Tequila Mockingbird (song)

"Tequila Mockingbird" is an instrumental song and the title track of the Billboard chart album by jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis. The song is composed and produced by Larry Dunn. It was released as a 7" single in 1977 on Columbia Records. "Tequila Mockingbird" features Earth, Wind and Fire members Al McKay and Johnny Graham on guitars and bassist Verdine White.
The original "Tequila Mockingbird" track recorded by Ramsey Lewis appears on numerous Ramsey Lewis compilation albums and has been re-recorded with varying arrangements by Lewis on later albums.
Dee Dee Bridgewater recorded a vocal version of "Tequila Mockingbird", with lyrics written by Roxanne Seeman, on Bridgewater's 1979 "Bad for Me" album.
Overview
"Tequila Mockingbird" was produced and composed by Larry Dunn. The song appears on Ramsey Lewis's 1977 album Tequila Mockingbird. In a performance at Ronnie Scott's, London, in 2017, Ramsey Lewis explains how the title for the song came about, saying the label named it.
Lewis has revisited and rearranged “Tequila Mockingbird" on several later recordings including his album "Ivory Pyramid" released in 1992 on GRP and "Ramsey Lewis & Urban Knights VII released September 2019.
Live Performances
Ramsey Lewis has continued to feature "Tequila Mockingbird" in his live shows for over 40 years.
Television uses
May 14, 2019, The Roots performed a live cover version of "Tequila Mockingbird" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Jeff Daniels came out to take the guest seat.
Dee Dee Bridgewater version with lyrics
In 1979, Dee Dee Bridgewater recorded a version of "Tequila Mockingbird" with lyrics written by Roxanne Seeman produced by George Duke. It was included on Bridgewater's 1979 "Bad For Me" album. Larry Dunn played keyboards and moog synthesizer. The horns were arranged by Eduardo del Barrio and recorded at The Record Plant.
Compilation records and Cover versions
"Tequila Mockingbird" was covered by the Japanese vocal group ITS (Izumi Kimoto, Teruhisa Tohgoh, and Sumie Shima) on their album "Rainbow", released in Japan by JVC in 1980. It was produced by Akira Taguchi, a Japanese studio veteran and jazz aficionado on the staff of JVC.
"Tequila Mockingbird" original and remake recordings by Ramsey Lewis and Dee Dee Bridgewater have been included on numerous albums and compilations. In 2012, Expansion Records released "Wonderland - The Spirit of Earth, Wind & Fire" with Dee Dee Bridgewater's recording of "Tequila Mockingbird" as the first track.Tequila Mockingbird also appeared on a 2009 compilation album "Only The Best of Dee Dee Bridgewater.
*Ramsey Lewis - The Best of Ramsey Lewis, 1981, CBS Records
*Ramsey Lewis - The Electric Collection, 1981, Columbia
*Ramsey Lewis - Ivory Pyramid, 1992, GRP (Cover Version)
*Ramsey Lewis - I Love a Piano: GRP Gold Encore Series, 1993, GRP
*Ramsey Lewis - Classic Jazz-Funk, Vol. 7, Mastercuts
*Dee Dee Bridgewater - Wonderland - The Spirit of Earth, Wind & Fire, 2012, Expansion Records
*Dee Dee Bridgewater - Only The Best of Dee Dee Bridgewater
Critical reception
From an album review of Ramsey Lewis "Tequila Mockingbird" in Cashbox, December 10, 1977: "The title track is a funky jump which features lead trade-offs between Lewis and Ronnie Laws on soprano sax."
Smooth Jazz Magazine review of Ramsey Lewis & Urban Knights VII wrote: "The album revisits what is possibly his most famous tune, "Tequila Mockingbird."
John Fordham of The Guardian wrote of Ramsey Lewis' performance of "Tequila Mockingbird" at Ronnie Scott's, London:
"Lewis had a close connection with African American superstars Earth, Wind & Fire in the 70s. He soon reminds his audience of those collaborations with an account of Tequila Mockingbird (“The label named it,” he announces mock apologetically) in which the Wes Montgomery-like guitarist Henry Johnson and bassist Joshua Ramos set up an infectiously chugging unison hook cushioning a bright Latin-chordal piano melody, while synth player Tim Gant softly mimics a soul-jazz horn section on the accents. Lewis improvises unaccompanied in delicate treble twists, chord-punching rhythm patterns and wry trills before the band clamours back into the hook." - June 30, 2017
Jazztimes review of the re-recording of "Tequila Mockingbird" on Ramsey Lewis & Urban Knights VII wrote: "This is the first recording for Lewis since his abrupt retirement in 2018, followed by an equally abrupt un-retirement. Listening to VII, it’s clear why he chose this group for his return to music. An infectious joy extends from every instrument in their reworking of his “Tequila Mockingbird,” ushered in by Charles Heath’s carnival-worthy marching drum line. As Lewis lays down the lightly swinging rumba groove, keyboardist Tim Gant chimes in with synthesizers above like a celestial fanfare. Henry Johnson drives the band here and elsewhere with ringing, rapid-fire scratch rhythm guitar."
UKVibe.org wrote of the album and song "Commercial success was almost guaranteed with the release of ‘Tequila Mockingbird’ (1977), that has the Earth, Wind and Fire imprint all over it, and the horn production of Eddie del Barrio as well as several musicians of that group in the main body of instrumentation. The mid-tempo, ‘Skippin’, with the use of light flute and brass, and the title track both echo the Earth, Wind and Fire trademark sound..."

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