Track Listing

1. Baby Scratch My Back
2. Got Love If You Want It
3. I'm A King Bee
4. Little Queen Bee (Got A Brand New King)
5. Shake Your Hips
6. Te Ni Nee Ni Nu
7. Buzz Me Baby
8. Buzzin'
9. Raining In My Heart
10. Still Rainin' In My Heart
11. Late Last Night
12. Tip On In Part 1
13. Bobby Sox Baby
14. Don't Start Cryin' Now
15. I Need Money (Keep Your Alibis)
16. Strange Love
17. Rock Me Baby
18. Blues Hangover

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21514 in Music
• Released on: 1992-07-27
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Mississippi bluesman James Isaac Moore made the bulk of his recordings at JD Miller's Crowley, Louisiana studio, accounting for the deep, swampy sound and creeping rhythms of his hit singles. Another important influence on the Stones, Harpo's debut 1957 single "I'm A King Bee's" compulsive, chicken-scratch guitar motif became an essential part of their early sound. Although Ace have released a comprehensive series covering Slim's years with the Excello label, this Best Of draws together all the classic singles: "Baby Scratch My Back", "I Got Love If You Want It", "Rainin' In My Heart" (Louisiana pop of the highest order) and "Shake Your Hips" (rolling along with train-chugging intensity, rattling-sticks providing its percussion track). By 1967, he was recording in Nashville, producing even more light-footed material like "Te-Ni-Nee- Ni-Nu" and "Tip On In" ("let me see those fishnet hose", he drawls.). Harpo had it all: a bittersweet soul moan of a voice, a squealing, wounded-hound harmonica sound and a feel for mixing genres that found him picking from country, rock 'n' roll and soul, perfectly placed to be one of the funkiest, most danceable blues performers so far in the music's history. Who knows how much more he would have contributed if not for his sudden early death from a heart attack in 1970. --Martin Longley

From Amazon.com
Slim Harpo recorded really good rhythm and blues. He never got too fancy; he never forgot the importance of the groove. He died young in 1970, but his music reached the Rolling Stones (who covered his "I'm a King Bee"), the Kinks (who sang his "I Got Love If You Want It"), Van Morrison, and Them (whose first single was Harpo's "Don't Start Crying Now"). These songs and other greats--"Tip on In," "Baby, Scratch My Back"--are all included in this excellent collection of Harpo's greatest sides. --Robert Gordon

Customer Reviews

He's a King Bee
Living my formative years through the late 50's & early 60's I came to love R n B. Slim Harpo did not figure highly on the radar then. I think that was because his delivery was a touch less than frenetic than his peers.
This album is a great intro to his music and contains his 2 most famous hits - I'm a King Bee and Baby Scratch my back. Thankfully the latter sounds just as good as the 45 - a recent compilation containing "Scratch" sounds as though he is singing from the bathroom.
I would recommend this album although it does contain a couple of mediocre tracks - "Rainin in my heart " has already been mentionned.

Buzzin'
Not only does Slim Harpo have a pretty cool name but the music's not bad either. The laid back vocals compliment the chilled melodies to create some of the best blues records of the era. After buzzin' your way through 'Baby Scratch My Back', 'I'm a King Bee' and 'Shake Your Hips' you'll soon relaise why Slim was such an influene of people like the Stones and Clapton.

But why only four stars? Well there are no terrible tracks here but as we get towards the end of the record there are a few dissappointments such as 'Rainin' In My Heart'. However, don't let that put you off, this is still well worth a look.