Wrapped Up in Love, Again

Hey Zoo Freaks, the hippie and rock n roll biker DJs over at THE ZOO are cranking up a soulful slice of blues-rock right now with "Wrapped Up in Love, Again" by Rickey Medlocke, pulled straight from the 1993 album L.A. Blues Authority Vol. IV: Fit for a King. This track is Medlocke paying respects to the mighty Albert King, the legendary bluesman whose Flying V and raw delivery shaped so much of what we love in rock. The whole album is a star-studded tribute, bringing together heavy hitters like Leslie West from Mountain, Pat Travers, Frank Marino, Rick Derringer, Steve Hunter, and Jon Butcher to honor King's legacy with covers of his tunes. Medlocke's version lands as track ten, clocking in around four minutes of gritty vocals and searing guitar that blend his southern rock fire with the deep blues feel King pioneered. It's not just a cover; it's a nod to the roots that run through everything Medlocke has done, from Blackfoot to Lynyrd Skynyrd.

One interesting bit of trivia here is how this album captured a moment when Medlocke was deep in his blues influences while balancing his work with Blackfoot and the call that would bring him back to Skynyrd a few years later. In interviews over the years, Medlocke has talked about how the blues sits at the heart of rock n roll. In a 2016 chat with Blues.Gr, he put it plain: the blues is where rock 'n roll came from, about real things and honest subject matter. He grew up in that world thanks to his grandfather, and it shows in the way he attacks a song like this, with that authentic edge that comes from lived experience and family roots. The compilation itself, released on Blues Bureau International, gathered players who could deliver the goods on King's material, from "Cross Cut Saw" and "The Sky Is Crying" to "Born Under a Bad Sign," and Medlocke's take fits right in as a heartfelt entry that highlights his vocal grit and guitar tone.

Fans who dig into the credits see Medlocke handling lead guitar and lead vocals, engineered by Scott Haines, keeping that classic blues structure but giving it the southern rock push that defined his sound. Stories from those who followed the sessions or heard Medlocke talk about similar projects point to his respect for the old masters. He has often shared how growing up around Delta blues players gave him a feel that no amount of practice alone could build, and this track lets that shine as he wraps those Albert King lines in his own style. It is the kind of deep cut that Zoo Freaks love, something that connects the dots between the classic blues and the hard rock that filled the airwaves back in the day.

Now, talking about how Rickey Medlocke got started takes us way back to Jacksonville, Florida, where he was born on February 17, 1950. His mother was just sixteen when he arrived, and his biological father, of Native American descent, did not stick around. His maternal grandparents stepped in and raised him, with his grandfather Paul "Shorty" Medlocke becoming the central figure in his life and music. Shorty was a Delta blues and country player who had worked with Nashville names like Roy Acuff and Hank Snow, handling banjo, guitar, dobro, fiddle, harmonica, and mandolin. He taught little Rickey a miniature five-string banjo at the age of three and put him on the local Toby Dowdy Show television program, where the kid performed in a matching cowboy outfit. Mail poured into the station after that first appearance, and Rickey stayed on the show for the next five years, building his chops in front of an audience from the start.

By the time he was five, Rickey had taught himself guitar after Shorty showed him the G, C, and D chords and told him to figure out the rest on his own. At eight, the drummer in Shorty's band quit, and the old man handed the seat to his grandson. Rickey held that job for the next decade, playing local dances and auditoriums while fronting other high school combos with names like the Candy Apples and the Miracle Sounds. They mixed blues, rock n roll, and R&B standards. A big spark came when he saw Elvis Presley perform in Jacksonville; on the ride home he declared that was what he wanted to do. Influences piled up from Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck, especially the blues-heavy side of Cream. After high school he formed Fresh Garbage with Charlie Hargrett and Greg T. Walker, inspired by Spirit's album, and the band later took the name Blackfoot to honor their Native American heritage from the Blackfoot Confederacy.

When Blackfoot's early moves north did not pan out, Medlocke reached out to Allen Collins and Ronnie Van Zant in Jacksonville. Bob Burns had left Lynyrd Skynyrd, and they needed a drummer for the Muscle Shoals sessions. They sent a plane ticket, and Medlocke was in, playing drums and singing on early tracks that later appeared on Skynyrd's First and... Last. He left after a couple of years to put Blackfoot back together as frontman and guitarist. Hits followed, including "Train, Train," written by Shorty who also played harmonica on it, and "Highway Song." The band sold millions, especially in Europe, before Medlocke rejoined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1996 as guitarist, where he has stayed as one of the last original members, still delivering that dual-guitar attack and keeping the southern rock flame alive.

Medlocke's Native American roots, Lakota Sioux and Cherokee, have always been part of the story, leading to his induction into the Native American Music Hall of Fame in 2008. He continues with the Rickey Medlocke Band, blending the old fire with new material. You can check out more on his official website, follow the official Facebook page for Rickey Medlocke's Blackfoot, catch updates on Instagram, and see posts from the official X account. Fans keep the conversation going in groups like the Rickey Medlocke Fan Club (Official Medlockers) and the Official Rickey Medlocke Fan Page. That early start with Shorty and the blues never left him, and you can hear it all the way through "Wrapped Up in Love, Again" and everything that followed. Keep spinning those deep cuts, Zoo Freaks, and rock on with the real deal.