Z.Z. Hill

[Edie Antoinette]

Texas-born singer Z.Z. Hill managed to resuscitate both his own semi-flagging career and the entire genre at large when he signed on at Jackson, Mississippi's Malaco Records in 1980 and began growling his way through some of the most uncompromising blues to be unleashed on black radio stations in many a moon.

His impressive 1982 Malaco album Down Home Blues remained on Billboard's soul album charts for nearly two years, an extraordinary run for such a blatantly bluesy LP. His songs "Down Home Blues" and "Somebody Else Is Steppin' In" have graduated into the ranks of legitimate blues standards (and there haven't been many of those come along over the last couple of decades).

Arzell Hill started out singing gospel with a quintet called the Spiritual Five, but the output of B.B. King, Bobby Bland, and especially Sam Cooke made a more indelible mark on his approach. He began gigging around Dallas, fashioning his distinctive initials after those of B.B. King. When his older brother Matt Hill (a budding record producer with his own label, M.H.) invited Z.Z. to go west to southern California, the young singer did.

His debut single on M.H., the gutsy shuffle "You Were Wrong" (recorded in an L.A. garage studio), showed up on the pop chart for a week in 1964. With such a relatively successful showing his first time out, Hill's fine subsequent singles for the Bihari brothers' Kent logo should have been even bigger. But "I Need Someone (To Love Me)," "Happiness Is All I Need," and a raft of other deserving Kent 45s (many produced and arranged by Maxwell Davis) went nowhere commercially for the singer.

Excellent singles for Atlantic, Mankind, and Hill (another imprint operated by brother Matt, who served as Z.Z.'s producer for much of his career) preceded a 1972 hookup with United Artists that resulted in three albums and six R&B chart singles over the next couple of years. From there, Z.Z. moved on to Columbia, where his 1977 single "Love Is So Good When You're Stealing It" became his biggest-selling hit of all.

Hill's vocal grit was never more effective than on his blues-soaked Malaco output. From 1980 until 1984, when he died suddenly of a heart attack, Z.Z. bravely led a personal back-to-the-blues campaign that doubtless helped to fuel the current contemporary blues boom. It's a shame he couldn't stick around to see it blossom. ~ Bill Dahl, All Music Guide

[Boo]

Back in da day when you went to a house party or to a fish - fry......you get your drank on then someone play some ZZ Hill......man everybody is on the flo....just singing ,dancing and just having a ball.Yea those were the GOOD OLD DAYS !!!!!!!!!

[Edie Antoinette]

..and you KNOW this!!!!! Wooooo Hooooooo!!!! Them was thee DAYS!!!!

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

I know some people still doing all that you mentioned Bert....LOL

[Boo]

Yea it's their time now. I hope they are enjoying it like I did, or should I say like I'm still doing.......just kidding LOL !!!!!! ..How are you Mr.

[Boo]

FOR REAL
HEY, YOU SAT IT OFF BIG TIME WITH THIS BLUES LOUNGE

[Edie Antoinette]

Thanks to YOU Bert. I wasn't even thinking about a Blues Group until you did BB King's blog.

It hit me like a lightning bolt! I was like... we need us a Blues Spot!!!!

Now I'm hooked!!! All your fault Bert!!! LOL (hug)

[Tonya Anderson]

Yes, I remember this song. My Mom still plays this song at our family cookouts. This song was a classic hit.

[Edie Antoinette]

You sure bring it William. Whoa!!! I am most grateful for YouTube!!!!

All kind of treasures there..but it wouldn't mean diddley without 'miners' like...YOU.

Thanks!!!

[Edie Antoinette]

True. I appreciate them and you.

[Tonya Anderson]

"Someone Else is stepping in"....yes, this was another record I had to had from my parents.. They played it so much, the record scratched and scratched and scratched. But, thanks for featuring ZZ Hill on this Blog.

[Boo]

This is THE song....I love it......It tells it like it Tis..LOL...ok I think this is it for ZZ...there is one more but I can't think of the name right now.