Who Stole the Hot Sauce? explained

Who Stole the Hot Sauce?
Type:studio
Artist:Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band
Cover:Who Stole the Hot Sauce?.jpg
Released:1996
Genre:Zydeco
Label:Blind Pig
Producer:Michael Freeman
Prev Title:Dance All Night
Prev Year:1993
Next Title:Too Hot to Handle
Next Year:1998

Who Stole the Hot Sauce? is an album by the American band Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, released in 1996.[1] [2] The band supported the album with a North American tour that included several festival appearances.[3] The album was a success on blues radio stations.[4] The title track became one of Carrier's most popular songs.[5]

Production

The album was produced by Michael Freeman.[6] Carrier chose to update the traditional zydeco sound by slowing it down and adding guitar solos and a more pronounced rhythmic presence.[7] [8] "The Cisco Kid" is a cover of the song by War; Billy Branch contributed a harmonica solo.[9] "Squeeze Box" is a version of the Who song.[10] "Zydeco Sont Pas Sale" was written by Clifton Chenier.[11] "Ya Ya" is a cover of the song made famous by Lee Dorsey.[6]

Critical reception

Noting the two styles of zydeco, double-clutching and song-oriented, The Washington Post wrote that Carrier "has found a way to combine the two by savoring the melodies fully in his rich, soulful tenor even as he emphasizes the repeating vamps with his bleating accordion, reinforced by his superb, interracial Bayou Swamp Band."[12] The Chicago Tribune determined that the cover songs underline "Carrier's zyde-pop inclinations."[13] The Buffalo News said that "Ronnie Boudreaux is a special treat on lead guitar." The Red Deer Advocate concluded that the band has "scooped this gumbo of blues, Cajun, gospel, soul, [and] New Orleans funk into their own dynamite, distinctive sound."[14]

Notes and References

  1. News: Starling . Mike . CD of the Week . La Crosse Tribune . Jun 6, 1996 . D4.
  2. Book: The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide . 1999 . Random House . 126.
  3. News: Beal Jr. . Jim . Roots music to reign midweek at Folklife . San Antonio Express-News . 31 July 1996 . 1.
  4. News: Fearnside . Jeff . Chubby Carrier preaches zydeco gospel . Sentinel-Tribune . Sep 4, 1996 . Bowling Green . 9.
  5. Willging . Dan . Zydeco Soiree: Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Bayou Road . OffBeat . Reviews . Nov 1996.
  6. News: Allen . Greg . Chubby Carrier has more variety than his competition . The Press of Atlantic City . Jun 2, 1996 . C6.
  7. News: Zydeco . The Charlotte Observer . Jun 7, 1996 . 5E.
  8. News: Powell . Stephen . Chubby Carrier at the Top of Zydeco New Wave . The Santa Fe New Mexican . 18 July 1997 . Pasatiempo . 67.
  9. News: Ferguson . Jon . Imagine Hendrix with an accordion . Intelligencer Journal . 16 Feb 1996 . Happenings . 10.
  10. Web site: Chubby Carrier Biography by Craig Harris . AllMusic . 17 March 2024.
  11. News: Perkins . Terry . Chubby Carrier Mixes R&B, Zydeco . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . 1 June 1996 . 4D.
  12. News: Himes . Geoffrey . Chubby's Zydeco: A flavorful 'Sauce' . The Washington Post . 12 July 1996 . WW13.
  13. News: Reger . Rick . Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band . Chicago Tribune . 9 Aug 1996 . Friday . O.
  14. News: Nagy . David . Who Stole the Hot Sauce? Chubby Carrier . Red Deer Advocate . Jun 15, 1996 . C2.