Graham Reid | | 1 min read
Although you never need an excuse to play this strutting Willie Dixon-penned classic from Chess Records' studio with the great Koko Taylor growling her way through it, it does seem timely on this very day as Tom Waits' new album Bad As Me has a terrific track inspired in part by its raw spirit.
Waits' Satisfied might nod to the Rolling Stones' Satisfaction in its lyrics when it names "Mr Jagger and Mr Richards" (it also has Keith playing on it) but its soul comes from rough hewn material like this genuine classic which Taylor took to the r'n'b charts and has been much covered since (notably by Howlin' Wolf on his London Sessions album in '70 with Stones' Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts, Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton).
Once that rhythmic pulse starts Taylor -- whose vocals many producer thought too unfeminine -- just marches down that tough street and namechecks those nefarious characters like Automatic Slim, Razor Totin' Jim, Butcher Knife Totin' Annie and Fast Talkin' Fanny as she drags them down to that union hall for a night of hard drinking and partying.
Unfortunately this was something of a last hurrah for Chess and the changing times -- the psychedelic era, arrival of serious soul and funk -- left it in the wake.
But as we say, you never need an excuse to play Koko Taylor, or Willie Dixon's great Wang Dang Doodle.
For more on-offs or songs with an interesting back-story see From the Vaults
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