Sunday, September 29, 2024

Tommy Tucker: Hi-Heel Sneakers

Released in 1964, Hi-Heel Sneakers was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. It reached 11 in the US singles chart and 23 in the UK.

I was led to it by a 2003 interview with Steve Winwood:

The Hammond organ was the invention of Lawrence Hammond, a clock maker and amateur home organist who wanted an instrument to replace the church organ. The Hammond was used by black churches in America, and it was there that jazz and R&B musicians first heard the possibilities that the instrument offered. 

Winwood grew up listening to that first generation of Hammond players, including Jimmy Smith, Booker T, Jack McDuff, Charles Earland and Richard "Groove" Holmes.

"A lot of the early R&B was organ-based," says Winwood. "I liked songs like the mod classic Hi-Heel Sneakers by Tommy Tucker, which had a particular sound that intrigued me."

No comments: