Hampton was born on 20th April 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky, but moved to Chicago as a child, where he began his career as a drummer. He relocated to Los Angeles to play drums in Les Hite's band. They soon became the house band for Frank Sebastian's New Cotton Club, a popular L.A. jazz club.
During a 1930 recording date in the NBC studios in L.A., Louis Armstrong discovered a vibraphone. He asked Hampton if he could play it. Hampton, who knew how to play the xylophone, tried it and they agreed to record a few records with Hamp on vibes. Hampton is credited with popularizing the vibraphone as a jazz instrument.
In the mid-1930s, the Benny Goodman Orchestra came to Los Angeles to play the Palomar Ballroom. John Hammond brought Goodman to see Hampton play. Goodman asked Hampton to move to New York City and join Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and Gene Krupa who'd already formed a Benny Goodman Trio within the large band - to expand into the Benny Goodman Quartet. The Trio and Quartet were among the first racially integrated bands to record and play before wide audiences; they were just as well received at Goodman's famous 1938 Carnegie Hall concert as was the full Goodman band.
While Hampton worked for Goodman in New York, he recorded with several different small groups known as the Lionel Hampton Orchestra as well as assorted small groups within the Goodman band. In the early 40s he left the Goodman organization to form his own touring band.
Hampton's band fostered the talents of Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Ernie Royal, Jack McVea, Charlie Mingus, Monk Montgomery, Wes Montgomery, Quincy Jones, Benny Golson, Fats Navarro, Kenny Dorham, Clifford Brown, Dinah Washington, Betty Carter, Joe Williams, Arnett Cobb, Earl Bostic, and John Colianni among many others.
Hampton's recording of "Flying Home" (1939) with the famous honking tenor sax solo by Jacquet, later refined and expanded by Cobb (1946), is considered by some to be the first rock and roll record. He was known for his tireless energy and his skill on the vibes, drums, and lightning speed two-fingered piano. The bars on the vibraphone are laid out like the piano; Hampton played both instruments the same way.
Beginning in the mid-1980s, Hampton and his band started playing at the University of Idaho's jazz concert, which in 1985 was renamed the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. In 1987 the University's music college was renamed the Lionel Hampton School of Music, the first and only university music college to be named after a jazz musician.
Lionel Hampton died of cardiac arrest at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York on 31st August 2002. He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.
Evil gal blues
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you bother with me
Yes, I'm an evil gal
Don't you bother with me
'Cause I'll empty your pockets and fill you with misery
I've got men in the east
I've got men in the west
I've got so many man, I don't know what to do
Yes Since I lost one to uncle sam
You know I've been feeling blue
I've got bad news baby
And you're the first one to know
Yes, I've got bad news baby
And you're the first to know
Yes, I learned this morning
My tarp is afire to go
Now if you want to be happy
Please don't hang around with me
Yes, if you want to be happy
Please don't hang around with me
'Cause I'm an evil woman
Yes and I want to set you free
The song "Evil Gal Blues" by Lionel Hampton and Dinah Washington is a classic blues number that is sung from the perspective of a self-proclaimed "evil gal." The song's lyrics paint a picture of a woman who is unapologetic about her mischievous ways and warns any potential suitors not to get too close to her if they value their wallets and their emotional well-being. She boasts about her male admirers scattered across the country, but one in New York who is her favorite. However, the loss of one man to the draft has left her feeling blue.
The tone of the song is playful, and the lyrics are filled with clever wordplay and innuendos. The song highlights the rebellious spirit of women during the time when it was written, but it also touches on more profound societal issues. The woman in the song is portrayed as a victim of circumstance in some ways, having lost a lover to the draft which was a reality for many during the time period when the song was written. Despite her devilish ways, there is an underlying empathy for the character that the listener can detect.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm an evil gal
I'm a woman who's not afraid to use people for my own gain
Don't you bother with me
Do not waste your time with me if you are looking for something genuine
Yes, I'm an evil gal
Repeat and emphasize the fact that I am evil
Cause I'll empty your pockets and fill you with misery
I will take your money and make your life miserable
I've got men in the east
I have men who adore me in the east
I've got men in the west
Same as above but in the west
Yes, but I've got man here in New York always loves me the best
I have a particular man in New York who loves me more than anyone else
I've got so many man, I don't know what to do
I have too many men that I can't choose who to see
Yes Since I lost one to uncle sam
Since one of my men got drafted to the army
You know I've been feeling blue
I felt sad after losing a man
I've got bad news baby
I have terrible news
And you're the first one to know
You are the first person I am sharing this news with
Yes, I learned this morning
I received this awful information earlier today
My tarp is afire to go
My apartment/house is on fire and I need to leave immediately
Now if you want to be happy
If you want to have a happy life
Please don't hang around with me
It's best if you stay away from me
Cause I'm an evil woman
Because I'm not a good person
Yes and I want to set you free
I want you to be free from any negativity that might come from being around me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LEONARD FEATHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind