Freddy King – Funky
Up All Night With Freddy King!
Listen/Download – Freddy King – Funky MP3
Greetings all.
Freddy (Freddie) King was a blues master.
At least that’s what the title of his 1969 album said.
But King was much more than that.
If you have been a reader of the Funky16Corners blog for a while, you will have seen Freddy King’s stuff posted on the blog and played on the radio show.
He is a big fave of mine, from his influential early hits like ‘San-Ho-Zay’ and ‘Hideaway’all the way up to his Shelter Records albums.
King was, like Albert Collins, much more than a straight “blues” player, delving into R&B, soul and rock, and on today’s record, funk.
Recorded in 1969, with King Curtis’s band (the King co-wrote the song as well) augmented with cats like David ‘Fathead’ Newman, James Booker and Melvin Lastie, ‘Funky’ is a hard-charging instrumental that sounds like someone covered ‘Memphis Soul Stew’ with rocket fuel and lit it up.
The drumming by NY sessioner Norman Pride is rock solid (listen to that bass drum!) and King’s guitar is razor sharp.
King’s (who was also an outstanding singer) guitar playing was powerful, economical, and imaginative, and his influence on a generation of white (mosty English) guitar players cannot be overstated.
He even gets a namecheck in Grand Funk Railroad’s ‘We’re An American Band’!
Sadly, king passed away at the age of 42 in 1976, by all accounts having worked/partied himself to death (working 300+ dates a year and consuming more alcohol than food).
His work is pretty easy to put your hands on, on vinyl and digitally (his Federal/King, Cotillion and Shelter stuff is available in iTunes) , and if you’re not hip, you should get so, ASAP.
I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll see you all on Friday.
Keep the faith
Larry
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Larry, That brought back memories. I toured the UK with Freddie when that album got released. He was clearly pleased to have a record deal again, but was disappointed at the limited promotion for the album from Cotillion/Atlantic. Freddie was a great guy, friendly and with plenty of stories to tell (when you asked him). He could read an audience really quickly and adapt the ‘usual’ set-list, often with numbers not previously rehearsed or performed during the tour and only the key shouted before he launched into the number. Off stage he would play with soul, country and pop numbers and start developing a funky blues treatment . . . he did a great take on Ode To Billie Joe. Freddie introduced me to Otis Span and Howlin’ Wolf, for which I will always be grateful. (Sorry, a bit of a ramble there).