Muddy Waters - I'm A King Bee - ChicagoFest 1981

gravityworld.tv...
In August of 1981, when the undisputed king of Chicago blues headlined ChicagoFest -
then the Windy City's top outdoor music festival - for two nights, his loyal subjects mobbed Navy
Pier on the lakefront to hear one of the greatest innovators the idiom had ever produced.
Muddy Waters led the charge in the late 1940s and early '50s to electrify Delta blues in an
urban setting. His peerless combo would include such future stars as ace guitarist Jimmy Rogers,
harmonica virtuoso Little Walter and piano wizard Otis Spann. But Muddy was always at the center
of the action. His gruff, authoritative vocal delivery and slashing slide guitar define the purest form
of postwar Chicago blues. Waters' charisma was as immense as his musical vision.
Born April 4, 1915, in Issaquena County, Mississippi, McKinley Morganfield learned the
blues while sharecropping on Stovall Plantation. One guitarist particularly influenced him. "I never
seen a man could play at that time as good as Son House, to me. With that big voice he had, he could
sing," said Muddy. "He was preachin' the blues then, and I thought he was the best in the world."
In late August of 1941 musicologists Alan Lomax and John Work rolled into Coahoma
County in search of rural gospel and blues talent. They made field recordings of Muddy, with Lomax
returning the next year to cut more. But those were for the Library of Congress. It was only after
Muddy migrated north in 1943 that he pursued a career as a professional bluesman.
"As soon as I decided to leave, my mind said, 'Go to Chicago!'" he recounted. "So I
came." Pianist Sunnyland Slim introduced Muddy to Leonard Chess, then with the fledgling
Aristocrat label, in 1947. Waters cut a few small combo sides for the label before reverting to his
Delta slide attack the following year on "I Can't Be Satisfied" and "I Feel Like Going Home," his
first hit. "When I did them two sides, that's the sides they went nuts over," said Waters.
"I had a band in less than a week," Muddy remembered. "Mojo Buford - he was with
me before, the harp player - said, 'I'll get you some boys that'll cook just like that.' He called in
about two or three days. He said, 'I'm gonna bring 'em over and let you listen to 'em.' Just that fast,
I had a band!" Buford was joined by guitarists John Primer and Rick Kreher, pianist Lovie Lee,
bassist Earnest Johnson and drummer Ray Allison. They all instinctively understood Muddy's
groove.
After "Mannish Boy" gets the festivities off to a rousing start, Muddy counts off romping
shuffles for the ChicagoFest throng, rolling through Jimmy Reed's "You Don't Have To Go," Big
Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go," Slim Harpo's "I'm A King Bee" and his own 1955 gem
"Trouble No More." For the luxuriantly downbeat "They Call Me Muddy Waters," he peels off a
slide solo that makes the hair on the nape of your neck stand up in silent salute.
In the midst of his rollicking "Walking Thru The Park," Muddy brings out fleet-fingered
guitar wizard Johnny Winter, producer of his 1977 "comeback" album Hard Again. "We met back
in the '60s in Austin, Texas," recalled Muddy. "He was one of the young white kids who was really
deep into it." Johnny sings "Going Down Slow" before Waters blasts out a swaggering "She's
Nineteen Years Old," boasting another jaw-dropping slide ride. Winter takes over again vocally for
a grinding "You've Got To Love Her With A Feeling" that morphs into "Five Long Years" when
local luminary Mighty Joe Young strolls up to the mic, Big Twist following that with a few special
lyrics for the occasion. Muddy brings it all to a close with a rousing "Got My Mojo Working."
"To stay with this music, you got to live with it. Sometimes you might be a little hungry,
but you got to stay with it. I've been where I couldn't get the right food a lot of times. My icebox
wasn't full, you know?" said Muddy, who passed away not long after this show on April 30, 1983.
"I'm glad it was like that. So when I got to the point that I could get what I want, I think I enjoyed it
better."
It's hard to tell who enjoyed those two evenings at ChicagoFest more - the crowd, his
pals onstage or Muddy himself.
- Bill Dahl
Research Materials
Can't Be Satisfied: The Life And Times Of Muddy Waters, by Robert Gordon
(Boston & New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2002)
Spinning Blues Into Gold: The Chess Brothers And The Legendary Chess Records, by Nadine Cohodas
(New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000)
The Complete Muddy Waters Discography, by Phil Wight and Fred Rothwell
(Cheshire, England: Blues and Rhythm Pub.)
Joel Whitburn's Top R&B Singles 1942--1988, by Joel Whitburn
(Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research Inc., 1988)
The Official Muddy Waters Web site: www.muddywaters....

