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"Bright Lights, Big City" is a classic blues song which was written and first recorded by American bluesman Jimmy Reed in 1961. Besides being "an integral part of the standard blues repertoire", "Bright Lights, Big City" has appealed to a variety of artists, including country and rock musicians, who have recorded their interpretations of the song.

Background and lyrics

Called a "textbook Jimmy and Mama Reed duet", "Bright Lights, Big City" was a collaborative writing effort between Reed and his wife, Mary "Mama" Reed. It is a cautionary tale about urban life, with the narrator lamenting the loss of his wife or girlfriend to the nightlife and enticement of an unnamed city:

Bright lights big city, gone to my baby's head
I'd tried to tell the woman, but she don't believe a word I said ...
It's all right pretty baby, gonna need my help some day
You're gonna wish you had a listen, to some of those things I said

The song has a traditional twelve-bar blues form in Reed's signature "steady-rolling style". It was recorded in Chicago in 1961 with Jimmy Reed (vocal and harmonica), Mama Reed (vocal), Jimmy Reed, Jr. (guitar), Lefty Bates (guitar), Earl Phillips (drums), and an unidentified bassist. The song was one of Reed's most popular songs and reached number three in the Billboard R&B chart as well as number fifty-eight in the pop Hot 100. "Bright Lights, Big City" was included on the album Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall and appears on many Reed compilations.

Chart performance

Notable versions

British bluesman Duster Bennett (1946-1976) issued in Blue Horizon (record label) a single with his version of "Bright Lights, Big City" in 1969, recorded live at the Gin Mill Club in Godalming, Surrey. This song formed part of his live permormances ever since and has been reissued in the compilation of 2006: Complete Blues Horizon Sessions, a collection of the first three albums plus early singles.

American country music singer Sonny James recorded "Bright Lights, Big City" in 1971. An early review included: "Jimmy Reed's blues number serves as strong material for the Southern Gentleman both vocally and for some exceptional guitar work". The song was James' fifteenth number-one hit in a row in the country chart as well as reaching number ninety-one in the pop chart. The song is included on James' 1971 album The Sensational Sonny James and several of his compilation albums.

Chart performance

Recognition and legacy

Jimmy Reed's "Bright Lights, Big City" is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".

References

1. Herzhaft, Gerard (1992). "Bright Lights, Big City". Encyclopedia of the Blues. University of Arkansas Press. p. 290. ISBN 1-55728-252-8.
2. Koda, Cub (1996). Erlewine, Michael (ed.). All Music Guide to the Blues. Miller Freeman Books. p. 221. ISBN 0-87930-424-3.
3. Koda, Cub (2000). The Very Best of Jimmy Reed (CD notes). Jimmy Reed. Rhino Records. R2 79802.
4. Shadwick, Keith (2001). "Jimmy Reed". The Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues. Oceana. p. 379. ISBN 978-0-681-08644-9.
5. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 488.
6. ^ "Jimmy Reed - Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
8. "Top 20 Country". Billboard. Vol. 83, no. 22. May 29, 1971. p. 66. ISSN 0006-2510.
9. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 172.
10. ^ "Sonny James – Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
11. "RPM Country Tracks for August 21, 1971". RPM. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
12. "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". Exhibit Highlights. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 1995. Archived from the original on 2007-05-02. Retrieved June 4, 2013.

• 1961 singles
• 1971 singles
• Songs written by Jimmy Reed
• Jimmy Reed songs
• Sonny James songs
• Vee-Jay Records singles
• Blues songs
• 1961 songs