While they rarely enjoyed significant mainstream success, they are considered originators of funk along with artists like James Brown, and their work is influential on many other bands, both their contemporaries and modern musicians. Their sound is defined by a combination of tight melodic grooves and syncopated New Orleans "second line" rhythms under highly charged guitar and keyboard riffing. The band has been nominated four times for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, most recently in 2017. In 2018 the band was presented the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Meters were a band that performed and recorded from the late 1960s until 1977. They were based in New Orleans. While the band never enjoyed huge popular success, it was nonetheless greatly admired by cognoscenti and is considered one of progenitors of funk in the 1970s.
The Meters formed in 1965, with a line up of keyboardist and vocalist Art Neville, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr. and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, and became the house band for Sansu Enterprises, an Allen Toussaint-owned label. In 1969, the Meters released "Sophisticated Cissy" and "Cissy Strut", both major R&B chart hits; "Look-Ka Py Py" and "Chicken Strut" were also hits the following year. After a label shift in 1972, the Meters had difficulty returning to the charts, though they played on many important records by Dr. John, Paul McCartney, King Biscuit Boy, Labelle and Robert Palmer. The band broke up in 1977 after Toussaint claimed the rights to the name and they played as various incarnations of the Neville Brothers and with other bands. In 1989, The Meters reformed with the new official name, The Funky Meters, after an informal jam during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Original drummer Ziggy Modeliste, who started out with the group as a 17-year-old, laid down some very influential rhythms. His beats have been sampled by numerous hip hop groups including Ice Cube, Run DMC, NWA, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Queen Latifah, and EPMD. Modeliste relocated to Oakland, California, in the '80s where he teaches drumming, releases new music, and performs around the San Francisco Bay Area and the world with his band "Zigaboo Modeliste and The New Aahkesstra".
The Meters gained new-found notoriety in 2001, winning a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jammys. Their music has been used in films and commercials, and in 2005 drum and guitar breaks from their 1970 version of "Oh, Calcutta!" (reinterpreted from the stage musical, and appearing on their "Look-Ka Py Py" album), were sampled by producer Rich Harrison, to provide the main loops of the hit song "1 Thing" by Amerie. A re-engineered version of "Cissy Strut" was released by Butch Cassidy Sound System in 2005
At the 2005 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival the original Meters reformed for a special performance. This went so well that the original group decided to play further dates in Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco and New York later in the year, including a benefit for Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The Meter Men is a currently gigging band (2013) featuring a nearly complete original Meters line-up: Porter, Modeliste, and Nocentelli.
(2) The Meters defined New Orleans funk, not only on their own recordings, but also as the backing band for numerous artists, including many produced by Allen Toussaint. Where the funk of Sly Stone and James Brown was wild, careening, and determinedly urban, the Meters were down-home and earthy. Nearly all of their own recordings were instrumentals, putting the emphasis on the organic and complex rhythms. The syncopated, layered percussion intertwined with the gritty grooves of the guitar and organ, creating a distinctive sound that earned a small, devoted cult during the '70s, including musicians like Paul McCartney and Robert Palmer, both of whom used the group as a backing band for recording. Despite their reputation as an extraordinary live band, the Meters never broke into the mainstream, but their sound provided the basis for much of the funk and hip-hop of the '80s and '90s.
Throughout their career, the Meters were always led by Art Neville (keyboard, vocals), one of the leading figures of the New Orleans musical community. As a teenager in high school, he recorded the seminal "Mardi Gras Mambo" with his group, the Hawketts, for Chess Records. The exposure with the Hawketts led to solo contracts with Specialty and Instant, where he released a handful of singles that became regional hits in the early '60s. Around 1966, he formed Art Neville & the Sounds with his brothers Aaron and Charles (both vocals), guitarist Leo Nocentelli, drummer Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, and bassist George Porter. The band grew out of informal jam sessions the musicians held in local New Orleans nightclubs. After spending a few months playing under the Sounds name, producer Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn hired the group -- without the vocalists -- to be the house band for their label Sansu Enterprises.
As the house band for Sansu, the Meters played on records by Earl King, Lee Dorsey, Chris Kenner, and Betty Harris, as well as Toussaint himself. They also performed and recorded on their own, releasing danceable instrumental singles on Josie Records. "Sophisticated Cissy" and "Cissy Strut" became Top Ten R&B hits in the spring of 1969, followed by the number 11 hits "Look-Ka Py Py" and "Chicken Strut" a year later. The Meters stayed at Josie until 1972, and during that entire time they reached the R&B Top 50 consistently, usually placing within the Top 40. In 1972, the group moved to Reprise Records, yet they didn't sever their ties with Sansu, electing to keep Toussaint as their producer and Sehon as their manager. Ironically, the Meters didn't have nearly as many hit singles at Reprise, yet their profile remained remarkably high. If anything, the group became hipper, performing on records by Robert Palmer, Dr. John, LaBelle, King Biscuit Boy, and Paul McCartney. By the release of 1975's Fire on the Bayou, the Meters had a Top 40 hit with Rejuvenation's "Hey Pocky A-Way" (1974), and they had gained a significant following among rock audience and critics. Fire on the Bayou received significant praise, and the group opened for the Rolling Stones on the British band's 1975 and 1976 tours.