[@timothylewis2450]

Super performance! Smoking! Mojo Buford-harp, Ray Allison-drums, Lovie Lee-piano, John Primer, Rick Kreher-guitars, Earnest Johnson-bass. Mud-slide, vocals.

[@RollingOrmond]

Could you imagine seeing this, the God of the Blues playing in Chicago just before he died? Monumental.

[@omairsh8]

This entire album was great

[@johnnyacevedo681]

Don’t use gods name unless you pray to him & he has a name, look it up

[@jeremyparsons9152]

John Primer on rhythm guitar, still playing, and killing it! Seeing john play live is as close to seeing muddy as we've got. Go see him

[@javiertaramona5982]

I agree, I saw John Primer playing at the house of blues in Chicago six years ago and I even had the chance to talk to him and help to bring the amp inside. He was so friendly and such a great Bluesman.

[@timothylewis2450]

Mojo be wailing too!

[@rosegregg8350]

That harmonica player is great!

[@woodystrong9391]

@Matthew Prozialeck a

[@ImaginationBlue]

Sure is!

[@DrDixonBhD]

Yes he is!!! The first time I got to sit in with Muddy Waters Blues Band Mojo Buford was his harmonica player early 70’s in my hometown of Atlanta GA at Club Richards. That night Mojo was using a Astatic JT-30 and B/F Super Reverb, Sammy Layhorn was second guitar. Muddy turned to me saying key of E and broke into LONG DISTANT CALL!!!

[@andys9337]

Love most anything muddy waters did...rip....the king of the bees.....!!!!

[@andreaspeix9498]

Muddy Waters, one of the best! Harmonica exzellent! Blues can never die! Greetings from Hamburg Germany

[@5150zombie]

hard again kick my ass as a kid. never stopped, really.

[@grandbbq]

I was there. The Blues Barge.

[@kenostrow6413]

Very fine blues song and performance

[@homesickclifford1966]

Look at that audience..... Crowd of young white kids really gettin down to the most real REAL bluesman ever...that kind of appeal testifies to the genuineness of Muddys music.. Crosses all borders here n overseas. I've loved blues all my life, started out with Jimmy Reed. But Muddys appeal is something formidable, he has influenced the whole planet! From young kid on plantation in Mississippi picking crops to this. Mind blowing.

[@oldlady7589]

Wonder why can't we come together in peace now?

[@FanOfZeppelin]

That leather harp sling is badass!

[@Honeysucklebommie]

Took all of 9.8 seconds for that chill to start up my spine.

[@shannonvanderhoof4810]

9.8 🌟🌟🌟🎼

[@robertsuliga9909]

Muddy nous entraîne dans le tourbillon magique de Slim Harpo , merci Muddy , en prime : un Georges "Harmonica" Smith exceptionnel !

[@GravityLimited]

The DVD of the Muddy Waters performance at the 1981 ChicagoFest is available as Muddy Waters - Live at ChicagoFest at Amazon

[@richardcorysghost]

hey Bill, Thanks ever so much for your efforts in giving us a potted history of the great man. That's such a great quote from Muddy at the end. I'm the sorta fan who sees a Cd with Muddy's name on it, and decides to buy it if the cover or name is not familiar.

