"One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" (John Lee Hooker)

One of the most memorable recordings to come out of 2120 South Michigan Avenue in the mid-1960s was John Lee Hooker's "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer."

If you were alive in the late 70s/early 80s, you no doubt heard George Thorogood's stomping roadhouse boogie rendition of the song from 1977 on rock radio.   There's also the original version by Amos Milburn from 1953, which has a slightly different title ("One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer") and a very poppy feel.  (It also sounds like the musicians had one take to stumble their way through the chord changes.)

Hooker's version strips Milburn's original down to the floorboards with his stinging guitar licks over a grooving South Chicago blues shuffle beat and walking bassline.  Hooker also changes the lyrics from the original a bit: like Milburn, he's drinking because his lady left him.  But unlike Milburn who vows to go find his woman, Hooker accepts that she's long gone and is just looking to drink her off his mind!  He also marks his time at the bar by letting the listener know what the clock on the wall reads each time he orders another round.

The bite of Hooker's version reads like a crib sheet for The Rolling Stones in their golden period (see: Exile on Main St.), not to mention gritty blues-rock outfits like The Faces.  It's just a great performance from one of the best blues men ever.