| 27th | Top blues standards |
| "The Red Rooster" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Howlin' Wolf | ||||
| from the album Howlin' Wolf a.k.a. The Rocking Chair Album | ||||
| B-side | "Shake for Me" | |||
| Released | 1961 | |||
| Format | 7" 45rpm | |||
| Recorded | Chicago June 1961 |
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| Genre | Blues | |||
| Length | 2:25 | |||
| Label | Chess (Cat. No. 1804) | |||
| Writer(s) | Willie Dixon | |||
| Howlin' Wolf singles chronology | ||||
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"Little Red Rooster," or "The Red Rooster" as it was first named, is a blues standard written by Willie Dixon.[1] First recorded in 1961 by Howlin' Wolf, the song is a slow blues that features distinctive slide guitar accompaniment. Backing Wolf (vocal, guitar) are Hubert Sumlin (guitar), Johnny Jones (piano), Willie Dixon (bass), and Sam Lay (drums). "The Red Rooster" is included in the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.[2]
"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 (Chess LP-60008). As the group was preparing to record the song, the studio chat was recorded. As Howlin' Wolf is making an attempt to explain the timing of the song's changes, Eric 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."[3]
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In 1963, Sam Cooke released his version of Willie Dixon's song, calling it "Little Red Rooster." The song was a hit, reaching #7 on the Billboard R&B chart. It was also a cross-over hit, reaching #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.[4] "Little Red Rooster" used Dixon's lyrics, but the backing arrangement was changed in keeping with Cooke's "soul music" approach.
| "Little Red Rooster" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by The Rolling Stones | ||||
| B-side | "Off the Hook" | |||
| Released | 13 November 1964 (UK) | |||
| Format | 7" 45rpm | |||
| Recorded | Chess Studios, Chicago 1964 |
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| Genre | Blues | |||
| Length | 3:05 | |||
| Label | Decca (Cat. No. F12014) (UK) | |||
| Producer | Andrew Loog Oldham | |||
| The Rolling Stones singles chronology | ||||
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Following Sam Cooke's success, the Rolling Stones recorded their version of "Little Red Rooster" in 1964. The recording session took place at the Chess Studios in Chicago, the same studios where Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, et al. recorded their blues classics (the Rolling Stones instrumental "2120 South Michigan Avenue" was named after the studio's address). The song reached number one in the UK singles chart on 3 December 1964, where it stayed for one week. It remains to this day the only time a blues song has ever topped the British pop charts. The song generally follows the original with Brian Jones contributing the distinctive slide guitar part and Mick Jagger adding an effective harmonica part on the outro. It was the band's last cover song to be released as a single during the sixties; subsequent singles would be self-penned efforts.
"Little Red Rooster" was not released as a single in the US, but was included on the 1965 album The Rolling Stones, Now! (London PS-420). It has been speculated that the song was not released because of a ban by American radio stations over its supposed sexual innuendos. The fact that Sam Cooke had a US pop hit single the previous year with "Little Red Rooster" (with the same Willie Dixon lyrics) makes this ring false. The Rolling Stones performed the song on several American television shows in 1965, including The Ed Sullivan Show, Shindig!, and Shivaree (at their insistence, Howlin' Wolf also performed on Shindig!, where he was introduced by Brian Jones). "Little Red Rooster" also appeared on their 1989 compilation, Singles Collection: The London Years (ABKCO 1213-2).
"Little Red Rooster" has also been covered by many other artists including Big Mama Thornton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Luther Allison, James Blood Ulmer, The Persuasions, The Grateful Dead, The Doors, The Roosters, Otis Rush,The Jesus And Mary Chain and Arno Hintjens. The song's author Willie Dixon recorded it on his 1970 album I Am The Blues.
| Preceded by "Baby Love" by The Supremes |
UK
number-one single (The Rolling Stones
version) 3 December 1964 (1 week) |
Succeeded by "I Feel Fine" by The Beatles |
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   | 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll - 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll |
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