Elvin Bishop Joins Los Lobos For New Song ‘What The Hell Is Going On?’

Elvin Bishop Joins Los Lobos For New Song ‘What The Hell Is Going On?’

Elvin Bishop, Alligator Records recording artist and Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, recently joined GRAMMY Award-winning band Los Lobos to create a new version of Bishop’s politically-charged song, “What The Hell Is Going On?” The song, a concert staple for Bishop that decries political extremism, was released in a previous version on the 2020 GRAMMY-nominated Alligator Records album 100 Years Of Blues, by Bishop and his friend, blues icon Charlie Musselwhite. The new version was recorded in June at Los Lobos’ East L.A. studio.

Bishop, whose recording career spans six decades, is beloved as a natural storyteller, an endlessly creative guitarist, a slyly good-humored songwriter and an instantly crowd-pleasing performer. Bishop says the song continues to evolve, but the anti-authoritarian message remains steadfast. “It’s like a news report of what’s outrageous,” Bishop deadpans, then says, “It’s important for people to hear and maybe it’ll get some more people to vote.”

As for the new recording, Bishop says, “I am amazed by Los Lobos, by how rich their repertoire is, and by their vocals and musicianship. They invited me up on stage at Rancho Nicassio (in Northern California), we played ‘What The Hell Is Going On?’ and it was perfect. The crowd loved it. So we all met up in Los Angeles a little while later and recorded it.”

Watch Elvin Bishop and Los Lobos perform “What The Hell Is Going On?” below.

“What The Hell Is Going On?”

 
BIOGRAPHY:
Born in Glendale, CA on October 21, 1942, Bishop grew up in Oklahoma, listening to blues music on late night radio. He used his National Merit Scholarship to enroll in the University of Chicago, whose campus was located near dozens of the South Side blues clubs where legendary artists regularly performed. Soon he was spending more time in the clubs than the classroom.

Elvin and Paul Butterfield formed the first Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1963. The band, including Bishop and Michael Bloomfield, became famous for bringing the sounds of Chicago blues to a new, young audience. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2015. Bishop next moved to the San Francisco area and formed his own band, becoming a regular at the famed Fillmore Auditorium. He scored two chart-topping records during the 1970s: Travelin’ Shoes and Fooled Around And Fell In Love (the latter song reached number three on the pop charts and years later was prominently featured in the blockbuster film, Guardians Of The Galaxy. Elvin, who has recorded more than 30 albums, first joined Alligator in 1988. He continues to record and perform, both with his full band and with his pared-down, GRAMMY-nominated Big Fun Trio.