Slim Harpo is Shaking

Crossroads are a recurring theme in blues based music. Hearing any mention of these cultural landmarkers should immediately summon some imagery relating to an exchange of cash for ethereal goods. But business aside, there’re a great many musical and genre crossroads that resulted in the musical amalgam of the American experience.

A number of folks could be credited with transitioning blues into rock and or roll music. There’s not a single player, though, that deserves sole credit. Slim Harpo, a singer, guitarist and harmonica player, however, belongs amongst the people being discussed in this manner.

His work – particularly the sides he recorded during the mid to late ‘60s – influenced a white rock audience. And beyond just his lyrical inspiration, the augmented Bo Diddley beat came to represent a sizable portion of the Rolling Stones approach to music. But beyond the Stones, other Brit acts like the Pretty Things as well as the Yardbirds and the Irish group Them incorporated Harpo’s compositions into their set lists in addition to their studio work.

Having recorded mostly singles during his prolific period, Slim Harpo now exists, for the most part, in a series of compilations. And while even some of these career look backs remain difficult to track down, finding one will provide an important explanation of citified blues and rock. Even the cut rate ones will suffice.

The appropriately titled Shake Your Hips, released on the British Flyright label during the early ‘80s, attempts to provide a reputable career survey by rounding up Slim Harpo’s better known sides. It works for the most part even as there’re still some bummers included.

Despite being a chart hit, the slowly paced "I Love the Life I’m Livin’" finds Slim Harpo working out a shuffle that’s not too appealing. And while a great deal of his catalog is given over to songs about woman, his sappy approach on this particular track isn’t at all rewarding. There’s not even a tremendously memorable solo present. The horns punctuating each beat isn’t all that memorable either. With all of that, though, when the harmonica kicks in the track turns into a pseudo-cajun jam for a moment prior to petering out.

By contrast, the instrumental "Baby, Scratch My Back," is all jive with no letting up. Slim Harpo occasionally interjects a sporadic word or two about his girl getting the job done. In that sense it’s not truly void of lyrical accompaniment. But the feature here is unquestionably the guitar and its well deep tremlo.

Alongside all of this, the obligatory inclusion of "Shake Your Hips" isn’t surprising at all, just satisfying. Of course, most folks will possess some familiarity with the Stones version, but Slim Harpo’s rendition is just as visceral.

Shake Your Hips might not be the finest compendium of this gentleman’s career, but even as there’re surely bigger and better discs out there, what’s included is ample, to say the least. That’s not to say running out and copping this is imperative, but it’s probably not the worst idea.