Acclaimed vocal quintet the Dramatics released the irresistible soul-dance track "Shake It Well” in 1977. The deep-simmering groove opens with a funky pluckin’ bass line followed by Larry “Squirrel” Demps’ sick intro: “My name is Squirrel, best shaker in the world.” His delivery is pimp-level smooth, effectively setting the track’s dope, soulful vibe. The song also features strong vocal contributions from L.J. Reynolds and Ron Banks, with the other group members–Lenny Mayes and Willie Ford–adding gritty backing vocals. The song is about the therapeutic power of dance, how it can relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and alleviate depression. The instrumentation and production on this cut are first-rate.
“Shake It Well” was written by Eddie Robinson and Don Davis, who also produced it. It's the title track of the Dramatics’ album Shake It Well, released in July 1977 on ABC Records. The song peaked at #4 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and #74 on the Billboard Hot 100.
R&B and jazz fusion guitarist Cornell Dupree recorded an instrumental cover of “Shake It Well” for his 1977 album Cornell Dupree’s Saturday Night Fever.
The musicians who played on the Dramatics’ Shake It Well album included bassists Eddie Watkins, James Jamerson, Roderick Chandler, and Ray Parker Jr., who played bass on the title track; guitarists Bruce Nazarian, Dennis Coffey, Robert White, Don Davis, and Jay Joseph Graydon; keyboardists Rudy Robinson, Reginald Burke, and George Roundtree; drummers Edward Greene and Quentin Dennard; and Lorenzo “Bag Of Tricks” Brown on percussion and congas.
“Blue Morning, Blue Day” was the third single from British-American rock band Foreigner’s 7x platinum second album, Double Vision (1978). The track’s dramatic intro features a menacing guitar riff that sets a dark tone of dread and impending disaster. This gives the opening a thrilling, cinematic feel. The song is expertly produced, arranged, and performed, boasting a terrific bass line and dynamic piano. It also features an indelible chorus and a cracking guitar solo. Frontman Lou Gramm delivers an impassioned vocal performance that’s filled with great anguish and desparation. The song explores a couple’s crumbling relationship and the emotional toll it has taken on the narrator. He is in a constant state of turmoil, anxiety, and despair, causing him many sleepless nights. The word “blue” in the song is used as a metaphor for sadness and emotional distress.
“Blue Morning, Blue Day” was co-written by Gramm and Foreigner’s lead guitarist, Mick Jones. Keith Olsen, Jones, and band member Ian McDonald produced it. The song wasn’t originally intended as a single, said Gramm in a 2018 interview with AXS. “It came about a little later in the sessions,” he said. “It was a dark horse track, and the mood of it was dark, but the story was so cool that it ended up being the third single from the album.”
Jones has said that he was inspired by progressive rock band Procol Harum when he and Gramm wrote “Blue Morning, Blue Day.” He discussed Procol Harum's influence on the song in a 2021 video interview with AXS TV: “Blue Morning' was one of my favorite tracks that we wrote,” Jones said. “I think I was going through a little phase of really digging Procol Harum, kind of almost semi-tragic, sad, blue. Blue morning, blue day.”
During an interview on the radio show In the Studio with Redbeard, Jones further elaborated on Procol Harum's influence on “Blue Morning, Blue Day”:
That was a little Procol Harum coming out in me, the period with the big orchestra and ‘Conquistador.’ It was that mood. I felt very strongly that it was an inspiration in that song. And I was starting to experiment; I was getting clever (composing) on the piano! (chuckles).
“Blue Morning, Blue Day” was released on Atlantic Records in December 1978 in the U.S. and in February 1979 in the U.K. It peaked at #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #45 on the U.K. charts. It climbed to #21 in Canada. It was the third hit from the band’s iconic Double Vision album. The other two singles from the collection, ”Hot Blooded” and “Double Vision,” were even bigger hits, peaking at #3 and #2, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Blue Morning, Blue Day” was sampled on “Purple Weed” (2006) by Mondo Marcia and “Steppin On Toes” (2007) by The Away Team. And it was featured on the soundtrack of the documentary film Sound City (2013).
Foreigner was formed in 1976 in New York City. The original lineup consisted of vocalist Lou Gramm, guitarist Mick Jones, bassist Ed Gagliardi, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, and multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald. This was the band lineup for the Double Vision album.
Foreigner is one of the most successful and best-selling rock bands of all time, with sales of more than 80 million records worldwide and 10 multi-platinum albums. They scored nine top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as 14 top-20 hits and 16 top-30 hits on that chart. Their first eight consecutive singles all cracked the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Beatles were the only other band to achieve this milestone. Foreigner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.
Foreigner performing "Blue Morning, Blue Day" at Deer Creek Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, 1993
