The Smiley Smile Message Board

Motown is welcome too. ;) And white artists in these genres. In fact the first post is a track by Canned Heat, one that is close to my heart. Love the brass, arranged by Miles Grayson, on "Sandy's Blues". That's Joe Sample guesting on piano.

I bought Living the Blues in early 1969 soon after its release, sold it in 1972 (long story) and rebought it three or four years later. ;D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh8NqafmK9k

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_the_Blues (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_the_Blues)

I just bought a small CD boxset of John Lee Hooker that features 16 of his original Albums plus a CD of bonus material. All in all 10 CDs. I got it for little over 10 € (Euro). I guess this is possible because of the copyright stuff. Some very, very good albums and great music.

This is the set:

https://www.amazon.de/Hooker-Original-Albums-Bonus-Tracks/dp/B00XZKT4P4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=29TJRSXT05YLI&keywords=john+lee+hookerjr&qid=1565026316&s=music&sprefix=john+lee+hooker%2Caps%2C165&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1



One track that really got me comes from "John Lee Hooker plays & sings the blues", called "Lonely boy boogie"; almost Chuck Berry-esque guitar licks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieTp9ORIuFE

If you want to hear a good example of early r&b, check out the original version of "Cherry Pie" by Marvin and Johnny, from 1954. Skip & Flip had a bit with it in 1961 I believe, but in my opinion it can't touch the original.

That's a lot of John Lee Hooker!  :lol I did like the track you linked--who else could do what he did with one or two notes and a stomping foot?!

This is my favourite JLH track, the totally over-the-top "Walkin' The Boogie". Those double-speed guitar licks, the insane echo on the foot-stomping, the double-tracked vocals...  :o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbezj9W2dXQ

Here you go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tPjZOXNEXo

What an atmosphere! That counted for a lot in those days. Thanks for that, Jay.

I always wondered why they did the double-tracking. It was done on a couple of other JLH songs as well, but I can't find a reason for that other than trying to offer a different view on his sound. Very strange. That said, I really like the sound of the double-tracked foot stomping you mentioned.  :)

Perhaps they were looking for a hit. The ragged talking bit is clearly him overdubbing his voice a second time, maybe the sung portions as well. I see some commenters conjectured that the double-speed guitar is actually a normal-speed mandolin! One even thought it might be Yank Rachell, who played with Sleepy John Estes. H'mm. Sounds seriously speeded up to me.

Talking of Sleepy John... "Street Car Blues" features YR on mandolln and Jab Jones on piano. An extraordinary sound, all told.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMD76FGX_K8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepy_John_Estes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepy_John_Estes)

I just remembered that the Beach Boys also tried to overdub "Surfin' safari" from the Hite Morgan sessions with them playing the same parts live to the track. Wasn't that for some kind of stereo experiment that didn't work out? Maybe they had the same plan for these Hooker recordings?

Thanks for the Sleepy John Estes link. Beautiful!




That's a cool song. Bo Diddley used to do this one in concert while name-checking some of the early Rock'n'Roll stars and having the audience applaud them.

After having listened to all the albums on this set, I strongly recommend that if you don't own JLH's early albums, you get some of them. "JLH plays and sings the blues", "The folklore of JLH", "Burning hell", "Live at Sugarhill", "That's my story" and others. Beautiful! I don't know if the set I posted above is available outside of Europe, but it's well worth getting it. But there are also other releases of these albums.
Now, net on my JLH list are "Hooker'n'Heat", "Live at Cafe Au Go Go" and "Live at Soledad Prison"

I guess this thread could be the right place for this question. Are there any live audio recordings of Joe Tex?

Here you go, sir:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL94gOvpr5yt2At2JQdFie1wJmSj4pBoMC

(https://img.discogs.com/UlsREdb3t5mFpE9bktuFBWOjWoE=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-4175419-1434463040-7121.jpeg.jpg)

Thank you, but that album was cut in the studio and then overdubbed with an audience. I was/am looking for legit live audio recordings. There are live videos on youtube which are great.

Eek! That's not good. :o

Yes, I noticed some videos from The Joe Tex Show.

