I’ve been aware of this band for years, but I didn’t think I knew much about them. I started to listen, and yes, I’ve heard this and a couple of others. If you ever need to explain what “funk” feels like, you can skip any lyrics and just drop the needle on this song. These guys are New Orleans through and through. I’ve been posting songs with grooves lately. I don’t think you can beat this one.
It was recorded in 1969 for Josie Records. This song emerged from the Crescent City’s studio scene, which gave us Allen Toussaint, Lee Dorsey, and Dr. John. If you were a rock star in the seventies, you would be traveling to New Orleans to look up the Meters to get that New Orleans style. The Meters recorded with Paul McCartney, Robert Palmer, Dr John, LaBelle, Lee Dorsey, and Allen Toussaint, to name just a few.
In the mid-1960s, keyboardist Art Neville gathered three young musicians who shared his feel for rhythm: Guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr., and drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste. Together, they began backing artists like Lee Dorsey under the guidance of producer Allen Toussaint.
This song was their breakout song. They toured with The Rolling Stones in 1975, bringing funk to European stadiums. Their pure talent made them one of the most in-demand rhythm sections on the planet. This song has been used in many movies like Jackie Brown, Red, Legend, and many more. Their songs have been covered by The Grateful Dead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Widespread Panic, to name a few.
This song peaked at #23 on the Billboard 100 and #4 on the Billboard R&B Charts in 1969. Turn it up and you can hear New Orleans itself pushing through your speakers.
…
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 
Given the connections you mentioned I may have run across the name before but I really can’t recall.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I mostly remember this in a lot of movies….but yea they played with everyone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Meters, the Neville Brothers. All great funk. Great music. In the groove. Gotta love it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good find. I guess Cissy strutted all the way north to the border then back down the river to New Orleans…I don’t ever remember hearing this in Canada. Catchy piece though & I figured it sounded well suited to movies which you seem to suggest it was. It was the golden age of pop instrumentals back then.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve JUST found that it did chart in Canada but at #55…I looked for that last week and couldn’t find it!
It’s been in so many movies…I didn’t list the half of them. I remembered it the most in Jackie Brown…a favorite movie of mine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Grateful Dead covered Hey Pocky A-Way about 30 times in concert.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh this is good! I always thought that song was an old folk song or something but the Meters wrote it. Mydland had such a great voice Jim. I forget that sometimes…one of the best singers they ever had…although I liked, like you, the Godchaux era more.
LikeLiked by 1 person
As you know, the Meters begat the Wild Tchoupitoulas who begat the Neville Brothers. I got to see George Porter, Jr a few years ago at a festival here with a band of young ‘uns.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know much about The Wild Tchoupitoulas…but I’m loving what I’m hearing right now!
That is cool that you got to see him….training a new crew.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is one great tune, Max. I love the funky guitar. The bassline is also pretty cool, as are the drums. Damn, the whole thing is bloody good!
BTW, I know the name The Meters from somewhere – I just can’t remember from where. I hate when that happens!
LikeLiked by 1 person
They recorded with everyone I think…everyone great. That may be where you heard it. Oh man… oh they sound so good! And are so talented.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Never heard a Meters song before – the drums sound so good.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a band of musicians. I read about them in a McCartney book and went on from there. Those drums do pop out at you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Could not listen to the first video. The drum pauses were unbearable. Definitely remember this tune from Jackie Brown. Good to learn a little about them. With Neville, did he play in the band or just get them together? Toussaint is a name I know but don’t know much about. NOLA is a place I’d love to visit one day. Good choice for a Sunday afternoon, Max. I can see myself cruising along in a cream-colored Buick convertible out around the lake to this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was the only live one during that time I could find.
Yes, Neville did play for them until he went solo. I really like Toussaint! He was a great song writer…plus he arranged a lot of the horns in the Last Waltz for The Band…The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and more.
