But my personal standout is the slow groove of "Just Kissed My Baby." The relaxed pace is keyed by a wah-wah soon joined by Modeliste's unique creole beat. The simple, drawn out vocal phrases like "Feel like a king...'Cause I just kissed my baby" are deliberately spaced so as to not get in way of the groove. Porter's bass line is so simple and yet so freakin' in the pocket. That little change up he does on the bridge slays me every time. It's so dead-gummed good the horn section mimics it. And if that wasn't enough, just a touch of sweet Delta Blues-style slide guitar seeps into the mix. A little Mississippi to go with the Lousisiana. Inspired, I say.
Evidently, I'm not alone in my sentiments, as this song has been sampled probably to death, at least since Public Enemy did it for their "Timebomb" track back in '87. Texas guitar slinger Chris Duarte recorded a respectable cover back in '94. But old-school types will want to enjoy the authentic, whole enchilada as it was originally conceived.
So, yeah, these guys — every one of them — oozed that funky stuff. I ain't lyin'. Listen to "Just Kissed My Baby" for yourself and pick up a dictionary, if you don't believe me.
Listen: The Meters "Just Kissed My Baby"
"One Track Mind" is a more-or-less weekly drool over a single song selected on a whim and a short thesis on why you should be drooling over it, too.
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Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
The Meters were so funky, they made George Clinton sound like Perry Como.
truer words were never spoken.
back in my early 20's, i had never heard of The Meters...then i guy in my dorm got a copy of The Wild Tchopitoulas. holy smokes, what a great record.
2 - Pico
Mark, The Meters were actually a band I've heard of since the time of this song. When I was in grade school, "Hey Pocky A-Way" and "They All Ax' For You" were all over the radio growing up in South Louisiana. I honestly thought then they were some big nationwide act and that these songs were being played regularly all over the country. It was only later that I realized that those tunes were getting more airplay because they were a "local" act.
Thank God local radio was still vibrant back then.
3 - Mark Saleski
yeah, they should be a household name!