Doctor Mooney's 115th Dream: Sugar Pie Desanto and Etta James’ Subterranean Shakedown, “In The Basement (Part 1 & 2)”

Patients, today we have a ferocious pair of long lost knockout tracks from the double- dealing Chess-mates, pint-sized diva Sugar Pie Desanto and Her Majesty of the Blues, Etta James. Two muscular ditties that have shades of nasty, back-alley grit, Chicago blues fire and pistol-whipped funk.

Of the three tag-team duets that cousins Sugar Pie and Etta cut together for Chess, the impromptu “In The Basement (Part 1 & 2)” seven-inch is the preferred single of the doctors and nursemaids here at the asylum. Released in 1966, side one Part One is a ripping supercharged soul feast of all-night stomp – a sweat soaked surging bullet of razor sharp grooves. Sugar Pie and Etta go line for line, toe-to-toe: “Ohh, now tell me where can you party, child, all night long? / In the basement, down in the basement, yeah,” Part Two doesn’t quite pack the punch of the flip-side, but possesses the same get down spirit as Part One.

“In The Basement (Part 1)”
Written by: Sugar Pie Desanto and Etta James

Ohh, now tell me where can you party, child, all night long?
In the basement, down in the basement, yeah.
Oh where can you go when your money gets low?
In the basement, whoa down in the basement
And if a storm is taking place, you can jam and still be safe
In the basement, down in the basement, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Where can you dance to any music you choose?
In the basement, whoa down in the basement
Oh, you got the comforts of home, a nightclub too.
In the basement, whoa down in the basement.
There’s no cover charge or fee and the food and drinks are free,
In the basement, down in the basement

Come on child, you can do it, you can do it, yeah

In the basement, that’s where it’s at (4x)
In the basement, in the basement, in the basement
that’s where its at

(You tell ‘em)
Where they don’t, where they don’t check you age at the door,
In the basement, whoa down in the basement
Barracuda and [?] ‘til your feet get sore
In the basement, whoa down in the basement
Do any dance you want to do, there’s no one under you
In the basement, I know it, you tell ‘em oh-h-h-h I wanna go

In the basement, that’s where it’s at (4x)

Take Up Thy Rock 'N Roll Stethoscope and Walk,