Born Under a Bad Sign (song)
Encyclopedia
"Born Under a Bad Sign" is a song written by Booker T. Jones
(music) and William Bell
(lyrics) originally recorded by Albert King
as the title track for the album Born Under a Bad Sign
released in 1967. Several cover versions of the song exist, most notably by Chicago blues band Paul Butterfield Blues Band, British rock group Cream
, Paul Rodgers
, and American rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix
.
in the late 60s. The lead guitar is bright, nasal and cutting, partly because of Albert King
's choice of a custom Gibson
guitar with neck pickup selected. The looping bass line is composed of a C# pentatonic or blues scale
while the piano and horn accompaniment remains major in its tonality. The unique mix of otherwise minor
and major
modes give the song a bright but harrowing sound.
The wide assortment of cover versions demonstrates Albert King's ability to influence not only blues guitar, but also rock guitar. It is notable that Jimi Hendrix's cover of "Born Under a Bad Sign" is essentially an extended guitar solo that explores King's unique phrasing.
Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
(music) and William Bell
William Bell (singer)
William Bell is an American soul singer and songwriter, and one of the architects of the Stax-Volt sound. As a performer, he is probably best known for 1961's "You Don't Miss Your Water" ; 1968's "Private Number" ; and 1976's "Tryin' To Love Two", Bell's only US top 40 hit, which also hit #1 on the...
(lyrics) originally recorded by Albert King
Albert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...
as the title track for the album Born Under a Bad Sign
Born Under a Bad Sign
-Album reissues:In 1998 Sundazed Records reissued the album with two additional bonus tracks, namely the rare mono single sides "Funk-Shun" and "Overall Junction", both written by Albert King...
released in 1967. Several cover versions of the song exist, most notably by Chicago blues band Paul Butterfield Blues Band, British rock group Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
, Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers
Paul Bernard Rodgers is an English rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company. After stints in two less successful bands in the 1980s and early 1990s, The Firm and The Law, he became a solo artist. He has recently toured and recorded with...
, and American rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
.
Style and influence
The style of "Born Under a Bad Sign" is hallmark of Albert KingAlbert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...
in the late 60s. The lead guitar is bright, nasal and cutting, partly because of Albert King
Albert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...
's choice of a custom Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
guitar with neck pickup selected. The looping bass line is composed of a C# pentatonic or blues scale
Blues scale
The term blues scale is used to describe a few scales with differing numbers of pitches and related characteristics. See: blues.The hexatonic, or six note, blues scale consists of the minor pentatonic scale plus the 4th or 5th degree...
while the piano and horn accompaniment remains major in its tonality. The unique mix of otherwise minor
Minor scale
A minor scale in Western music theory includes any scale that contains, in its tonic triad, at least three essential scale degrees: 1) the tonic , 2) a minor-third, or an interval of a minor third above the tonic, and 3) a perfect-fifth, or an interval of a perfect fifth above the tonic, altogether...
and major
Major scale
In music theory, the major scale or Ionian scale is one of the diatonic scales. It is made up of seven distinct notes, plus an eighth which duplicates the first an octave higher. In solfege these notes correspond to the syllables "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti/Si, ", the "Do" in the parenthesis at...
modes give the song a bright but harrowing sound.
The wide assortment of cover versions demonstrates Albert King's ability to influence not only blues guitar, but also rock guitar. It is notable that Jimi Hendrix's cover of "Born Under a Bad Sign" is essentially an extended guitar solo that explores King's unique phrasing.
Other versions
- Paul ButterfieldPaul ButterfieldPaul Butterfield was an American blues vocalist and harmonica player, who founded the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the early 1960s and performed at the original Woodstock Festival...
from The Resurrection of Pigboy CrabshawThe Resurrection of Pigboy CrabshawThe Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw is a 1967 album by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Its name refers to Elvin Bishop, whose role shifted to lead guitarist after Mike Bloomfield departed to form Electric Flag...
