Mardi Gras Music Street Parade by Earl King

Recorded April 1970 Jazz City Studio ( also known as "Seas Saint") Camp Street, New Orleans, Louisiana

Born Earl Johnson, the youngster considered the platters of Texas guitarists T-Bone Walker and Gatemouth Brown almost as fascinating as the live performances of local luminaries Smiley Lewis and Tuts Washington. King met his major influence and mentor, Guitar Slim, at the Club Tiajuana, one of King's favorite haunts (along with the Dew Drop, of course), the two becoming fast friends. Still billed as Earl Johnson, the guitarist debuted on wax in 1953 on Savoy with "Have You Gone Crazy" (with pal Huey "Piano" Smith making the first of many memorable supporting appearances on his platters).

"Street Parade" was originally cut for another tune entitled, " Am I your Dog". Earl King would later comment "I tried to write jovial lyrics and also to say something related to the old "Dixieland" thing and where it ties in what we call today Funk music, specially as it regards the bass line."

King's Imperial sides had elements of funk, but they're no indication of the serious syncopation King would throw down for his 1972 album, Street Parade. Simply put, Street Parade is one of the great New Orleans funk albums of all time, an album that stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the Meters' classic '70s work.

That's not surprising considering that the Meters were the backing band for the Street Parade sessions, cut at Sea-Saint studios, where the Meters and producer Allen Toussaint were making their indelible mark on the New Orleans music scene. With guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr., keyboardist Art Neville and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste meshing behind King's zigzagging guitar work and evocative lyrics, Street Parade is one of those rare albums that simultaneously captures New Orleans music and personality in one package. The title track is one of the great irresistible Carnival anthems, with King chronicling a Mardi Gras parade and the Meters backing him note for note. "I get excited, with every beat of the drum, It makes you want to get out with it, and have a whole lotta fun," cries King, and Modeliste responds with some of his vintage parade beats, while a hypnotic two-note guitar figure frames each King lyric. Only Earl King, could caputure a parade in song and turn it into one of the great Mardi Gras Tunes of all times.

Street Parade is one of the late singer's greatest work for the Mardi Gras genre'. He will indeed be missed! You can find our final story on the late Earl King here.

Lyrics to Street Parade.

I can hear music, somewhere out there,

And I can the hear the happy voices, out in the air,

It make me want to celebrate, ooh I feel good inside,

And I wanna' get outdoors, (Yes I do) and open wide,

A big time serenade, It must be a Street Parade.

And I wanna Second line, gonna have a good time, yeaaa,

- instrumental drum and horns -

I get ex-ci-ted, with every beat of the drum,

It makes you want to get out with it, and have a whole lotta fun,

We gonna do dance dan-cing, out in the street,

Oh come on baby, oh lord yea, just you and me,

A big time serenade, we're going to a Street Parade.

And we gonna Second line, gonna have a good time, time, time

-- instrumental drum and horns - hit me - hit me - hit me - Yeaaaa! Whoooaaweeee!

hit me saints! ooooooooooooYea you right!

Clap your hands people, let me hear them clap

And keep on Clappin now, Let me hear th'em rap! yea

Everybody just do your thing, no promise what tomorrow bring

So shake your tambourine, like you do down in New Orleans,

A big time serenade, we're going to a street parade,

And we gonna second line, we're gonna have a good time, time, time,

- instrumental drums and horns -

pick 'em up and put 'em down, your feet don't stay on the ground,

Shake 'em up and don't let go, Shake it til ya can't no more,

everybody move ya hips, go on and let ya backbone slip, give it everthing ya got,

Everybody's got to live a lot ..........fade out

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