Muddy Waters - Chess Masters

Side One:
01) Mannish Boy
02) Screamin' & Crying
03) Just To Be With You
04) Walking In The Park
05) Walking Blues
06) Canary Bird

Side Two:
01) Same Thing
02) Gypsy Women
03) Rollin' & Tumblin'
04) 40 Days & 40 Nights
05) Little Geneva
06) You Can't Lose What You Never Had

Side Three:
01) I Just Want To Make Love To You
02) Long Distance Call
03) Louisiana Blues
04) Honey Bee
05) Rollin' Stone
06) I'm Ready

Side Four:
01) (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man
02) She Moves Me
03) I Want You To Love Me
04) Standing Around Crying
05) Still A Fool
06) I Can't Be Satisfied

Muddy Waters Chess Masters (Mega)

Muddy Waters Chess Masters (Zippy)

Ah, another "Chess Masters" double LP set that's been put together by PRT with absolutely no care whatsoever. What's a blogger to make of this? No sleeve notes. The tracklist on the back cover reverses the track lists on the actual discs. Many of the song titles contain spelling mistakes and a couple of the titles are just wrong. Before I dig in just let me say that the actual music is dynamite Chicago blues straight from the top drawer, so the effort to dig out info is well worth it.

Firstly I've gone with the track lists as they are on the discs, so sides one and two on the back cover are now sides three and four, and vice versa. The track titles are more or less as they appear on this 2LP set. You'll find the titles as they appeared on the original singles in the chronological single releases section, along with R&B chart entries. The mp3s are tagged with the LP set titles. It should be noted that 2 of the titles on this set are very inaccurate. "I Just Want To Make Love To You" was originally "Just Make Love To Me" and "I Want You To Love Me" was originally "Mad Love."

The recording dates are mostly from the booklet of the 2CD set "Muddy Waters The Anthology" - see under recommended purchases. The original single release details are mostly from 45worlds.com and the chart entry details are from Robert Gordon's biography of Muddy, "Can't Be Satisfied." Again see recommended purchases. Also consulted - The Cash Box, Bruyninckx, The Red Saunders Research Foundation, and YouTube.

There were a lot of clicks and pops on the vinyl but I've managed to eliminate most of it. There is some distortion on "Mannish Boy" which should have been spelt "Manish Boy."

The tracks with recording dates and single release numbers

01) Mannish Boy - Chess 1602 - rec May 24th 1955

02) Screamin' & Crying - Aristocrat 406 - rec September 1949

03) Just To Be With You - Chess 1644 - rec June 29th 1956

04) Walking In The Park - Chess 1718 - rec late 1958

05) Walking Blues - Chess 1426 - rec February 1950

06) Canary Bird -Aristocrat 1311 - rec July 1949

07) Same Thing - Chess 1895 - rec April 9th 1964

08) Gypsy Women - Aristocrat 1302 - rec September 1947

09) Rollin' & Tumblin' - Aristocrat 412 - rec February 1950

10) 40 Days & 40 Nights - Chess 1620 - rec February 2nd 1956

11) Little Geneva - Aristocrat 1311 - rec July 1949

12) You Can't Lose What You Never Had - Chess 1895 - rec April 9th 1964

01) I Just Want To Make Love To You (Just Make Love To Me) - Chess 1571 - rec April 13th 1954

02) Long Distance Call - Chess 1452 - rec January 23rd 1951

03) Louisiana Blues - Chess 1441 - rec October 23rd 1950

04) Honey Bee - Chess 1468 - rec January 23rd 1951

05) Rollin' Stone - Chess 1426 - rec February 1950

06) I'm Ready - Chess 1579 - rec September 1st 1954

07) (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man - Chess 1560 - rec January 7th 1954

08) She Moves Me - Chess 1490 - rec July 11th 1951

09) I Want You To Love Me (Mad Love) - Chess 1550 -September 24th 1953

10) Standing Around Crying - Chess 1526 - rec September 17th 1952

11) Still A Fool - Chess 1480 - rec July 11th 1951

12) I Can't Be Satisfied - Aristocrat 1305 - rec April 1948

Original Single Releases (titles as per record label)

Billboard R&B chart entries - highest position plus month & year record entered the charts

Gypsy Woman / Little Anna Mae - Muddy Water with Sunny Land Slim - Aristocrat 1302 - March 1948

