Howlin' Wolf Song
In 1961, Howlin' Wolf recorded "The Red Rooster". The song is a slow blues that features distinctive slide guitar accompaniment and Wolf's "master singer's attention to phrasing and note choice, milking out maximum emotion and nuance from the melody". Backing Wolf (vocals, guitar) were Hubert Sumlin (guitar), Johnny Jones (piano), Willie Dixon (bass), and Sam Lay (drums).
"The Red Rooster" was one in a string of Willie Dixon-penned songs that Howlin' Wolf recorded in the early 1960s that were later popularized by rock artists ("Back Door Man" – The Doors, "Spoonful" – Cream, "Little Red Rooster" – The Rolling Stones, and "I Ain't Superstitious" – The Jeff Beck Group). Wolf later recorded "The Red Rooster" with several rock figures (Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts) for his 1971 album The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions. At the beginning of the song, Howlin' Wolf can be heard attempting to explain the timing of the song's changes. Clapton (joined in by the others) encourages Wolf to play it on guitar so "I can follow you if I can see what you're doing."
Read more about this topic: Little Red Rooster
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