We are nearly three weeks into the new year, and I’m still not over this cover.
To kick off the new year, Blackberry Smoke laid down one hell of a cover of “Honky Tonky Women” in Chattanooga.
It’s no secret that Blackberry Smoke likes to cover some great rock classics, but this one is one of my favorites they do.
This single was a MASSIVE hit for The Rolling Stones when they released it in 1969. A week after its UK release, it made its way over the United States and topped the charts in both nations.
Due to the single’s record-breaking success, it was later named one of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Not too shabby.
Blackberry Smoke recorded a handful of other popular Stones tracks, for their 2022 tribute album, Stoned, however “Honky Tonk Women” wasn’t one of them.
But in this clip from the show, it appears that Blackberry Smoke maybe should have.
You can hear the crowd’s excitement as they come back onto the stage for the encore, and when the opening riff starts, the commentary from a crowd member makes you feel how excited they recognize the tune.
“Oh my god, they are playing it! They play it every night! The last song!”
As they gear up to jump in with the lyrics, lead singer Charlie Starr yells out to the crowd:
“Y’all feel like singing?”
This cover is the perfect definition of southern rock and gives something old new life. I can’t get enough.
Rating this a solid 8.6/10… y’all give it a listen.
And the original:
