10 best Dr John hits of all time

Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (1941 - 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, is an American singer and songwriter. His music combined New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B.

From the late 1950s until his death, he was active as a session musician, and in the late 1960s, after the release of the album Gris-Gris (1968) and a performance at the Bath Blues and Progressive Music Festival, he became a well-known and popular performer.

As a rule, Rebennack performed with a live, theatrical stage show. He recorded thirty studio albums and nine live albums, and also participated in the creation of thousands of recordings by other musicians. In 1973, his song "Right Place, Wrong Time" became one of the top ten hits.

Makin' Whoopee!

Makin' Whoopee! was released as part of the album "In a Sentimental Mood", released in 1989. This is a jazz composition, in a narrative and charming rhythm, accompanied by Dr. John's unique vocals.

I Walk on Guilded Splinters

Dr. John's composition "I Walk on Guilded Splinters" is mesmerizing. It combines blues, funk and voodoo-inspired lyrics. The singer's characteristic vocals are accompanied by a hypnotic rhythm section and eerie atmospheric sounds. The lyrics are a mixture of mysterious images and incantations.

This song is a unique combination of genres. When it was first released in 1968, it received a mixed reaction, but now it is considered a classic and an iconic Dr. John composition.

Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya

Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya is the first song from Dr. John's debut album, Gris-Gris. Produced by Harold Battiste, it was released on Atco Records in 1968.

The Gris-Gris music style is a hybrid of New Orleans R&B and psychedelic.

Iko Iko

"Iko Iko" is a well-known New Orleans song that tells the story of a clash between two tribes of Mardi Gras Indians. Originally titled "Jock-A-Mo", the song was written and released in 1953 as a single by James "Sugar Boy" Crawford and his band the Cane Cutters, but it did not hit the charts.

Dr. John recorded "Iko Iko" in 1972 for his fifth studio album Dr. John's Gumbo. Released as a single in March 1972 on Atco Records, his version of the song peaked at number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The story of "Iko Iko" is told by Dr. John in the liner notes to his 1972 album Dr. John's Gumbo, in which he covers the New Orleans R&B classic.

Accentuate the Positive

"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" is a popular song released in 1944. The music was written by Harold Arlen and the lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1945 after it was used in the movie Here Come the Waves.

In 1989, Dr. John included it on his twelfth album, In a Sentimental Mood, which stayed for eleven weeks on the Billboard 200 charts, where it reached number 142.

Down in New Orlean

"Down in New Orleans" is a song from the 2009 Disney animated film The Princess and the Frog, written by Randy Newman.

The song was nominated for Best Original Song at the 82nd Academy Awards, but lost to "The Weary Kind" from the movie "Crazy Heart".

The full version of "Down in New Orleans" is performed by Dr. John in the movie's credits. The song represents New Orleans and foreshadows the machinations of the main villain of the cartoon.

Qualified

"Qualified" is the fourth song from Dr. John's sixth album "In the Right Place". The album was released on Atco Records in 1973 and became the most commercially successful of the singer's career, with the song "Right Place, Wrong Time" becoming the biggest hit from the record, reaching the Top 10 in the United States and Canada.

Traveling Mood

Traveling Mood is the fifth song from the 1973 album "In the Right Place" by James Waynes. This album became Dr. John's highest-ranking album on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 33 weeks and peaking at number 24 on June 23, 1973.

Right Place, Wrong Time

"Right Place, Wrong Time" - this song by Dr. John became the first single from his sixth album In the Right Place and his biggest hit.

In the summer of 1973, the song reached the ninth position on the American Billboard Hot 100. It ranked 24th on the list of the biggest hits of 1973.

It is known that Bob Dylan, Bette Midler and Doug Sahm took part in its creation, and the verse - "Just need a little brain salad surgery/got to cure my insecurity" became the inspiration for the title of the album Brain Salad Surgery, by the English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Such a Night

"Such a Night" is a popular 1953 song written by Lincoln Chase and originally recorded by the Drifters. Despite the fact that some radio stations banned it as too "racy", in 1954 it reached number 2 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart.

In 1973, Dr. John included his version of this rock 'n' roll song on the album In the Right Place.