Chick Willis
Chick Willis
       
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Chick Willis 
Born Robert Willis on September 24, 1934 in Cabiness, Georgia, "Chick" is the cousin of late blues legend Chuck Willis. He began his musical career in the 50's touring with his cousin Chuck Willis , a rollicking R&B showman who became known as the “King of the Stroll”. Chick left the military in 1954 and worked as valet and chauffeur for Chuck, also playing in Chuck's band. When Chuck died of stomach problems in 1958, Chick worked with slide guitar great Elmore James. On his own Chick released a few obscure singles before hitting it big in 1972 with the infamous "Stoop Down Baby," which allegedly went on to sell 3 million copies! Since then, like Marvin Sease, he made a career out of similar risque material despite having genuine blues talent. Fortunately, he has proved himself as a blues singer and guitarist as much as an author of "blue" material.To date Chick has over a dozen recordings and has appeared in the movies “Petie Wheatstraw” and the Buddy Holly story. In addition to being a first rate guitarist and vocalist, Chick plays drums, keyboard, harmonica, and bass. Despite it's success there was no followup LP to "Stoop Down Baby Let Your Daddy See". In the mid-80s he signed with Ichiban records and dropped a tribute album to his cousin ("Chick Does Chuck") in 1985. However, it was his second album and a return to the raunchy style that re-ignited his career. Beginning with the double-entendre filled LP "Now" Willis recorded another five albums for the label before becoming a journeyman for various labels (Paula, Ifgam, Rockhouse, Deep South, CML, Old School). A 2008 effort, "The Don Of The Blues", was released on the California-based CDS Records imprint. It featured the popular song "Obama". In 2009 he signed with Benevolent Blues and released the terrific "Hit & Run Blues". Album Discography
1. Stoop Down Baby Let
Your Daddy See **** Includes the original 21-minute version of "Stoop Down Baby", B.B. King's "Mother Fuyer", plus some straight blues like Guitar Slim's "The Things I Used To Do".
1. Going Down Slow
1.C.C.
Rider N/R LP of Chick Willis doing cousin Chuck Willis' songs.
1. I Want a Big Fat
Woman - 4:06 ** Chick returns to the nasty material he was most successful with. Here he reprises "Stoop Down Baby" as "Stoop Down '88", covers Chuck Berry's "My Ding-A-Ling" & the equally ribald "I Want To Play With Your Poodle". Compared to later 80s records this outing is too high in adolescent cheekiness
1. Love Crazy *** 1/2 Though it has it's share of blue material ("Nuts For Sale", "Jack You Up"), this disc is a solid soul/blues outing. Light-hearted funky blues originals like "Love Crazy" and "Use What You Got" are balanced by the serious-minded "What's Become Of The World". Chick leaves no doubt he is a fine singer and guitarist. Of course what brings him fame is his knack for double entendre. Can you blame him if it sells records?
1. Don't Let Success *** Chick seems to want to be known as a legitimate blues artist rather than a novelty act. Only "Bow-Legged Woman" contains some of his typical risqué wordplay. It may comes as no surprise that this is the only track written by Willis! (he is also credited as co-author of "I Ain't Jivin' Baby"). Instead Chick does two upbeat soul numbers (Clarence Carter's "Tell Papa" & "Don't Let Success Turn Our Love Around"), solid blues shuffles ("I Ain't Jivin' Baby") and even an earnest slowie ("My Adorable One"). Also noteworthy is his disparate take of Willie Dixon's classic "I Ain't Superstitious".
1. Holdin' Hands With the Blues *** More dirty-minded shuffles and boogies from the "Stoop Down Man". The king of mucky double entendre is in prime form here. On "That's How Much I Love You, Sweetheart" he would let his "sweetheart" "nibble on my bone"...if they were dogs that is. Other notables are the Denise LaSalle-penned title cut, funky "Heavens To Betsy" and horn-fueled "Finders Keepers". When Chick sarcastically sings "I'm Going Back To Rock N' Roll" you don't know whether to believe him or not.I 'm glad he stuck with the blues.
1. I Want to Play With Your Poodle
1. I Got a Big Fat Woman ** 1/2 Final record for Ichiban feels like contractual filler. A few robust Chick originals ("She Likes To Live High On The Hog", title track), atop some routine blues covers like "Rock Me Baby" & "Look Over Yonders Wall".
