* Eric Clapton (April–August 1965, November 1965–July 1966) and Jack Bruce, who both left to form Cream,
* Peter Green, who had replaced Clapton, played until August 1967, when he departed with Mick Fleetwood and then also enticed Bluesbreaker John McVie a few weeks later to form Fleetwood Mac
* Mick Taylor (August 1967–July 1969) who later joined The Rolling Stones, and reunion tours in 1982–83 and 2004,
* Harvey Mandel, Walter Trout, Larry Taylor (later in Canned Heat),
* Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Randy Resnick, Aynsley Dunbar, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Andy Fraser (Free), Chris Mercer, Henry Lowther, Johnny Almond and Jon Mark (later of Mark-Almond).
The Bluesbreakers were formed in January 1963 and became an ever-evolving lineup of more than 100 different combinations of musicians performing under that name. Eric Clapton joined in 1965 just a few months after the release of their first album. Clapton brought the blues influences to the forefront of the group, as he had left The Yardbirds in order to play the blues.
The group lost their record contract with Decca that year, which also saw the release of a single called "I'm Your Witchdoctor" (produced by Jimmy Page), followed by a return to Decca in 1966. The album Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (also known as The Beano Album because Clapton is shown on the cover photo reading a copy of the comic) was released later that year; it reached the Top Ten in the UK.
Clapton and Jack Bruce left the group that year to form Cream. Clapton was replaced by Peter Green for A Hard Road, after which he left to form Fleetwood Mac. Finally, in 1969, the third Bluesbreaker-guitarist departed when Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones.
By the time the 1960s were over, the Bluesbreakers had finally achieved some success in the United States.
With some interruptions, the Bluesbreakers have continued to tour and release albums (over 50 to date), though they never achieved the critical or popular acclaim of their earlier material. In 2003, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Chris Barber reunited with the band for John Mayall's 70th Birthday Concert in Liverpool — the concert was later released on CD and DVD. In 2004, their line up included Buddy Whittington, Joe Yuele, Hank Van Sickle and Tom Canning, and the band toured the UK with Mick Taylor as a guest musician.
In November 2008 Mayall announced on his website he was disbanding the Bluesbreakers to cut back on his heavy workload and give himself freedom to work with other musicians.
I'm Your Witchdoctor
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got the power of the devil, I'm the conjurer guy.
Gonna teach you love at the midnight hour,
Gonna feel you burning like a passion flower.
[Chorus]
Hey hey, hey hey hey, hey.
Hey hey, hey hey hey, hey.
I was born in the country and I lived in the trees.
I got my voodoo from the birds and the bees.
Gonna teach you love at the midnight hour,
Gonna feel you burning, little passion flower.
[Chorus]
I'm your witchdoctor, got the evil eye,
Got the power of the devil, I'm the conjurer guy.
Gonna teach you love at the midnight hour,
Gonna feel you burning like a passion flower.
[Chorus]
I've got my mean old spell on you,
I've got my mean old spell on you,
Your witchdoctor, your witchdoctor, got my eyes on you.
The lyrics of "I'm Your Witchdoctor" by John Mayall's Bluesbreakers feat. Eric Clapton are a combination of blues, rock, and voodoo themes, connoting a certain degree of mysticism and macabre. The singer portrays himself as a witchdoctor with immense supernatural powers and claims to possess the "evil eye" and the "power of the devil." He boasts about his abilities to teach his lover love and passion during the witching hour, using his conjurer's charm to make her burn like a passion flower. The chorus features the repetition of "hey hey" and "your witchdoctor, got my eyes on you," implying that the singer has a certain hold and influence over his lover and that he is constantly watching her.
The second verse of the song offers a backstory to the singer's supernatural powers, claiming that he was born in the country and learned voodoo from nature itself, drawing power from the birds and bees. The chorus repeats as before, emphasizing the control that the witchdoctor holds. In the final verse, the singer sings that he has put a spell on his lover, accentuating the sense of dark magic that the lyrics evoke throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm your witchdoctor, got the evil eye,
I am the one who casts spells and uses dark magic; have the ability to curse someone
Got the power of the devil, I'm the conjurer guy.
I possess the strength and influence of Satan himself; am the expert in performing magic rituals
Gonna teach you love at the midnight hour,
I will guide you in the ways of romance and passion during the late hours of the night
Gonna feel you burning like a passion flower.
Your passion and desire will be ignited by my influence, just like a bright and beautiful flower in bloom
Hey hey, hey hey hey, hey.
Expression of excitement or encouragement
Your witchdoctor, your witchdoctor, got my eyes on you.
I am watching you closely and have a hold over you with my magic powers
I was born in the country and I lived in the trees.
My upbringing was in rural and natural surroundings, deeply connected to the earth and its forces
I got my voodoo from the birds and the bees.
My knowledge of magic and voodoo lore comes from nature and the natural world
I've got my mean old spell on you,
I have cast an unpleasant and potentially damaging spell on you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN MAYALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind