I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man’ was the first of numerous Willie Dixon songs to be recorded by Muddy Waters, one of a series that built on Muddy’s already-established charisma to build him an even more powerful macho image. Conjuring up the powers of hoodoo magic as well, it was indeed, as Muddy sang, a number to ‘make pretty womens jump and shout.’ No other Muddy record fared better on the Billboard charts than this 1954 hit, which reached the No. 3 R&B position. In addition to countless versions by Chicago blues artists, the song has been recorded by performers as diverse as Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, and jazz organist Jimmy Smith. Various spellings were used on Chess releases (which at first credited Muddy, not Dixon, as composer), including ‘Hoochie Cooche,’ ‘Hoochie Kooche,’ and ‘Hootchie Coochie,’ but it has become standardized as ‘Hoochie Coochie.’ The term originally referred to a belly dance that scandalized prurient Americans in the late 19th century.
MUDDY WATERS AND HIS GUITAR
Muddy Waters, vocal and guitar with Little Walter, harmonica; Jimmy Rogers, guitar; Otis Spann, piano; Elga Edmonds, drums. Recorded January 7, 1954, Chicago. Released as Chess 1950 (78 and 45 rpm studio).
Discographical details from The Blues Discography 1943-1970.