The Seventh Son

For other uses, see Seventh Son (disambiguation).
"The Seventh Son"
Single by Willie Mabon
B-side "Lucinda"
Released October 1955 (1955-10)[1]
Format 7" 45 RPM
Recorded June 1, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois[1]
Genre Rhythm and blues
Label Chess
Writer(s) Willie Dixon
Producer(s) Leonard Chess, Phil Chess
Willie Mabon singles chronology
"Come on, Baby"
(March 1955)		 "The Seventh Son"
(October 1955)		 "Knock on Wood"
(June 1956)

"The Seventh Son", also recorded as "Seventh Son", is a song written by Willie Dixon. It was released as a single by Willie Mabon on Chess Records in 1955.[2][3] It has also been recorded by artists such as Johnny Rivers (on his album Meanwhile Back at the Whisky a Go Go), Bill Haley & His Comets (released on their 1999 greatest-hit compilation), John Mellencamp (on the 2005 reissue of Rough Harvest), Billy "Crash" Craddock (on the album You Better Move On), Mose Allison, Sting, Georgie Fame, Climax Blues Band, the Soul Agents, Long John Baldry, George Thorogood and, as with many of his own songs, by Willie Dixon.

Original version

Willie Mabon recorded "The Seventh Son" on June 1, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois. The exact personnel on the session is not known for sure but is most likely Willie Mabon (vocals, piano), Bill Martin (trumpet), Herbert Robinson (tenor saxophone), Willie Dixon (bass), and Oliver Coleman (drums). The song was paired for release as a single with "Lucinda" as its b-side and was released in October.[1]

Johnny Rivers version

Johnny Rivers recorded his version of "The Seventh Son" supposedly at the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood, California and released it on Meanwhile Back at the Whisky à Go Go in 1965 and released it as a single. Most, if not all, of these 'live' Whisky tracks were studio recordings with audience noise added, however. The single version of the song peaked at #7 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 singles chart.[4] Johnny Rivers' version also topped RPM magazine's Top Singles chart.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 George R. White; Robert L. Campbell; Tom Kelly. "The Chess Label Part II (1953–1955)". Robert Campbell. Clemson, South Carolina: Clemson University. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  2. ↑ Hanson, Karen (2007). Today's Chicago Blues. Lake Claremont Press. p. 66. ISBN 9781893121195.
  3. ↑ Dahl, Bill; 610CKTM. "Willie Mabon biography".
  4. ↑ "Johnny Rivers: Charts & Awards – Billboard Singles". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  5. ↑ "RPM Magazine Top Singles – Volume 3, No. 21, July 19 1965" (PHP). Library and Archives Canada. March 31, 2004.


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