La Grange (song)

"La Grange" is a song by the American rock group ZZ Top, from their 1973 album Tres Hombres. One of ZZ Top's most successful songs, it was released as a single in 1973 and received extensive radio play, rising to No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1974.[4] The song refers to a brothel on the outskirts of La Grange, Texas (later called the "Chicken Ranch"). The brothel is also the subject of the Broadway play and film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

"La Grange"
Single by ZZ Top
from the album Tres Hombres
B-side"Just Got Paid"
Released1973 (1973)
StudioBrian & Ardent, Memphis, Tennessee
Genre
Length3:51
LabelLondon
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Bill Ham
ZZ Top singles chronology
"Waitin' for the Bus" / "Jesus Just Left Chicago"
(1973)		 "La Grange"
(1973)		 "Tush"
(1975)
Audio sample
  • file
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The first time ZZ Top played the song in La Grange, Texas was during the Fayette County Fair on September 5, 2015.[5]

In 2020, the song reentered the Billboard charts following the release of the documentary ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas.[6]

Background

The initial groove of the song is based on a traditional boogie blues rhythm used by John Lee Hooker in "Boogie Chillen'" and by Slim Harpo in "Shake Your Hips". A failed lawsuit by the copyright holder of "Boogie Chillen'" resulted in the court ruling that the rhythm was in the public domain.[7] The line "a-how-how-how-how" is quoted from John Lee Hooker's song "Boom Boom".

In March 2005, Q placed "La Grange" at 92nd of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.[8] The song is also ranked No. 74 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. Rolling Stone called the song, "...a standard for guitarists to show off their chops."[9]

The single's B-side, "Just Got Paid", is from the band's second album Rio Grande Mud.

The song was produced by Bill Ham.[10][11]

Chart performance
Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australia (Go-Set National Top 40)[12] 15
Australia (Kent Music Report)[13] 21
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] 34
France (IFOP)[15] 58
US Billboard Hot 100[4] 41
US Cash Box[16] 24
US Record World[17] 33
Chart (2020) Peak
position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[18] 12

Covers

Tracy Byrd released a country version of the song in 2002 for the album Sharp Dressed Men: A Tribute to ZZ Top.[19]

Personnel

References
  1. Gundersen, Edna (December 21, 2013). "Catalog box sets sum up Beatles, Dylan, Eagles, Ramones". USA Today. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  2. Wood, Mikael (June 5, 2014). "CMT Awards: ZZ Top, Jason Derulo, Florida Georgia Line go all in". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  3. Laney, Karen 'Gilly' (November 3, 2011). "Top 10 Southern Rock Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  4. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Vol. 86 no. 26. June 29, 1974. p. 80. ISSN 0006-2510.
  5. "ZZ Top Setlist at Fayette County Fairgrounds, La Grange, TX, USA". Setlist.fm. September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  6. Rutherford, Kevin (March 19, 2020). "ZZ Top's New Documentary Spurs Rock Chart Debuts, Streaming & Sales Gains". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  7. "La Grange by ZZ Top". Songfacts. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  8. "Q Magazine – 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks Ever!". Q magazine. Rocklist.net. March 2005. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  9. "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". Archived from the original on May 31, 2008.. Rolling Stone.
  10. Tres Hombres (liner notes). ZZ Top. Warner Bros. 2006. 8122-78966-2. Retrieved November 16, 2019.CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. "ZZ Top – Tres Hombres – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  12. "Go-Set Australian charts – 13 July 1974". Go-Set. Poparchives.com.au. cf. last week position. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  13. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  14. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5040a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  15. "Les Tubes de chaque Artiste commençant par Z". InfoDisc (in French). Select "ZZ Top" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  16. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JULY 13, 1974". Cash Box. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012.
  17. "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. July 13, 1974. p. 25. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  18. "ZZ Top Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  19. Price, Deborah Evans (April 20, 2002). "Country Stars Say 'Thank You' to ZZ Top with RCA Tribute". Billboard. Vol. 114 no. 16. p. 43. ISSN 0006-2510.
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