B.B. King, The Thrill Is Gone | COVERS

In the 42^nd edition of COVERS (2023), B.B. King delivers a compelling rendition of “The Thrill Is Gone,” originally performed by Roy Hawkins.

Ah, it’s time to get cozy and totally cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician (likely a popular musician). COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers, as opposed to the original/most famous performer.  It is open to both established musicians and musicians who may not be as well-known. In the 42^nd edition of COVERS (2023), B.B. King delivers a compelling rendition of “The Thrill Is Gone”, originally performed by Roy Hawkins.

When you think, “The Thrill Is Gone”, the first name that comes to mind associated with the song is the iconic, blues musician, B.B. King.  His 1969 recording, which appears on his album, Completely Well, marks the biggest hit of career, peaking at no. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. Furthermore, it would earn King the first of 15 Grammy wins. Specifically, King won the Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male. While B.B. has earned definitive honors, “The Thrill Is Gone” was written by  Rick Darnell and Roy Hawkins back in 1951, 18 years before King would release it . Hawkins also originally recorded it.

What makes the B.B. King version the one to beat? Let’s start with the marvelous guitar soloing by King. In the hands of King, that guitar oozes with soul. Besides killin’ it on Lucille , King also kills it with his vocals, bringing the heat. “The thrill is gone / The thrill is gone away,” he sings soulfully in the first verse, later adding, “You know you done me wrong, baby / And you’ll be sorry someday.” Woo! Besides amazing vocals and epic soloing, the arrangement and production ( Bill Szymczyk) are utterly sublime. The core instrumentation includes electric piano , bass, drums , and of course King on guitar . The expanded instrumentation adds even more goodness – strings – which amplify the blues. Additional drama on a blues song? Yes please! While it is a shame that the thrill is gone, musically, “The Thrill Is Gone” is easily one of the greatest songs of all time, thanks to B.B. King .

B.B. King • Completely Well • Geffen • 1969

B.B. King, The Thrill Is Gone: Covers No. 42 (2023) [: Brent Faulkner /The Musical Hype; Geffen; cottonbro studio, MART PRODUCTION, Ron Lach from Pexels; Paul Brennan from Pixabay]