Oh yes…cruising along the water…all great!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not your fault I couldn’t listen! To me that dude was purposely trying to be a showoff but only showed off he was an idiot 😉 I remember The Neville Brothers group and think I still have one of their albums. So awesome on Toussaint.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh the Neville voices are magical. I think you will like Toussaint.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pure funk, where the groove goes you just have to follow. (And that name ‘Zigaboo Modaliste’ is the perfect rock band name.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh isn’t that name like the coolest!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like the Paladins yesterday with the Cali scene. This New Orleans stuff is connect the dots to great listening by so many top notch people. This sounds pretty good today. Hit it out of the park with two blue ribbon takes today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks man…I’ve heard about them through books and you mentioned them when I did the Allen T post…it was only a matter of time. I did find another band while looking for this one…with a similiar name…I’ll talk to you about that one later.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cool.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah that rhythm section is killer
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was dimly aware of The Meters, and had heard a little from them, but then the song “Find Yourself” came up on a playlist, and I had to get the CD it was on. It’s called Trick Bag, and you may find the cover … interesting. This is great. The Nevilles were always involved in good music.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I was introduced to this one by Jackie Brown… yea they backed up everyone…
New Orleans in the 70s was a musical happening place.
LikeLike
I see you’re now reviewing something ( a lot) better than the second tier mostly “classic” rock stuff you’ve apparently been primarily delving into. This is a foundational tune, which came out about the same time as Sly’s Stand album, which had several early funk style tunes including the title cut on it.. But this is a different version of funk from what Sly and his superstar bassist Larry Graham were inventing, and unfortunately didn’t get anywhere near the kind of airplay Stand (Or James Brown, so I didn’t hear it for several years after it was released, and yes, I was very much “there” at the time. The Meters and Sly are both funk inventors, along with JB and Funkadelic, but you are correct in that this one is very specifically rooted in New Orleans sound including precursors in stride jazz and other early funky sounds that New Orleans created.
Anyhow, as I said, this is a foundational tune, which- while I understand, based on your emails threads that you’ve already reviewed a whole lot of the best in “classic rock” a while ago- and thus are now relegated now to pretty minor stuff in that general genre, is WAY better and more important than any of your recent tunes reviewed in terms of lasting impact and importance, which mostly seem like curiosity items to me.
Of course it’s your blog, and while its interesting to hear what someone in a later generation thinks of the music of my relative youth and young adult years, I’m just saying that it might be time to explore music that isn’t pretty much all-classic rock from pretty much all-white musicians. World music in all it’s (non-North American non-Western Europe) various genres would seem to be on the agenda if you want to keep things interesting, along with Funk. There’s a lot to celebrate that made major musical and popular impacts under that heading besides Reggae if you look.
LikeLiked by 1 person
To answer you…. I would not be against looking outside of what I do. I don’t care where it’s from or who does it…if it’s good it’s good…. the only reason that I have skipped other songs before though was because of the language barrier….that is hard to get across with a lyric type song. I DID find a 60s Japanese garage band I liked…the Mops…but it might be Japanese players but they were copying the western sound.
Unlike a lot of bloggers. I have to like what I’m posting….and what I mean by that is I know some that just blog on popular songs and they don’t even like the songs! I can’t do that. I’m not a journalist…God knows I’m not that good…as a writer. When I started I started with Beatles, Stones, Kinks, and The Who as my foundation. I’m 58 so their prime was over by the time I came of age. I grew up in the worst decade (to me) in music…and that would be the 1980s. I hated synth and electronic drums…but I do like the alternative bands. I stuck with those bands
If you look at my last few posts…I think they are all over the map from The Rising Sons, Goose Creek Symphony, Meters, and The Band. My two loves are power pop so that is obvious…and roots music like The Band and blues like the Rising Sons.
Top 40 modern music has zero affect on me…I do like again some alt bands now.
I’m willing to look and listen don’t get me wrong. I’ve gone out of my comfort zone many times.
But I willl keep it in mind…
LikeLike
Meant to type that Cissy Strut didn’t get anywhere near the airplay that Stand or various concurrent singles by James Brown got at the time, which is why I didn’t hear it for several years after those tunes at the time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t hear it until Jackie Brown…but I was only 2 in 1969. I also like Allen Toussaint and I’ve done a post on him. The Neville brothers though I haven’t touched…I need to do one on them.
LikeLike