Slim Harpo (born either Isiah Moore or James Isaac Moore; February 11, 1924 – January 31, 1970) was an American blues musician and a leading figure in the swamp blues style. He was one of the most successful blues artists of his time. He played guitar and was skilled at playing the blues harmonica, which is sometimes called a "harp" in blues music. His most famous songs include "I'm a King Bee" (1957), "Rainin' in My Heart" (1961), and "Baby Scratch My Back" (1966). The song "Baby Scratch My Back" reached number one on Billboard's R&B chart and number 16 on the Hot 100 singles chart.

Life and career

Moore was born in Lobdell, Louisiana, as the oldest child in his family. After his parents passed away, he worked as a longshoreman and construction worker in New Orleans during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Inspired by the musician Jimmy Reed, he began performing in Baton Rouge bars using the name "Harmonica Slim." He also played with his brother-in-law, Lightnin' Slim, during live shows.

In March 1957, Moore started his recording career in Crowley, Louisiana, with J. D. "Jay" Miller, an A&R man and record producer. To avoid confusion with another musician named Harmonica Slim, he followed his wife's suggestion and changed his name to Slim Harpo. His first solo recording, "I'm a King Bee," was released by Excello Records in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1957. The song was paired with "I Got Love If You Want It." Although he played guitar during live performances, he often used other guitarists for recordings. The record became popular in some areas but did not reach national charts. Later, in early 1961, Moore had his first chart success with "Rainin' in My Heart," which reached number 17 on Billboard's R&B chart and number 34 on the Hot 100. This was followed by an album of the same name and additional singles. Many of his songs were written with his wife, Lovelle Moore, though she was not credited.

Moore was not a full-time musician during the 1960s, as he owned a trucking business. According to writer Ryan Whirty, "Harpo and his band needed to tour constantly and play as much as possible; times were frequently lean financially, and the men had to scrape up whatever they could get." However, by 1964, several of his songs were released in the UK, and British rock bands began performing his music. The Moody Blues, a British Merseybeat/R&B group, reportedly took their name from an instrumental track by Slim Harpo called "Moody Blues."

Harpo's biggest commercial success came in 1966 with the instrumental song "Baby Scratch My Back," which reached number one on the R&B chart and number 16 on the broader Billboard chart. He described the song as "an attempt at rock & roll for me" and it was again produced by Miller. However, disagreements with Miller and changes in the record company's ownership led to two follow-up songs, "Tip On In" and "Tee-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu," being recorded in Nashville with a new producer, Robert Holmes. Both songs made the R&B chart.

In 1968, Harpo recruited Lightnin' Slim to join his touring band, and he performed widely during the late 1960s, mainly for rock audiences. With plans for a first tour of Europe and recording sessions already in place, "one of the cleanest living bluesmen of his era" died suddenly of a heart attack in Baton Rouge. He was buried in Mulatto Bend Cemetery in Port Allen, Louisiana.

Influence

Music critic Cub Koda mentioned that Slim Harpo's songs "also proved to be quite adaptable for white artists on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Kinks, Dave Edmunds with Love Sculpture, Van Morrison with Them, Sun rockabilly singer Warren Smith, Hank Williams, Jr., and the Fabulous Thunderbirds." The Slim Harpo Music Awards, given every year in Baton Rouge, are named in his honor. Money earned from the awards supports the "Music in the Schools" outreach program.

A biography, called Slim Harpo: Blues King Bee of Baton Rouge, written by UK blues expert Martin Hawkins, was published in 2006. David Fricke of Rolling Stone magazine described the book as "a passionate, detailed and impressive work, bringing the mysterious Harpo to life and tracing his rise to fame—from the rich central-Louisiana blues scene to performances at the Fillmore East—with thorough research in the area and descriptions of the singer's peers, band members, and music industry contacts."

