“Dixie Chicken” was the title track to the band’s third album, which is considered their landmark album that helped further define the Little Feat sound. This was augmented by two additional members (guitarist Paul Barrere and percussionist Sam Clayton) added to make the more complete and familiar lineup that continued until their 1979 breakup following the death of Lowell George. Bassist Kenny Gradney was brought in to replace original bassist Roy Estrada, who had left after the band’s second album Sailin’ Shoes to join Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band. This new lineup radically altered the band’s sound, leaning toward New Orleans R&B/funk.

Little Feat frontman Lowell George wrote this song with Martin Kibbee, who is credited as “Fred Martin.” The pair were in a band together before Little Feat formed. Kibbee wrote the lyric, which were sparked when he drove past a sign in Los Angeles that said “Dixie Chicken” (apparently advertising a restaurant). He says that by the time he drove home, he had the lyric written in his head.

Bonnie Bramlett of the duo Delaney & Bonnie sang lead on this with Lowell George. New Little Feat members Kenny Gradney and Sam Clayton had both been in Delaney & Bonnie’s band.

To promote this song, the band delivered fried chicken to radio stations with Lowell George in a chicken suit. The boxes read: “Finger Pickin’ Good” – a play on the Kentucky Fried Chicken “Finger Lickin’ Good” slogan – and had the girl from the album cover in place of Colonel Sanders.

This song is of the “I’ve been there” variety. The story is of a man who meets the woman he believes is the love of his life in the lobby of the Commodore Hotel (which exists, it is in Linden TN about 140 miles east of Memphis) and immediately makes a lifelong commitment to her, promising her the storied house on the edge of town with the white picket fence, but in the end she leaves him crying in his beer. The narrator is telling his story to a bartender, about how much he loved her and how badly he misses her. Then, one at a time, other guys in the bar start adding to his story, until he realizes they’d all been scammed by the same girl. In the end, they’re all singing in harmony about the “Dixie Chicken” and having a wistful but hearty laugh about all being part of this well-populated men’s club.

Despite their success, it was a rough ride for Little Feat. Lowell George produced Dixie Chicken himself and dominated the album. His bandmates took more control of subsequent releases, but there was always a lot of tension. In 1979, the group broke up, and two months later George died while touring as a solo artist. Little Feat re-formed in 1987.

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