Albert King, Born Under a Bad Sign
My introduction to this song was via Stevie Ray Vaughn's cover version. A standard track for any well respected blues bar band.
B.B. King, Sweet Little Angel, The Thrill is Gone
Saw him at the House of Blues in 2005, where he winked and threw me a genuine lapel pin. Amazing to see a man who was bound to his chair still command an audience. Some tracks are just so much a part of the fabric of the American songbook, you can't take it out of context.
Ben E. King, Spanish Harlem, Stand by Me
I would also consider these two to be American standards.
Carole King, You've Got a Friend
Another song that has been around for as long as I have been around. My mother-in-law gave us tickets to see the musical based on her life. Initially, I wasn't interested but they were free, and it was close to Valentine's Day, so it was our date for the holiday. Charming, entertaining and a quick three hours.
Freddy King, Hide Away
Blues standard. Youtube poster says: seems like half the riffs in rock music came from this song. Black girl in navy fringe dress and go-go boots dancing in the background of a YouTube video gives me love. Oh! There's another one in a hunter green dress! FRINGE!
The Kingsmen, Louie Louie
You gotta love a song that was banned because no one could understand the lyrics. Loud, messy, joyous. Lots of frat boys pretending to be characters from Animal House will sing this wrapped in the flat sheets from their childhood twin sets.
The Kinks, A Well Respected Man, Lola
I. Love. The. Kinks. They are the messier Beatles, the slightly more unhinged Who, the rowdier Rolling Stones. Little Steven features them consistently on the Underground Garage. Telling that their Christmas song is about stealing money.
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