I Can't Be Satisfied / I Feel Like Going Home - Muddy Waters with Rhythm Accompaniment - Aristocrat 1305 - June 1948 (B Side was #11 R&B September 1948)

Little Geneva / Canary Bird - Muddy Waters - Aristocrat 1311 - November 1949

Screaming And Crying / Where's My Woman Been - Muddy Waters - Aristocrat 406 - February 1950

Rollin' And Tumblin' Part 1 / Rollin' And Tumblin' Part 2 - Muddy Waters - Aristocrat 412 - April 1950

Rollin' Stone / Walkin' Blues - Muddy Waters - Chess 1426 - June 1950

Louisiana Blues / Evan's Shuffle - Muddy Waters - Chess 1441 - November 1950 (#10 R&B January 1951)

Long Distance Call / Too Young To Know - Muddy Waters and his Guitar - Chess 1452 - March 1951 (#8 R&B April 1951)

Honey Bee / Appealing Blues - Muddy Waters and his Guitar - Chess 1468 - July 1951 (#10 R&B July 1951)

My Fault / Still A Fool - Muddy Waters and his Guitar - Chess 1480 - September 1951 (#9 R&B November 1951)

She Moves Me / Early Morning Blues - Muddy Waters And His Guitar - Chess 1490 - January 1952 (#10 R&B February 1952)

Standing Around Crying / Gone To Main St. - Muddy Waters and his Guitar - Chess 1526 - November 1952

Mad Love / Blow Wind, Blow - Muddy Waters and his Guitar - Chess 1550 - October 1953 (#6 R&B November 1953)

I'm Your Hoochie Cooche Man / She's So Pretty - Muddy Waters and his Guitar - Chess 1560 - January 1954 (#3 R&B March 1954)

Just Make Love To Me / Oh! Yeh - Muddy Waters and his Guitar - Chess 1571 - May 1954 (#4 R&B June 1954)

I'm Ready / I Don't Know Why - Muddy Waters and his Guitar - Chess 1579 - September 1954 (#4 R&B October 1954)

Manish Boy / Young Fashion Ways - Muddy Waters And His Guitar - Chess 1602 - July 1955 (#5 R&B July 1955)

Forty Days & Forty Nights / All Aboard - Muddy Waters And His Guitar - Chess 1620 - April 1956 (#7 R&B May 1956)

Just To Be With You / I Got To Find My Baby - Muddy Waters - Chess 1644 - November 1956

Mean Mistreater / Walking Thru The Park - Muddy Waters - Chess 1718 - February 1959

The Same Thing / You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had - Chess 1895 - May 1964

Recommended Purchases:

 Muddy Waters The Anthology 2CD set MCA / Chess

The above 50 track set is the only Muddy Waters CD I've ever bought. Great sound and most of the big ones are here.

Superb biography by Robert Gordon. Jonathan Cape, 2002 (UK). Most highly recommended.
 

Memphis Slim (Chess LP 1455)

Side 1:

01) I Guess I'm A Fool

02) Rockin' The Pad

03) Havin' Fun

04) Marack

05) Mother Earth

Side 2:

01) Really Got The Blues

02) Tiajuana

03) I'm Crying

04) Reverend Bounce

05) Slim's Blues

06) Blues For My Baby

Memphis Slim (Chess LP 1455) Mega


Memphis Slim (Chess LP 1455) Zippy

From the files of Marv - this Chess LP was released in 1961 when interest in "folk blues" was at its height. "Folk blues" was the means by which many blues artists moved from the R&B market where interest in their style of music was declining, into a new market where their music was bought by a white, often middle class and college based customer base.

An offshoot of the folk music scene, the fans of "folk blues" adopted a purist and intellectualised approach to the blues which demanded "authenticity" and treated the music as a serious art form. If you want to get a handle on this attitude read Studs Terkel's notes to this LP on the back cover. Appearances can be deceptive, for the tracks on this LP date from ten years prior to its release and consist of rhythm and blues sides recorded for the Premium label in Chicago in 1950 and 1951.

In a previous Memphis Slim post I uploaded a collection of sides which had been bought by King from the Chicago label Miracle when that label closed in early 1950. Among the sides was Slim's biggest hit "Messin' Around With The Blues." Slim recorded a session for Peacock in Houston in early 1950 then returned to Chicago to record with Miracle's successor label Premium.

The Premium label was short lived, folding in the summer of 1951. Many of their masters were bought by Chess and a couple of Slim's Premium singles were reissued on that label in January 1952. All of which brings us to this collection which was released in 1961 at a time when Slim had ceased to release material aimed at the R&B market and was instead recording LPs for labels such as Folkways, Verve and Bluesville which were aimed at the folk blues followers. Indeed he had already recorded in Europe where he would make his home and find many new fans.

With this release Chess were definitely aiming at sales among the college crowd as is made obvious by Studs Terkel's sleeve notes. Funnily enough, there's no mention of Slim's band, The House Rockers. VeeJay had already pulled the same stunt in February 1961 by packaging rockin' R&B sides on an LP titled "Memphis Slim At The Gate Of Horn" which was named after a well known folk venue where Slim had made live appearances. Studs Terkel wrote the notes for that one too.

Five years later, in December 1966, Chess released an LP titled "Memphis Slim - The Real Folk Blues" which contained many of the R&B sides already featured on Chess LP 1455. It was 1966 and folk was on the way out and R&B was in as far as the younger music fans were concerned but Slim had already garnered a large worldwide following which would keep his musical career thriving for decades, indeed long enough for your humble blogger to see him in Dundee in the mid 1980s and be pretty much blown away by his performance.

The Story Behind The Tracks

Chicago, March 1950 - Memphis Slim and The House Rockers - Memphis Slim (vocals, piano) with - Alex Atkins (alto sax); Timothy Overton (tenor sax); Alfred Elkins (bass); Leon Hooper (drums); Floyd Hunt (piano on "I Guess I'm A Fool" and "Really Got The Blues"); The Vagabonds (vocal group on "I Guess I'm A Fool" and "Mother Earth"):

Flock Rocker

I Guess I'm a Fool

Really Got The Blues

Slim's Blues

Havin' Fun

Mother Earth

I Guess I'm A Fool / Flock Rocker - Premium 850 - June 1950

Slim's Blues / Havin' Fun - Premium 860 - September 1950, also Chess 860, January 1952

Mother Earth / Really Got The Blues - Premium 867 - January 1951

Cleveland, Ohio, February 1951 - Memphis Slim and His House Rockers: Memphis Slim (vocals, piano) with - Neal Green, Charles Ferguson (tenor saxes); Henry Taylor (bass); Otho Allen (drums); Terry Timmons (duet vocal on "I'm Crying"):

Marack

Reverend Bounce

Tia Juana

Walking Alone aka Blues For My Baby

Rockin' Chair aka Rockin' The Pad

I'm Crying

Tia Juana / I'm Crying - Premium 903 - July 1951

Walking Alone / Rocking The Pad - Chess 1491 - January 1952

"Marack" and "Reverend Bounce" first released on this LP.

Adapted from Discogs.com

The above recording and release information is mainly from The Red Saunders Research Foundation website. Their very informative article on Premium Records is here:

http://campber.people.clemson.edu/premium.html 

Elsewhere On The Blog:

Messin' Around With The Blues 2LP set

Double album of King / Federal material by Memphis Slim, Pete "Guitar" Lewis and Little Willie Littlefield. Memphis Slim sides originate from Miracle and Hy-Tone 1940s recordings.

Rockin' The Blues

Charly collection of VeeJay sides recorded 1958-59. These were Slim's last R&B recordings. Contains all 12 of the tracks released on the "Memphis Slim At The Gate Of Horn" LP, plus 4 tracks released on singles.

There are new download links on both of these posts.

With many thanks to Marv and to the original uploaders of the artwork.

Bo Diddley - Chess Masters

Side 1:
01) Bo Diddley
02) Bring It To Jerome
03) Road Runner
04) Who Do You Love
05) Hush Your Mouth
06) Pretty Thing

Side 2:
01) Pills
02) Mona
03) Memphis
04) You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover
05) Hey Bo Diddley
06) Hucklebuck

Side 3:
01) Mumblin Guitar
02) She's Alright
03) Diddley Daddy
04) I'm A Man
05) I'm Looking For A Woman
06) Say Man

Side 4:
01) I Can Tell
02) My Babe
03) Cops And Robbers
04) I'm Sorry
05) Before You Accuse Me
06) Dearest Darling

Bo Diddley Chess Masters (Mega)

Bo Diddley Chess Masters (Zippy)

1980s PRT compilation of 24 Bo Diddley tracks which is guaranteed to have you swinging from the lights as self isolation really kicks in. Turn it on and crank it up. Voodoo hoodoo twangin' guitar craziness with wild lyrics. Recorded between 1955 and 1963, although the '63 track "Hucklebuck" isn't actually by Bo. See bottom of post for details.

