LISTENING IN: That hypnotizin’ David Wilcox

By Michael Baginski/ I’ve certainly never forgotten David Wilcox, but it took a Petro-Canada commercial during the Winter Olympics backed by “Do the Bearcat” to nudge the Canadian treasure back into my current consciousness.

Which didn’t take much, given my enduring love for the Montreal-born, Toronto-raised slide guitar virtuoso’s inimitable blues-rock output in the late ‘70s and ‘80s, which, in addition to Bearcat, included hits like “Bad Reputation,” “Downtown Came Uptown,” “Hot Hot Papa” and “Riverboat Fantasy.”

And, of course, my favourite, “The Hypnotizin’ Boogie” (presented below).

Happy to say that beyond his songs turning up in TV commercials (well deserved), the 76-year-old is still out there boogieing – having performed at the Hard Rock Hotel in Ottawa on Valentine’s Day and headed to Oshawa (Regent Theatre) in March and Niagara Falls (Fallsview Casino) in May.

It sure feels good.

Lyrics

Back in the year nineteen and five
We had to have a rhythm very much alive
We didn’t have thing
Still we’d sing
We had to walk for the king til’ the bell would ring
Hypnotizin’ boogie
It’s that hypnotizin’ boogie
It’s that hypnotizin’ boogie
Sure feels good
I can’t dance but I wish I could

Now Queen Victoria gave a costume ball
Bow to your lady turn your back to the wall
One guy jumped up in a ratty zoot suit
Ripped off his mask he wanted to see if the sucker flew
Hypnotizin’ boogie
It’s that hypnotizin’ boogie
It’s that hypnotizin’ boogie
Sure feels good
I can’t dance but I wish I could

[Slide guitar solo]

Back in the Coliseum in ol’ Rome
Caesar and Cleopatra made themselves at home
Julie said to Cleo, “let’s take a little walk”
Cleo said to Julie, “shut up and don’t talk”