The above biography taken from: Wikipedia - Rufus Thomas
The Crown Prince of Dance; an early rock & roll DJ, Memphis soul icon and creator of the Funky Chicken.
Artist Biography (below) by Richie Unterberger
Few of rock & roll's founding figures are as likable as Rufus Thomas. From the 1940s onward, he has personified Memphis music; his small but witty cameo role in Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train, a film which satirizes and enshrines the city's role in popular culture, was entirely appropriate. As a recording artist, he wasn't a major innovator, but he could always be depended upon for some good, silly, and/or outrageous fun with his soul dance tunes. He was one of the few rock or soul stars to reach his commercial and artistic peak in middle age, and was a crucial mentor to many important Memphis blues, rock, and soul musicians.
Thomas was already a professional entertainer in the mid-'30s, when he was a comedian with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. He recorded music as early as 1941, but really made his mark on the Memphis music scene as a deejay on WDIA, one of the few black-owned stations of the era. He also ran talent shows on Memphis' famous Beale Street that helped showcase the emerging skills of such influential figures as B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, Ike Turner, and Roscoe Gordon.
Thomas had his first success as a recording artist in 1953 with "Bear Cat," a funny answer record to Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog." It made number three on the R&B charts, giving Sun Records its first national hit, though some of the sweetness went out of the triumph after Sun owner Sam Phillips lost a lawsuit for plagiarizing the original Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller tune. Thomas, strangely, would make only one other record for Sun, and recorded only sporadically throughout the rest of the 1950s.
Thomas and his daughter Carla would become the first stars for the Stax label, for whom they recorded a duet in 1959, "'Cause I Love You" (when the company was still known as Satellite). In the '60s, Carla would become one of Stax's biggest stars. On his own, Rufus wasn't as successful as his daughter, but issued a steady stream of decent dance/novelty singles.
These were not deep or emotional statements, or meant to be. Vaguely prefiguring elements of funk, the accent was on the stripped-down groove and Rufus' good-time vocals, which didn't take himself or anything seriously. The biggest by far was "Walking the Dog," which made the Top Ten in 1963, and was covered by the Rolling Stones on their first album.
Thomas hit his commercial peak in the early '70s, when "Do the Funky Chicken," "(Do The) Push and Pull," and "The Breakdown" all made the R&B Top Five. As the song titles themselves make clear, funk was now driving his sound rather than blues or soul. Thomas drew upon his vaudeville background to put them over on-stage with fancy footwork that displayed remarkable agility for a man well into his 50s. The collapse of the Stax label in the mid-'70s meant the end of his career, basically, as it did for many other artists with the company. In 2001, Rufus Thomas was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Later that year, on December 15, he died at St. Francis hospital in Memphis, TN.
The above biography taken from: All Music Biography - Rufus Thomas by Richie Unterberger
Funky Mississippi
Rufus Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ain't gonna do it this time
I'm scared to take a chance
But I'm gonna get serious
And I ain't gonna give no jive
I want to know
One o'clock in the morning I'm funky
Two o'clock, etc
In the lyrics to Rufus Thomas's song "Funky Mississippi," he talks about the pressure he's getting from people to create a new dance move. However, he's hesitant to do so this time around because he's scared of taking a risk. Despite this, Rufus expresses his determination to get serious and not give into any nonsense or fake behavior. The chorus of the song reveals his ultimate goal: to get funky by one o'clock in the morning and continue to be funky every hour that passes by.
This song serves as a celebration of black joy and dance, showcasing the uniqueness of the Mississippi Delta's music and culture. It's a clear example of Thomas's importance as a pioneer of the "Memphis sound" that set the stage for later soul and funk music in America. Thomas's music mixed raw, hard-edged blues with the swagger and groove of R&B, creating a unique sound that heavily influenced music of the late 20th century. His work helped break down the walls between genres and brought both Black and white audiences together.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody expect me to make a new dance
People always anticipate me to introduce a fresh dance move
I ain't gonna do it this time
But this time, I won't do it
I'm scared to take a chance
I'm scared of taking risks
But I'm gonna get serious
However, I'm going to become determined and focused
And I ain't gonna give no jive
I won't give any false pretense
I want to know
I am eager to comprehend
One o'clock in the morning I'm funky
At one o'clock in the morning, I'm feeling groove and cool
Two o'clock, etc
And at two o'clock, the trend continues
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE FLOYD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@whereisrondunow
You can't find great music like this anymore.....any ore