I'm not gonna sit here and pretend I'm knowledgeable about B.B. King. Dude's been active since the late-'40s and is certainly one of the most well-known blues musicians out there, but this is the only B.B. King song I have in my collection, 'cause it's from the soundtrack to the movie of the same name.
Written by composer Ira Newborn (who also contributed music to Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, to name but a few) specifically for B.B. King, the end result is nothing short of a home run. I mean, how can you not get hooked by the pulse of those funky basslines right from the start!?
Everything about this track is excellent: the lyrics, the sparse bends and vibrato, the vocal performance (especially the way King's delivery gradually intensifies with grit as he sings, "I'll go out of my mind, or into the night!")... it all gels together perfectly with a dark, smoky atmosphere. Incredible.
If B.B. King recorded any other such jams in the '80s, I need to find 'em, 'cause this song is just completely badass on every level. I've had it playing on repeat for about 20 minutes now, and I'm not sure I can break away...
Caught in a quicksand, and I'm startin' to sink
So tired of strugglin' that my mind can barely think...