Discography

• 1957 – "I'm a King Bee" / "I Got Love if You Want It" (Excello 2113)
• 1958 – "Wondering and Worryin'" / "Strange Love" (Excello 2138)
• 1959 – "You'll Be Sorry One Day" / "One More Day" (Excello 2162)
• 1960 – "Buzz Me Babe" / "Late Last Night" (Excello 2171)
• 1960 – "Blues Hang-Over" / "What a Dream" (Excello 2184)
• 1961 – "Rainin' in My Heart" / "Don't Start Cryin' Now" (Excello 2194) – R&B chart number 17, US pop chart number 34
• 1963 – "I Love the Life I'm Living" / "Buzzin'" (Excello 2239)
• 1964 – "I Need Money (Keep Your Alibis)" / "My Little Queen Bee (Got a Brand New King)" (Excello 2246)
• 1964 – "Still Rainin' in My Heart" / "We're Two of a Kind" (Excello 2253)
• 1964 – "Sittin' Here Wondering" / "What's Goin' on Baby" (Excello 2261)
• 1965 – "Harpo's Blues" / "Please Don't Turn Me Down" (Excello 2265)
• 1966 – "Baby Scratch My Back" / "I'm Gonna Miss You (Like The Devil)" (Excello 2273) – R&B chart number 1, US pop chart number 16
• 1966 – "Shake Your Hips" / "Midnight Blues" (Excello 2278)
• 1966 – "I'm Your Bread Maker, Baby" / "Loving You (The Way I Do)" (Excello 2282)
• 1967 – "Tip On In (Part 1)" / "Tip On In (Part 2)" (Excello 2285) – R&B chart number 37
• 1967 – "I'm Gonna Keep What I've Got" / "I've Got To Be With You Tonight" (Excello 2289)
• 1968 – "Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu" / "Mailbox Blues" (Excello 2294) – R&B chart number 36
• 1968 – "Mohair Sam" / "I Just Can't Leave You" (Excello 2301)
• 1969 – "That's Why I Love You" / "Just For You" (Excello 2305)
• 1969 – "Folsom Prison Blues" / "Mutual Friend" (Excello 2306)
• 1969 – "I've Got My Finger on Your Trigger" / "The Price Is Too High" (Excello 2309)
• 1970 – "Rainin' in My Heart" (reissue with added recordings) / "Jody Man" (Excello 2316)

• 1960 – Tunes to Be Remembered (one track; various artists – Excello LPS-8001)
• 1961 – Rainin' in My Heart (Excello LPS-8003) (CD release: Hip-O/MCA 40135, 1998 – with three bonus tracks)
• 1963 – Authentic R & B (three tracks; various artists – Stateside SL-10068)
• 1964 – The Real R & B (three tracks; various artists – Stateside SL-10112)
• 1964 – A Long Drink of Blues (six tracks…all of side 2; compilation album shared with Lightnin' Slim – Stateside SL-10135)
• 1966 – Baby Scratch My Back (Excello LPS-8005)
• 1968 – Tip On In (Excello LPS-8008)
• 1968 – Saturday Night Function: Rural Blues, Vol. 2 (two tracks; various artists – Imperial LM-94001)
• 1969 – The Best of Slim Harpo (compilation album – Excello LPS-8010)
• 1969 – The Real Blues (one track; various artists – Excello LPS-8011)
• 1970 – Slim Harpo Knew the Blues (Excello LPS-8013)
• 1970 – He Knew the Blues (Blue Horizon 7-63854; UK version of Excello LPS-8013 with two extra tracks: "Shake Your Hips" and "I'm Your Bread Maker Baby")
• 1971 – Trigger Finger (Blue Horizon/Polydor 2431 013)
• 1972 – The Excello Story (three tracks; various artists – Excello LPS-8025) 2LP
• 1976 – Slim Harpo…Knew the Blues (Vol. 2) (Excello/Nashboro 28030) 2LP/25 tracks compilation of LPS-8008, LPS-8013, and four singles: Excello 2301, 2305, 2306, 2309; plus one previously unreleased track: "Stick Your Chest Out Baby".
• 1978 – Slim Harpo…He Knew the Blues (Sonet SNTF-