Saturday Night (featuring Rickey Medlocke)

The Zoo Crew is spinning the infectious track "Saturday Night (featuring Rickey Medlocke)" by Blackfoot from the 1987 album Rick Medlocke and Blackfoot, and the Zoo Freaks are surely grooving to its hard rock energy. This song, a cover of Dutch rocker Herman Brood’s original, stands out as a high point on the album, with critics and fans noting its muscular, weekend-ready vibe. According to a review on Rate Your Music, "Saturday Night" packs a punch, allowing Rickey Medlocke’s gritty vocals and commanding stage presence to shine, unlike some of the album’s mellower tracks. The choice to cover Brood’s song was an unexpected move for Blackfoot, known for their Southern rock roots, but it reflects Medlocke’s willingness to experiment during a time when the band was navigating the slick, keyboard-heavy sound of the 1980s music scene.

Trivia about "Saturday Night" reveals its departure from Blackfoot’s classic Southern rock sound, as the album leaned into AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) with a polished, radio-friendly edge. A post on Yperano highlights the album’s personnel, noting that Medlocke was joined by former Mother’s Finest members, including bassist Jerry “Wizzard” Seay and drummer Harold Seay, which brought a funkier, more eclectic vibe to tracks like "Saturday+Night">Saturday Night." Fans on Reddit have debated Medlocke’s 1980s output, with some expressing disappointment over the shift from Blackfoot’s raw, rebel-rousing days, but others appreciate the track’s bold energy and Medlocke’s unmistakable attitude. The album’s cover art, featuring Medlocke in a leather jacket and sunglasses, screams rock-star swagger, which one reviewer on Yperano praised as embodying his larger-than-life persona.

Rickey Medlocke, the driving force behind Blackfoot, has a storied career that began in Jacksonville, Florida, where he was born on February 17, 1950. Raised by his maternal grandparents, Medlocke was steeped in music from an early age, thanks to his grandfather, Paul “Shorty” Medlocke, a Delta blues and bluegrass musician. According to Wikipedia, Shorty taught a young Rickey to play a miniature banjo, and by age three, he was performing onstage. By five, he was teaching himself guitar, and at eight, he was drumming in Shorty’s band. This early immersion in music shaped Medlocke’s versatile skills, as he mastered banjo, guitar, drums, mandolin, dobro, and keyboards over the years. His first band, Fresh Garbage, formed in 1969 with Greg T. Walker and Charlie Hargrett, played local Jacksonville clubs before evolving into Blackfoot, a name chosen to honor the Native American heritage of its members, including Medlocke’s Lakota Sioux, Blackfoot, and Creek ancestry.

Blackfoot’s early years were marked by relentless gigging, including a stint as the house band at a topless bar in Gainesville, Florida, as noted in a Louder interview. The band’s big break came with their 1979 album Strikes, featuring hits like “Train, Train” (written by Shorty Medlocke) and “Highway Song.” Medlocke’s journey also included a brief stint with Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1971, where he played drums and sang on tracks for their album Skynyrd’s First and... Last. He rejoined Blackfoot in 1972, leading the band to commercial success before returning to Lynyrd Skynyrd as a guitarist in 1996, a role he continues today. Medlocke’s Native American heritage is a point of pride, earning him induction into the Native American Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

Fans can stay connected with Rickey Medlocke through his official website, rickeymedlocke.com, where updates on his music and projects, like his recent single “Rise Again” supporting the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement, are shared. His social media presence includes Facebook, Instagram, and X, where he engages with fans and posts about performances. Blackfoot’s official Facebook page keeps the band’s legacy alive, while fan communities like the Blackfoot Fan Club on Facebook offer a space for Zoo Freaks to discuss the band’s music and share memories. For those digging deeper, Reddit’s Lynyrd Skynyrd community occasionally buzzes with Blackfoot-related discussions, reflecting Medlocke’s enduring influence in Southern rock.