Almost Hits: Redbone - The Witch Queen of New Orleans (1971)

In 1973, the Native-American rock band, Redbone - a two-hit wonder - reached #5 on the Hot 100 with the quite popish "Come and Get Your Love." The record was the first one by a Native-American band to climb that high on the Billboard chart that tracks the popularity of the latest single releases every week.

Redbone's bigger hit is the one most oldies fans will remember, but two years earlier they also scored with "The Witch Queen of New Orleans" a single that climbed to #21. It charted much higher in the UK, making it all the way to #2. It was taken from their third LP, Message From a Drum.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1969, Redbone was led by brothers Lolly and Pat Vegas (real name, Vazquez) who named the group after a Cajun term often used in the American South for a mixed race person.

Redbone's family tree included blood from two Western Native American tribes - Yaqui and Shoshone. They were also part Mexican. The brothers took the advice of a very famous fan, Jimi Hendrix - who was part Cherokee - and encouraged them to form an all Native-American band. They played rock heavily influenced by their multi-cultural heritage. "Witch Queen" was a prime example.

The song is based on a real woman, Marie Laveau, who lived in New Orleans during the Nineteenth Century and was famous for practicing voodoo and midwifery in the Crescent City.

Redbone refers to Laveau as "Marie La Voodoo Veau" in the song that was written by the two brothers. "Witch Queen" is a really cool record and is far earthier than their later, higher charting, soft-rock hit. 

Lolly passed away in 2010, but Pat Vegas still tours today with a different version of Redbone.
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Almost Hits is an occasional exploration into songs that failed to reach the top 20 on the American Billboard Hot 100. Many have become classics despite what their chart position may indicate.

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