Included because it's the greatest LP cover ever

A Brief History Of Voodoo Rock'n'Roll Singles:

Musicians with Bo include - Jerome Green (maracas); Jody Williams, Peggy Jones (guitar); Billy Boy Arnold, Lester Davenport, Little Walter (harmonica); Otis Spann, Lafayette Leake (piano); Willie Dixon (bass); Clifton James, Frank Kirkland (drums); The Moonglows (vocal group); plus sundry others.

Bo Diddley / I'm A Man - Checker 814 - April 1955 (#1 R&B)

Diddley Daddy / She's Fine, She's Mine - Checker 819 - June 1955 (#11 R&B)

Pretty Thing / Bring It To Jerome - Checker 827 - November 1955 (#4 R&B)

Diddy Wah Diddy / I Am Looking For A Woman - Checker 832 - February 1956

Who Do You Love? / I'm Bad - Checker 842 - July 1956

Cops And Robbers / Down Home Special - Checker 850 - November 1956

Hey! Bo-Diddley / Mona - Checker 860 - April 1957

Say! (Boss Man) / Before You Accuse Me (Take A look At Yourself) - Checker 878 - October 1957

Hush Your Mouth / Dearest Darling - Checker 896 - June 1958

Oh Yea / I'm Sorry - Checker 914 - January 1959

Say Man / The Clock Strikes Twelve - Checker 931 - August 1959 (#20 pop, #3 R&B)

Say Man, Back Again / She's Alright - Checker 936 - November 1959

Road Runner / My Story - Checker 942 - January 1960 (#75 pop, #20 R&B)

Pills / Call Me - Checker 985 - August 1961

You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover / I Can Tell - Checker 1019 - July 1962 (#48 pop, #21 R&B)

Monkey Diddle / Memphis - Checker 1058 - November 1963

"Mumblin' Guitar" first released on Checker LP 2974 (Have Guitar, Will Travel) in 1960.

"My Babe" first released on Checker LP 2982 (Bo Diddley's A Twister) in 1962

"Hucklebuck" first released on Checker LP 2987 (Surfin' With Bo Diddley) in 1963. This track is actually by Billy Lee Riley and The Megatons.

Issue information from 45worlds.com, Discogs.com, The Cash Box. Chart information from notes to "Bo Diddley - His Best" (The Legendary Chess Masters Series) - MCD 09373. See below:

 Absolutely recommended

Chuck Berry - St. Louis To Liverpool (Chess LP 1488)

Side 1:
01) Little Marie
02) Our Little Rendezvous
03) No Particular Place To Go
04) You Two
05) Promise Land
06) You Never Can Tell

Side 2:
01) Go Bobby Soxer
02) Things I Used To Do
03) Liverpool Drive
04) Night Beat
05) Merry Christmas Baby
06) Brenda Lee

St. Louis To Liverpool (Mega)

St. Louis To Liverpool (Zippy)

1984 European reissue of a Chuck Berry LP which was originally issued in November 1964. After his release from the hoosegow in October 1963, Chuck found that thanks to covers of his hits by The Beatles ("Roll Over Beethoven") and The Rolling Stones ("Come On") and also a near-as-dammit Berry number by The Beach Boys ("Surfin' USA"), he was just as popular as he was before his run in with the law.

Of the tracks on this LP, two were top twenty hits on the Billboard pop chart - "No Particular Place To Go" peaked at number 10 in June 1964 and "You Never Can Tell" made it to number 14 in August 1964. "Promised Land" and "Little Marie" also made the Billboard Hot 100 and there was another top 40 hit for Chuck not included on this LP - "Nadine (Is That You?)" which reached number 23 in April 1964.

Chuck also enjoyed chart success in the UK. "Nadine" entered the UK charts twice in February and April 1964, peaking at number 27, while "No Particular Place To Go" was a big hit, reaching number 3 in May 1964 with its follow-up "You Never Can Tell" reaching number 23 in August 1964 and "Promised Land" peaking at number 26 in January 1965.

