- Recording Date & Place: "Boogie Chillen'" was first recorded by John Lee Hooker in September 1948, at United Sound Systems in Detroit, Michigan.
- Producer & Studio Techniques: The session was produced by Bernard Besman, who employed innovative recording techniques. Besman put a microphone on Hooker's guitar, created echo by placing a speaker in a toilet bowl, and placed a wooden board under Hooker's feet to amplify his signature foot-stomping rhythm.
- Performance Style: The track was a solo effort—just Hooker's vocals, amplified electric guitar, and rhythmic foot stomps. It was raw and electrified, breaking away from the big-band jump blues style prevalent at the time.
- Song Structure & Influences: Hooker wrote this partly autobiographical song in Detroit. The lyrics alternate between sung and spoken verses, and the music is built around a droning, hypnotic, open-ended stomp—echoing the Mississippi hill country blues he learned from his stepfather, Will Moore.
- Release & Impact: "Boogie Chillen'" was released as a single by Modern Records in November 1948 (with "Sally May" as the B-side). It became a massive R&B hit, reaching No.1 in January 1949 and remaining on the charts for 18 weeks. Its rhythmic guitar riff and raw vocal delivery are credited with inspiring generations of guitarists and paving the way for rock and roll.
- Legacy: The recording’s unique sound and stripped-down style made it the first “down-home” electric blues song to top the R&B charts and had a lasting influence on blues and rock music.
- John Lee Hooker, at age 77, joined the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton on stage for a powerful blues jam on "Boogie Chillen'."
- The event highlighted the deep influence Hooker had on blues and rock music, with both Clapton and the Stones members expressing admiration for him.
- This collaboration was part of the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels tour, and it showcased a fusion of blues legends and rock icons playing together live.
John Lee Hooker performed his classic song "Boogie Chillen'" live with Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones in a notable collaboration during the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels tour. This performance took place on December 19, 1989, at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The lawsuit involving ZZ Top's song "La Grange" centers on allegations of copyright infringement brought by Bernard Besman and La Cienega Music Company, who claimed that "La Grange" plagiarized the song "Boogie Chillen'" originally written by John Lee Hooker and Bernard Besman in 1948.
Key points of the lawsuit are:
- Bernard Besman, who had registered "Boogie Chillen'" with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1967 (and a second version in 1970), alleged that ZZ Top's "La Grange," released in 1973, copied substantial elements from "Boogie Chillen'."
- Besman informed ZZ Top's publisher, Hamstein Music Company, about the infringement in 1991 after becoming aware of the similarities. When the publisher did not resolve the issue, Besman, via La Cienega Music Company, filed the lawsuit.
- ZZ Top's defense argued that the original "Boogie Chillen'" compositions were in the public domain and therefore not protected by copyright. They also contended the lawsuit was barred by the statute of limitations.
- The U.S. District Court dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that "Boogie Chillen'" was in the public domain because some copies were distributed without copyright notice under the 1909 Copyright Act. The district court did not decide on the statute of limitations issue.
- La Cienega appealed, but the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the ruling, agreeing that the compositions were no longer protected by copyright.
- The Supreme Court declined to review the case in 1995, effectively leaving the lower court's decision in place.
- Throughout the case, John Lee Hooker himself acknowledged ZZ Top's influence and stated he was not personally financially involved in the lawsuit and respected ZZ Top.
In summary, the lawsuit was about whether ZZ Top's hit "La Grange" illegally copied "Boogie Chillen'." The courts ultimately decided that "Boogie Chillen'" was in the public domain, so no infringement occurred under copyright law.
This case is notable for its implications about copyright protection for older songs released before the 1978 Copyright Act, especially those distributed without formal copyright notice.