You're welcome. My brother has been a big fan of SJE ever since seeing Estes named as the author of Eddie Cochran's "Milk Cow Blues":

(http://images.45cat.com/eddie-cochran-milk-cow-blues-liberty.jpg)

Here's the original from 1930. That's Jab Jones on piano and Yank Rachell on mandolin. No mention of a cow anywhere! :lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU9kntOj22Q

Interesting! But that credit is probably an error, not unusual with "Folk"-songs. Eddie Cochran certainly got his influence from Elvis' recording (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bSVEA0ZAVw) who based his version on Bob Wills' version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky2874tImDs). Writing credit goes to Kokomo Arnold (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B944jMtu6Qc). And of course there's another - yet similar - song by Robert Johnson called Milkcow's calf blues (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh0m_47FCv0).

I've long been fascinated by this track from 1927. "Court Street Blues" (https://books.google.nl/books?id=OGyWw-M5wFsC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=court+street+blues+crockett+stovepipe&source=bl&ots=4iCoi3Fh-H&sig=ACfU3U0SNeEWmL5n-z8Y8w1yHHHiRhFZww&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiBgNiiybrkAhXDUlAKHb8RDDUQ6AEwEXoECAYQAQ#v=onepage&q=court%20street%20blues%20crockett%20stovepipe&f=false) features Stovepipe No. 1 (Sam Jones) on stovepipe and vocals and David Crockett on guitar. I just love that ending!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8lGGPCQ_4E

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stovepipe_No._1

That was awesome.  ;D I'm a big fan of old blues. Pretty much anything from the 1920's to the 50's. My favorites are Son House, Robert Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson, Leadbelly, Bukka White...I could go on and on, but I'll quit for now.  :lol

I'm not sure if all of these count as being in the criteria of this thread, but I figured I'd post a bunch of recordings that I think are incredible song.  ;D Here we go:

1. Ooh Poo Pah Doo by Jessie Hill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qhxE5z9xRI

2. The Right To Love You by The Mighty Hannibal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN1KiZVuREk

3. When Something Is Wrong With My Baby by Sam & Dave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhUFnyUSdfs

4. Cry Baby by Garnett Mimms & The Enchanters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBVFcnbAz28

5. Eyesight To The Blind by The Larks(the original is by Sonny Boy Williamson): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwntQs-XR3w

6. The Deacon Moves In by Little Esther: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B72rnAua5w

7. Ohh...It Feels So good by The Larks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chDxsi4ciFM

8. Sixty Minute Man by Billy Ward and The Dominoes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXfJj8R3q20

9. Smokey Joe's Café by The Robins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6dA-liqmKs

10. Little Mama by The Clovers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r28E25RiDw8

I remember hearing a stunning album of stuff by Son House years ago. Is there an album or comp of his that you'd recommend?

Great list of songs you posted, by the way. Wow. And... I'm slowly working my way through Face Dances. To be continued. ;) 

Sorry I didn't see this until now. The first Son House CD I got was one of the Martin Scorsese cd's released as a tie in with his documentary series. There were a bunch of blues compilation cd's made of half a dozen or so artists, and I got the Son House one on a whim at a used CD stores. It's a reasonably good "starter cd" with a basic overview of his recordings. It starts with about three or four songs from his first recording session in 1930(I believe), then follows with a few recordings he did in the 1940's for the Library of Congress, and ends with a few recordings made in the mid 1960's after he was "rediscovered". It's fairly basic, but it's a good place to start if you don't know his music. Unfortunately, the 1930 recordings are particularly noisy. The record label at the time was notorious for using interior vinyl.

Thanks! No problem with noisy recordings--they are a breath of fresh air in a world where so much recorded music sounds vacuum-packed. ;D

I thought I was the only one who preferred older blues music to not sound perfect. I think that surface noise gives it personality.

It's always worth a try to look on youtube. Try "Son House album" or whatever. You don't necessarily find the whole thing there but selections from the albums so you get an idea. There is "The real Delta blues" and others.




BTW a different thing. I just listened to "A casual look" by The Six Teens. Now, I thought the Beach Boys' version was bad to begin with, but now I think it's utterly disgusting. The original record is pretty cool and has very good singing.






No, no! I love that. I can't stand that clean sound on modern blues (or what I think it is). Nothing better than Sam Phillips' much-too-loud-recorded blues records. The old records with all their noises have great atmosphere.

