Step into the Blues: The Rolling Stones Cover ‘Hi-Heel Sneakers’ (1964)

By Marcelo Sonaglioni on October 30, 2024

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Rolling Stones songs: Hi-Heel Sneakers

Put on your high-heel sneakers/ Wear your wig hat on your head….

Written by: Robert Higginbotham (a.k.a. Tommy Tucker)
Recorded: The Joe Loss Pop Show (BBC Light, UK radio), Apr. 10 1964
*Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012

*Click for MORE ROLLING STONES SONGS 1962-PRESENT

Hi-Heel Sneakers (sometimes spelled “High Heel Sneakers”) is a lively blues tune penned and first recorded by Tommy Tucker in 1963. Blues historian Mary Katherine Aldin characterizes the track as an upbeat twelve-bar blues with a minimalist, flowing musical structure and a powerful vocal performance. Its rhythmic style has drawn comparisons to the work of Jimmy Reed, blending a rhythmic drive with a unique, soulful quality that has helped it stand out in the blues genre.

The creation of Hi-Heel Sneakers stemmed from Tommy Tucker’s collaboration with producer Herb Abramson, a pivotal figure in R&B and co-founder of Atlantic Records. Abramson owned A-1 Sound Studios in New York, a popular hub for recording R&B hits. He leased Tucker’s recording to Checker Records, which officially released the track as a single in 1964.

Though the recording is generally dated to 1963, its exact location remains debated; blues scholar Mary Katherine Aldin suggests it was recorded in Chicago, while the Blues Foundation claims New York City. The song’s iconic guitar work comes courtesy of Dean Young, lending a gritty, bluesy edge. According to Gene Tomko in Encyclopedia of the Blues, the track’s intro and distinctive shuffle beat share a close resemblance with Jimmy Reed’s famous Big Boss Man, further connecting Tucker’s hit to the wider rhythm and blues landscape.

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