1. I Wanna Funk Wid You *** Relying more on synthesizers and drum machines Chick releases a moderate soul blues record featuring 10 songs written by himself. "I Wanna Funk Wid You" has become one of his more popular songs. The best cut here is "Mr. Blues", a love song towards, well, "blues" music. It's also an apologetic for an art form that Chick says black Americans have abandoned ( the blues reminds them of slavery and other social evils that inspired "singing the blues"). William Bell is credited as producer in accords with Chick but Reginald "Wizard" Jones is responsible for sequencing the rhythm tracks.
1. Funk With You *** Lively live disc recorded in 1999 and released on Theodis Ealey's Ifgam imprint. Fun versions of some of Chick's best are here, like "Stoop Down Baby", "I Wanna Funk Wid You" & "Mr. Blues".
1. Ribshack Blues Café **** 1/2 Chick finally gets the respect he deserves and desired with this Roy Roberts-produced gem. Chick is serious about his blues on this outing providing 8 self-penned tunes out of the 10 like the great shuffle "Ribshack Blues Cafe" & soulful "Someday Baby". His cover of Robert's "Mr DJ" is a righteous plea for radio to start playing the blues again. The band is lean and loose and Chick delivers throaty vocals and some of his best guitar licks to date. The set also features some greasy organ by Skeeter Brandon.
1. Spring Time *** Producer Johnny Rawls backs Chick with that distinctive rhythmic pulse and horn foundation he's known for- heavy on the bass- aiming to shake the hips. Rawls also provides 6 of the ten cuts here like the driving "Won't Give Up" & southern soul roll of "Got To Find A Cure". But Chick himself provides the album's centerpiece with the lovely "Hattie", which has a heart-tugging surprise ending.
1. Love Crazy **** Good compilation of his Ichiban years. Includes Chick nuggets like "Footprints In My Bed", "I Ain't Jivin' Baby", "I Got A Big Fat Woman". Too bad it contains nothing from his first two Ichiban releases ("Chick Does Chuck" & "Now"). This means "Stoop Down '88" is not included, which is inexplicable.
1. Bin Laden ** Mixed bag containing the contemporary blues "Bin Laden" and yet another version of "Stoop Down Baby". Chick also covers two Ray Charles hits ("Unchain My Heart" & "What'd I Say") and does a stiff version of Tyrone Davis ' "Turn Back The Hands Of Time".
1. I Did It All - (radio edit) *** Just as southern soul has been heating up as of late with a barrage of sex-related hits (Theodis Ealey's "Stand Up In It", Shirley Brown's "Poon Tang Man", Dr. Feelgood Pott's "Make It Talk", Denise LaSalle's "Snap Crackle & Pop", Marvin Sease's "Sit Down On It" and Chuck Strong's "Rock That Man In The Boat") one of the original blues singers of ribald and risque material returns with his strongest (and nastiest) record since 1990's "Footprints In The Bed". Things kick off with Chick giving a resume of his bedroom theatrics, thus one-upping all the competitors because he "did it all". The song is represented here with a "radio version" and an "adult version" (which is really superfluous in my opinion). Chick shows off his blues guitar chops on "Little Old Blues Man" & "Married To Four Women" (his wife and the "three in her mind"). This is vintage Chick- funky R & B blues with cheeky lyrics and a bit of soul. The record has a tight, clear production value- notable considering it's a self-release. Also included is a cd-rom video of "Stoop Down Baby" recorded live. If you've lost touch with the "Stoop Down Man" this is the disc to get you back.
1. Can’t You See
What You’re Doin to Me *** 1/2 Because Chick Willis is known as the "Stoop Down Man" (due to his hit "Stoop Down Baby") it's hard for many to take him serious as a Bluesman. He's made a career of similar ribald Blues ditties so a straight Blues record still takes some by surprise. But he's actually released several "serious" records and to critical acclaim for that matter (his "From The Heart And Soul" was picked as Blues record of the year). "Cookin' The Blues" is a collaboration with Jacques "Saxman" Johnson & Dr. Bill Clark who along with the DC Horns have produced a very Staxy Soul/Blues record with a dollop of Jazz. Willis runs through Albert King classics like "I'll Play The Blues", "Angel Of Mercy", "What The Blues Is All About" & "Laundromat Blues" like he's performed them hundreds of times. Nothing revelatory but solid. Although not a King song he also takes on "I Wouldn't Treat A Dog The Way You Treated Me". Johnson and Hammond B-3 man Clark actually provide the highlights with three swingin' instrumentals ("Be Right Back", "Smooth Blues" & "The Hucklebuck"), which give the disc the right variety.
