Here Comes the Judge

Pigmeat Markham recorded “Here Comes the Judge” for Chess in 1968, adapting his long-running courtroom comedy catchphrase into a rhythmic spoken-vocal single. Gene Barge produced the record, with Andrea Davis on backing vocals, Cash McCall on guitar, Barge on saxophone and Maurice White on drums. Released by Chess in 1968, it became Markham’s signature hit and reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. Its rhymed comic delivery over a hard backbeat made it one of the most frequently cited pre-1970 examples of spoken rhythm-and-beat recording. The track remains a key bridge between Black vaudeville comedy, television catchphrase culture and later rhythm-led spoken pop records. Its drum groove and vocal phrases were later sampled by hip-hop, R&B and alternative acts, keeping the record active beyond its novelty-hit origins.