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I Walk on Guilded Splinters

"I Walk on Guilded Splinters"
Song by Dr. John
from the album Gris-Gris
Released January 22, 1968 (1968-01-22)
Recorded 1967, Los Angeles
Genre New Orleans rhythm and blues, psychedelic rock
Length 7:37
Label Atco
Songwriter(s) Dr. John Creaux
Producer(s) Harold Battiste
Gris-Gris track listing
"Jump Sturdy"
(6)
"I Walk on Guilded Splinters"
(7)

"I Walk on Guilded Splinters" (sometimes "I Walk on Gilded Splinters" or "Walk On Gilded Splinters") is a song written by Mac Rebennack using his pseudonym of Dr. John Creaux. It first appeared as the closing track of his debut album Gris-Gris (1968), credited to Dr. John the Night Tripper. The song has subsequently been recorded by many other musicians, including Cher, Marsha Hunt, Johnny Jenkins, Humble Pie, the Allman Brothers Band, Paul Weller, Michael Brecker and Jello Biafra.

According to Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the legal title of the song is “I Walk on Guilded Splinters”. The original liner notes for Gris-Gris contained several unconventional spellings, such as “dreged” and “reincannted”, and many later versions of the song have used the orthodox spelling “…Gilded…” rather than “…Guilded…”.

Dr. John stated that the song was based on a traditional voodoo church song. He said: "It's supposed to be 'Splendors', but I turned it into 'Splinters'... I just thought splinters sounded better and I always pictured splinters when I sung it." The New Orleans musician Coco Robicheaux, whose name is called out in the song, said:

”Dr. John, he was very much interested in metaphysics... In voodoo they call the gilded splinters the points of a planet. Mystically, they appear like little gilded splinters, like little gold, like fire that holds still. They’re different strengths at different times. I guess it ties in with astrology, and influence the energy. That’s what that’s about.”

The sessions for the Gris-Gris album took place in the Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California. The album aimed to combine various strains of New Orleans music. It centred on a character named “Dr. John” who was based on a 19th-century healer called Dr. John Montaine, who claimed to be an African potentate. The musicians mostly originated from New Orleans, and as well as Rebennack (vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion) included arranger and record producer Harold Battiste (bass, clarinet, percussion), together with Richard 'Didimus' Washington (guitar, mandolin, percussion), Plas Johnson (saxophone), Lonnie Boulden (flute), Steve Mann (guitar, banjo), Ernest McLean (guitar, mandolin), Bob West (bass), Mo Pedido (congas), John Boudreaux (drums), and backing singers who included Jessie Hill, Ronnie Barron, Shirley Goodman and Tami Lynn.


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