Personnel: Dr. John - piano, vocals; Lee Allen - sax (tenor); Jimmy Calhoun - bass; Melvin Lastie - cornet; John Ewing - trombone; Alvin Robinson - guitar; Dave Lastie - saxophone; Fred Staehle - drums, percussion.
Singer James Waynes made the first recording of "Junco Partner" in 1951, for Bob Shad's record label "Sittin' in with...". The song is credited to Shad and "Robert Ellen" (a pseudonym Shad used on some recordings), though it was directly inspired by the Willie Hall song "Junker's Blues". In 1952, several artists covered the song, including Richard Hayes with the Eddie Sauter Orchestra, and Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five for Decca.
Fully credited to himself, Chuck Berry's 1961 "The Man and the Donkey" is based on the "Junco Partner" melody with a story based on a traditional West African tale heard on other songs such as Willie Dixon's Signifying Monkey (1947) or Oscar Brown, Jr.'s Signifying Monkey (1960).
Roland Stone, a white R&B singer from New Orleans, recorded two versions with rewritten lyrics, the first in 1959 as "Preacher's Daughter", and the second in 1961 as "Down the Road". The Holy Modal Rounders recorded the song as "Junko Partner" in 1965.
In 1972, Dr. John covered the song for his Dr. John's Gumbo album.
Fully credited to himself, Chuck Berry's 1961 "The Man and the Donkey" is based on the "Junco Partner" melody with a story based on a traditional West African tale heard on other songs such as Willie Dixon's Signifying Monkey (1947) or Oscar Brown, Jr.'s Signifying Monkey (1960).
Roland Stone, a white R&B singer from New Orleans, recorded two versions with rewritten lyrics, the first in 1959 as "Preacher's Daughter", and the second in 1961 as "Down the Road". The Holy Modal Rounders recorded the song as "Junko Partner" in 1965.
In 1972, Dr. John covered the song for his Dr. John's Gumbo album.
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Originally a hit for James Wayne, it was another New Orleans standard that only took a matter of time for Dr. John to cut. According to "the Doctor" himself, "It's a New Orleans classic, the anthem of dopers, whores, the pimps, the cons. It was a song they sang in Angola, the state prison farm, and the rhythm was even known as the 'jailbird beat.'" Adding to the authenticity of Dr. John's version are several saxophone solos by the great New Orleans musician Lee Allen.
by Matthew Greenwald
Down the road come-a Junko Partner
Boy, he was loaded as can be
Boy, he was knocked down, knocked down loaded
You know he wobbled all over the street.
Singing six months ain't no sentence
Thought that one year ain't no time
They got boys up on Ponderosa
Servin' nine to ninety nine
If I had, if I had, if I had, a million dollars
Just-a one million to call my own
I would buy me the land around Parish Prison
And I would throw me a big movie phone
Alright
Down the road, down the road, down the road
Here he comes, Mr. Jones
Whoo boy, you're on your back so hard
Got to say lordy-ho
If a penny make a nickel, a nickel make a dime
A dime will make you half, a half will make a dollar
Make you ha-a-a-ller
Give me whisky
When I get a little frisky
Cus it's-a mighty good drink
When you get a little dry
Give me tobacco-o-o
When I get a little sickly
But give me heroin
Before I die
Down the road, down the road, down the road
Come Junko Partner (Partner, Partner, Partner)
Boy he was loaded as can be
But he was knocked knocked knocked, he was knocked out loaded
Don't you know he wobbled, yes, all over the street.