Big Bird

Eddie Floyd's Stax classic "Big Bird" from '68 is a overlooked gem within Eddie's and even Stax's extensive collection. Floyd wrote this song in a London airport while waiting to return to the States for Otis Redding's funeral in late '67. The driving beat and passion within "Big Bird" has been covered and sampled a number of times, and not to say I'm a huge fan of covers, I just can't get enough of that driving beat originally played by Booker T. Jones. So over the years I've dug up a collection of the artists who did the song justice, but first here's the original if you've never heard it:

Here's a great cover by Rosetta Hightower, the powerful ex-lead singer of one of Philly's finest girl groups The Orlons from the early 60s. She recorded this after moving to England, it has more of a rock, somewhat Temptations psychedelic sound to it. Check it...

Next is a funky sloppy instrumental cover by The Presidents titled "Which Way" from the early 70s. Good shit here, these D.C. furls do it right but not too tight...

Last but not least is Tav Falco's Panther Burns with "Gentleman in Black" off their album Disappearing Angels from '96. Of course this in one of their later albums, they use the "Big Bird" riff for this dark, slow rockabilly track. Tav Falco is responsible for helping artists such as Charlie Feathers, Jesse Mae Hemphill and R.L. Burnside into the spotlight. Check them out if you haven't already...