This might come as a surprise, but Billy Gibbons has never split from his ZZ Top buddies to release a solo album since the band catapaulted to fame in the early '70s. Well, that's about to change when the charismatic Gibbons releases Perfectamundo next month. Above, you can listen to his newest single, a cover of Slim Harpo's "Got Love If You Want It."
If you can't figure out what Gibbons is singing, it's probably because this song is in Spanglish -- a combination of Spanish and English. He takes the Louisiana harmonica blues of Slim Harpo and lets it simmer with hard rock and Afro-Cuban jazz. This is a song with a deep groove and fantastic musicianship. The production is top notch, especially on the vocal, but the 12-bar blues jam isn't exactly the most creative thing we've heard lately. Having said that, the latin vibe is a cool change-up.
Compare this track to Slim Harpo's 1957 original version of "Got Love If You Want It" which was the A-side to another classic, "I'm a King Bee," on Harpo's first single.
Gibbons has also recently shared a music video for a cover of Roy Head's "Treat Her Right" and a video behind-the-scenes of the album.
Pick up Perfectamundo on Amazon (Vinyl, CD, MP3). It's set for a November 6, 2015 release.
Source: Concord Music Group YouTube