Mannish Boy
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"Mannish Boy" is a classic blues song, written by Ellas McDaniel, Mel London, and McKinley Morganfield, and first sung by Muddy Waters. It is a rearrangement of (and an answer to) the classic Bo Diddley hit "I'm a Man". It was originally recorded and released in 1955 and re-recorded in 1977 in a version that was produced by Johnny Winter.
The same basic riff in "Mannish Boy" can also be heard on another Muddy Waters song: "Hoochie Coochie Man". This riff is common throughout the blues in both the five-note and a shortened four-note version.[citation needed] The guitar riff also appears on George Thorogood's "Bad To The Bone".[citation needed]
Bill Wyman has claimed[citation needed] that this song, not Rollin' Stone, is the actual inspiration for the name Rolling Stones. He bases this claim on the fact that Rollin' Stone had only been released as a 78 rpm single in 1949, and that the English youth of 1962 never owned 78s.
Cover versions
A cover by Jimi Hendrix appears on the compilation album Blues. Paul Butterfield covered the song in 1986 on his album The Legendary Paul Butterfield Rides Again. The song also appears on The Bocephus Box, a three-CD box set by Hank Williams, Jr., released in 2000. Elliott Murphy covered it in 2005 on Murphy gets Muddy. The Rolling Stones have often incorporated this song, among other blues standards, into their live set, and it can be heard on the albums Love You Live and Rarities 1971-2003.
Use in film and television
In the movies, this song was used in The Long Kiss Goodnight, Better Off Dead and Risky Business, and is performed by Muddy Waters in the concert film The Last Waltz. This song is also a part of the "Sunday, May 11th, 1980" montage in the movie Goodfellas. In cartoons, this song was used in the Family Guy episode: Saving Private Brian. In advertisements, this song was used in the 1988 Levi's jeans ad "Refrigerator" directed by Roger Lyons, and also a long-running Miller Lite beer campaign.