I'm Ready (Muddy Waters song)
Willie Dixon-penned blues standard first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1954.
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"I'm Ready" is a blues song written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1954. The single spent nine weeks on the Billboard R&B chart, reaching number four. It has since become a blues standard, often compared to Dixon's earlier "Hoochie Coochie Man."
Composition and recording
The song was inspired by a comment Muddy Waters made before a gig, as recalled by harmonica player Willie Foster. Dixon wrote the lyrics within about three days, continuing the swagger and supernatural imagery of "Hoochie Coochie Man." The track uses a stop-time sixteen-bar structure similar to that earlier song. Recording took place on September 1, 1954, with Waters on vocal and guitar, Little Walter on chromatic harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Otis Spann on piano, Willie Dixon on bass, and Fred Below on drums.
Did You Know?
- The song was included on Muddy Waters' first album, The Best of Muddy Waters, in 1958.
- Muddy Waters re-recorded "I'm Ready" for his albums Fathers and Sons (1969) and The London Muddy Waters Sessions (1971).
- A 1978 re-recording as the title track of I'm Ready, produced by Johnny Winter, earned Waters a Grammy Award.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was I'm Ready (Muddy Waters song) released?
I'm Ready was released on 27 October 1954.
Which label released I'm Ready (Muddy Waters song)?
I'm Ready was released by Chess.
Who produced I'm Ready (Muddy Waters song)?
I'm Ready was produced by Leonard Chess and Phil Chess.
More in Chess Records Singles
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: I'm Ready (Muddy Waters song) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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