"I'm a King Bee" is a swamp blues

Swamp blues

Swamp blues, sometimes the Excello sound, is a sub-genre of blues music and a variation of Louisiana blues that developed around Baton Rouge in the 1950s and which reached a peak of popularity in the 1960s. It generally has a slow tempo and incorporates influences from other genres of music,...

 song that has been performed and recorded by numerous blues and other artists. In 2008, Slim Harpo

Slim Harpo

Slim Harpo was an American blues musician. He was known as a master of the blues harmonica; the name "Slim Harpo" was derived from "harp," the popular nickname for the harmonica in blues circles.-Early life:...

's "I'm a King Bee" received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award

Grammy Hall of Fame Award

The Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance"...

, which "honor[s] recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance".

Original song

Written and first recorded by Slim Harpo, the song was released in 1957 as the B-side to his debut single, "I Got Love if You Want It", but went on to become better known than the A-side. It features a spare arrangement and instrumentation common to J. D. Miller's production approach for Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Excello Records

Excello Records

Excello Records was an American blues record label, started by Ernie Young in Nashville, Tennessee in 1953 as a subsidiary of Nashboro, a gospel label...

. The song, with an irregular number of bars, uses the rhythm figure from "Rockin' and Rollin'

Rock Me Baby (song)

"Rock Me Baby" is a blues standard that has become one of the most recorded blues songs of all time. When B.B. King released "Rock Me Baby" in 1964, it became a Top 40 hit reaching #34 in the Billboard Hot 100. The song is based on earlier blues songs and has been interpreted and recorded by a...

" by Lil' Son Jackson.

Rolling Stones version

English rock band The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

 recorded "I'm a King Bee" for their 1964 debut album (The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones (album)

-Personnel:The Rolling Stones*Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals, harmonica, percussion*Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals*Brian Jones – guitar, harmonica, percussion, backing vocals*Charlie Watts – drums, percussion...

(UK), England's Newest Hit Makers

England's Newest Hit Makers

-Personnel:The Rolling Stones*Mick Jagger – lead vocals, backing vocals, harmonica, percussion*Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals*Brian Jones – guitar, harmonica, percussion, backing vocals*Charlie Watts – drums, percussion...

(US)). Despite not being released as a single, the song has been called an early "important hit" for the Rolling Stones. The band's arrangement generally follows Slim Harpo's, but includes a slide-guitar break by Brian Jones

Brian Jones

Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....

. Later, Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger

Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....

 commented "What's the point in listening to us doing 'I'm a King Bee' when you can hear Slim Harpo do it?"

Other versions

The Tea Set, later known as Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...

, recorded "I'm a King Bee" in December 1964. The recording, which features Syd Barrett

Syd Barrett

Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...

, Bob Klose

Bob Klose

Rado 'Bob' Klose is an English musician and photographer. He was one of the earliest members of the rock band Pink Floyd, playing lead guitar, but left the band before they recorded their first released single, "Arnold Layne".- Abdabs :"The Abdabs" , with Roger Waters , Richard Wright Rado 'Bob'...

, Roger Waters

Roger Waters

George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...

, Richard Wright

Richard Wright (musician)

Richard William Wright was an English pianist, keyboardist and songwriter, best known for his career with Pink Floyd. Wright's richly textured keyboard layers were a vital ingredient and a distinctive characteristic of Pink Floyd's sound...

 and Nick Mason

Nick Mason

Nicholas Berkeley "Nick" Mason is an English drummer and songwriter, best known for his work with Pink Floyd. He was the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1965...

, is officially unreleased. The Grateful Dead performed the song many times in concert between 1966 and 1972. It has been released on the albums Live at the Fillmore East 2-11-69

Live at the Fillmore East 2-11-69

Live at the Fillmore East 2-11-69 is a double live album by the Grateful Dead recorded during the Live/Dead tour on February 11, 1969 at the Fillmore East in New York City. The first disc represents the early show that night, the second the late show. The Dead opened for Janis Joplin...

, Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings, Fillmore West 1969

Fillmore West 1969

Fillmore West 1969 is a three-CD album composed of selections from four concerts by the Grateful Dead. These concerts, performed on four consecutive nights from February 27 through March 2, 1969, were the basis for Live/Dead...

, and Ladies and Gentlemen... the Grateful Dead. The Doors

The Doors

The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...

 performed it at The Matrix Club in 1967, which was released on Live at the Matrix 1967

Live at the Matrix 1967

Live at the Matrix 1967 is a double live album by The Doors, compiled and resequenced from recordings made on March 7 and 10, 1967 at The Matrix in San Francisco by club co-owner Peter Abram...

. Also at a 1970 Detroit show, a version with Ray Manzarek

Ray Manzarek

Raymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...

 singing the lead vocals and John Sebastian

John Sebastian

John Benson Sebastian Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...

 (formerly of The Lovin' Spoonful

The Lovin' Spoonful

The Lovin' Spoonful is an American pop rock band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. When asked about his band, leader John Sebastian said it sounded like a combination of "Mississippi John Hurt and Chuck Berry," prompting his friend, Fritz Richmond, to suggest the name...

) guesting on harmonica, was recorded and subsequently released on Live in Detroit

Live in Detroit (The Doors album)

Live in Detroit is a double live album by American rock band The Doors. The tracks were recorded on May 8, 1970 at Cobo Arena in Detroit. It is one of the first releases from the Bright Midnight Archives. The album is spread out over two CDs. It is widely regarded as one of the best and longest...

.

In the 1970s, Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...

 sometimes performed "I'm a King Bee" as part of the live "Whole Lotta Love

Whole Lotta Love

"Whole Lotta Love" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is featured as the opening track on the band's second album, Led Zeppelin II, and was released in the United States and Japan as a single. The US release became their first hit single, it was certified Gold on 13 April 1970, when it...

" medley. John Belushi

John Belushi

John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...

 spoofed the song on the January 17, 1976 episode of Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...

, performing it live while dressed in a bee costume. Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters

McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...

 recorded it for his 1981 album King Bee

King Bee (album)

King Bee is the final release by blues singer and guitarist Muddy Waters. Released in 1981, it is third in a series of records done for the label Blue Sky Records under producer/guitarist Johnny Winter. Recorded in three days some of the band members, namely Winters and guitarist Bob Margolin,...

. In 1998, Add N to (X)

Add N to (X)

Add N to were a three-piece British band specializing in electronic music performed on analogue synthesizers, formed in London in 1994.The original band members were Andrew Aveling, Barry Smith and Ann Shenton...

 released "King Wasp", which samples Harpo's song, on their album On the Wires of Our Nerves

On the Wires of Our Nerves

On the Wires of Our Nerves is the second album by UK group Add N To released in 1998.-Track listing:#"We Are Add N To X"#"Murmur One"#"Sound Of Accelerating Concrete"#"Gentle Germans"#"The Black Regent"#"Planet Munich"#"King Wasp"...

. 22-20s

22-20s

22-20s are an English rock band formed in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. The band originally disbanded in December 2005 but reformed in 2008 and released Shake/Shiver/Moan in 2010....

 recorded a version of the song for their 2003 live EP 05/03

05/03

05/03 is the debut live EP by English rock and blues band 22-20s. The EP was recorded in May 2003 and released on September 30, 2003.-Track listing:...

. The Stone Foxes

The Stone Foxes

-History:The Stone Foxes originated in the sleepy foothills of California’s Central Valley where members Aaron Mort, and brothers Spence Koehler and Shannon Koehler grew up...

 released a single version on April 26, 2011; it features vocals by Avi Vinocur and was used in a television commercial for Jack Daniels' Tennessee Honey liquor.