1. Bootie Call
*** The
cover depicts a "Godfather"-like scene of a man beseeching the
seated Blues Don by first kissing his ring. This tongue-in-cheek
image serves to remind us that Chick was one of the first to score
big with a double-entendre filled hit called "Stoop Down Baby" and
the many that followed owe proper respect to the Blues Don. After
signing with Ichiban Records in the 80s Chick went on to record many
more cheeky Blues ditties of the ribald nature but at the same time
carving out the respect of the "straight" blues market by virtue of
his musical talents (especially with the terrific CD "From The
Heart & Soul" on Roy Roberts' Rock House label). See, Chick
really doesn't need "nasty Chick" to make his mark though it served
him well. His debut for CDS Records is his most serviceable batch
of tunes in quite some time. Nearly all originals it contains
"serious" mainstream Blues cuts ("Trouble Tree", "Last Time", "I had
The Blues Two Times", "Don't Start Me To Talking"), "party" blues
cuts ("Juke Joint", "Big Leg Woman") and a few clever Chitlin'
Circuit numbers for good measure. The first single "Bootie Call" is
classic Chick, funky Blues with funny lyrics but just too good and
tuneful to be a joke. He betters this track with the horn-layered
dancer "Undercover Hootchie" that I'm sure Bobby Rush will soon copy
(ever the ingenious cherrypicker that he is). "Hootchie" has a 1960s
Ray Charles Big Band coating over a electro-funk center, well
produced by Marlon Hunter. Could this be a long deserved hit for the
Don? Perhaps. "Your Cat Is Killing My Dog" is a humorous wordplay
using our favorite pets as a metaphor. Sadly, the production is
subpar here and a few other places on the disc. A shame because the
songs are some of Chick's best. Right now the
topical Barack Obama tribute song "Obama" is becoming all the rage.
I don't care what political affiliation you may have this effortless
dose of Urban Blues is pure gold (especially for that cool
keyboard-induced chord change near the end). Perhaps intentional but
the song initially keeps you guessing whether he's for or against
the presidential hopeful when he sings "Tell me why you like Obama?
When he ain't no kin". Well it may or not be time for Obama but it
sure feels like time to finally elect Chick Willis into the blues
elite.
1 Houdini Lover
**** Equally strong are inspired covers of Bobby Blue Bland's "Soul Of A Man", "I Love To See You Smile" and "Millionaire". Willis' band and session musicians (Johnson, Nat Noland, Chuck Carthan, Billy Hancock, Andy Hamburger, Steve Walker, Bobby Felder) all play like they have something to prove. As a special bonus there's nearly-10 minute slow Blues to close out the album. Recorded live, "Blues Man", affords Chick plenty of space to show off his guitar prowess. All in all this is Chick Willis' best album.
first ever "best of" collection on Blues legend Chick Willis. This 17-track set collects Chick's most popular songs, rarities and 5 unreleased tracks.
1 Stoop Down Baby Let Your Daddy See
1. Intro
Disc
1
1
Houdini Lover
Lou’s Place |
"We'll Be Together" (MT 1984)
"Chick Does Chuck" (Ichiban 1985)
"Now" (Ichiban 1988)
"Footprints In My Bed" (Ichiban 1990)
"Back To The Blues" (Ichiban 1991)
"Holdin' Hands With The Blues" (Ichiban 1992)
"Nasty Chick" (Ichiban 1992)
"I Got A Big Fat Woman" (Ichiban 1994)
"Blue Class Blues" (Paula 1998)
"Y2K Recorded Live" (Ifgam 2000)
"From The Heart And Soul" (Rock House 2001)
"I Won't Give Up" (Deep South Sounds 2002)
"American Roots: Blues" (Ichiban 2002) 
"Easy On The Soul" (Stoop Down 2003) 
"I Did It All" (CML/Lewmar 2005)
""Cookin The Blues: Tribute To Albert King" (Old School Prod 2006)
"The Don Of The Blues" (CDS 2008)
"Hit & Run Blues" (Benevolent Blues 2009)
"Mr. Blues: The Best Of...So Far" (Benevolent Blues 2010)
"Let The Blues Speak For Itself" (Benevolent Blues 2011)
"Blues Me Before You Lose Me" (CDS 2012)
"Southern Soul Blues Hits" (Aviara Music 2018)
"The Things I Used To Do" (Big Bear 2020)