A composer of well known standards such as "Come On" (covered by Jimi Hendrix) and Professor Longhair's "Big Chief", he is an important figure in New Orleans R&B music.
His father, a local piano player, died when King was still a baby, and he was brought up by his mother. With his mother, he started going to church at an early age. In his youth he sang gospel music, but took the advice of a friend to switch to blues to make a better living.
King started to play guitar at age 15. Soon he started entering talent contests at local clubs including the Dew Drop Inn. It was at one of those clubs where he met his idol Guitar Slim. King started imitating Slim, and his presence gave a big impact on his musical directions. In 1954, when Slim was injured in an automobile accident (right around the time Slim had the #1 R&B hit with "The Things That I Used To Do"), King was deputized to continue Slim's band tour, representing himself as Slim. After succeeding in this role, King became a regular at the Dew Drop Inn.
His first recording came in 1953. He released a 78 "Have you Gone Crazy" b/w "Begging At Your Mercy" on Savoy label as Earl Johnson. The following year, talent scout Johnny Vincent introduced King to Specialty label, and he recorded some sides including "Mother's Love" which created a little stir locally. In 1955, King signed with Johnny Vincent's label, Ace. His first single from the label "Those Lonely, Lonely Nights" become hit reaching #7 on the US Billboard R&B chart. He continued to record during his five year stay at the label, and during that time, he also he started writing songs for other artists such as Roland Stone and Jimmy Clanton.
In 1960,
Dave Bartholomew invited King to record for the Imperial Records. At the label, he was backed by host of musicians including Bob and George French, James Booker, and Wardell Quezergue. It was at this label he recorded his signature songs "Come On" and "Trick Bag". The former of which remained a much covered standard for decades especially for Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Anson Funderburgh. The latter has also been widely covered including versions by The Meters and Robert Palmer.
King also co-wrote a number of songs with Bartholomew, either under his own name or under the pseudonyms of "Pearl King" and "E.C. King".[citation needed] One of the best known collaborations between Bartholomew and King is the rhythm and blues standard, "I Hear You Knocking", originally recorded in 1955. The latter song is variously credited to Pearl King and E.C King as the co-writer, with Bartholomew.
King recorded for Imperial till 1963, but he went without a recording contract for the remainder of the 1960s. During this time, he mostly concentrated in producing and songwriting for local labels NOLA and Watch. His compositions from this era includes Professor Longhair's "Big Chief", Willie Tee's "Teasin' You", and Lee Dorsey's "Do-Re-Mi". He also went to Detroit for an audition with Motown Records and recorded a few tracks in the mid 1960s. Three tracks from the session appeared on the Motown's Blue Evolution CD released in 1996).
In 1972, he was joined by Allen Toussaint and the Meters to record the album Street Parade. Though Atlantic initially showed interest in releasing it, they eventually declined. The title cut "Street Parade" was released as a single from Kansu label at the time, but the rest had to wait till 1982 to see the light of the day, when the album was finally released by Charly Records in the UK.
During the 1970s, he recorded another album That Good Old New Orleans Rock 'n Roll which was released by Sonet in 1977. He also appeared on the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 1976 album.
In the early 1980s, he also met Hammond Scott, co-owner of Black Top Records, and started to record for the label. The first album Glazed, backed up by Roomful of Blues was released in 1986, and a second album, Sexual Telepathy came in 1990. It featured Snooks Eaglin as a guest on two tracks, and also Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters backed him up on some tracks. His third from the label Hard River To Cross (1993) was backed by George Porter, Jr., David Torkanowsky, and Herman V. Ernest, III.
In 2001, he was hospitalized for an illness during a tour to New Zealand, however, that did not stop him from performing. In December of the same year, he toured Japan, and he continued to perform off and on locally in New Orleans until his death.
He died on April 17, 2003, from diabetes related complications, just a week before the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. His funeral was held during the Festival period on April 30, and many musicians including Dr. John, Leo Nocentelli and Aaron Neville were in attendance. His Imperial recordings, which have been long out-of-print, were reissued on CD soon after he died. The June 2003 issue of a local music magazine OffBeat paid a tribute to King by doing a series of special articles on him.
Darling Honey Angel Child
Earl King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What's in my heart, and why I love you so
I love you baby like a miner loves gold
Come on sugar, let the good times roll, hey!
So many people live in make believe
They keep a lot a going up their sleeves
But my love baby is no kind that folds
(Let the good times roll)
Ah baby, come on and let daddy fill your soul
Baby, let the good times roll
Hey!
A love is nice if it's understood
It's even nicer when you're feelin' good
You got me flippin' like flag on a pole
Come on sugar, let the good times roll
Hey! Yeah! Let the good times roll!
Feel me baby! Come on, good times roll!
Come on and let me fill your soul
Hey, let the good times roll
The song "Darling Honey Angel Child" by Earl King is about the deep love that the singer has for his significant other. In the first verse, the singer talks about how people may not understand what's in his heart and why he loves his partner so much. He compares his love to that of a miner's love for gold, which is a strong and unwavering love. In the second verse, the singer talks about how many people pretend to love, but his love is real, and he wants to have a good time with his partner. He encourages his partner to let him fill her soul with joy, and to let the good times roll.
The song's theme of genuine love and happiness is present throughout the lyrics. The singer's love for his partner is not just surface-level, but it runs deep, and he wants to enjoy every moment with her. He encourages his partner to let go of any negativity and instead focus on the good times, which will bring them even closer together. The song's upbeat and lively melody supports the positive message, making it an enjoyable and uplifting song to listen to.
Line by Line Meaning
People talkin' but they just don't know
Many people like to speculate about our relationship but they don't really know us
What's in my heart, and why I love you so
Nobody knows how much I love you and what I feel about you
I love you baby like a miner loves gold
My love for you is as precious and valuable to me as gold is to a miner
Come on sugar, let the good times roll, hey!
Let's forget about everything and just enjoy our time together
So many people live in make believe
Many people pretend to be something they are not or try to create an illusion of their life
They keep a lot a going up their sleeves
They hide their true feelings or intentions and keep things to themselves
But my love baby is no kind that folds
My love for you is sincere and true, I don't keep anything from you
Come On Baby, let the good times roll
Let's just live in the moment and have fun without worrying about anything else
Ah baby, come on and let daddy fill your soul
Let me make you happy and content in every possible way
Baby, let the good times roll
Let's enjoy our time together and make the most of it
A love is nice if it's understood
Love is a beautiful feeling when both partners understand each other
It's even nicer when you're feelin' good
Love is even more beautiful when both partners are happy and content
You got me flippin' like flag on a pole
You make me so happy that I am like a flag waving in the wind
Come on sugar, let the good times roll
Let's just have a good time and be happy together
Hey! Yeah! Let the good times roll!
Let's have fun and enjoy our time together, nothing else matters
Feel me baby! Come on, good times roll!
Experience the happiness and joy that I can bring to you, let's have a good time
Come on and let me fill your soul
Let me be there for you and make you feel complete and happy
Hey, let the good times roll
Let's enjoy our time together and cherish every moment we have
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EARL KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Red Vynil
Cooll!! We used to do the Jimi Hendrix version!!
George Markey
This was really just a demo that Johnny Vincent of ace records put out after Earl's Come On on Imperial became a strong Gulf Coast Hit influencing Hendrix n by proxy SRV n a hole host of others. Come On 1+2 is the real thing n every blues n R,+B guitarist from San Antonio Texas to Mobile Alabama HAD 2 know it.