I bought some records at a relative’s yard sale when I was really young. A Chuck Berry album, The Doors LA Woman album, and this single. So for a dollar, I took home a great deal. This one is an excellent song with a beat that won’t leave you.
Antoine “Fats” Domino Jr. was not flashy and wild like some of his 1950s peers such as Elvis, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The first I heard of Fats Domino was on “Happy Days” and the song Blueberry Hill.
Domino was the youngest of eight children in a musical family, he spoke Creole French before learning English. At age 7 his brother-in-law taught him how to play the piano. By the time he was 10, he was already performing as a singer and pianist.
This song was inspired by a comment a fan made to Domino after Domino’s car broke down: “Hey, look at Fats Domino, he’s walking!” Domino then thought to himself, “Yeah, I’m walking,” and wrote the song as he walked.
Domino wrote this song with Dave Bartholomew, a fellow New Orleans musician who did a lot of work arranging and composing songs for him. One thing about the song that just jumps out is the sax solo by Herbert Hardesty. He also played on Ain’t That A Shame.
It peaked at #5 in the Billboard 100 and #19 in the UK in 1957.
Domino received The Lifetime Achievement Grammy, a National Medal of the Arts from President Bill Clinton, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Fats semi-retired in the 80s and said he would not travel outside of New Orleans.
He lived in New Orleans During Hurricane Katrina, he lost most of his possessions and he and his family were rescued by the Coast Guard. He unselfishly made many personal appearances to raise money for the hurricane relief. His house was hit hard and he lost his National Medal and gold records but George Bush gave him another medal to replace the lost one and the RIAA gave him replacement gold records.
To raise money for repairs for his own home, friends and fellow musicians recorded a tribute album, Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino, featuring the likes of Robert Plant, Elton John, and Sir Paul McCartney. He was living in New Orleans at the time of his death on October 24, 2017.
I’m Walkin’
I’m walkin’, yes indeed, and I’m talkin’ ’bout you and me
I’m hopin’ that you’ll come back to me (yes)
I’m lonely as I can be, I’m waitin’ for your company
I’m hopin’ that you’ll come back to me
What ‘ya gonna do when the well runs dry?
You’re gonna run away and hide
I’m gonna run right by your side, for you pretty baby I’ll even die
I’m walkin’, yes indeed, I’m talkin’ ’bout you and me
I’m hopin’ that you’ll come back to me
I’m walkin’, yes indeed, and I’m talkin’ ’bout you and me
I’m hopin’ that you’ll come back to me (yes)
I’m lonely as I can be, I’m waitin’ for your company
I’m hopin’ that you’ll come back to me
What ‘ya gonna do when the well runs dry?
You’re gonna sit right down and cry
What ‘ya gonna do when I say bye-bye?
All you’re gonna do is dry your eye
I’m walkin’, yes indeed, I’m talkin’ ’bout you and me
I’m hopin’ that you’ll come back to me
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Certainly one of my favourite Fats songs but I didn’t know the origin story. Thanks Max.
From the very first moment I heard “Blueberry Hill” as a kid back in Germany, which likely was on a Sunday night oldies radio show, I loved Fats Domino. His music just makes me happy and with the ‘walking piano’ in many of his songs it also nicely swings!
I didn’t know the background story about “I’m Walking.” I was aware that Domino lost many things and almost his life during Katrina.
He wasn’t like his peers…he came and did his job…no controversy or anything.
Yep, Fats was all about the music. And his music was pretty damn good!
That’s turning lemons into lemonade, broke down car into a big hit! He should have been able to buy a more reliable car from the proceeds of the single. Only know a few of his songs but I like those more than some of his possibly more popular contemporaries.
Dave…at some point listen to his cover of Lady Madonna and he covered “Everybody’s Got Something To HIde Except For Me and My Monkey”…. I was telling Christian….he did his job…no flash or anything…just some solid great songs.
I will! Had no idea he had covered the Beatles.
Yes…check them out…think about it…Lady Madonna was made for him. I believe he charted it but I could be wrong. The other is fantastic…to take that crazy song and form it into something that Fats did.
That is a great sax solo, and you can’t help not tapping your feet to this song.
I love this sax solo…that is the reason I pointed it out…
While it’s not prominent here, it was Fats who introduced me to New Orleans-style piano as a child…which led me to Professor Longhair, Allen Toussaint (and his nephew Art Neville), Mac Rebbenack…
I can see that with him. He was different than his rock and roll peers…a different style.
Yup. I feelgood tune and a good one. I caught Fats back in the day. Great show. I might have told you this before, he belly bucked his piano across the stage. All those old rock n rollers had showmanship. and charisma. Lee Allen was one of his sax players and ended up with the Blasters at the start of their career. Just a little CB useless trivia. Music related though.
I’m jealous about that one. I would have loved to see him.
I live off useless trivia…thats 90 percent of my makeup…
That’s funny. I can even give you more. It was 86. Expo was in Vancouver. I’m terrible with dates. Jerry Lee, Everly’s, Van, John Lee Hooker all showed up at around the same time. Must have been something in the air. The shows were are very good. Van even cracked a smile. I even caught one pf your Power Pop bands , Paul Revere and the Raiders (are they power pop?)
What a concert! I got to see Van one time…but Jerry Lee, Everlys. and John Lee Hooker…wow.
Paul Revere were/is hard to label. An American band trying to sound like they were British. I guess a few of their songs could be considered that…
I caught Paul and the boys by mistake. It was at a club and they put on a good show. Wasnt like the sanitized image they portrayed. Their fans ate it up.
By the way Fat’s was smiling through the whole performance. He really enjoyed performing. Didnt mail it in. Small venues seem to bring out the best in a lot of these guys and gals.
Personally after playing in small places and a few huge outdoor things and a womens prison (THAT was a fun time)…a smller place is like shaking up a coca-cola…you get that energy. Outside energy goes to die…so yea I can see that.
Id like to hear more about the “women’s” gig one day.
I will email that story…
I’ve said it before: Fats was a little rock & roll on top of a lot of New Orleans.
That is a great description…different from his peers.
Wow, never knew about the Hurricane Katrina story dude. Awesome stuff
I fell in love with Fats Domino’s music as a toddler, thanks to my much older half brother.
Imagining walking into a bar in New Orleans and Fats is at the piano, jamming with other musicians. He had a quality to his voice that was magical and maybe the Creole language origin gave it an extra timbre when he sang. One of a kind!
He was different than anyone else at his time…or really after…