Blues Had a Baby... #1 I'm a King Bee

The blues has a long tradition of passing songs from one generation to the next. This passing of the torch led to Rock and Roll. Many times we are so familiar with the newer rock version of a song that we either forget who originally created it or we never knew in the first place. Every Thursday (or at least when I can remember) I'll take a look at the songs that fall in this category.

Todays song is I'm a King Bee. Originally written and recorded by Slim Harpo in 1957, it has become a standard cover by many artists. The most prominent being the Rolling Stones version recorded for their debut album in 1964. Featuring a slide solo by Brian Jones their take is a generally more acoustic interpretation. Mick Jagger is quoted as saying

"What's the point in listening to us doing "I'm a King Bee" when you can hear Slim Harpo do it?"

Muddy Waters later recorded a version in 1981.

Not to mention the Blues Brothers performing it on SNL in bee costumes.

The Blues Brothers - King Bee
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