“The blues is all about feeling,” says Grammy Award-winning harmonica legend James “Mr. Superharp” Cotton. “If I don’t feel it, I can’t play it.” Now in his 69th year as a professional musician (starting at age nine), James Cotton not only feels it, he lives it. His overwhelmingly powerful harmonica is one of the iconic sounds of the blues. His skills are unrivaled, his story the stuff of legend.
Born on a cotton plantation in Tunica, Mississippi on July 1, 1935, Cotton learned harmonica directly from Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller) as a small child. He toured with Williamson and Howlin’ Wolf, recorded for Sun Records, and spent 12 years with Muddy Waters before stepping out on his own. Leading his own band, he earned his reputation as one of the most commanding live blues performers in the world—a man who could literally suck the reeds out of his harmonica from the pure force of his playing—one high-energy performance at a time.
His new Alligator album, Cotton Mouth Man, is a joyous celebration of his life in the blues. Recorded in Nashville and produced by Grammy-winning producer/songwriter/drummer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Joe Louis Walker, Susan Tedeschi), the album is a riveting, good-time musical journey through sounds and scenes from Cotton’s long and storied career. With seven songs co-written by Cotton (more originals than he’s ever included on one release) and Hambridge (who co-wrote five additional tracks), the stories the album tells are Cotton’s own, inspired by his colorful and sometimes perilous life. Throughout the CD Cotton’s blast-furnace harmonica sound and larger-than-life personality are front and center.
Helping Cotton tell his stories and showcase his music are guests Gregg Allman, Joe Bonamassa, Ruthie Foster, Warren Haynes, Delbert McClinton and Keb Mo. Forming the core of the backing band on the CD are Hambridge (drums), Rob McNelley (guitar), Chuck Leavell (keyboards) and Glenn Worf (bass). Tommy MacDonald and Colin Linden each add guitar to one track. Darrell Nulisch, who has been singing in Cotton’s band for many years, expertly handles the vocals on five tracks, while the other members of Cotton’s road band—Tom Holland, Noel Neal and Jerry Porter—are also on board on some of the songs. Cotton, who, after a bout with throat cancer turned the vocal duties over to others, was inspired by the sessions to return to the microphone. He brings the album to a warm-hearted close singing his own Bonnie Blue (the name of the plantation where he was born), helping to make Cotton Mouth Man the most personal, celebratory and just plain fun recording of his seven-decade career. According to Cotton, “I feel so happy about the music in this album. My hope is that everyone who listens feels it. I know I sure did!”
Cotton first recorded under his own name for the Chicago/The Blues/Today! series on Vanguard, and, along with Otis Spann, cut The Blues Never Die! for Prestige before forming the first James Cotton Blues Band. He made his first solo albums—three for Verve and one for Vanguard—in the late 1960s. With bands featuring outstanding musicians including famed guitarist Luther Tucker, he quickly rose to the top of the blues and rock worlds. With his gale-force sound and fearless boogie band (later featuring Matt “Guitar” Murphy), it wasn’t long before he was adopted by the burgeoning hippie audience as one of their own. Cotton shared stages with Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, B.B. King, Santana, Steve Miller, Freddie King and many others.
Cotton’s blistering talent and full-throttle energy kept him in demand at concert halls all over the country. He played the Fillmore East in New York, the Fillmore West in San Francisco and every major rock and blues venue in between. During the 1970s, he cut three albums for Buddah and one for Capitol. He rejoined his old boss Muddy Waters for a series of Muddy albums produced by Johnny Winter, starting with Hard Again in 1977. Cotton also guested on recordings by Koko Taylor and many others. He was joined on his own albums by stars like Todd Rundgren, Steve Miller, Johnny Winter, Dr. John, David Sanborn, Charlie Haden, Michael Bloomfield and Cissy Houston.
Cotton signed with Alligator Records in 1984, releasing High Compression and Live From Chicago, Mr. Superharp Himself! (which earned him the first of his four Grammy nominations). In 1990 he joined fellow Chicago harp masters for the all-star release Harp Attack!. In 1991 the Smithsonian Institution added one of his harmonicas to their permanent collection. Cotton won a Grammy Award in 1996 for his Verve album, Deep In The Blues, and was inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame in 2006. During the 2000s Cotton has continued recording and touring relentlessly, playing clubs, concert halls and festivals all over the world, electrifying audiences wherever he performs. Cotton’s 2009 return-to-Alligator release, Giant, was Grammy-nominated. USA Today said, “Since 1966 James Cotton has been carrying the Chicago sound to the world. On Giant, he pours 75 years of living into that harmonica and out comes devastating and powerful blasts of notes.”
In June 2010, Cotton was honored at New York’s Lincoln Center, where his friends Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, Taj Mahal, Shemekia Copeland and others paid tribute to him in an all-star concert. In 2013 he toured as part of the all-star “Blues At The Crossroads II,” a tribute to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, and he continues to perform nationally and internationally with his own high-octane James Cotton Blues Band. Nobody has more fun playing the blues, and the telepathic communication between Cotton and his band (whom he refers to as “my family”) creates inspiring, soulful music that leaves his audience on their feet, grinning and cheering for more. Cotton has recently been signed by the prestigious Rosebud Agency and will be travelling the world in support of the new album.
Cotton Mouth Man proves James Cotton’s high-compression blues harmonica playing is still a true force of nature, while his songs and stories are a living history of the blues. As The San Francisco Examiner says, “James Cotton is an inimitable blues legend. His wailing harmonica blows them away. His improvisations on the blues are full of fun and good humor. The blues don’t get much better.”
