THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

493-Hank Ballard & the Midnighters-Work with Me, Annie.

1954-It has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 1.39. Before ‘Je t’aime, Moi Non Plus,’ (see also best songs 467) God Save the Queen,’ (see also best songs 576) ‘Relax,’ anything by Judge Dread, and loads of others, the radio wouldn’t play this, in an attempt to save our youth from being corrupted.

Hank Ballard was born John Henry Kendricks Ballard, on November 18th, 1927, in Detroit, Michigan, United States, he died of throat cancer, on March 2nd, 2003, at the age of 75. Aside from this groundbreaking song, he would achieve even greater commercial success when his composition ‘The Twist,’ (see also best songs 749) was covered by Chubby Checker, reaching Number 1 on the American Billboard Hot 100 on two separate occasions (1960 & 1962.) Hank Ballard was the cousin of Florence Ballard (1943-1976) a founding member of the Supremes, (see also best songs 1001-411-21 and 148) and the great uncle of the former ‘NFL’ American footballer Christian Ballard.

In 1953, Hank Ballard joined the ‘Doo-Wop’ group the ‘Royals,’ who after the release of their single ‘Get It,’ in 1953, changed their name to the ‘Midnighters,’ in order to not cause confusion with another group called the ‘5 Royals.’ In 1954 Hank Ballard wrote ‘Work with Me, Annie,’ which was influenced by ‘Get It,’ he was also inspired after hearing the sexually explicit 1951 song ‘Sixty Minute Man’ by the American R&B group the ‘Dominoes.’ The lyrics to ‘Work with Me, Annie’ were extremely sexually explicit for the period, with many radio stations refusing to play the song, for example ‘Work’ was ghetto slang for sexual intercourse. Peter Potter who was a judge on the American ‘CBS’ television programme ‘Juke Box Jury,’ said of the song ‘All R&B records are dirty, and as bad for kids as dope.’ As with many songs that have been banned by the authorities down the years, it only helps to draw publicity, and in the case of ”Work with Me, Annie,’ the song become a favourite with white teenagers, and went to Number 1 on the ‘Billboard R&B’ chart, staying at the peak position for seven weeks.

‘Work with Me, Annie’ was the 10th single release by Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, and the first with that name, as their previous nine releases were as the ‘Royals.’ In total as a group, or as Hank Ballard solo, there were 89 singles issued between 1952-1979, with eight of those tracks reaching the Billboard Hot 100 top 40, with ‘Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go,’ from 1960, peaking the highest at Number 6, while ‘Work with Me, Annie,’ reached Number 22. There are also at least 15 Albums available, that were released between 1952-1974.

‘Work with Me, Annie’ which was written by Hank Ballard, and produced by Henry Glover (1021-1991) is recognised as one of the most influential songs in the development of ‘Rock’ music, because of it’s big bass beat, electric guitar, and sexually suggestive lyrics. The song spurned other songs about ‘Annie,’ such as ‘Annie Had a Baby, (1954) also recorded by ‘The Midnighters,’ and also ‘answer songs’ such as ‘Roll With Me Henry’ (Wallflower’) notably recorded by Etta James, (1938-2012) in 1954, and also by Georgia Gibbs, (1918-2006) who took her version to Number 1 on Billboard in 1955.

Hank Ballard & the Midnighters split in 1965, after over three years without any real commercial success, with Hank Ballard going on to pursue a solo career. His 1969 Album ‘You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down,’ was produced by James Brown, (1933-2006) (see also best songs 880-349-270 and 88) and Ballard then appeared on two tracks on Brown’s 1972 Album ‘Get on the Good Foot.’ James Brown has cited Hank Ballard & the Midnighters as a major influence on his early career. Hank Ballard continued to record during the 1970’s, and in 1979 he turned his hand to ‘Disco,’ recording his final single release ‘Freak Your Boom-Boom,’ he then reformed ‘The Midnighters,’ and they performed together until 2002.

‘Work with Me, Annie’ was produced by Henry Bernard Glover, who was born on May 21st, 1921, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States, he died of a heart attack on April 7th, 1991, at the age of 69. Glover began his music career playing the trumpet in the ‘Jump Blues’ band led by Buddy Johnson (1915-1977) in 1944. He soon was hired as an ‘A&R man at ‘King Records,’ and helped to construct the labels first recording studio. During the mid 1940’s Glover became a music producer for many ‘Country Music’ musicians, and then moved on to ‘Rhythm and Blues,’ notably producing the original version of ‘Fever,’ (see also best songs 468) for Little Willie John (1937-1968.) Henry Glover was also a songwriter, with two of his most successful compositions being ‘Let the Little Girl Dance,’ (1960-Billboard Number 11 & UK Number 15) for Billy Bland, (1932-2017) and ‘Peppermint Twist,’ his co-write with Joey Dee, (1962-Billboard Number 1 & UK Number 33) for Joey Dee and the Starliters. In 1986 Henry Glover was inducted into the ‘Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.’

Annie, please don’t cheat give me all my meat, ooo! Ooo-hoo-wee, so good to me. Work with me Ann-ie-e, now, let’s get it while the gettin’ is good.’