SONG: Little Red Rooster
ARTIST: Howlin’ Wolf
YEAR: 1961
Listen to it here:
THE SONG:
“Little Red Rooster” or “The Red Rooster” is a blues standard that is credited to Willie Dixon. The first ever recording of it was this 1961 recording we will be reviewing today, which was done in Chicago blues style.
This song comes out of the Delta blues tradition, with folklore themes surrounding a red rooster that is supposed to keep a barnyard calm. Howlin’ Wolf’s version is something that friends and relatives recall him singing as early on as the 1930s, leading some to believe that the arranging credit should have gone to Howlin’ Wolf and not Willie Dixon. This song is distinctive for its slide guitar, played by Howlin’ Wolf, which is foundational to the song.
THE ARTIST:
To learn about Howlin’ Wolf, check out our review for the song Back Door Man!
FACTOID CORNER:
The lyrics have been interpreted on pretty much every level from “the most overtly phallic song since Blind Lemon Jefferson’s ‘Black Snake Moan’” to an innocuous farm ditty.
KELLY’S REVIEW:
Oh. Good. Another Howlin’ Wolf blues number. Right after the other one. I mean, I could pretty much copy and paste what I said in the previous review for this one. Howlin’ Wolf’s voice seems to be set back more in the mix in this one, like he’s backed away significantly from the microphone. One of the major differences between this song and the last one is that this one has a chord progression, not just the one chord but good ol’ twelve bar blues. Something that I like about this song over Back Door Man is I really like the slide guitar and it’s nicely featured in this song, giving it that delta blues flavour. Like I’ve said before, I appreciate what this song is, but really bluesy blues just doesn’t do it for me. Sorry, Mr. Howlin’.
HOLLY’S REVIEW:
I don’t love this. I’m just going to come out and say it. But I can say, it’s hard to play slow and keep it interesting, the slide guitar playing is very cool, and I love how it weaves in and out of the lyrics. Form-wise, it’s a straightforward blues, but rhythm-wise, there are some bars with extra beats in them, usually on the V chord, which is kind of interesting and adds some suspense I guess….. And beyond the completely unconsidered ending, I can say that I appreciate this music, but it’s just not my thing.
Average mark out of 10:
Holly: 6/10
Kelly: 6.5/10
Other notable versions of this song:
The Rolling Stones have a more uptempo spin on it:
Big Mama Thornton’s version includes rooster calls and everything:
Sam Cooke takes this song to new heights:
Listen with us!
Link to 1,001 Songs to Hear Before You Die spotify playlist:
Holly & Kelly Music Review 