This edition of Wednesday Wilco Song Spotlight shines on “Hoodoo Voodoo,” from Wilco’s 1998 collaboration with Billy Bragg, Mermaid Avenue. The collection, which was followed by two more volumes, concerned Bragg and Wilco setting rare Woody Guthrie song lyrics to new music. This particular song was no doubt the wackiest from the sessions.
The following is an excerpt from the upcoming book, Wilcopedia: A Comprehensive Guide to the Music of America’s Beast Band (releasing 9/17; pre-order here):
“Hoodoo Voodoo” (Woody Guthrie, Jay Bennett, Billy Bragg, Ken Coomer, Corey Harris, John Stirratt, Jeff Tweedy)
Jay Bennett: organ, Farfisa bass pedals
Billy Bragg: electric guitar
Ken Coomer: drums
Corey Harris: electric guitar
John Stirratt: electric bass, piano (bass)
Jeff Tweedy: vocal
With lines like “Hoodoo voodoo, chooka chooky choochoo, true blue, how true, kissle me now” this song stands out from the rest of the Mermaid Avenue material obviously because of its absurd lyrical scheme.
Based on Woody Guthrie lyrics written at an unknown date, this extremely goofy song, the only one from the sessions that is musically credited to everyone who performed on it, instructs the listener to ‘dance a goofy dance’ among other silly suggestions.
In his excellent 2004 band bio, Wilco: Learning How To Die, Greg Kot wrote “‘Hoodoo Voodoo,’ a nonsensical children’s song that sounds like it could’ve been a precursor of both Dr. Seuss’s ‘The Cat In The Hat’ and Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues,’ was transformed when Stirratt and Coomer began exaggerating the groove, goofing on its herky-jerky possibilities. Tweedy jumped on the microphone while Bennett rocked the organ and Bragg joined in on electric guitar, and a song that had been dead in the water suddenly sailed.”
“Hoodoo Voodoo” was first introduced by Wilco at the Lounge Ax in Chicago in June of 1998, and its singer comically struggled to convince the audience that it was written by Guthrie (“I’m not kidding, I’m dead serious”). Tweedy had previously premiered the song for the first time solo acoustically at the same venue during the summer of 1997.
In over two hundred performances, the jaunty jingle has maintained its status as a fan favorite that usually pops up during Wilco’s encores.
“Hoodoo Voodoo” (Woody Guthrie, Jay Bennett, Billy Bragg, Ken Coomer, Corey Harris, John Stirratt, Jeff Tweedy)
Jay Bennett: organ, Farfisa bass pedals
Billy Bragg: electric guitar
Ken Coomer: drums
Corey Harris: electric guitar
John Stirratt: electric bass, piano (bass)
Jeff Tweedy: vocal
With lines like “Hoodoo voodoo, chooka chooky choochoo, true blue, how true, kissle me now” this song stands out from the rest of the Mermaid Avenue material obviously because of its absurd lyrical scheme.
Based on Woody Guthrie lyrics written at an unknown date, this extremely goofy song, the only one from the sessions that is musically credited to everyone who performed on it, instructs the listener to ‘dance a goofy dance’ among other silly suggestions.
In his excellent 2004 band bio, Wilco: Learning How To Die, Greg Kot wrote “‘Hoodoo Voodoo,’ a nonsensical children’s song that sounds like it could’ve been a precursor of both Dr. Seuss’s ‘The Cat In The Hat’ and Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues,’ was transformed when Stirratt and Coomer began exaggerating the groove, goofing on its herky-jerky possibilities. Tweedy jumped on the microphone while Bennett rocked the organ and Bragg joined in on electric guitar, and a song that had been dead in the water suddenly sailed.”
“Hoodoo Voodoo” was first introduced by Wilco at the Lounge Ax in Chicago in June of 1998, and its singer comically struggled to convince the audience that it was written by Guthrie (“I’m not kidding, I’m dead serious”). Tweedy had previously premiered the song for the first time solo acoustically at the same venue during the summer of 1997.
In over two hundred performances, the jaunty jingle has maintained its status as a fan favorite that usually pops up during Wilco’s encores.
Billy Bragg has also performed it live over the years, solo and with his backing band, the Blokes. On a live import by Bragg and the Blokes, entitled MA Tour/You Can Call Me Cupcake, Bragg released his ska arrangement of the song, “Hoodoo Ska Voodoo,” in 1999, and another variation on the track by Bragg, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8” appears on Daddy-O Daddy! Rare Family Songs of Woody Guthrie (2001).
Last year, some rare recordings of Guthrie performances were found at the Shel Silverstein Archive, one of them containing his own version of “Hoodoo Voodoo.” Of course, it was assumed, like with all the other Mermaid Avenue material, that he hadn't written music for it, so it's a thrill to hear how different, and strangely similar his take on it is to Bragg and Wilco. You can hear it here via Variety, who broke the news of its finding last December.
More later...
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