THE DOORS’ “HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN” AND ITS MUSICAL FEATURES

 

Few blues songs have achieved the fame of "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man", an emblem of Chicago blues and one of Muddy Waters' biggest recording hits (released in 1954).

The Doors performed it at the London Fog in Los Angeles in the spring of 1966. Not yet famous and never having entered a recording studio, the group was caught in this small venue in the months leading up to the release of their first LP ("The Doors").

The Doors' version lasts almost twice as long as the original, modifying some relevant aspects without deviating too much from Muddy Waters' song (written for him by Willie Dixon).

On vocals (and electric organ) we find Ray Manzarek, who occasionally replaced Jim Morrison in this role in live performances.

His performance is convincing enough, if not exciting, and accompanied by Morrison on backing vocals.

The latter surprises the listener with some harmonica fills, which, inspiring in their simplicity, culminate in a short solo.

Morrison's harmonica, soon to be abandoned for good by the singer, is in this case able to add a valuable nuance to the song. It is perhaps the best recorded evidence of how The Doors’ singer played this instrument.

It should be noted that the original '54 composition also features the harmonica, played by the great Little Walter, one of the greatest harmonica players in history. As for The Doors’ cover, it is Manzarek's electric organ that plays the rhythmic role that Walter's harmonica has in the original composition.

At the London Fog, we witness a reinterpretation of the Muddy Waters piece that modifies its most famous feature: the verse rhythmically interrupted by unison stops of all the instruments. During these short stops, it is the voice which stands alone singing the lyrics of verse itself.

This musical device dates back to the early days of Blues and Jazz (1910s) and was passed down in more elaborate forms over the following decades.

Muddy Waters' "Hoochie Coochie Man" is perhaps the most famous example of this technique, which would influence dozens of songs in the years to come.

The Doors eschewed this musical construction in favor of the steady, uninterrupted rhythmic accompaniment of John Densmore on drums and Manzarek on a keyboard called Fender Rhodes Piano Bass (played with the left hand while the right was on the electric organ).

As if to compensate for this omission, the drummer adds a percussive element not present in Muddy Waters' piece. In fact, Densmore splits the chorus in two with a short and fast drum roll that ends in a dry thump, creating additional pathos at the song's climax.

The original 1954 version of "Hoochie Coochie Man," although lacking solos, is a landmark document in which at least two notable elements converge.

The first is the aggressive but well-played arrangement, in which acoustic instruments and a slightly distorted electric guitar interact, creating a compelling harmony.

The second element is Muddy Waters' voice, capable of projecting the blues into the future with a modern style, without forgetting the country blues matrix to which the artist has belonged since his early years.

In addition to listening to Muddy Waters' original song, we recommend the version played by the bluesman at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1960.

This historic song remains hidden in the folds of The Doors' discography as a cover.

However, it retains a certain charm that deserves to be rediscovered, especially to highlight the musical background of a great band that would finally take off just a few months later.

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