Schooled in jazz, he was known for his blues, soul and funk recordings, compositions, productions and arrangements. He debuted on Ace Records in 1955 and released more single records than anyone else in New Orleans other than Fats Domino.
Eddie Bo came from a long line of ship builders with the male members of his family being bricklayers, carpenters and masons by day and musicians by night. Eddie's mother was a self-taught pianist in the style of friend, Professor Longhair. The Bocage family was involved in the traditional jazz community with cousins Charles, Henry and Peter, who played with Sidney Bechet, contributing to jazz orchestras before World War II.
Eddie graduated from Booker T. Washington High School before going into the army. After his army stint, he returned to New Orleans to study at the Grundwald School of music. There he learned piano, music theory and to sight read, and arrange music. It was at this time that he was influenced by Russian classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz and was introduced to bebop pianists Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson.
Like a lot of other local musicians Eddie frequented the premier blues venue in town, the Dew Drop Inn on LaSalle Street. Eddie began playing in the New Orleans jazz scene and went under the name of Spider Bocage, later forming the Spider Bocage Orchestra. He made a switch to R&B after deciding it was more popular and brought in more money. In the 1950s he and a group of New Orleans musicians toured the country supporting singers Big Joe Turner, Earl King, Guitar Slim, Johnny Adams, Lloyd Price, Ruth Brown, Smiley Lewis, and The Platters.
His first released record was in 1955 for Johnny Vincent's Ace Records. His next release, in 1956 on Apollo Records, was "I'm Wise" which Little Richard later recorded as "Slippin' and Slidin". In 1961, Eddie had a hit with the novelty dance song "Check Mr Popeye" (Swan Records, originally released on Ric Records). Eddie also wrote "My Dearest Darling" for Etta James which put her at the top of the R&B charts and "In The Same Old Way" for Tommy Ridgley.
In the late 1960s he recorded the renowned "Pass The Hatchet" under the nom de disque, Roger and the Gypsies for Joe Banashak's Seven B label as well as "Fence of Love" and "SGB" (Stone Graveyard Business) under his own name. He either wrote or produced most of the titles on Seven B records.
In 1969, at the height of funk, he penned and sang "Hook and Sling" (Scram Records) which reached No. 13 on the R&B charts in that year. It was his biggest hit since "Check Mr Popeye" and was recorded in just one take. The next year saw another hit with "Check Your Bucket" on his own Bo-Sound imprint.
He produced and arranged records by such artists as Al "Carnival Time" Johnson, Art Neville, Chris Kenner, Chuck Carbo, Irma Thomas, Johnny Adams, Mary Jane Hooper, Robert Parker, and The Explosions. (The Vibrettes 'Humpty Dump' on Lujon is commonly incorrectly attributed to Eddie Bo, due to the similarity of the drumming style with James Black).
Eddie Bo worked and recorded for more than 40 different record labels, including Ace, Apollo, Arrow, At Last, Blue-Jay, Bo-Sound, Checker, Chess, Cinderella, Nola, Ric (for which his carpentry skills were used to build them a studio), Scram, Seven B, and Swan.
In the 1970s Eddie, absorbed in the renovation business, disappeared from the music scene only to rise up again at the end of the decade with two albums, "The Other Side of Eddie Bo" and "Watch for the Coming," which he produced himself. In the 1980s and 1990s he recorded with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and resurrected his Bo-Sound label. He joined Willy DeVille to play on two DeVille records, Victory Mixture and Big Easy Fantasy, and he toured with DeVille as well. He later joined up with Raful Neal and Rockin' Tabby Thomas playing and recording under the names The Louisiana Legends, The District Court and The Hoodoo Kings.
He bought a doctor's office and salon on Banks Street which he and his manager converted into an eatery for Bo's fans called "Check Your Bucket" after his 1970 hit. Like Bo's home and recording studio it was hit by Hurricane Katrina while Bo was on tour in Paris. Due to Bo's carpentry and bricklaying skills he took on the task of completing the hurricane damage repairs himself.
Eddie Bo died on March 18, 2009 of a heart attack.
Eddie Bo is survived by two sisters, Gloria Bocage-Sterling who lives in Oakland, California. Lisa Bocage-Howard and two brothers,Oliver and Cornelius eight children: Valeri Ann Bocage, CEO & Founder of Powerful Women International in San Francisco, California, Edwin Joseph Bocage, Jr., Owen David Bocage, Nancy Marie Bocage-Siegel, Cheryl Bocage-Joseph, Tanya Bocage-Sales, Sonjia Bocage-Anderson, Tomekia Bocage-Jones. He is also survived by a cousin Frank Owen Bocage Jr. and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
May 22, 1997 was declared "Eddie Bo Day" in New Orleans by mayor Marc Morial while Bo was playing in Karachi, Pakistan. Bo was also named New Orleans' music ambassador to Pakistan.
His song "Hook & Sling" was featured on the breakbeat compilation Ultimate Breaks and Beats.
He won many music awards including two Lifetime Achievement awards from the South Louisiana Music Association and Music/Offbeat Best of the Beat.
