Mustang Sally (Mack Rice) (Mr Bigg feat. Daymo and Shimmy & Shake) by MOB

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If you like this track, check out all my other tracks at https://soundcloud.com/mobbing_it_up and https://soundcloud.com/clana_boys
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Mustang Sally (Mack Rice) (Mr Bigg featuring Daymo with Shimmy and Shake) - Songfacts

Mustang Sally is a too often covered 1960’s soul classic. But although many have tried, few singers attempting a cover can deliver a vocal that matches the strength of the Wilson Pickett hit version. Daymo (Damian Skelhorn, who sings this version) though, is one singer who can, in spades. We originally played this song at gigs with Mr Bigg, with our dear friend and lead guitarist Pete ‘Wrighty’ Wright who left us in October 2018 (my recording ‘You And I will Meet Again (Pete)’ on Soundcloud is in his memory). It used to get a barnstorming reception whenever we played it at gigs. And so Daymo and me have released our version of this song as Mr Bigg, ‘cos that’s where it got started 😊

Daymo and me originally recorded this song c2000 (i.e. 20 years ago!) on an 8 track Fostex VF80, using just a cheap dynamic microphone, my Yamaha Pacifica guitar and a Zoom RT123 drum and bass machine for the rhythm section. We wanted to do the song in a different, more bluesy style, and not just to be ‘Commitments’ imitators. Daymo was not keen on doing it as it has been too often covered, and badly, by many ‘pub and club’ bands. But I go back to loving the song from when I bought the Wilson Pickett single in 1966 and I persuaded him to do it as I felt his voice (and personality) was so uniquely suited to the song that he could do something really special with the vocal. And I think he has.

The 2000 recording sounded OK at the time and given our studio production limitations. But it’s not really up to the audio production quality achievable with a modern digital studio facility. Being a digital recording though, I was able to export the individual tracks to my modern studio for working on. I kept only Daymo’s great vocal and my original ‘Steve Cropper’ bluesy guitar part which I think works well against it (I almost think it is playing the part of ‘Sally’ in the arrangement). All the other instrument parts were re-arranged and re-played, and everything was carefully re-mixed. Shimmy & Shake, legendary backing vocalists, also lent a hand for the choruses. We went for a long version when we originally recorded it because we felt that being a dance song (or a driving song), then the groove was worth working for as long as Daymo could build the vocal. I’ve not attempted to shorten it during the ‘rebuild’.

I think the hard work has been well worth it and represents a lasting testament to a great vocal by a great singer. I’m biased of course, but I think Mr Bigg’s take on the song ranks alongside the best I’ve heard. I hope you feel likewise and if you do, more than ever, please share the Soundcloud link (and get friends to share it too if they like it) to get it up where it deserves to be: alongside the other handful of classic versions of this iconic song.

If you’re interested, the 2000 version can be heard at www.built4comfort.co.uk in the ‘the return Built4comfort ’ section. As you’ll hear, the remix moves things on some way from that version though the song remains much the same.

Footnote from Wiki: Mack Rice (who wrote the song) called the early version "Mustang Mama", but changed the title after Aretha Franklin suggested "Mustang Sally" because he used the name Sally in the chorus. So there you go!

Mike O’Neill, 3rd April 2020