How Canned Heat Made a Wilbert Harrison Song a Hit Before Ferry and Dylan Recorded It - Noise11.com
Canned Heat

Canned Heat

How Canned Heat Made a Wilbert Harrison Song a Hit Before Ferry and Dylan Recorded It

by Paul Cashmere on April 22, 2019

in News

Bluesman Wilbert Harrison was responsible for Canned Heat’s third hit song. After the Los Angeles blues rock boogie band scored their first and second hits with now classics ‘On The Road Again’ and ‘Going Up The Country’, their third hit was a cover of Wilbert’s ‘Lets Stick Together’.

“He was the same guy who wrote ‘Kansas City’ (The Beatles),” Canned Heat founding member Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra tells Noise11.com. “He recorded it as ‘Lets Stick Together’ in 1962 and later re-recorded it in 1969 as ‘Let’s Work Together’. It was a beautiful version”.

Canned Heat stumbled across Harrison’s later version via their original singer Bob ‘The Bear’ Hite. “When we found it, it was at Bob Hite’s house,” Fito says. “Bob Hite was a record collector and musicologist. He played it for us. He said it was a great song and could be a hit but wanted to wait to see what happened with Wilbert’s version.

“We waited about six months and it didn’t do anything. It faded out. When we realised it was fading out we decided to record it. We went to this studio in Los Angeles and recorded it in mono. Not even stereo. It was just a couple of microphones, very live and it came out great. It was one of the best sounding records of the time. It became a big hit record in Europe and Australia. Wilbert Harrison was delighted. He got the publishing royalties. He wrote it, we made it famous. It was good for him”.

After that the song took on a life of itself. Its next incarnation was via Bryan Ferry. “Bryan Ferry recorded his version of it but he called his ‘Let’s Stick Together’,” Fito said. “It was very nice too and also a hit record but not quite as big a hit as our version. Our version was Top 10 worldwide. They even used it for a government election advertisement once in Australia”.

In 1988 Bob Dylan recorded his version of the Bryan Ferry version of the Canned Heat version of the Wilbert Harrison song.

Canned Heat formed in Los Angeles in 1965. They were one of the bands that played at the original Woodstock and will return to Woodstock for Woodstock 50 in August.

They will tour Australia in May.

CANNED HEAT 2019 AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES

Thursday 16th May
Corner Hotel, Richmond

Friday 17th May
Yarraville Club, Yarraville

Saturday 18th May
Evan Theatre, Penrith Rugby Leagues Club

Sunday 19th May
Broadbeach Blues Festival, Gold Coast

Tuesday 21st May
The Wedge Theatre, Sale

Friday 24th May
SS&A Club, Albury

Saturday 25th May
Bridge Hotel, Sydney

Sunday 26th May
West Leagues Club, Newcastle

Follow Noise11 on Twitter for news as it happens

For news as it happens follow Noise11 on Facebook

Noise11.com

Listen to the Noise11 Music News channel now at iHeartRadio

Related Posts

Pete Townshend photo by Ros O'Gorman
Pete Townshend Opens Up About Zak Starkey Sacking

Pete Townshend has described The Who's turbulent split with longtime drummer Zak Starkey as "a mess".

2 days ago
Paul Simon, Rod Laver Arena, 2013, Ros O'Gorman, Photo
Paul Simon Wraps Up Residency At New York’s Beacon Theater

Paul Simon has been in residency performing five shows in New York this past week at the iconic Beacon Theatre in the Seinfeld district of Upper Manhattan. Hey to give you an idea as to how close Jerry and Kramer “lived” to the Beacon, it is just a half a mile walk.

2 days ago
Chicago photo by Blushing Cactus Photography supplied
Chicago Expand Greatest Hits From 11 To 21 Tracks

Chicago’s ninth album in 1975 was ‘Chicago IX’, their greatest hits.

5 days ago
The Beach Boys, Al Jardine 2012: Photo Ros O'Gorman
Beach Boy Al Jardine To Tour Australia With Brian Wilson’s Touring Band

The Beach Boys founding member Al Jardine is coming to Australia in October and touring with Brian Wilson’s band of musicians.

June 17, 2025
Brian Wilson performs Pet Sounds at the Palais in St Kilda on Sunday 3 April 2016. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
Beach Boys Catalogue Surges On Chart Following Passing of Brian Wilson

Following the sad news of co-founder Brian Wilson’s death last week, The Beach Boys’ 2003 compilation The Very Best Of The Beach Boys: Sounds Of Summer surges 73 places midweek (17).

June 17, 2025
Ed Sheeran photo by Ros O'Gorman
Ed Sheeran Wins Shouting Out Loud Copyright Case

Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud copyright lawsuit won't proceed to the US Supreme Court.

June 17, 2025
The Who Roger Daltrey. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
The Who’s Lead Singer Is Now Sir Roger Daltrey

Meet the new Knight, same as the old Knight. Roger Daltrey has been knighted by King Charles III making his Sir Roger Daltrey for his work with the Teenage Cancer Trust.

June 14, 2025