Hand Me Down Blues

Side One:
01. Watch Yourself - Henry Gray
02. That Ain't Right - Henry Gray
03. Goodbye Baby - Henry Gray
04. You Messed Up - Henry Gray
05. He Don't Love You - Dusty Brown
06. Yes She's Gone - Dusty Brown
07. Hurry Home - Dusty Brown
08. Rusty Dusty - Dusty Brown

Side Two:
01. Hand Me Down Blues - Albert King
02. Little Boy Blue - Albert King
03. Gary Stomp - John Brim
04. Going Back To Memphis - Sunnyland Slim
05. Devil Is A Busy Man - Sunnyland Slim
06. Crosstown Blues - Snooky Pryor
07. I Want You For Myself - Snooky Pryor
08. Four Day Jump - Little Willie Foster

Hand Me Down Blues (Mega)

Hand Me Down Blues (Zippy)

Thanks to Charlie B who has contributed another blues compilation, and once more it's an LP issued by Relic in 1989 / 1990. The label used on the disc is Blue Lake, a Chicago based label owned by deejay Al Benson which he ran in conjunction with his better known Parrot label.

This is a collection of sides recorded for Benson between 1953 and 1955, some of which were unreleased at the time and some of which were released as singles on Parrot or Blue Lake. Full recording and release details are given below. Much of the information is from the Red Saunders Research Foundation page on the Parrot Label with additional information from www.45cat.com, www.discogs.com and the Bruyninckx discography.

There is much more background information on the artists featured on this disc in the notes by Dick Shurman on the back cover of the LP. Charlie B has once again kindly scanned font and back covers and labels as well as ripping the tracks from vinyl.

Fax On The Lowdown Trax:

Henry Gray: Watch Yourself, That Ain't Right, Goodbye Baby, You Messed Up (with false start) were recorded in Chicago in late 1955. Personnel: Henry Gray (vocal, piano) with unknown (harmonica), Little Hudson Showers (guitar), James Banister (drums).

These 4 tracks were unissued until this LP.

Dusty Brown: He Don't Love You, Yes She's Gone, Hurry Home, Rusty Dusty, recorded in Chicago on October 1st, 1955. Personnel: Dusty Brown (vocal, harmonica) with Henry Gray (piano), Baby Joe Little (guitar); Johnny Sturdivant (drums).

He Don't Love You / Yes She's Gone released on Parrot 820 in November 1955.

Hurry Home and Rusty Dusty first issued on this LP.

Albert King: Hand Me Down Blues, Little Boy Blue recorded in Chicago on November 30th, 1953. Personnel: Albert King (vocal, guitar) with Johnny Jones (piano); John Brim (guitar) possibly Willie Dixon (bass) and Grace Brim (drums). This was Albert King's first ever recording session.

Hand Me Down Blues and Little Boy Blue first released on this LP.

John Brim: Gary Stomp, recorded in Chicago in March 1954 (or December 1953). Personnel: John Brim (vocal, guitar) with Jimmy Reed (harmonica); Eddie Taylor (guitar); Grace Brim (drums).

Gary Stomp released on Parrot 799, B-Side of Tough Times, in April 1954. John Brim and his Stompers.

Sunnyland Slim: Going Back To Memphis, Devil Is A Busy Man, recorded in Chicago in 1954. Personnel: Sunnyland Slim (vocal, piano) with possibly Snooky Pryor (harmonica) and Eddie Taylor (guitar).

Going Back To Memphis / Devil Is A Busy Man released on Blue Lake 105 in June 1954.

Snooky Pryor: Crosstown Blues, I Want You For Myself, recorded in Chicago, May / June 1954. Personnel: Snooky Pryor (vocal, harmonica) with Lazy Bill Lucas (piano); Eddie Taylor (guitar); Moody Jones (bass).

Crosstown Blues / I Want You For Myself released on Parrot 807 in the summer of 1954.

Little Willie Foster: Four Day Jump recorded in Chicago on January 14th, 1955. Personnel: Little Willie Foster (harmonica); Eddie Taylor (guitar); Floyd Jones (guitar); Lazy Bill Lucas (piano).

Falling Rain Blues / Four Day Jump by "Little" Willy Foster released on Blue Lake 113 circa March 1955. Later re-released on Parrot 813 in July 1955.