Chicken Strut (Single Version)

Recorded at Cosimo Matassa's recording studio in New Orleans for the Meters' third album, Struttin', with Art Neville on organ, Leo Nocentelli on guitar, George Porter Jr. on bass and Joseph 'Zigaboo' Modeliste on drums. Produced by Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn, the instrumental features tightly interlocking rhythms and playful chicken-like vocal effects. Released in 1970 on Josie Records as a single backed with 'Hey! Last Minute', 'Chicken Strut' reached number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 11 on the R&B singles chart. Following the success of 'Cissy Strut', the recording reinforced the Meters' reputation for distinctive instrumental arrangements rooted in New Orleans musical traditions. 'Chicken Strut' remains one of the Meters' best-known early recordings and an enduring example of the quartet's rhythmic precision and inventive ensemble playing. Its inclusion on archival collections and reissues of Struttin' has helped sustain the group's influence among musicians, DJs and collectors.