Ram Jam – Black Betty
About The Song
This is a traditional song that folk singer Leadbelly popularized before his death in 1949. He recorded a lot of songs that otherwise might have been lost, including “Goodnight Irene” and “Midnight Special.” Leadbelly’s version is a cappella and commonly sung by laborers to pass the time while working.
Ram Jam were a short-lived band from New York City, and this was their only hit. While the lyrical content is pretty standard folk/blues material – about a black woman from Alabama who has a “wild” child, Ram Jam took some heat because some civil rights groups felt the lyrics were disrespectful to black women. While the lyrics can be deconstructed, Ram Jam’s version is driven by the powerful beat and aggressive tempo, making it one of those songs that gets your heart beating faster. The song is commonly played at sporting events to pump up the crowd.
This was produced by Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz, who were architects of the Bubblegum Sound, producing groups like The Ohio Express and the 1910 Fruitgum Company.