Hook & Sling
Eddie Bo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Move it, groove it
Just keep on hooking
And keep on slinging
Hook it, sling it, woowee
Ooh, but I got a groove
Lemme see if I can get out there
And do that thing with you
Want me to try it
Yeah, let me get it
Woo, I like this thing
Woo, but I got a groove, ha
Woowee, did I do it right, y'all
Let me gave it one more time
I think I can, I think I can do it
Now I'm gonna give it to you
You want it, okay, you got it
Go on now with your bad self, ha
Woo, but I just can't
Stop doing this thing
I love this hook and sling
Let me do it again one more time
Lord, that feels good
Woo, it make me feel
So unnecessary
I love this hook and sling
Girl, you over there
With that green dress
And those great big old yams
You look so good
You love to do that thing
They call hook and sling
Don't you
Well, do it again for me
Do it, baby
The lyrics to Eddie Bo's song "Hook and Sling" are a celebration of the popular dance of the same name that was popular in the 1960s. The song starts off with Eddie Bo exclaiming "Huh, ha, uh, do it" which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The lyrics continue on to encourage listeners to keep "hooking" and "slinging" to the beat of the music. Eddie Bo repeats "Hook it, sling it, woowee" throughout the song as if it is an infectious chant that he is trying to get everyone to join in on.
Eddie Bo also showcases his own dance moves in the song and even asks the listeners if they want to see him try the hook and sling dance. He seems to be really enjoying himself and even asks to do the dance again "one more time" because he can't stop himself. The lyrics are playful, upbeat, and overall, create a sense of joy and fun.
Interestingly, the hook and sling dance was not invented by Eddie Bo or any other musician but was actually created by a group of teenagers in New Orleans in the early 1960s. However, the popularity of the dance can be attributed to the success of the song "Hook and Sling". This song has become a staple of the funk genre and has been sampled by several other artists over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
Huh, ha, uh, do it
Eddie Bo is hyping himself up and encouraging himself to dance and perform the hook and sling.
Move it, groove it
He's telling himself to keep moving with the rhythm and flowing with the groove.
Just keep on hooking
He's reminding himself to keep doing the hook, which is the first step of the dance.
And keep on slinging
Similarly, he's telling himself to keep up with the swinging motion of the 'sling' part of the dance.
Hook it, sling it, woowee
He's calling out the names of the different moves of the dance with excitement.
Ooh, but I got a groove
Eddie Bo is confident in his abilities to move to the rhythm.
Lemme see if I can get out there
He's asking himself if he can perform the dance and show off his moves.
And do that thing with you
He's simultaneously talking to himself and to anyone who is listening, inviting them to dance along.
Want me to try it
He's seeking approval and wants to know if other people are interested in seeing him perform the dance.
Yeah, let me get it
He's eager to get started and try out the dance moves.
Woo, I like this thing
Eddie Bo is clearly enjoying himself, and is happy with how the dance is making him feel.
Woowee, did I do it right, y'all
He wants confirmation that he's performing the dance moves properly and well.
Let me gave it one more time
He's feeling confident and wants to perform the dance again.
I think I can, I think I can do it
He's like the little engine that could, and he's confident in his abilities to do the dance.
Now I'm gonna give it to you
Eddie Bo is ready to show off his dance moves and perform the hook and sling.
You want it, okay, you got it
He's offering his performance to anyone who is interested.
Go on now with your bad self, ha
He's encouraging others to dance as well and to do their thing.
Woo, but I just can't
He's admitting that he's totally hooked on this dance and can't stop doing it.
Stop doing this thing
He acknowledges that he's addicted to the dance and can't get enough.
I love this hook and sling
He makes it clear that this dance is his absolute favorite.
Let me do it again one more time
He's repeating the performance and enjoying it thoroughly.
Lord, that feels good
He's loving the feeling of moving to the rhythm and dancing.
Woo, it make me feel
He likens the experience of doing the dance to an intense feeling of happiness and joy.
So unnecessary
Eddie Bo thinks that this dance is so fun and enjoyable that it's almost unnecessary because it feels too good to be true.
Girl, you over there
He shifts his attention from himself to a specific girl in the crowd.
With that green dress
He's describing what the girl is wearing.
And those great big old yams
He's using slang to refer to the girl's physical attributes (her curves).
You look so good
He's complimenting the girl and is impressed with how she looks.
You love to do that thing
He's implying that he knows the girl enjoys dancing to the hook and sling.
They call hook and sling
He's reminding the girl and everyone else that this is the name of the dance they're doing.
Don't you
He's asking the girl if she wants to perform the dance with him again.
Do it again for me
He's requesting that she perform the dance so that he can watch her and enjoy the performance.
Do it, baby
He's encouraging the girl to do the dance and is excited to watch her perform.
Writer(s): EDWIN J BOCAGE, ALFRED SCRAMUZZA
Contributed by Brooklyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ruthdixon7807
one of the most rhythmically outrageous records ever.
@rhythmfield
Nobody here mentioned the great drummer with these FUNKY New Orleans cats - the late great JAMES BLACK - who was also a great jazz drummer
@affigueiredo74
I had the 7” vinil with this song when I was a child.🥰
@hourglassindependent5176
Anyone else hear to find the inspiration to Phantogram’s “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” ?
@drissboufraine7318
Excellent 👍🥁🎹🎸🎷🎶🎵
@Mrnw10
DJ Quik sampled this, in jus lyke compton
@missayawk
Stezo " Girl Trouble"
@MusicFan.....
"YOU READYYY...YEAHHHHHHHH" sampled so many times,that drum break has been sampled to.
@frankresendez1928
Killer Jam!
@barty2381
Tuff Crew