The Mighty Flea-Ode To Billie Joe

Today’s selection is a track that I’d imagine you have all heard the original of many times – in fact Bobbie Gentry’s release in 1967 went on to secure 8 Grammy nominations (winning 3 awards) and was listed in Rolling Stone Magazine’s “500 Greatest Songs Of All Time”. Despite mainly being known as a country singer, Gentry’s vocals and arrangements made her one of the few white artists to find favour among the soul fraternity, especially with the flipside of Ode.. – Mississippi Delta.

This song has often been covered over the years including notable releases by Lou Donaldson, The Supremes and perhaps rather unsurprisingly, Tammy Wynette. This version is a little different with it’s horn led funky soul-jazz vibe going on courtesy of an artist called The Mighty Flea. Gene Conners was the real name of the guy who recorded under the name of The Mighty Flea and as you can see on the label, for this release he was backed by The Johnny Otis Show which isn’t much of a surprise really given that Conners often played trombone with Johnny Otis during the late 60s/early 70s. 

Just before I leave you I want to mention about my next upcoming gig. This one will take place in the beautiful city of York as the official aftershow party for the Apollo Festival alongside the Dead Funky boys. It’s gonna be a great event so if you’re in the area or anywhere nearby, drop by and get ready to dance!