Jimmy McCracklin
Jimmy McCracklin (James David Walker, St. Louis, Missouri, August 13, 1921 – San Pablo, California, December 20, 2012) was an American pianist, vocalist, harmonica player and songwriter. His style contained West Coast blues, Jump blues, and Rhythm & Blues.
Over a career that spanned seven decades, he said he had written almost a thousand songs and had recorded hundreds of them. McCracklin recorded over 30 albums, and earned four gold records. Tom Mazzolini of the San Francisco Blues Festival said of him Read Full BioJimmy McCracklin (James David Walker, St. Louis, Missouri, August 13, 1921 – San Pablo, California, December 20, 2012) was an American pianist, vocalist, harmonica player and songwriter. His style contained West Coast blues, Jump blues, and Rhythm & Blues.
Over a career that spanned seven decades, he said he had written almost a thousand songs and had recorded hundreds of them. McCracklin recorded over 30 albums, and earned four gold records. Tom Mazzolini of the San Francisco Blues Festival said of him, "He was probably the most important musician to come out of the Bay Area in the post-World War II years."
McCracklin was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He joined the United States Navy in 1938, later settled in Richmond, California, and began playing at the local Club Savoy owned by his sister-in-law Willie Mae "Granny" Johnson. The room-length bar served beer and wine, and Granny Johnson served home-cooked meals of greens, ribs, chicken, and other southern cuisine. A house band composed of Bay Area based musicians alternated with and frequently backed performers such as B. B. King, Charles Brown, and L. C. Robinson. Later in 1963 he would write and record a song "Club Savoy" on his I Just Gotta Know album.
His recorded a debut single for Globe Records, "Miss Mattie Left Me", in 1945, and recorded "Street Loafin' Woman in 1946. McCracklin recorded for a number of labels in Los Angeles and Oakland, prior to joining Modern Records in 1949-1950. He formed a group called Jimmy McCracklin and his Blues Blasters in 1946, with guitarist Lafayette Thomas who remained with group until the early 1960s.
His popularity increased after appearing on the TV pop Dick Clark's American Bandstand in support of his self written single "The Walk" (1957), subsequently released by Checker Records in 1958. It went to No. 5 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 7 on the pop chart, after more than 10 years of McCracklin selling records in the black community on a series of small labels. Jimmy McCracklin Sings, his first solo album, was released in 1962, in the West Coast blues style. In 1962, McCracklin recorded "Just Got to Know" for his own Art-Tone label in Oakland, after the record made No. 2 on the R&B chart. For a brief period in the early 1970s McCracklin ran the Continental Club in San Francisco. He booked blues acts such as T-Bone Walker, Irma Thomas, Big Joe Turner, Big Mama Thornton, and Etta James. In 1967, Otis Redding and Carla Thomas had success with "Tramp", a song credited to McCracklin and Lowell Fulson. Salt-n-Pepa made a hip-hop hit out of the song in 1987. Oakland Blues (1986) was an album arranged and directed by McCracklin, and produced by World Pacific. The California rock-n-roll "roots music" band The Blasters named themselves after McCracklin's backing band The Blues Blasters. Blasters' lead singer Phil Alvin explained the origin of the band's name: "I thought Joe Turner’s backup band on Atlantic records – I had these 78s – I thought they were the Blues Blasters. It ends up it was Jimmy McCracklin's. I just took the 'Blues' off and Joe finally told me, that’s Jimmy McCracklin’s name, but you tell ‘im I gave you permission to steal it.
McCracklin continued to tour and produce new albums in the 1980s and 1990s. Bob Dylan has cited McCracklin as a favorite. He played at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1973, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1984 and 2007. He was given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1990, and the Living Legend and Hall of Fame award at the Bay Area Black Music Awards, in 2007. McCracklin continued to write, record, and perform into the 21st century.
He died in San Pablo, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, on December 20, 2012, after a long illness, aged 91.
Over a career that spanned seven decades, he said he had written almost a thousand songs and had recorded hundreds of them. McCracklin recorded over 30 albums, and earned four gold records. Tom Mazzolini of the San Francisco Blues Festival said of him Read Full BioJimmy McCracklin (James David Walker, St. Louis, Missouri, August 13, 1921 – San Pablo, California, December 20, 2012) was an American pianist, vocalist, harmonica player and songwriter. His style contained West Coast blues, Jump blues, and Rhythm & Blues.
Over a career that spanned seven decades, he said he had written almost a thousand songs and had recorded hundreds of them. McCracklin recorded over 30 albums, and earned four gold records. Tom Mazzolini of the San Francisco Blues Festival said of him, "He was probably the most important musician to come out of the Bay Area in the post-World War II years."
