New Song Alert: Sammy Hagar & Joe Bonamassa Team Up For “Fortune Teller Blues” – Blues & Hard Rock Delightfully Collide

“And there’s something about the future better left unknown…” – Joe Bonamassa/Sammy Hagar “Fortune Teller Blues”

I stumbled across a new tune this week that apparently came out last Friday. The tune boasts a rather unexpected pairing – at least to me – of blues guitarist extraordinaire Joe Bonamassa and hard rock lead vocalist Sammy Hagar. The new tune is called “Fortune Teller Blues.” The tune is apparently a stand alone single and not a harbinger of a new Bonamassa/Hagar album, which is too bad. Sammy may be the hardest working man in show biz these days. When asked about the tune, Hagar is quoted as saying, “Holy shit the thing came out good…the track is a monster.” Sammy has always had…”a way with words.”

I’m a fan of Bonamassa but then as longtime readers know, I love the blues and the blues rock that sprang from it. My buddy Stormin’ turned me onto Joe and I own a few of his albums and had the pleasure of seeing him in concert with Drummer Blake and the Salina Mafia a few years back. The guy did a Yardbirds tribute section in his show where he covered a tune by Jeff Beck, then one by Zeppelin (Jimmy Page) then a Clapton tune. He acquitted himself quite well. He also featured heavily in the newly released documentary, Norman’s Rare Guitars – A Documentary that I posted about last week.

I’ve been a Sammy Hagar fan since I was in high school. Standing Hampton is probably the pinnacle of his solo work and that came out when I was just getting into music so it was a must have album. If I’m being completely honest, when it comes to Van Halen, I’m solidly in the Roth camp (as is the Rock Chick, religiously so) but I dug Van Hagar and felt they were a solid band. Any band with Eddie Van Halen on lead guitar is gonna rock… I always thought they should have changed the band name when Sammy joined, but I digress. Sammy got his start in Montrose and I love those two records with him as lead singer. I also dug Chickenfoot as well. I’ve posted about those “other bands” of Sammy’s before.

When I saw these two were getting together for “Fortune Teller Blues” I wondered what we could expect? Would it be a real slow blues tune or would it be more in Sammy’s hard rock wheelhouse. Well, now that I’ve heard all I can say is, “wow!” This thing is hard rock to the core. It’s bluesy around the edges but it’s classic hard blues rock. It sounds like Montrose. Bonamassa lays down thick slabs of guitar, it’s major riffage. I love the slide guitar solo it’s slinky and elastic and perfect. It gives the tune the blues feel I just dig. I don’t know if Sammy’s playing guitar as well? I thought perhaps it’d be Joe playing guitar and Sammy singing but this is a straight up duet. And, I have to admit, I’ve always dug a good duet. Whether it’s Stevie Nicks teaming up with Tom Petty or Lucinda Williams singing with Elvis Costello, I dig the dynamic. When the chemistry is right, it’s right. My favorite Who songs are where both Pete and Roger sing but I’m getting off topic.

At first I thought this might be a take on the old Allen Toussaint penned tune, “Fortune Teller” originally done by Benny Spellman. The tune has been covered by the Who, the Stones and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss. The lyrics are similar but this is a completely different, new song. It’s got some ominous vibes that I really liked. Here’s the tune:

I absolutely love this tune. Call it classic rock, call it blues rock, call it what you want, just call it up on your speakers. I love that Joe just lets loose in a heavy, heavy way. I read somewhere that he recorded the main riffs using an acoustic guitar run through an amp and turned up to “11.” I think that’s the same way Keith Richards recorded the riff for “Satisfaction” so clearly it’s a tested method to “rawk.” I love that Sammy and Joe lay down such tortured bluesy vocals. I know Sammy always wanted to introduce a Zeppelin like bluesy element to Van Halen… I think the closest he got was the laid back “Finish What You Started.” This is a lively, deeply felt rock song.

Turn this up as loud as it can go and scare the shit out of the neighbors… pour a nice sour mash and talk a little treason. Cheers!