No, no! I love that. I can't stand that clean sound on modern blues (or what I think it is). Nothing better than Sam Phillips' much-too-loud-recorded blues records. The old records with all their noises have great atmosphere.
[/quote]

The blues I can't go for is the kind made by older white guys with ponytails. I prefer blues from the 20's thru the '50s and select stuff from the 60s.

 :lol

Been sifting through some Son House stuff and discovered this jewel from 1942. On "Walkin' Blues", SH (vocals, guitar, speech) is joined by Fiddlin' Joe Martin (mandolin, speech), Leroy Williams (harmonica) and Willie Brown (guitar).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M6JG-DySZc

To be honest, I prefer the later 1960's recordings that Son did. I have a two CD set called "Son House Revisited" that I highly recommend. The first CD is a recording of Son at Oberlin College in 1965, and in my mind just might be the best concert recording of him ever made. His powerful voice on tracks like "Levee Camp Moan", "Preachin The Blues" and "Death Letter" is truly hair raising. The sending disc is as more informal recording at the Gaslight Cafe, and is quite good itself, although the sound quality is pretty rough.

Not sure if I should post this here or start a new topic. This is a BBC documentary from a few years ago. I'm only 15 mins. in, so I can't say if it is a good one or not. But those fifteen minutes are well worth watching. There's also a short snippet of yet unknown Jerry Lee Lewis footage as it seems. I asked some time ago in a facebook group dedicated to Jerry Lee videos if anyone has more info of this, but no one did. I guess it may come from the BBC archives and theoretically could be from the (in-)famous british tour of '58.

Anyway, enjoy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ2yh7cxNFE


Check youtube for the other parts of this series

Thanks, Rocker. I have it bookmarked for future viewing/listening.  ;)

Howlin' Wolf's 1971 live blues performance at Big Duke's Flamingo in Chicago.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7nBhAxqWmQ

The Wolf was one bad mother!  8)

Haha yes. I recall either Wolf or Hubert Sumlin explaining that they'd removed several of each other's teeth over the years. :lol

I also remember when Wolf was a "surprise mystery guest" on the insipid '60s UK TV series Juke Box Jury, where smug celebs (read: nobodies) dissed (and occasionally praised) the latest releases. Whatever possessed Wolf's manager to subject him to this farce? Of course, they just made fun of him as he sat there in his cubicle around the corner looking grim. And then presenter David Jacobs invited him onstage... oh, if looks could kill! Apparently (I don't remember this) Jacobs asked him where he got his voice. Wolf spat back, 'I was born with it!" ;D

Lastly, Captain Beefheart's grandmother ("Grannie Annie"), who came from the Deep South, remembered hearing Wolf play there before he left for Chicago. She called him "The Howling Wolf", which Beefheart thought was pretty cool.

I'm not at the actual computer right now(I'm on my kindle), but I wanted to recommend another song for this thread. It's called "Bad Girl" by Lee Moses.

Sorry I took so long to reply, Jay. What a fantastic track! Lee Moses is a completely new name on me--goodness knows how I've never noticed him before.

I see there are several YouTube videos that splice sides one and two of "Bad Girl" together. I'm having none of that, so here they are individually:   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaF6V54gDp8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUJ1CZUWAT4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Moses

Time for some city blues, methinks. This is Buddy Guy's original and best version of "The First Time I Met the Blues".

The last time I heard this slab of raw emotion was more than half a century ago!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3RNbAA7Wgg

For some reason I can't seem to get into Buddy's stuff. Some of it I like very much, like his collaborations with Junior Wells. But the other things sound too heavy for my ears (that may not be the right term, but I don't know how to describe that).
Anyway, one of my all time favorite TV performances features Buddy on guitar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frsBq9MCNVg

That's a great video! Thanks, Rocker.

BG was also in/on The Festival Express (he appears twice in this trailer for a split second). He wandered into the audience followed by a guy feeding him yards and yards of guitar cable! :P     

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIYumgR92B4

The song starts 19 seconds in. It's Son House performing his composition "Levee Camp Moan" in 1965, aided by one Alan Wilson on harmonica.