[@frabber321]

harp man is packing some serious ammunition

[@jamesagwe2981]

Rest in peace Muddy

[@Willemtreur]

Dit is sówiésó wél een lekker nummer!

[@rakoczi29]

swear that's the best sound ever! muddy waters the king of the blues. always was & always will be.

[@jonathanpalmer8146]

Love Muddy. He was the greatest. I believe the harp player was Mojo Buford, not Slim Harpo, and definitely not the late, great James Cotton. So many gone, so sad.

[@johnnyacevedo681]

You wrong it’s James cotton

[@steveboyle184]

@@johnnyacevedo681 Buford - no doubt whatsoever. Mojo Buford and James Cotton had completely different styles playing the harp.

[@blues3824]

Not Cotton.@@johnnyacevedo681

[@rmurbach1961]

Willie Big Eye Smith passed away weeks later as well. We lost 3 former members of the Muddy Waters band in 2011 starting with Pinetop Perkins back in March.

[@theSunKing142]

RIP - all these great bluesmen whose music will live forever for me.

[@brianhutchinson3076]

Brilliant, Thanks Muddy

[@SUNNYRHOADES9]

Awesome Thank You For posting This ,Cheers from Canada.

[@rudymikula7129]

Such a Heavy song. Muddy nails Slim Harpo and makes it his own. Great. They don't make them like him anymore.

[@ruteparedes]

thanks so much for posting this. regards from Portugal.

[@barbarablonsky7521]

First time I heard this song was by The Rolling Stones. I was 12 years old. I had no idea what they were singing about…but at that moment, I decided the“ The Beatles are for babies.” I have been a blues girl for the last 60 years, sing the song, Muddy!

[@mishalampshade]

harmonica man

[@lucaslopescunha]

Yes! Badass!

[@budway1942]

I miss muddy....sang this tune in a bar me..many moons a ago.with a band.

[@HenkWessels]

yes this is great

[@michellebutler3467]

Oh let me be your Queen baby!

[@shannonvanderhoof4810]

👣👑🎼

[@bakshotcruz5361]

This a banger 🔥🥊😎

[@lilrolterBigBluesMama]

Fantastique Muddy Waters !!!! BigMama §;-)

[@maxcinerobinson4916]

Makes you want to shake something all night long , yes Lord!!!!!

[@billmavin1998]

Flat out great version no doubt, if you want another take on the song try the Slim Harpo original - Great vocalist and harp player

[@비정한세상]

Well I'm a king bee, baby Buzzing around your hive Yeah I can make honey baby Let me come inside Want you to be my queen Together we can make honey The world has never seen Well, buzz a while... Sting you bad... Can buzz all night long Yeah I can buzz better baby When your man is gone

[@anthonyroach1148]

Just beautiful .. The harp was band for muddy waters sound .. Sexual music

[@joe1951z]

The harp player is George "Mojo" Buford.

[@MindfulMaps]

@305bigdad Thats actually killer ray in the back there, not sure who willie was with at this time, possibly jimmy rogers.

[@union1988]

Harp player is Mojo Buford

[@johnnyguitar335]

Muddy Waters. Whatta Man! Whatta Man! Pickin' the blues..singin' the blues...layin' it on da line. The voice...the inflection...If ya dig these blues check us out as well on youtube---johnnyguitar335

[@305bigdad]

@MalThorgan Not sure about the harmonica, but the line up included Pine Top Perkins and Willie Big eyes Smith. Great Stuff.

[@timothylewis2450]

Line up is Mojo Buford-harp, Ray Allison-drums, Earnest Johnson-bass, Lovie Lee-piano, John Primer, Rick Kreher-guitars.