Rocket 88
James Cotton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've heard the noise they make
Let me introduce my new Rocket 88
Yeah, she's straight, just won't wait
Everybody likes my Rocket 88
Babe we'll ride in style movin' all along
Black convertible top and the girls don't mind
Sportin' with me riding all around town with joy
A V8 motor baby, it's modern design
Black convertible top and the girls don't mind
Sportin' with me riding all around town with joy
Step in my Rocket, don't be late
Cause we're pulling out about half past eight
Go around the corner gonna get a fill
Everybody in my car's gonna take a little nip
Move on out, movin' and cruisin' along
Here we go, here we go
A V8 motor baby, it's modern design
Black convertible top and the girls don't mind
Sportin' with me riding all around town with joy
Step in my Rocket, don't be late
Cause we're pulling out about half past eight
Go around the corner gonna get a fill
Everybody in my car's gonna take a little nip
Move on out, movin' and cruisin' along
We gone y'all, we gone
The song "Rocket 88" is a classic blues song that speaks to the love and passion for cars in the 1950s. The lyrics of the song describe the joy and excitement of cruising in a brand new car, a Rocket 88, with a powerful V8 motor and a black convertible top. The singer is bragging about his car to his friends, telling them that it won't wait and everybody likes it. The song portrays the car as a source of pleasure and adventure, taking them on a ride around town. The lyrics also mention a stop at a gas station to refuel and enjoy a drink, adding to the sense of freedom and fun that comes with cruising in a car.
The song encapsulates the spirit of the 1950s, a time when cars were a symbol of freedom and status, and cruising around in cars was a popular pastime. The "Rocket 88" car, produced by General Motors in the late 1940s and early 1950s, was particularly popular among young people for its powerful engine and stylish design. The song became a hit in 1951 and has since become a classic car song, capturing the excitement and energy of the era.
Line by Line Meaning
You women have heard of jalopies
I'm sure you've all heard of old, worn-down cars.
You've heard the noise they make
You know the loud, clunky sounds they make when they run.
Let me introduce my new Rocket 88
But let me show you my brand new, slick car - the Rocket 88.
Yeah, she's straight, just won't wait
This car is not only beautiful, but it's also fast and doesn't hesitate.
Everybody likes my Rocket 88
Everyone admires my car and wants to ride in it.
Babe we'll ride in style movin' all along
We'll ride around town in style, turning heads as we go.
A V8 motor baby, it's modern design
My car has a powerful V8 engine and a sleek, modern look.
Black convertible top and the girls don't mind
The car has a black convertible top that the ladies love.
Sportin' with me riding all around town with joy
I'm having a great time driving my car all over town.
Step in my Rocket, don't be late
Hurry up and get in my car, we don't want to be late.
Cause we're pulling out about half past eight
We're leaving at 8:30, so don't be late.
Go around the corner gonna get a fill
We're going to make a pit stop to fill up the car with gas.
Everybody in my car's gonna take a little nip
We're all going to have a quick drink before we hit the road.
Move on out, movin' and cruisin' along
Let's get going and drive around town.
Here we go, here we go
We're off on a fun ride in my cool car.
We gone y'all, we gone
We're leaving now, so wave goodbye.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Spirit Music Group
Written by: JACKIE BRENSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bobke114
I was a personal friend of Cotton ,as he liked to be called. Spent a lot of time just me and him and my goodness the stories he has told me. He was a wealth of knowledge about the birth of rock and roll. Fun guy to hang with but even more important he was just a real good guy and treated me and my wife very well. I did a good amount of driving for him and those times I will never in my life forget.
@paramountpictures795
Right on. Amazing brother
@rustywilliams2848
Knew him, too. Used to open for him when they came to Seattle. We were about the only blues band in town in those days. You're right, Cotton was a great guy. The whole band was, Charles Calmese, Ken Johnson, Matt Murphy was playing guitar with them in those days. What a treat to play with those guys. And Oh yeah, they could party a little bit, too.
@c4abundance
I traveled with Cotton & the Band twice; 1st was during Summer 1972 in Florida, (I paired up with the Bass Player thru my association with [Gary]Propper Productions). The 2nd time was in Septemer 1974 in Ben Lomond, CA - they'd come in to open for Charlie Daniels, then took me on with them down to Monterey for the Pop Festival, and I again paired up but with Drummer that time (could have those flipped)... I last talked to him in Cocoa Beach, FL in my own living room during the Winter of 1985-86 - yes, the man liked to party into the weeeee hours! And yes, he had to have been the sweetest & funnest & funniest of all the bands I traveled with back then!
@strooom546
Ty
@JarOfDirt.
Do you happen to know if Cotton had a wife and/or children? Because I can’t seem to find it anywhere on the internet
@stevetessier6568
I miss Cotton so much, my heart hurts. James was such a part of my heart and my first harp teacher.
@mikemartin8152
Rest in peace, James. We will miss you, but Heaven gained another great harmonica player!
@rustywilliams2848
He died the same day as Chuck Berry and of course he got dwarfed in the news. But he was truly a master harpist. And a true gentleman.
@hinamauka
One of the best live blues rock bands around. Saw them many times in small clubs in Massachusetts. Saw James about seven years ago in Hawaii -- what a difference. He was pretty much by himself and sat down the whole time. God, I miss Rocket '88.