Briefly, Son House had given up music in 1943. So when he was "rediscovered" in 1964 he had little recollection of his repertoire. So a 22-year-old Al Wilson (later of Canned Heat) literally retaught him his songs! (See the first three YT comments and SH's wiki page below.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GiJl4Qgr60

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_House

Guitar Slim Green produced by Johnny Otis with a teenage Shuggie Otis on guitar.  I dare you to keep still.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7umQnTw7Uw

Too true! Great stuff, ABD. :)

Glad you enjoyed it, JK!   I bought the LP on 8 track in a bargain bin way back in the day.  Never released on CD.  Thank goodness for YouTube.

Another favorite of mine from that time also never released on CD is "Taking Care of Business" by James Cotton.  Produced by Todd Rundgren, this track "Georgia Swing" features Mike Bloomfield and Johnny Winter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcRhx3zJnKA

Very nice! Who takes the first guitar solo? I suspect Johnny Winter but I'm not really familiar with either guitarist.

On the subject of unique collaborations, I've always been partially to this one between Canned Heat's Bob Hite on vocals and John Mayall on piano (here at 4:44).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEaIiB4UV20

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_the_Blues (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_the_Blues)

A little slow on the return...don't make it here every day....

I agree that is likely Johnny Winter on the first solo.  Anyway, I would like to review this thread and check out more of the music linked.  I enjoyed the Canned Heat -- I am a fan of theirs.  They were my very first Concert at age 13 -- my mom brought me!  This was right around Woodstock and Harvey Mandel was on guitar.  I got his and Fito's autographs on my ticket stub!  All were great players, but for me it's Al Wilson who really carries it over.  I am a pretty fair harmonica player and have played in all sorts of bands.  In one we were working on "On the Road Again."  I could not replicate his harp solo.  For one I think he doctored his harp.  But moreover there is a fluidity in his playing that is uncanny.  Was a very soulful cat.

No worries about replying on time, ABD. This is cyberspace! :lol Thanks for the confirmation.

Al Wilson... I remember exactly what I was doing when they announced his death. I also remember that when Canned Heat mimed to "On The Road Again", Bob Hite was usually on harmonica duties!

Cool that you saw them perform and got those autographs! My wife saw them at the Kralingen Festival in 1970, only a couple of months before Al died. Interesting to hear from a player that he modified his harp -- one wonders how!

Here's another favourite of mine, "My Mistake" from Livin' the Blues:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKaO9aLDYtc

New release: John Lee Hooker & The Coast To Coast Blues Band – Live At Montreux 1983 & 1990 (Eagle Rock Entertainment – 06.11.2020)


https://www.bluesmagazine.nl/john-lee-hooker-live-at-montreux-1983-1990/

Nice! Thanks for the tip, R. The big John Lee song in the UK when I was a teenager was "Dimples":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrnQIRMPtsM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimples_(song) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimples_(song))

As the above was such a great purchase, I now ordered another release in the same style. This time a set of 10 BB King albums:

https://www.amazon.de/10-Original-Albums-B-B-King/dp/B00YQIFSJK/ref=sr_1_24?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&dchild=1&keywords=bb+king&qid=1605793547&s=music&sr=1-24


I always wanted to listen to more of his early stuff and this seems just to be the way. Look at that list!




BTW a couple of days ago I saw this on Facebook. Talk about a 'Million Dollar Quartet':


(https://s12.directupload.net/images/201119/ltrfphb7.jpg) (https://www.directupload.net)

BB King, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Ivory Joe Hunter.






EDIT:

I have to add some John Lee Hooker trivia I just read that might be interesting for us Beach Boys nerds. According to Wikipedia:

The video for "The Healer" featuring Carlos Santana and John Lee Hooker was filmed in the Chameleon warehouse in Hawthorne, CA amidst stacks of Hooker's old vinyl LPs, and live on stage at "The Palace," a Hollwood nightclub across from Capitol Records on Vine St.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Healer_(album)

Nice! The first B.B. King track I ever heard was the piano-heavy "Rock Me Baby", which went US top 40 in 1964!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSqBEWwXbBg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Me_Baby_(song) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Me_Baby_(song))


Not sure how I missed this post -- or this incredible picture. Wonderful to see the Wolf smiling. Thank you for that!

Everyone always talks about how big Howlin' Wolf was, but man, look at Ivory Joe!  :o

Ha, yes. ;D

Ivory Joe's much-covered composition "Since I Met You Baby" took him to #12 in the US national charts in 1956:   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3ZsRl7u53c

‘Born In Chicago’ Documentary Is Now Available Digitally
The documentary tells the story of first-generation blues performers and the kids who discovered a thrilling world at the end of the radio dial.

