Their first album was recorded live at Berkeley in 1969. They continued their work with Jefferson Airplane during this project, and even though Jefferson Airplane dissolved, Hot Tuna has continued to tour to this day. Casady is considered by many to be one of the most advanced and innovative in his style.
Their official website is http://hottuna.com and http://hottunatunes.com has music downloads of some of their recent live dates and a few older dates which really capture the spirit of these two very talented musicians.
Joey Covington, a self-taught drummer since the age of 10, (also know in his childhood as Joey Michno) helped found Blues-rock group Hot Tuna in 1969, alongside Jefferson Airplane members Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen, while the latter band was still in its beginnings.
However, the recordings he did for Tuna were unreleased and eventually rejoined Casady and Kaukonen at the Airplane and featured on three studio albums, the first being Volunteers, as he replaced Spencer Dryden midway through the recording process. He wrote and sang the last hit for Jefferson Airplane 1971's "Pretty As You Feel" featured on the Bark Album.
Covington left Jefferson Airplane in mid-1972 to pursue a solo career, starting with Fat Fandango.[3] He subsequently faded from view, only resurfacing sporadically, like in 1976's Spitfire by Jefferson Starship, where he co-wrote the hit single "With Your Love".
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s he toured with various configurations as The San Francisco Allstars.
Covington was well-known around the Palm Springs area as a talented musician who delighted his audience by playing free gigs whenever possible. His last performance was for a Marilyn Monroe celebration in Palm Springs June 1, 2013. Covington thrilled his audience and signed autographs following the performance.[4]
Covington was killed in an automobile accident in Palm Springs, California on June 4, 2013. Covington slammed into a wall and was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collison. He was 67.[5]
See also: Hot Tuna at Wikipedia
Winin' Boy Blues
Hot Tuna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just a wining boy, I said don't deny my name
Wining boy don't deny my name
Pick it up and shake it, like sweet baby Jane
Wining boy don't deny my name
Well, mama mama come and take a look at little sis
I said mama mama come and take a look at little sis
She's out there on the levee doin the double twist
Wining boy don't deny my name
Sister, sister, she's a dirty little sow
I said sister, sister, she's a dirty little sow
Well sister sister dirty little sow
She wants to be a bad girl but she don't know how
Wining boy don't deny my name
Well spider spider she's climbing up that wall
I said spider spider she's climbing up that wall
Said spider spider climbing up the wall
???
Wining boy don't deny my name
Well just a wining boy don't deny my name
Just a wining boy, I said don't deny my name
I'm a wining boy don't deny my name
Pick it up and shake it, stir the chain
Wining boy don't deny my name
The lyrics to Hot Tuna's "Winin' Boy Blues" revolve around the idea of not denying oneself and embracing one's identity. The song opens with a plea to a "wining boy" not to deny the singer's name. It seems as though the wining boy has something to gain from denying the singer's name, whether it be social status or some other benefit. However, the singer insists that he not be denied, asserting his identity and asking the wining boy to "pick it up and shake it, like sweet baby Jane." This line implies that there is power in the singer's name, and if the wining boy acknowledges it, he too can benefit.
The second verse is a call to the singer's mother to "come and take a look at little sis," who is out on the levee doing the double twist. This line likely refers to a dance craze of the time, and the singer is proud of his sister's dancing ability. However, in the following verse, the singer seems to retract his praise, calling his sister a "dirty little sow" who wants to be a bad girl but doesn't know how. The final verse introduces the image of a spider climbing up a wall, but it remains unclear how this fits into the song's overall meaning.
Overall, "Winin' Boy Blues" seems to be a celebration of identity and individuality. The singer asserts his name and urges others not to deny it, even in situations where there may be pressure to conform or compromise for personal gain. The song also touches on themes of family and community, as the singer takes pride in his sister but also recognizes her flaws.
* Hot Tuna is an American blues-rock band formed in 1969 by former Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady.
* "Winin' Boy Blues" was originally written and recorded by jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton in 1928.
* The song has been covered by various artists, including Louis Armstrong, Dave Van Ronk, and Leon Redbone.
* Hot Tuna's version of "Winin' Boy Blues" appears on their 1972 album "Burgers."
* The album was produced by Casady, Kaukonen, and Tom Hobson.
* "Winin' Boy Blues" is one of several traditional blues songs on the album, which also features original compositions by Kaukonen and Casady.
* The album's title track, "Burgers," was one of Hot Tuna's most popular songs, reaching number 126 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
* Hot Tuna's version of "Winin' Boy Blues" features Kaukonen on guitar and vocals, Casady on bass, and Sammy Piazza on drums.
* The song has been described as "rollicking" and "upbeat" by critics.
* The meaning behind the line "Pick it up and shake it, like sweet baby Jane" is unclear, but it has been noted that "sweet baby Jane" was a common phrase in blues lyrics of the time.
Chords for "Winin' Boy Blues" (key of C):
Intro: C F C G7 C
Verse 1: C F C G7 C
Chorus: C F C G7 C
Verse 2: C F C G7 C
Chorus: C F C G7 C
Verse 3: C F C G7 C
Chorus: C F C G7 C
Outro: C F C G7 C
Line by Line Meaning
Wining boy don't deny my name
The singer is asking someone to acknowledge him as a wining boy without any denial.
Just a wining boy, I said don't deny my name
The singer is reinforcing his identity as a wining boy and urging someone not to deny it.
Pick it up and shake it, like sweet baby Jane
The singer is asking someone to dance or move their body in a way similar to Sweet Baby Jane.
Well, mama mama come and take a look at little sis
The artist is asking his mother to look at his younger sister.
Said mama mama take a look at sis
The artist is requesting his mother to look at his sister and pay attention to her.
She's out there on the levee doin the double twist
The singer is informing his mother that his sister is dancing the double twist on the levee.
Sister, sister, she's a dirty little sow
The singer is calling his sister a derogatory name, implying that she is of loose morals.
Well sister sister dirty little sow
The artist is again calling his sister a dirty little sow.
She wants to be a bad girl but she don't know how
The artist is saying that his sister wants to be bad, but she is not very good at it.
Well spider spider she's climbing up that wall
The artist is talking about a spider climbing up a wall. The meaning of this line is unclear.
Said spider spider climbing up the wall
The singer is saying that a spider is climbing up a wall.
I'm a wining boy don't deny my name
The artist is reinforcing his identity as a wining boy and asking someone not to deny it.
Pick it up and shake it, stir the chain
The singer is asking someone to dance or move their body while stirring the chain.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ferdinand Joseph Morton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Lobato
on Half/Time Saturation
I believe it is, "And life's ain't gonna be the way it was before." You can clearly hear him say "ain't", and it sounds like "life". I always hated it there were no lyrics to this inside the record sleeve.