Writers: David Porter and Isaac Hayes
Producer: Bill Ham
Recorded: 1979 in Memphis, Tennessee
Released: Late 1979
| Players: | Billy Gibbons — vocals, guitar Dusty Hill — bass Frank Beard — drums |
| Album: | Deguello (Warner Bros.) |
“I Thank You” was a rare cover song for ZZ Top, who have written the vast majority of their songs themselves. A couple of notable exceptions, though, are two songs associated with Elvis Presley — “Jailhouse Rock” from the live side of Fandango!, and “Viva Las Vegas” from ZZ Top's Greatest Hits.
“I Thank You” was a Number Nine hit for soul duo Sam & Dave in 1968. The pair was also known for hits such as “Soul Man” and “Hold On I'm Comin'.”
“I Thank You” was the lead track on ZZ Top's Deguello album, the group's first after a three-year hiatus.
The extended break from recording was due to a dispute with their record company, London. The group signed with Warner Bros., where they stayed for more than a decade — years that saw them achieve their biggest hits, including the platinum albums Eliminator, Afterburner, and Recycler.
Deguello was the album that found the Texas-based group trading in their ten-gallon hats for stylish suits and “Cheap Sunglasses,” after a song that's become one of the group's most enduring fan favorites.
Many hardcore ZZ Top fans regard Deguello as the group's finest overall effort. With the band in transition from a blues-based boogie sound to synthesizer-tinged arena rock, Deguello strikes a balance somewhere in-between on songs like “I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide,” “A Fool For Your Stockings,” and “Cheap Sunglasses.”