[@grandbbq]

I was there

[@eulissbeniot9024]

Mississippi bottoms music

[@JL-bu8bz]

Great

[@1920s]

Slim Harpo

[@brandonradell2604]

HE COOLLLLZZZ

[@JohnnyCavallo]

Answer to Nangus01 - No, I can see & hear & feel the ways where music players are right or wrong. It's sensitive. It's not a judgement. I like the 1st Winter's album w.W.Dixon, also the one w.Sonny Terry. There, you meet some respect for the Blues. After that, I shouldn't tell as much. Johnny Otis had a good sense of what I mean. Chick Willis too, when he revolted against those injurious white blues clubs. That "over zealous" mania. SRV is not in my good books too !.

[@BishopArkansasRed]

@1horton3 yes! i was at his funeral on 41st king drive - in chicago and chicken head man was there with me - soon after willie dixon passed - i was at his funeral also - then koko taylor - i was at her funeral - see pictures of me and most of these greats at: arkansasred.mysite.com

[@matrox]

What instrument is making the Cow mooing noise in the background? Sounds cool.

[@BigFrenchTom]

haha the "cow mooing sound" is the rythm guitar

[@timothymaynard5122]

There's only one...Syd Barrett would agree.

[@curleyteeth]

The harp player is Mojo Buford take it from me.

[@raghaman3309]

George "Mojo" Buford

[@curleyteeth]

Ok then George "Mojo" Buford, smart arse.I actually saw him play live in New Brighton,Wirral,England many years ago so there.Jim.Liverpool.

[@anthonymichaelhalloates2902]

Jerry Portnoy plays the shit out of this song on Muddy’s Blue Sky version.

[@emilio-eg9th]

Nigth. Dance. Muddy. Waters. Fun Go. Freind. ; Fun. Back. Home. Work

[@tonypetrocelli8892]

Harp player can blow and muddy lays it down

[@deelisanti5895]

I'll be ur Queen..

[@RichardCorral]

damn

[@janicemccabe6990]

Love Muddy, still think Slim Harpo, who wrote it, did it the best!!!

[@matrox]

The guy on the Harmonica looks like Michael Winslow, the sound effect guy in "Police Academy" movie. I think its him and he is making the harmonica sounds with his mouth, look closely that harmonica in is hand is fake.

[@sfusyron]

@jooproelofs Was you using be honest.........

[@1horton3]

seems like muddy wasnt feeling well on this night, he passes in 83

[@timothylewis2450]

He does seem a bit tired here but this is a fantastic show, the first Chicago Fest. Look for other clips. Seriously they were on fire, some of the best performances I’ve seen of Waters on KZbin.

[@zoranjacimovski1757]

👍🇷🇸

[@caliuet]

The harmonica player is George "harmonica" Smith?

[@sandymack5859]

Not George Smith, it's Mojo Buford

[@bartpavlovich309]

Even more than (electric) lead guitar, I reckon the harmonica is the most sexual of all instruments... that'll be two cents please:)

[@MECHANISMUS]

king bee and queen drone lol

[@curleyteeth]

mojo buford is on harp.

[@christineabercrombie7316]

Is your name Jack?

[@giuseppesemeraro2123]

Hey guys down here : definitely the harp player on this video is George "Harmonica" Smith !!!

[@ScreaminJames]

You got one third of that right; its George 'Mojo' Buford.

[@unionrdr]

Yeah,I like Slim's version better. But "Uncle Muddy" does some good songs too,like Manish Boy...

[@budway1942]

real life

[@VinceBrownArt]

@matrox the bass guitar?

[@timothylewis2450]

Earnest Johnson.

[@twoslices]

Is it Carey Bell on harp?

[@timothylewis2450]

Mojo Buford.

[@n64ization]

what the name the harmonica man

[@timothylewis2450]

Mojo Buford

[@n64ization]

not Carey Bell.

[@riff1508]

@n64ization I believe He is Carey Bell.

[@heitoramaral3359]

why the hell is samuel l. jackson playing the harmonica?

[@JohnnyCavallo]

The harp man is (I suppose) the great Mojo Bufford. But Johnny Winter's guitar sounds are trash !...

[@grahambaker7870]

Real blues!