Joseph Amos Milburn, Jr., one of thirteen children, was playing tunes on the piano by the age of five years. He enlisted in the United States Navy when he was fifteen and earned thirteen battle stars in the Philippines, before returning to Houston and organizing a sixteen-piece band playing in Houston clubs and was Managed by William & Geneva Church. Milburn participated with the Houston jazz and blues musicians. He was a polished pianist and performer and during 1946 attracted the attention of a woman who arranged a recording session with Aladdin Records in Los Angeles, California. Milburn's relationship with Aladdin lasted eight years during which he produced more than 75 sides. His cover version of "Down the Road a Piece" (1946) was a blues song with a Texas boogie beat that was similar in many respects to rock music. However, none became popular until 1949 when seven of his singles got the attention of the R&B audience. "Hold Me Baby" and "Chicken Shack Boogie" landed numbers eight and nine on Billboard's survey of 1949's R&B Bestsellers. He became one of the main performers associated with the Central Avenue music scene in Los Angeles. He was also a popular touring artist, and won awards from both Down Beat magazine (Best Blues and Jazz Star) and Billboard magazine (Top R&B Artist). Among his best-known songs was "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer". During 1950 Milburn's "Bad, Bad, Whiskey" scored the top of the R&B record chart and began a series of drinking songs (none written by Milburn, but several composed by Rudy Toombs). However, there is not any evidence that Milburn had an alcohol problem.
Milburn continued his successful drinking songs through 1952 ("Thinking and Drinking", "Trouble in Mind") and was by now touring the country playing clubs. While touring the Midwest that summer, he announced that he would disband his combo team and continue as a solo act and that autumn he joined Charles Brown for a Southern concert tour. For the next few years each of his tours was composed of a series of one-nighters. After three years of solo performing he returned to Houston during 1956 to reform his band. During 1957 Milburn's releases with Aladdin Records did not sell well, and the record label, having its own problems, terminated. He tried to regain commercial success with a few more releases with Ace Records but his time had passed. Radio airplay was emphasizing on the teenage market.
Milburn contributed to the R&B Yuletide canon twice. The first was in 1949, with "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby", on Aladdin Records, and then again during 1960 with "Christmas (Comes but Once a Year)" for King Records. The song appeared as the b-side of Brown's holiday classic "Please Come Home for Christmas".
Milburn's final recording was for an album by Johnny Otis. This was during 1972 after he had been incapacitated by a stroke, so much so that Otis had to play the left-hand piano parts for his enfeebled old friend. His second stroke resulted in amputation of a leg because of circulatory problems. He died soon after at the age of 52 years from a third stroke.
The Texan boogie-woogie pianist and singer was an important performer of blues music during the years immediately after World War II. Milburn was one of the first performers to switch from sophisticated jazz arrangements to a louder "jump" blues. He began to emphasize rhythm and technical qualities of voice and instrumentation second. His energetic songs, about getting "high", were admired by fellow musicians, such as Little Willie Littlefield, Floyd Dixon and his prime disciple, Fats Domino.
He was a commercial success for eleven years and influenced many performers. Fats Domino credited Milburn consistently as an influence on his music.
One commentator noted, "Milburn excelled at good-natured, upbeat romps about booze and partying, imbued with a vibrant sense of humour and double entendre, as well as vivid, down-home imagery in his lyrics."
Down the Road Apiece
Amos Milburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's just an old piano and a knockout bass
The drummer's man's a cat they call Charlie McCoy
You know, remember that rubber-legged boy?
Mama cookin' chicken fried and bacon grease
Come on along boys it's just down the road apiece
Well there's a place you really get your kicks
Now if you wanna hear some boogie you can get your fill
And shove and sting like an old steam drill
Come on along you can lose your lead
Down the road, down the road, down the road apiece
Well there's a place you really get your kicks
It's open every night about twelve to six
Now if you wanna hear some boogie you can get your fill
And shove and sting like an old steam drill
Come on along you can lose your lead
Down the road, down the road, down the road apiece
The opening lines of Amos Milburn's song Down the Road Apiece make it clear that what follows is going to be boogie-woogie piano music. Milburn describes his band as consisting of just an old piano and a knockout bass, with a drummer named Charlie McCoy who is "a cat." The reference to McCoy as a cat is a nod to the slang of the time, when "cool cats" were people who were hip or stylish. Milburn also mentions "that rubber-legged boy," which may be a reference to a dance craze of the time. Milburn then invites his audience to come and listen to his music and share in some home-cooked Southern cuisine, including chicken fried in bacon grease.
The rest of the song continues in a similar vein, with Milburn describing a club that's open from 12 to 6 every night where you can hear boogie-woogie and dance until you drop. The lyrics evoke a sense of joyful abandon, with lines like "shove and sting like an old steam drill" and "you can lose your lead." The repetition of the phrase "down the road, down the road, down the road apiece" also creates a feeling of being swept along by the music and the good times.
Line by Line Meaning
Now if you wanna hear some boogie like I'm gonna play
If you want to listen to some energetic music like the one I am about to play
It's just an old piano and a knockout bass
My music only requires an old piano and a strong bass to create a great experience
The drummer's man's a cat they call Charlie McCoy
Charlie McCoy, a talented drummer, is playing with us tonight
You know, remember that rubber-legged boy?
Do you remember that incredible dancer with elastic legs?
Mama cookin' chicken fried and bacon grease
Our host has prepared some delicious fried chicken and bacon for us to enjoy
Come on along boys it's just down the road apiece
Join us, guys, it's just a short distance away
Well there's a place you really get your kicks
There's a spot where you can truly enjoy yourself
It's open every night about twelve to six
It's open daily from midnight to six in the morning
Now if you wanna hear some boogie you can get your fill
If you're looking for some lively music, this is the place to be
And shove and sting like an old steam drill
You can dance and move vigorously like a vintage steam drill
Come on along you can lose your lead
Join us and forget about your troubles
Down the road, down the road, down the road apiece
Just a little way down the road is where you can find us enjoying great music and food
Contributed by Max R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Richard Milne
I've watched it 100 times, and can't believe how good he is. Someone commented it isn't hard to play like that. Words fail! I've seen Count Basie try it for about 10 seconds before he gives up - too hard! Best piece of video ever. Thanks a million!
John Greenwood
Richard Milne I’m in much the same boat. One of the most fascinating boogie-woogies of all time.
GrtSatan
Agreed. What a pure pleasure it is to observe a master at his craft.
IN ED
Larry gainor is Jeffrey epstein 2.0
The Foul Quince
Truth be told, Count Basie wasn't all that as a pianist to begin with - his talent was immense but broadly spread, but that stride/boogie woogie style still means you have to have hands made of stainless steel to play it.
Chas Pianosi
His ability to sustain the left hand in that way, keep the rhythm and the harmony going at the same time, is a very rare skill. It's one thing to play a boogie woogie left hand, it's another to play it like that!
Marakesh7
One of the pillars of rock 'n' roll.
dingoswamphead
Keith's guitar solos make the Stones' version pretty good but this version shows how it's done. Love the interplay between Amos and Willie, with the band just lookin' on. Willie's a cool dancer too. Imagine vocal mike placement like that nowadays.
AllBobsAllTheTime
Both Chuck and the Stones, though, messed up the lyrics.
James Newman
Yeah, I really Love the Stones Version of this. Keith's Chops are Reminiscent of Chuck Berry.