"La Grange" is a song by the American rock group ZZ Top, from their 1973 album '' Tres Hombres''. One of ZZ Top's most successful songs, it was released as a single in 1973 and received extensive radio play, rising to No. 41 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in June 1974. The song refers to a

brothel A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...

on the outskirts of La Grange, Texas (later called the " Chicken Ranch"). The brothel is also the subject of the Broadway play and film '' The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas''. The first time ZZ Top played the song in La Grange, Texas was during the Fayette County Fair on September 5, 2015. In March 2020 the song re-entered the ''Billboard'' charts following the release of the documentary ''ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas''.

Composition

The initial groove of the song is based on a traditional boogie blues rhythm used by

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often ...

in " Boogie Chillen'".

Background

A failed

lawsuit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...

by the copyright holder of "Boogie Chillen'" resulted in the court ruling that the rhythm was in the public domain. The line "a-how-how-how-how" is quoted from John Lee Hooker's song " Boom Boom". In March 2005, '' Q'' placed "La Grange" at 92nd of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. The song is also ranked No. 74 on '' Rolling Stone'' magazine's ''100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time''. ''Rolling Stone'' called the song, "...a standard for guitarists to show off their chops." The single's

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

, "Just Got Paid", is from the band's second album ''

Rio Grande Mud ''Rio Grande Mud'' is the second studio album by the American rock band ZZ Top. It was released in 1972 by London label. The album title was inspired by the Rio Grande, the river that forms the border between Mexico and Texas. Background ZZ Top ...

''. The song was produced by

Bill Ham Billy Mack Ham (February 4, 1937 – June 20, 2016) was an American music impresario, best known as the manager, producer, and image-maker for the blues-rock band ZZ Top. Ham also gained prominence in the country music world by discovering and ma ...

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' called it a "hard driving delight certain to satisfy those fans of heavy blues."

Charts

Certifications

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grange 1973 songs 1973 singles London Records singles ZZ Top songs Songs about Texas Songs written by Billy Gibbons Songs written by Dusty Hill Songs written by Frank Beard (musician) Fayette County, Texas