Dr. John: “Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya: Singles 1968-1974” (2024) CD Review

There were a lot of great special releases on Record Store Day this past April, including a Dr. John double album, Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya: Singles 1968-1974, which was put out on purple vinyl. It was limited to only 1,800 copies, so if you, like me, were unable to pick up a copy, the good news is that it is available on a single CD. This disc features some of his best and most beloved songs, such as “I Walk On Guilded Splinters,” “Right Place Wrong Time,” “Such A Night” and his great rendition of “Iko Iko.” It’s always a good time when Dr. John’s music is playing, right? This release contains liner notes by Gene Sculatti from 2015, notes that were also used for the 2015 Dr. John release The Atco/Atlantic Singles 1968-1974, which contains largely the same material. This new disc contains four songs that were not included on that earlier album, and the track order is somewhat different.

The disc opens with “Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya,” the title track, and the song that was the opening track for Dr. John’s debut album, as well as the A-side to a three-song EP. At the beginning, he introduces himself, or rather his character: “They call me Dr. John/Known as the Night Tripper.” This song has such a cool, laid-back vibe. I never did trip to that first Dr. John album (at least not that I recall), but I’m thinking now that it would work pretty well. At any rate, the song kind of feels like a trip itself, with its unusual atmosphere. I dig the percussion. On that first album, “I Walk On Guilded Splinters” was presented as one track, but on the single it was split into two parts, and so it is also split on this collection. The seriously cool vibes continue with this song, which has more than a hint of dark magic and powers. “Put gris-gris on your doorstep/Soon you'll be in the gutter/Melt your heart like butter.” This song also features great use of backing vocals. The first part fades out, and the second part fades in. By then, the spell is already cast. It is too late to back out of the ceremony now.

“Mama Roux” was also included on that first album and on that three-song EP, as well as on its own single. This one song a brighter, fun feel, and features some delicious work on percussion. That groove is catchy. Dr. John’s vocal approach is relaxed, but commands our attention. And many years before Yello did that “chicka chicka” thing in “Oh Yeah,” Dr. John did a similar thing here. “Jump Sturdy” was the flip side to “Mama Roux,” and it too was included on Dr. John’s first album, and, yes, on that EP. This one tells of another character: “She raised her hands and caused an electrical storm/She was a treacherous lady.” The way Dr. John delivers the tale, we believe every damn word. He creates a world where it all makes sense. That’s followed by “The Patriotic Flag Waver.” That other collection of singles contains the Mono Long Version of this song, while this collection contains the Mono Short Version. Though I’ve heard it several times, this song somehow always catches me by surprise, with the children singing “My Country, ‘Tis Of Thee.” The longer version was included on Dr. John’s Babylon album. “Divided, we stand/Multiplied, we fall.”

Then we move to material that was included on his next album, Remedies, beginning with “Wash, Mama, Wash,” which is a strangely adorable number. I mean, come on, he sings, “Rub-a-dubba-dubba, mama, bust them suds.” And the backing vocalists sing, “Scrub, mama, scrub.” This playful number makes me smile every time I hear it, and toward the end, Dr. John himself seems to be laughing. The other side of that single is the darker and bluesy “Loop Garoo,” in which Dr. John sings, “I’m going to put my hook to you.” But he’s already got his hooks in us, no question about it.

There were no singles from Dr. John’s 1971 LP The Sun, Moon & Herbs, but he made up for that with his next album, 1972’s Dr. John’s Gumbo, which opens with “Iko Iko.” With this track, we are now in New Orleans party territory. I never did get to see Dr. John in concert, but I saw the Grateful Dead cover this song several times. The fun continues on the flip side to his rendition of “Iko Iko” with the “Huey Smith Medley,” which contains “High Blood Pressure,” “Don’t You Just Know It” and “Well I’ll Be John Brown.” How can you keep from smiling with that pause between the words “high” and “blood” in the opening line, “I get high blood pressure when you call my name”? That’s followed by a fantastic rendition of Willie Dixon’s “Wang Dang Doodle.” This is another song that the Grateful Dead used to cover. Dr. John’s rendition features a strong lead on guitar. It wasn’t included on Dr. John’s Gumbo, but its flip side, “Big Chief,” was. This one features a delicious groove and some whistling. That’s followed by Buddy Guy’s “A Man Of Many Words,” a single that features both Dr. John and Eric Clapton. I mentioned this before, but this song reminds me of Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle.” Then we get two more songs that were included on Dr. John’s Gumbo – “Let The Good Times Roll” and “Stack-A-Lee.” Both songs are covers, both delivered so well by Dr. John. I especially love the work on keys in “Stack-A-Lee.” Neither song was included on that 2015 collection.

This collection’s next several songs were included on Dr. John’s In The Right Place album, beginning with the great “Right Place Wrong Time,” which was a big hit for him. This one, probably even more than his version of “Iko Iko,” is the Dr. John song that is the most well-known. It was the first song of his that I heard, the one that got me interested. “My head is in a bad place, but I’m having such a good time.” This song also includes the phrase “brain salad surgery,” which fans of Emerson, Lake & Palmer will recall as being used as an album title. That’s followed by its flip side, “I Been Hoodood,” which was also included on In The Right Place. It has a great raw vibe. Then we get another of his most popular and beloved numbers, “Such A Night,” which has such a wonderful feel to it. It has a cheerful tone, and is catchy. Its flip side is “Cold Cold Cold.” I love Dr. John’s delivery of its first lines: “You told me you loved me/You know you told me a lie.” There is something edging toward being unhinged in his approach to that first line. There is some wonderful whistling at the beginning of “Traveling Mood,” another song included on In The Right Place. It’s also another fun one, with a nice groove. That song and its flip side, “Same Old Same Old,” are the other two songs from this collection that were not included on the 2015 compilation. The last of the tracks to be included on In The Right Place is “Life.” It was written by Allen Toussaint.

The last four tracks of this compilation are songs that were included on Dr. John’s Desitively Bonnaroo, which was released in 1974. The first is “(Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away,” which has a great funky element. There is a seriously good bass line and wonderfully playful vocal line, making this track another highlight. Its flip side, “Mos’ Scocious,” begins with some good stuff on keys. That’s followed by “Let’s Make A Better World,” a song written by Earl King, and one that always feels relevant and needed. “You got to live and give, share and care/Really put some love in the air/When your neighbor’s down, try to pick him up/Nobody can live in despair/Everybody, let’s sing, sing, sing.” The disc concludes with “Me – You = Loneliness,” a gorgeous, bluesy song featuring some passionate vocal work.

CD Track List

1. Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya
2. I Walk On Guilded Splinters (Part I)
3. I Walk On Guilded Splinters (Part II)
4. Mama Roux
5. Jump Sturdy
6. The Patriotic Flag Waver (Mono Short Version)
   
7. Wash Mama Wash
8. Loop Garoo
9. Iko Iko
10. Huey Smith Medley: High Blood Pressure, Don’t You Just Know It, Well I’ll Be John Brown
11. Wang Dang Doodle
12. Big Chief
13. A Man Of Many Words
14. Let The Good Times Roll
15. Stack-A-Lee
16. Right Place Wrong Time
17. I’ve Been Hoodood
18. Such A Night
19. Cold Cold Cold
20. Traveling Mood
21. Same Old Same Old
22. Life
23. (Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away
24. Mos’ Scocious
25. Let’s Make A Better World
26. Me – You = Loneliness

Gris-Gris Gump Ya Ya: Singles 1968-1974 was released on April 26, 2024 through Omnivore Recordings.