Classic Clips: Etta James and Dr. John “I’d Rather Go Blind” – BB King and Friends, 1987

Photo: Bruce Weber

What with the last studio album from Dr. John about to be released and just general musing on what a superb talent he was I set off on a quest through Youtube for a moving performance that wasn’t just a clip from ‘The Last Waltz.’  And this is where I ended.  Now I know what you’re thinking – Americana UK doesn’t really cover the Blues, so what’s this all about?  BB King introducing Etta James, and the soulful blues of ‘I’d Rather Go Blind‘?  But here’s the thing – I would contend that this song is one that Willy Vlautin was born just too late to write himself.  This is a perfect Delines song.  It just happens to be Etta James and Dr. John that are performing it.  And that being said it is a perfect song to feature on Americana UK.

What is so wonderful about this clip is how natural the interaction between Etta and the good Doctor appears – you’d almost swear that Mac’s intervention was an off-the-cuff decision, but actually they’d been duetting this song for years.  It’s great though, ain’t it?

About Jonathan Aird 2278 Articles
Sure, I could climb high in a tree, or go to Skye on my holiday. I could be happy. All I really want is the excitement of first hearing The Byrds, the amazement of decades of Dylan's music, or the thrill of seeing a band like The Long Ryders live. That's not much to ask, is it?

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