During 1975, the Meters embarked on the Wild Tchoupitoulas project with Art's uncle and cousin George and Amos Landry, two members of the Mardi Gras ceremonial black Indian tribe, the Wild Tchoupitoulas. The Meters, the Landrys, and the Neville brothers -- Aaron, Charles, Art, and Cyril -- were all involved in the recording of the album, which received enthusiastic reviews upon its release in 1976. Cyril joined the Meters after the record's release. Despite all of the acclaim for The Wild Tchoupitoulas, its adventurous tendencies indicated that the group was feeling constrained by its signature sound. Such suspicions were confirmed the following year, when they separated from Toussaint and Sehorn, claiming they needed to take control of their artistic direction. Following the split, the Meters released New Directions in 1977, but shortly after its appearance, Toussaint and Sehorn claimed the rights to the group's name. Instead of fighting, the band broke up, with Art and Cyril forming the Neville Brothers with Aaron and Charles, while the remaining trio became session musicians in New Orleans. Modeliste, in particular, became a well-known professional musician, touring with the New Barbarians in 1979 and moving to L.A. during the '80s.
The Meters reunited as a touring unit in 1990 with Russell Batiste taking over the drum duties from Modeliste. Four years later, Nocentelli left the band, allegedly because he and Art disagreed whether the band should be paid for samples hip-hop groups took from their old records; he was replaced by Brian Stoltz, who had played with the Neville Brothers. The Meters continued to tour throughout the '90s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
Just Kissed My Baby
The Meters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I just kissed my baby
And money don't mean a thing to me, no
'Cause I just kissed my baby
Feels so good, ha
That I just kissed my baby
Well, well, well I'm no [?]
'Cause I just kissed by baby
Well, well, well, ya
I know I can't go wrong
All we ever do, ha
Is decide to get along, yeah
I feel brand new
'Cause I just kissed by baby
And I'm going back to [?] too
'Cause I just kissed by baby
And I feel so doggone great, just can't wait
Just kissed by baby
Me and my girl need to hibernate
'Cause I just kissed by baby
Well, well, well
Just kissed my baby
Just kissed my baby
Just kissed my baby
Just kissed my baby
Just kissed my baby
Just kissed my baby
Just kissed my baby
Just kissed my baby
Wait on
I feel so good inside
Just kissed by baby
I was on my side, that's a bad day
'Cause I just kissed by baby
Just got so bad
Just kissed my baby
I keep on
Just kissed by baby
Keep a-walking, keep a-moving
The Meters' song Just Kissed My Baby is a celebration of the joy and contentment that can come from a simple act of love. The lyrics describe the feeling of being on top of the world after just kissing one's baby, and how money and material possessions are less important when compared to the happiness that one feels from being with their sweetheart. The lines "I feel like a king, 'Cause I just kissed my baby, And money don't mean a thing to me, no" encapsulate this sentiment perfectly. The singer feels invincible and unstoppable, ready to take on the world with a newfound sense of purpose and satisfaction that only comes from being with the one they love.
The lyrics also describe a sense of unity and harmony between the singer and their sweetheart. They claim that "All we ever do is decide to get along," implying that their relationship is founded on mutual respect and cooperation. It's clear that the singer sees their partner as someone who brings out the best in them, someone who makes them feel brand new and refreshed after every kiss. The lines "Me and my girl need to hibernate, 'Cause I just kissed by baby" suggest that the singer is so content with their partner that they wish to spend all their time in their company, unable to resist the urge to stay close to them.
Overall, Just Kissed My Baby is a simple but heartfelt tribute to the power of love and its ability to make everything else pale in comparison. It's a reminder to all listeners that, no matter how rough the world might seem, a single kiss from the one you love can make it all worthwhile.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel like a king
I am extremely happy and victorious
'Cause I just kissed my baby
Because I have just passionately kissed my significant other
And money don't mean a thing to me, no
Material wealth has no significance to me right now
Feels so good, ha
I am feeling incredibly wonderful
That I just kissed my baby
It’s because I have recently smooched my lover
Well, well, well I'm no [?]
I am not sure about my current state of being, but it doesn’t matter now
Well, well, well, ya
Yep! Everything is great!
I know I can't go wrong
I am confident that I am on the right path
All we ever do, ha
My partner and I always have a good time together
Is decide to get along, yeah
We simply decide to avoid conflict and enjoy each other’s company
I feel brand new
I am experiencing a refreshing sense of renewal
And I'm going back to [?] too
I’m heading back home to my partner
And I feel so doggone great, just can't wait
I am overjoyed and keenly looking forward to spending time with my lover
Me and my girl need to hibernate
My partner and I need to spend some quality time together
Wait on
Hold on a minute
I feel so good inside
I am experiencing a deep sense of satisfaction and contentment
I was on my side, that's a bad day
I was feeling down earlier today
'Cause I just kissed by baby
But my mood has been uplifted by my recent kiss from my partner
Just got so bad
I was going through a rough patch
Keep a-walking, keep a-moving
I am moving forward with a positive attitude
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ART NEVILLE, GEORGE PORTER JR., JOSEPH MODELISTE, LEO NOCENTELLI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jDubs MusicLive
Love this song! Always lifts my spirits and makes me want to dance dance dance! These dudes were on fiya 🔥🔥🔥
dp1582
One of the best funk songs ever made.
mikhail azarov
The Meters made me appreciate music for its own sake! I was 16 the first time I heard them and was instantly hypnotised. it inspired me to learn bass! Thank you Porter!!!
Aaron Gipson
Me too, I was 12. 😬👍🏽
Maggie Díaz del Castillo
Wow! This thing drags you into the funky mood right away!! It's also hypnotic! I like it!
Daric
Song needs some vibra slap rattle sound
Maggie Díaz del Castillo
@Daric more cowbell, you mean?
Doowah Diatribe
Was lucky enough to hear this live by the Meters when in my 20s...40 something years ago. And I'm glad to say this song is still a positive influence in my life!
Doowah Diatribe
Would have like to have been there.
Matthew Donoghue
Damn, I just accidentally hit the thumbs down sign. Sorry... your comment definitely deserves a thumbs up. Wish I was there... wish I had seen Prince play with Third Eye as well.