McCracklin was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He joined the United States Navy in 1938, later settled in Richmond, California, and began playing at the local Club Savoy owned by his sister-in-law Willie Mae "Granny" Johnson. The room-length bar served beer and wine, and Granny Johnson served home-cooked meals of greens, ribs, chicken, and other southern cuisine. A house band composed of Bay Area based musicians alternated with and frequently backed performers such as B. B. King, Charles Brown, and L. C. Robinson. Later in 1963 he would write and record a song "Club Savoy" on his I Just Gotta Know album.
His recorded a debut single for Globe Records, "Miss Mattie Left Me", in 1945, and recorded "Street Loafin' Woman in 1946. McCracklin recorded for a number of labels in Los Angeles and Oakland, prior to joining Modern Records in 1949-1950. He formed a group called Jimmy McCracklin and his Blues Blasters in 1946, with guitarist Lafayette Thomas who remained with group until the early 1960s.
His popularity increased after appearing on the TV pop Dick Clark's American Bandstand in support of his self written single "The Walk" (1957), subsequently released by Checker Records in 1958. It went to No. 5 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 7 on the pop chart, after more than 10 years of McCracklin selling records in the black community on a series of small labels. Jimmy McCracklin Sings, his first solo album, was released in 1962, in the West Coast blues style. In 1962, McCracklin recorded "Just Got to Know" for his own Art-Tone label in Oakland, after the record made No. 2 on the R&B chart. For a brief period in the early 1970s McCracklin ran the Continental Club in San Francisco. He booked blues acts such as T-Bone Walker, Irma Thomas, Big Joe Turner, Big Mama Thornton, and Etta James. In 1967, Otis Redding and Carla Thomas had success with "Tramp", a song credited to McCracklin and Lowell Fulson. Salt-n-Pepa made a hip-hop hit out of the song in 1987. Oakland Blues (1986) was an album arranged and directed by McCracklin, and produced by World Pacific. The California rock-n-roll "roots music" band The Blasters named themselves after McCracklin's backing band The Blues Blasters. Blasters' lead singer Phil Alvin explained the origin of the band's name: "I thought Joe Turner’s backup band on Atlantic records – I had these 78s – I thought they were the Blues Blasters. It ends up it was Jimmy McCracklin's. I just took the 'Blues' off and Joe finally told me, that’s Jimmy McCracklin’s name, but you tell ‘im I gave you permission to steal it.
McCracklin continued to tour and produce new albums in the 1980s and 1990s. Bob Dylan has cited McCracklin as a favorite. He played at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1973, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1984 and 2007. He was given a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1990, and the Living Legend and Hall of Fame award at the Bay Area Black Music Awards, in 2007. McCracklin continued to write, record, and perform into the 21st century.
He died in San Pablo, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, on December 20, 2012, after a long illness, aged 91.
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The Walk
Jimmy McCracklin Lyrics
Well I know you heard of Suzy-Q
And I know you heard of the chicken too
I know you heard of the cha-cha-choo
Cause the walk is a dance that you can do
You just walk, you just walk,
Oh you walk, yes you walk,
Yeah you walk, it has to walk
Well I know you heard of the Texas Hop
I know you heard of the old Fox Trot
But when you do The Walk
You ride each car
You just shake your hips and close your eyes
And then you walk, yeah you walk
Then you walk, oh you walk, ah you walk
Oh yes you walk
Do the walk, boys!
Well I know you heard of the old mambo
And I know you heard of the old congo
But when you do the walk
You're startin to get close
And don't step on your partners toes!
You just walk, yeah you walk, then you walk
Yes you walk, oh you walk, just the walk
Now if you don't know what it's all about
Come to me and I'll show you how
Well do it fast, well do it slow
Then you'll know the walk everywhere you go
You can walk, and you walk, now you walk
You gonna walk, you gotta walk it
Just a walk
Just a walk
Just a walk
Just a walk
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMMY MCCRACKLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
davo2003hd
This was on John Lennon's personal Jukebox . You know he had good taste in music.
The Silver Hornets
The Beatles jam this in the Let It Be sessions too. :)
Smally Waters
I love the dynamic of the whole band. What a cool groove!
Dan G
Just been spinning this one now (45 on London '1958') my fathers record from when he was 17.. such a big sound comes off that needle. Beautiful.
Emmet Robert
I was in high school when The Inmates covered this, and led me to discover the original version. Great fun song!
A Google User
Wow what a cool song! I had never heard it til today but it's great. It's a bit before my time (I was born in 63), but 50s music is awesome. Rock on in that great band they have in rock n roll heaven Jimmy! 😊
Kcuhc
This song was a very big influence on the song "Beltane walk" by T.Rex.
Paul Marasa
Bolan, for all his fantasmagorical-ness, really knew the roots of rock n rhythm. “Meanwhile, I’m stilllll thinkin.”
hwgray
+Kcuhc And on the instrumental, Hide Away, by Freddie King.
bennevisplace
Thanks a million for uploading with all the background info and images. A late 50s classic. Love the sax solo.