From In the Midnight Hour to Mustang Sally
Wilson Pickett wasn’t signed to Stax—he was an Atlantic artist—but for a time, the two labels collaborated closely. This brought Pickett to Stax Studios, where he worked with Steve Cropper and the Stax house band.
Together, Pickett and Cropper wrote and recorded what would become his breakthrough and biggest tune: In the Midnight Hour. Released in 1965, it changed everything.
Before that, Pickett had been a member of Eddie Floyd‘s band, The Falcons. He had also released several singles and an album as a solo artist, but nothing had made a major impact.
Then came In the Midnight Hour. Suddenly, Wilson Pickett had a hit.
Two Years That Defined Wilson Pickett
What followed was an extraordinary run. In 1966, Pickett delivered three more major hits: 634-5789 (Soulsville U.S.A.), Land of 1,000 Dances, and every cover band’s emergency tune, Mustang Sally.
The first two reached No. 1, while Mustang Sally peaked at No. 6. But chart position doesn’t tell the whole story.
For working musicians, Mustang Sally has arguably had the bigger afterlife. It became one of those tunes that appeared on Soul, R&B and party-band set lists for decades.
Then, in early 1967, Pickett released another classic: Everybody Needs Somebody to Love, later made famous to a whole new generation by The Blues Brothers.
From In the Midnight Hour in 1965 through Everybody Needs Somebody to Love in 1967, Pickett produced an incredible run of songs. In fact, his five biggest tunes all came during this period.
Wilson Pickett and Three Guitar Legends
Pickett’s story becomes even more interesting when you look at the guitarists who crossed paths with him.
Steve Cropper is the first connection. His disciplined Stax approach helped shape In the Midnight Hour and the sound surrounding Pickett during this period.
Then there’s Jimi Hendrix. A year after In the Midnight Hour, Hendrix was still working as a relatively unknown sideman on the U.S. Soul circuit. Before becoming the star of the Experience, he earned his living playing behind artists including Little Richard, the Isley Brothers, Don Covay—and Wilson Pickett.
There are no confirmed recordings of Hendrix with Pickett, but the connection itself is one of those fascinating crossroads in music history: two future legends sharing the same stage before either had reached their full potential.
And then came Duane Allman. In 1968, Pickett recorded a cover of The Beatles‘ Hey Jude, featuring a remarkable guitar performance from Allman.
It’s a great example of how Pickett’s music became a meeting point for different generations and styles of guitar player.
From Cropper’s precise Stax groove, through Hendrix’s raw energy, to Allman’s Southern blues-rock approach, Wilson Pickett somehow became a common thread connecting three hugely influential guitarists.
Mustang Sally
Of course, we can’t talk about Wilson Pickett without returning to Mustang Sally. The story of the song actually begins with its writer, Mack Rice, who had been Pickett’s bandmate in The Falcons.
Rice was inspired by the Ford Mustang and combined the idea with an old nursery rhyme to create the song.
There is also a connection with Aretha Franklin, through Atlantic Records and the recording scene around Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals.
The full story is worth hearing from Warren Huart of Produce Like A Pro, who goes into the background of how Aretha became involved in the naming of the song.
Pickett After the Hits
Pickett continued releasing singles, although with less chart success. He increasingly turned to covers, recording Hey Jude, Born to Be Wild, Hey Joe, and The Supremes‘ You Keep Me Hanging On.
In 1972, he recorded Mama Told Me Not to Come, written by Randy Newman. The song had already been a hit several years earlier, and Pickett’s version didn’t revive it in the same way.
He continued releasing almost an album a year throughout the 1970s before slowing down during the 1980s. His final album, It’s Harder Now, arrived in 1999—a fitting title for the closing chapter of a remarkable career.
A Repertoire Full of Soul
For a guitarist, Wilson Pickett is one of those artists where the individual tell tell the story.
In the Midnight Hour connects you directly to the Stax sound and Steve Cropper. Mustang Sally is essential working-band repertoire. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love leads naturally into the Blues Brothers, while Hey Jude opens the door to Duane Allman’s playing and the crossover between Soul and Rock.
And that’s what makes Pickett’s catalogue so useful. You’re not just learning old Soul tunes. You’re learning the language of groove, rhythm guitar and the musicians who helped shape popular music.
The best way to understand the history of guitar is to follow the tunes. Wilson Pickett gives you an incredible trail to follow.
Wilson Pickett Tunes | Related Pages
Hey Joe | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recordings.
| C G | D A | E7 | E7 |
Hey Joe, ah where you goin’ with that gun of your hand…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
In the Midnight Hour | Chords + TAB
You can learn In the Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| E A | E A | E A | E A |
I’m gonna wait ’til the midnight hour, that’s when my love comes tumbling down…
Mustang Sally | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Mustang Sally by Wilson Pickett using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| C7 | C7 | C7 | C7 |
Mustang Sally, huh, uh. Guess you better slow your Mustang down…
Wilson Pickett on the web
