Electric Mud - Production

Production

In 1967, Marshall Chess formed Cadet Concept Records as a subsidiary of Chess Records. The label's first release was the self-titled debut album of the psychedelic band Rotary Connection, whose members Chess described as "the hottest, most avant garde rock guys in Chicago". As a result of the album's success, Chess felt that he could revive the career of bluesman Muddy Waters by recording an album of experimental, psychedelic blues with members of Rotary Connection as Muddy Waters' backing band. Chess hoped the new album would sell well among fans of psychedelic rock bands influenced by Muddy Waters. According to Muddy Waters, "Quite naturally, I like a good-selling record. I was looking at it because I played for so many of these so-called hippies that I thought probably I could reach them."

In place of Muddy Waters' regular musicians were Gene Barge, Pete Cosey, Roland Faulkner, Morris Jennings, Louis Satterfield, Charles Stepney and Phil Upchurch. Cosey, Upchurch and Jennings joked about calling the group "The Electric Niggers". Marshall Chess liked the suggestion, but Leonard Chess refused to allow the name.

The album incorporates use of wah-wah pedal and fuzzbox. Marshall Chess augmented the rhythm of Muddy Waters' live band with the use of electric organ and saxophone. Blues purists criticized the album's psychedelic sound. According to Marshall Chess, "It was never an attempt to make Muddy Waters a psychedelic artist; it was a concept album like David Bowie being Ziggy Stardust." Muddy Waters said of the album's sound, "That guitar sounds just like a cat — meow — and the drums have a loping, busy beat."

"I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" incorporates free jazz influences, with Gene Barge performing a concert harp. Muddy Waters performs the vocals of "Let's Spend the Night Together", a cover of The Rolling Stones' 1967 single, in gospel-soul style.

According to Buddy Guy, " feel this psychedelic stuff at all...and if the feeling is gone, that's it. You can't get too busy behind a singer. You've got to let him sing it." Muddy Waters' previous albums replicated the sound of his live performances. Working with a studio band rather than his own was problematic for Muddy Waters, who could not perform material from the album live. He stated "What the hell do you have a record for if you can't play the first time it's out? I'm so sick of that...If you've got to have big amplifiers and wah-wahs and equipment to make you guitar say different things, well, hell, you can't play no blues."

The title of the album did not refer to the use of electric guitar, as Muddy Waters had played the instrument since he first signed to Chess Records. The use of the term "electric" is used in a psychedelic context. The recording band for Electric Mud also recorded with Howlin' Wolf, resulting in The Howlin' Wolf Album.

The Electric Mud album cover artwork was eclectic and reflected McKinley Morganfield's fashion preferences during 1968. The front cover of the original 33 RPM vinyl commercial release during 1968 in the USA featured two graphic versions; a white background with black text, and a second, less known black background with white text. The back cover and inner gate fold artwork was published identical, as was the small booklet of photos accompanying the release. Viewing of various Electric Mud album cover graphics can be found by searching Google's Images metasearch capabilities.