Here's my take on why Sally is shunned:
First, it is asscociated with blues in that it has a 24 bar progression that doubles the 12 bar blues progression used so often and the verses follow an A A B rhyme scheme. This is why so many blues bands get the request for this song. Laypeople can tell it's bluesy. Rock bands do not get Sally requests. They get Freebird.
However, Sally was does written/performed by a "bluesman", it was written (or at least performed) by a soulman, Wilson Pickett. If Little Walter had written Sally and Pickett covered it, we'd be playing it, no problem. It is an element of blues snobbery that restricts us, imo.
Even further, people on this list point to Buddy Guy's cover and that certainly helped the resurgence, but that was not the reason for the resurgence.
The reason was the excellent movie The Commitments, in which a group of misfits who had barely touched instruments before practice real hard and become an incredible soul band in a month. Sally was featured in the movie and BAM! instant bar band top forty. Again, I believe blues snobbery is behind the feelings that Sally is not good music.
Here's one for you- Cissy Strut. WHY does everyone insist on playing this? The Meters are incredible and most bands cannot achieve the incredible level, even if they are incredible on other funk tunes. I hate playing this song. Go with Sally, Cissy.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com
Austin,TX
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