WATERMELON MAN (SONG)

"'Watermelon Man'" is a jazz composition written by Herbie Hancock which first appeared on his 1962 album, ''Takin' Off''. A radically reworked version appeared in 1973 on his ''Head Hunters'' album. (Also in 1973, The J.B.'s, James Brown's backing band at the time, recorded a cover of the song.)
The 16 bar form of "Watermelon Man" is considered an elongated 12 bar blues form.
The most commercially successful rendition was Mongo Santamaria's 1962 version, released on a 7" single on Battle Records. In 1998 that recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Santamaria also re-recorded the track for Columbia Records on his album which is also entitled ''Watermelon Man''. In 1963, legendary jazz lyricist Jon Hendricks set words to the composition and recorded it. Hendricks invented the technique of creating lyrics for jazz classics called vocalese. A vocal version was also cut by Manfred Mann in 1964, on their album Five Faces of Manfred Mann.
In 1964, the composition was covered by Bill Haley & His Comets for the Orfeon Records label; it was retitled "Surf de la Sandía". The tune has also been covered by The Tropicals on their album Liming on the Island.
Another song, also called "Watermelon Man", by Oscar Brown jr, appears on Brown's 1960 album ''Sin & Soul ...And Then Some''.
Ray Manzarek, keyboardist for The Doors, stated that Watermelon Man was an inspiration for the Doors' recording When the Music's Over.
The primary hook in the introduction to the song is believed to have come from African Pygmy tribal music. (Anne Rasmussen, 2007)