SONG FACTS
“I Just Want to Make Love to You” - Muddy Waters
Album: Single release
Released 1954 
It's obvious what Muddy Waters is after in this sultry blues number. He doesn't expect his woman to take on the traditional domestic responsibilities like cooking, cleaning, or doing laundry, as long as she's available for lovemaking.
Also known as “Just Make Love To Me”, it was written by Willie Dixon, a Chicago bluesman who played bass for Chess Records' house band and wrote tunes for the label, often deciding who would record what.
He went on to become an influential figure in blues and rock 'n roll, performing on early hits from Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley and writing the blues standards
“Little Red Rooster” ,
“Hoochie Coochie Man” , and
“Spoonful” , among others.
Waters is accompanied by Dixon on bass, Little Walter on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Otis Spann on piano and Fred Below on drums.
Waters, whose original version landed at #4 on the R&B chart, recorded this again for his 1968 album, Electric Mud, with the psychedelic soul group Rotary Connection as his backing band. It also showed up on 1967's Super Blues, a collaboration between Waters, Bo Diddley, and Little Walter.
Several other artists recorded this, including
The Rolling Stones ,
The Yardbirds ,
The Kinks,
The Righteous Brothers ,
Grateful Dead ,
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ,
Rod Stewart ,
Van Morrison ,
Adele , and many more.
Foghat earned their first hit when they included the cover on their 1972 debut album,
Etta James recorded this for her debut album, At Last! (1960), as the flip-side to the hit title track. In a distinct change from Dixon's original lyrics, James is eager to tackle the domestic chores for her lover/husband that Waters said he didn't want.
While he insisted, “I don't want you to bake my bread”, she sang, “All I want you to do is to bake your bread, just to make sure that you're well fed.”