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/born-in-chicago-documentary/?utm_source=ka&utm_medium=fa&utm_campaign=FB%3A100%20Years%20of%20the%20Blues-Features&utm_term=7fccd2e7-b1ef-47bf-8958-5c0bfb24b3e5&fbclid=IwAR1vxHh39enWHgiyWFDFAERj9MDnAmfmRjWRXUyxJZEAQiaRQbHdYF2K4QU

Slim Harpo "Lovell" ES-330


Gibson is proud to introduce the "Lovell" ES-330 hollow body guitar; a tribute to Slim Harpo and his wife Lovell, a creative tandem that developed a unique sound and produced chart-topping hits during the 50s and early 60s.

The new Gibson Slim Harpo “Lovell” ES-330 hollow body guitar is part tribute, part historical artifact that celebrates the influential, albeit short career of James H. Moore aka Slim Harpo. Slim was a working man’s blues man from Lobdell, Louisiana; holding down 9 to 5 gigs as a longshoreman, and iron scrap hauler in addition to his side hustle as an artist. His wife and collaborator; Lovell, for whom the guitar is named was a huge influence and contributor to Slim’s evolution as performer and song writer. Together they forged a creative partnership that yielded pop-crossover success in the late 50’s and 60s, an era that was less than kind to black artists.  Despite this, it didn’t take long for others to recognize and be inspired by Harpo’s talent and unique take on the Blues; a subgenre he unwittingly created appropriately called Louisiana Swamp Blues. Slim’s most popular tune “I’m a King Bee” achieved cross-over success at a time when that was far from the norm.  Other artists also achieved chart successes with their covers of “King Bee” including the Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Lou Rawls, and Muddy Waters among others. While Slim’s time on the planet was short, his impact and influence are and will continue to inspire for generations to come.

The Slim Harpo "Lovell" ES-330 features 3-ply maple / poplar / maple top, back and sides with spruce bracing, a mahogany neck with rounded C profile, rosewood fretboard with small block inlays, ABR-1 bridge with Trapeze tailpiece, Vintage Deluxe tuners with white buttons, Dogear P-90 pickups with hand-wired controls and Orange Drop® capacitors, and has a custom "Lovell" logo on the back of the headstock to honor Slim Harpo's life partner, manager and the co-writer of many of his biggest hits, Lovell Moore.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRaKLiy0caI


https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/USA3I4189/Slim-Harpo-Lovell-ES-330/Vintage-Sunset-Burst

Now, here's 19 mins. of Mississippi Fred McDowell for you:


Mississippi Fred McDowell Live Footage - Legends of Bottleneck Blues Full Performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6KhFbEDkqI


Looks like he's playing a Trini Lopez ES-335

Buddy Guy Honored In ‘The Blues Chase The Blues Away’ Documentary
The film includes contributions from Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Gary Clark Jr., John Mayer, and Kingfish, as well as Guy himself.


https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/buddy-guy-blues-chase-blues-away-documentary/?utm_source=ka&utm_medium=fa&utm_campaign=FB%3A100%20Years%20of%20the%20Blues-News&utm_term=05bee42f-3efb-406d-9054-b519cee09fa4&fbclid=IwAR1BMbOyQJCKh_5wjUqHA8WBbsHiBL3gEEb25xohzvlFFU-vSaKEkAR-YJ8

"Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase the Blues Away" premieres Tuesday, July 27 at 9 p.m. on PBS


https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/stream-buddy-guy-blues-chase-blues-away-documentary/17954/?fbclid=IwAR26k8H7JDhpuzJJDC8-RKGorbXMLTaU5GWAqi392Nba10ZJFl7zZr0li7U


Dive into the career of the legendary blues guitarist, a pioneer of Chicago’s West Side sound and major influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Featuring new performances and interviews with Carlos Santana and more.

