="http://www.dynatones.com/">The Official Dynatones Website</A>
PS I did a gig yesterday with Kenny "Blue" Ray and I on Guitar, RJ Mischo on
Harp and Vocals, RJ's Drummer Jimmy Mullineaux and The Dynatones Bassist,
Bill Singletary. As any of you who know this crew would guess, it was a very
interesting gig (at least the parts I remember, oops!)!