Ann Cole

Got My Mojo Workin'

Have Fun / Can't Stop The Wedding

Ann Cole (Coleman) recorded for the USA Baton Label (New York). She did the originals of Easy Baby but Magic Sam had the most successful version. She sang Got My Mojo Working which was immortalised by Muddy Waters on the Chess label. Have Fun is a fantastic soulful melody and was often played at the Manchester Blue Note Clubas a slow closing number at the end of the night.

Ann Cole is best known for recording the original version of Got My Mojo Working (1957), which Muddy Waters made his signature tune. Her father sang with the family gospel group the Coleman Brothers, and Cynthia began singing in her grandfather's church as a child. Like so many blues and soul singers it all started in the gospel church. In 1949, she formed a gospel group with her cousins, the Colemanaires, recording for Timely Records until 1954 when she began her solo career as Ann Cole at Timely and Mor-Play records before going to Baton Records (owned by- Lou Sprung and Sol Rabinowitz) in 1956. There she recorded Easy Easy, Baby (made famous by Magic Sam) and Got My Mojo Working. She had chart success with Are You Satisfied (number 10 R&B) in 1956 and In The Chapel (number 14 R&B) in 1957.

She left the Baton label for Roulette in 1962 where she recorded 'Have Fun' (number 21 R&B) B side Can't Stop The Wedding: one of those popular answer or reply songs to Etta James's Stop The Wedding. Unfortunately she later had a serious accident that confined her to a wheelchair and she returned to performing the spirituals and hymns that were her first inspiration.