walking the dog

• 180 gram audiophile vinyl
• Insert

One of the artists who defined Memphis Soul and put Stax Records on the map, Rufus Thomas is known for liking his R&B hard-edged, gritty and earthy. That approach served him impressively well on his debut album Walking The Dog.

In contrast to the sleeker, more elaborate production style favored by Motown, Rufus Thomas rejects Pop elements altogether and thrives on rawness on his hits "Walking The Dog" and "The Dog" as well as inspired versions of "Land Of 1000 Dances" (which became a major hit for Wilson Pickett), Lee Dorsey's "Ya Ya" and John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom".

The title track became his biggest hit. The song was covered by The Rolling Stones in 1964. Many other artists have covered the song, including Aerosmith, Roger Daltrey, Green Day, The Flamin' Groovies, The Sonics, The Trashmen and more.

SIDE A
1. THE DOG
2. MASHED POTATOES
3. OOH-POO-PAH-DOO
4. YOU SAID
5. BOOM BOOM
6. IT’S AW’RITE   
SIDE B
1. WALKING THE DOG
2. YA YA
3. LAND OF A 1000 DANCES
4. CAN YOUR MONKEY DO THE DOG
5. CAUSE I LOVE YOU
6. I WANT TO BE LOVED