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Magic Sam - Chi-Town Boogie

Dancing in Your Head their refusal to abide by traditional values, their racy lyrics, the sexual innuendo of their rhythms, the goings on where they perform, their references to black magic and other vestigial descendants of African belief systems. In their turn, the feelings of blues folk toward their religious brethren have run an apparently bewildering gamut. Many blues greats shuttled between the sacred and the profane. Some of them, like Skip James, lapsed into silence for decades because they wouldn't sing the devil's music once they returned to the church... Interestingly, there's also a small but dynamic tradition of spiritual blues singers. Some are collected on Preachin the Gospel.

This meeting of the sacred and profane has flowed in the other direction as well. The '40s harmonies of groups like the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots were gospel derived, and paved the way for the '50s doo woppers who likewise crossed gospel into pop. Sixties soul music and soul jazz also grew directly out of gospel, which turns on pyrotechnic vocal exhortations and improvisations.
Source: Dancing in Your Head Jazz, Blues, Rock, and Beyond  by Gene Santoro


Magic Sam - Chi-Town Boogie
  • Genre: Blues, Chicago Blues
  • Recorded in: Unknown

"Magic Sam he was signed by Cobra Records and became well known as a bluesman after the release of his first record, "All Your Love", in 1957. He was known for his distinctive tremolo guitar playing."

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Location: United States

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