Money Honey

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CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo is also known as the "Money Honey".

State of Shock has a single entitled Money Honey.

"Money Honey", written by Jesse Stone, was the first record and the first hit for Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters. It was released in September 1953. McPhatter's voice, but not his name, had become well-known as the lead singer for Billy Ward and the Dominoes and the song was an immediate hit and remained on the rhythm and blues charts for 23 weeks. Rolling Stone ranked it #252 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The song tells the story of a man who has run out of money, and hopes his woman will help him out:

I was clean as a screen and so hard pressed

I called the woman that I love best

In the chorus, he threatens to leave her if she doesn't help him out:

Money Honey

Money Honey

Money Honey, if you want to get along with me

She is literally not buying, she has another man, one who already has money.

The recording features Mickey Baker on guitar and Sam "the Man" Taylor on tenor sax. The arrangement starts with a bagpipe-like drone from the Drifters setting up a shuffle rhythm. McPhatter's voice is clear and bright and in the midst of the sax solo he gives off a monumental scream.

The song was covered by Eddie Cochran in a live performance [1] and, most notably, in 1956 by Elvis Presley. [2]
Clyde McPhatter rerecorded the song for the Mercury label catalog, and it appeared on the "Lover Please" album in 1962 and on his 1963 Mercury "Greatest Hits" release.

Hear a Wikimedia sample:

[edit] References

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