(1967) - Booker T. and the M.G.s from Soul LimboSoul LimboSoul Limbo is the eighth album by Booker T. & the MGs, released in 1968 on Stax Records. The album was the first Stax LP issued after the label severed its ties with former distributor Atlantic Records in 1968....
(1968) - CreamCream (band)Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
from Wheels of FireWheels of FireWheels of Fire is the name of a double album recorded by Cream. The release was largely successful, scoring the band a #3 peak in the United Kingdom and a #1 in the United States, and became the world's first platinum-selling double album....
(1968), BBC Sessions (2003), Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005 (2005) - Fear ItselfFear Itself (band)Fear Itself was a short-lived psychedelic blues-rock band formed by Ellen McIlwaine in the late 1960s in Atlanta, Georgia. The band featured McIlwaine singing lead vocals as well as performing harp, rhythm guitar and organ. Chris Zaloom performed lead guitar, Steve Cook played bass guitar, and Bill...
with Ellen McIlwaineEllen McIlwaineEllen McIlwaine is an American singer-songwriter and musician best known for her career as a slide guitarist.-Biography:...
from Fear Itself (1969) - Rita CoolidgeRita CoolidgeRita Coolidge is a multiple Grammy Award-winning American vocalist. During the 1970s and 1980s, she charted hits on Billboard's Pop, Country, Adult Contemporary and Jazz charts.-Career:...
from Rita CoolidgeRita Coolidge (album)-Side one:#"That Man is My Weakness" — 3:50#"Second Story Window" — 3:00#"Crazy Love" — 3:35#"The Happy Song" — 3:50#"Seven Bridges Road" — 5:55-Side two:...
(1971) - Pat TraversPat TraversPatrick Henry "Pat" Travers is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career with Polydor Records in the mid-1970s...
from Crash and Burn (1980) - Peter GreenPeter Green (musician)Peter Green is a British blues-rock guitarist and the founder of the band Fleetwood Mac...
from Little Dreamer (1980) - Robben FordRobben FordRobben Ford is an American blues, jazz and rock guitarist.-Biography:Ford was born in Woodlake, California, United States, but raised in Ukiah, California, and began playing the saxophone at age 10, picking up the guitar at age 13...
from Talk to Your DaughterTalk to Your DaughterTalk to Your Daughter is a blues-rock album by Robben Ford, released in 1988. The album's cover version of the Albert King classic "Born Under a Bad Sign" was used as a supporting soundtrack in the Clint Eastwood movie Pink Cadillac.-Track listing:...
(1988) - Dan CastellanetaDan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
as Homer SimpsonHomer SimpsonHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
from The Simpsons Sing the BluesThe Simpsons Sing the BluesThe Simpsons Sing the Blues is the first album released as an offshoot of The Simpsons. The album contains originally recorded music not featured in the series save for the first verse of the track "Moaning Lisa Blues" which was first featured in the episode "Moaning Lisa", aired February 11, 1990...
(1990) - Paul RodgersPaul RodgersPaul Bernard Rodgers is an English rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company. After stints in two less successful bands in the 1980s and early 1990s, The Firm and The Law, he became a solo artist. He has recently toured and recorded with...
from Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy WatersMuddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy WatersMuddy Water Blues: A Tribute To Muddy Waters is the second solo album by Paul Rodgers of Free and Bad Company fame.Although attributed solely to Paul Rodgers, this album features many other artists including Brian May, Buddy Guy, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Neal Schon, Gary Moore, Brian Setzer,...
(1993) - Jimi HendrixJimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
from Blues (1994) - Blue CheerBlue CheerBlue Cheer was an American psychedelic blues-rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009...
from What Doesn't Kill You...What Doesn't Kill You...(Blue Cheer album)What Doesn't Kill You... is the tenth and final studio album by American blues-rock band Blue Cheer. It includes a remake of their song "Just a Little Bit" originally from their album, Outsideinside and a cover of classic blues song, "Born Under a Bad Sign." David Fricke has called the album, "a...
(2007)