Style and Influence
The style of "Born Under a Bad Sign" is hallmark of Albert King in the late 1960s. The lead guitar is bright, nasal and cutting, partly because of Albert King's choice of a custom Gibson guitar with neck pickup selected. The looping bass line is composed of a C# pentatonic or blues scale while the piano and horn accompaniment remains major in its tonality. The unique mix of otherwise minor and major modes give the song a bright but harrowing sound.
The wide assortment of cover versions demonstrates Albert King's ability to influence not only blues guitar, but also rock guitar. It is notable that Jimi Hendrix's cover of "Born Under a Bad Sign" is essentially an extended guitar solo that explores King's unique phrasing.
Read more about this topic: Born Under A Bad Sign (song)
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