The story of Specialty Records, the most influential label of all time: “Songs never die”
As it celebrates its 75th anniversary with a new compilation, Jordan Bassett explores the imprint that gave us Little Richard – and therefore The Beatles, Prince, David Bowie and so much more


https://www.nme.com/features/music-features/rip-it-up-the-best-of-specialty-records-75th-anniversary-little-richard-3006616?fbclid=IwAR2twuSXhqb-hBRpVZ7xXQD57Ay5Jx-xpVBEvZDHprPp8DsRePKtBIxqiio

Muddy Waters home gets final Landmarks Commission approval, moves to City Council


https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/8/5/22611907/muddy-waters-home-gets-final-landmarks-commission-approval-moves-city-council?fbclid=IwAR1sg2gjAAI3Xhi0GVvZ5gjGy-h4MK2C0w9DygYJUV4JseCQpmH29w2wzR0

Mine Was a Bit Different From the Rest... | 2021 Gibson Slim Harpo Lovell ES-330 Review + Demo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQZcxOH6rGY

Review: Son House ‘Forever On My Mind’


By Chris Wheatley

Blues releases don’t come much bigger than this collection of previously unissued material from legendary singer and guitarist, Son House. Forever On My Mind is set to release March 18 on Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound.

Like Robert Johnson, Son House’s highly emotional style is immediately recognisable and compelling. Born in 1902, the guitarist grew up in the classic era of blues and enjoyed a short career which saw him play alongside fellow great, Charley Patton. House was one of many blues stars ‘re-discovered’ by avid enthusiasts during the 1960s, and it is from this period which these recordings come.

These eight tracks derive from the personal collection of House’s then-manager, Dick Waterman, who taped this live concert in 1964, at Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana. Crucially, this album is being issued via Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound. Auerbach has an established history of working on such projects with suitable reverence, and that commitment shines through here. Given the analogue source, same hiss is to be expected, but that does not detract from the captivating material on offer.

On the opener and title-track, we’re immediately thrust into another world. House sounds remarkably up-close and personal. His slide guitar absolutely sings, the sparse, bare-bones playing conjuring up a wealth of pathos with just a few notes – the sure sign of a master. The presence of the crowd is palpable, but never intrusive. As Waterman recalls: “There may have been up to 50 people, something like that. There were no barriers, there were no filters. He was just giving them the plain, unvarnished Delta material, as he knew it and as he sang it.”

Very few knew it, sang it, or played it as well as House, and this material is wonderful to hear. “Preachin’ Blues” rolls and sways, guitar alternating between strummed rhythm and striking, wailing licks. House plays a steel-bodied, National resonator here – a legendary instrument, originals of which now cost thousands of dollars. On these performances, the guitar and the singer feel in perfect harmony. “Empire State Express” thrills with its side-stepping cuts and ringing flourishes. Not only is this an important historical document, this is Son House at or close to his best.

As Auerbach himself observes: ““He sounds like he’s in a trance, and his singing is so nuanced here. It sounds so right to me.” Auerbach ought to know – he grew up listening intently to Houses’ Father Of Folk Blues, and his own Black Keys were always deeply influenced by the blues. The astonishing “Death Letter” underlines Auerbach’s opinion. On this wonderful number, House sounds completely in the zone, filling every moment with visceral power. “The late-’64 stuff is as good as it’s going to get,” echoes Waterman, and it would be hard to argue with that statement.

Following his rediscovery, House toured extensively across the US and Europe, alongside such luminaries as Skip James and Bukka White, before ill-health led to retirement, in 1974. He spent his last years in Detroit, Michigan. Upon the star’s passing, members of the Detroit Blues Society arranged for a suitable monument for his grave. Forever On My Mind builds on that monument, acting as a fitting reminder of the colossal talent which House possessed.

Many unearthed recordings are historically interesting and few make for vital listening. With this set, Auerbach, Waterman and, of course, Son House, give us both. Excitingly, this album marks the first in a planned series based around Waterman’s collection of quarter-inch tapes. That’s a prospect to savour for blues fans the world over.


https://www.rockandbluesmuse.com/2022/03/08/review-son-house-forever-on-my-mind/

I just discovered this song by the great Lee Dorsey. You could almost think it's an Al Green number.


Lee Dorsey - Say it again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY70O2mOm_g

First I wanted to share this live performance by the great Joe Tex


Joe Tex - Papa Was Too (Live 1969)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y0ol3RR_pg


And second, does anybody know Junior Well's album "You're tuff enough"? I really dig it. That late 60s soul and funky sound is so great.