Savoy 1164 (original) USA, July 1955
Words & Music by: Side A – Wilbert Harrison; Side B – Wilbert Harrison
Musicians: Wilbert Harrison (lead vocals, possibly some piano / guitar),
Kenny Burrell (guitar), Buddy Lucas (saxophone), Panama Francis (drums), others
unknown
Recording sessions: Produced by Fred Mendelsohn at Van Gelder Studio,
Hackensack, NJ, in March 1955
Highest chart positions: none
One of the most fascinating aspects of this record is found on its flipside The track reveals Wilbert Harrison’s bold habit of revisiting, recycling, and reshaping his own musical ideas.
“Florida Special” is a fast, train-themed rhythm-and-blues boogie, powered by a rolling guitar-and-piano groove and sharpened by Buddy Lucas’s exuberant saxophone. Its real significance lies in what that groove later became.
He reworks that same musical idea for “Let’s Work Together”, his enduring rock-blues anthem in 1969. The following year Canned Heat covers the song, turning Harrison’s recycled groove into a worldwide hit.
So, “Florida Special” has the blueprint for “Let’s Work Together”. 😊
List price: Les Docks lists this for $5-$8. One copy was sold in eBay for $69 in 2015.
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