Bad, Bad Whiskey

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"Bad, Bad Whiskey"
Single by Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chickenshackers
B-side"I’m Going to Tell My Mama"
ReleasedOctober 1950
GenreR&B
LabelAladdin Records
Songwriter(s)Maxwell Davis

"Bad, Bad Whiskey" is a song by Maxwell Davis that was released in 1950 by Amos Milburn. The single was the last time Milburn reached the number one position on the US Billboard R&B Chart.[1]

Song Background[edit]

The song is usually credited to Maxwell Davis alone, but some sources say it was initially an instrumental titled Bristol Drive, which Milburn adapted by blending in some alcohol-based lyrics.[2]

Cover Versions[edit]

Bad, Bad Whiskey became one of the most enduring “blues in a bottle” songs.[3] The song has been covered many times, most recently by Colin James in October 2016 on his album Blue Highways.[4]

Other uses[edit]

Bob Dylan played the song in the episode “Spring Cleaning” (Episode 50) of his series Theme Time Radio Hour in April 2007.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 400.
  2. ^ "Adaptations of Bad Bad Whiskey written by Amos Milburn". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Amos Milburn". LivinBlues. 3 January 1980. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Cover versions of Bad Bad Whiskey written by Amos Milburn". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Episode 50: Spring Cleaning". Theme Time Radio Hour Archive. Retrieved 12 November 2017.