DESCRIPTION:
"I'm a King Bee" is a swamp blues song that has been performed and recorded by numerous blues and other artists. In 2008, Slim Harpo's "I'm a King Bee" received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, which "honor[s] recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance". Written and first recorded by Slim Harpo, the song was released in 1957 as the B-side to his debut single, "I Got Love if You Want It", but went on to become better known than the A-side. It features a spare arrangement and instrumentation common to J. D. Miller's production approach for Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Excello Records. The song, with an irregular number of bars, uses the rhythm figure from "Rockin' and Rollin'" by Lil' Son Jackson. English rock band The Rolling Stones recorded "I'm a King Bee" for their 1964 debut album (The Rolling Stones (UK), England's Newest Hit Makers (US)). Despite not being released as a single, the song has been called an early "important hit" for the Rolling Stones.