Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers

Nearly everything released under the Specialty banner, from the fiery proto rock and roll of Don & Dewey to the unhinged guitar antics of Guitar Slim, is worth investigating for anyone interested in the forgotten roots of American rock. The material by Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers during the mid-‘50s is no exception. Though he never experienced much crossover success, Liggins was a beloved figure on the chitlin circuit whose rocking backing band could easily rival the boisterous flamboyance of contemporary outfits like Hank Ballard’s Midnighters and even Little Richard’s Upsetters. Though Liggins’ band certainly helped to shape the frenetic rhythms of rock & roll with the loose and easy beats underlying tunes like “Pink Champagne” and “The Honeydripper,” they also payed homage to an earlier era of R&B, reveling in elaborate entendres and obscure off-color jokes worthy of bygone masters like Louis Jordan and Cab Calloway. The output of Liggins and his band perfectly marks the moment where the clandestine world of underground R&B began to transform into populist rock & roll.