In 1979, my father was offered an engineering position with Rollei Cameras in Singapore. We packed up our life in rural England and headed for the tropics.
We adapted surprisingly quickly to the thriving city and enjoyed the readily available public transport. There was no MRT in those days, just a procession of little blue buses which crisscrossed their way around the city.
Unlike most expats, we lived on the East Coast of the island, under the shadow of Changi Prison. Our stout little colonial home, once part of an RAF compound, was a lovely leafy retreat to the ever-expanding city. Mum and Dad loved Changi Village, which had somehow retained its character and was still shrouded in stories from the Second World War.
My bedroom was a shrine to the gods of heavy metal; Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple posters adorned the walls, and my collection of cassettes and albums were proudly on display. Looking back, my musical taste was very narrow-minded, my loyalty to metal was unwavering. Unwavering until the day I was introduced to the sounds of Muddy Waters.
I remember the day vividly. I was visiting Scott, a school friend of mine, who lived near the windsurfing club on East Coast Park. As I entered their beach-side apartment, “Mannish Boy” was blasting out of the stereo. Scott’s father was in such a state of bliss that he had no idea a guest had arrived, instead, he continued to dance like nobody was watching. At first, I thought this was very odd behavior, but it soon became the new norm and would occur again and again on almost every visit. Mr. Balentyne was obsessed with HARD AGAIN by Muddy Waters, his face would beam and his body would contort to the rhythm. If, on the rare occasion, when he wasn’t playing his Muddy Waters record, the apartment would be awash with classical music.
A few years later, when we were living in Brisbane, I came across a copy of HARD AGAIN in a record shop. It literally stopped me in my tracks. Memories of our idyllic life in Singapore came flooding back. I was in a state of melancholy, and only the hypnotic rhythms of Muddy Waters could cure me. This album has been a constant companion ever since.
In 1946, Muddy Waters began his recording career with Columbia Records. He would quickly become known as ‘ The father of modern Chicago Blues’. Almost a decade later in the mid-1950’s and on the other side of the globe, Mick Jagger formed a band with friends, playing mostly Muddy Waters songs. A few years later in 1962, Brian Jones named his band (with Mick Jagger on vocals) `The Rolling Stones’ after the Muddy Waters song `Rollin’ Stone’.
Muddy Waters has had a huge influence on many musicians including The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Hendrix, Canned Heat, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin and even AC/DC.
HARD AGAIN is a return to form with Johnny Winter (Producer) and his all-star band laying down some mighty fine beats. The album sounds playful, the band enthusiastic, and Muddy Waters is enjoying every minute in the spotlight.
SONGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:
"Mannish Boy"
"I Want To Be Loved"
"I Can't Be Satisfied"