Don't Start Me Talkin'

When the eccentric, worldly-wise harmonica master known as Sonny Boy Williamson II finally signed with Chess Records, Leonard Chess made sure his debut hit hard. He paired the seasoned veteran with a stellar Chess session lineup including Otis Spann on piano, Willie Dixon on bass, and Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers on guitars. "Don't Start Me Talkin'" is a brilliantly cynical song about a neighborhood gossip threatening to air everyone's dirty laundry. Sonny Boy delivered the vocals with a sly, conspiratorial smirk and blew razor-sharp, heavily amplified harmonica fills. It shot straight to number three on the R&B charts, proving the old master still had teeth.