This post is the first on the blog to feature mp3s which were ripped by connecting my turntable directly to my laptop via USB, instead of ripping via my amp. I could have picked a better LP to start the new method as "Little Marie" has a weird double tracked vocal and the tracks are a mixture of genuine stereo and electronically rechannelled stereo. However, musically this album is the bees' knees, with "No Particular Place to Go," "You Never Can Tell" and "Promised Land" all deserving their place among Chuck's classic tracks. The rest of this album isn't too shabby either.

The Legendary Sun Performers: Howlin' Wolf

Side 1:
01. My Baby Walked Off
02. Smile At Me
03. Bluebird
04. Everybody's In The Mood
05. Chocolate Drop
06. Come Back Home
07. Dorothy Mae
08. Highway Man

Side 2:
01. Oh Red
02. My Last Affair
03. Howlin' For My Baby
04. Sweet Woman
05. C. V. Wine
06. Look-A-Here Baby
07. Decoration Day
08. Well That's All Right

 The Legendary Sun Performers: Howlin' Wolf (Mega)

The Legendary Sun Performers: Howlin' Wolf (Zippy)

At first glance the title of this LP seems something of a misnomer as no Howlin' Wolf sides were issued on Sun. Perhaps it would have been more accurate to head this album with "The Legendary Memphis Recording Service Performers" as these sides were recorded by Sam Phillips for sending on to Chess Records in Chicago. However, they are from masters which lay for a quarter of a century in the Sun vaults, many of them being previously unissued until this 1977 collection.

As with the other LP I posted from this series, a Rosco Gordon collection, we find ourselves in the middle of the tug of war between Modern / RPM in Los Angeles and Chess in Chicago for material being recorded by Sam Phillips in Memphis. This led to a situation in which Wolf recorded sides for Sam Phillips which were sent on to Chess, while at the same time he recorded sides in West Memphis under the supervision of Joe Bihari and Ike Turner for issue on Modern / RPM.

Howlin' Wolf had moved to West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1948, where he formed a dynamite electric blues band called the House Rockers. At 6 feet 3 inches tall, he was an imposing figure who "sang" intense blues in an unforgettable hoarse shout and could also play guitar and harmonica. The early lineups of his band included guitarists Matt Murphy and Willie Johnson, Junior Parker on harmonica, William "Destruction" or "'Struction" Johnson on piano and Willie Steele on drums. Other musicians who appeared with the band were Pat Hare (guitar), a very young James Cotton (harmonica), Oliver Sain (drums and saxophone) and Tot Randolph (saxophone).

In 1949 or 1950 Wolf and his band gained a regular spot on West Memphis radio station KWEM. Across the river in Memphis, Tennessee, young record producer Sam Phillips got a tip about the Wolf from a West Memphis DJ. Sam tuned in, was impressed by what he heard (cue famous "This is for me. This is where the soul of man never dies" quote) and duly set up a recording session at his studio on Union Avenue, Memphis.

West Memphis Days

Sometime in 1951 (probably May), Howlin' Wolf cut a demo of "Riding In The Moonlight" (aka "Baby Ride With Me") for Sam who sent the master to Modern Records in Los Angeles. On May 14th, 1951, Sam got Wolf into the studio for another cut of "Riding In The Moonlight" plus "How Many More Years" which he again sent to Modern, who didn't release them. In the meantime the Modern / Chess dispute was under way due to the success of Sam's recording of "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston on Chess, a record which the Biharis (owners of Modern and RPM) reckoned Sam should have sent to them.

West Memphis grocery store opening, early 1950s

Howlin' Wolf's next session for Sam was in July 1951 and the resulting masters "How Many More Years" and "Moanin' At Midnight" went to Chess who released the sides on Chess single 1479 in August. This record was a big seller in several locations and it eventually hit the national R&B Jukebox Chart at number 6 in March 1952.

Billboard 23rd February 1952

Now the Chess / Modern war really heated up. In September 1951 Wolf recorded a session for the Biharis at KWEM, West Memphis, which resulted in RPM 333 being released that same month - "Riding In The Moonlight" backed by "Morning at Midnight" which was a thinly disguised remake of the Chess side "Moanin' At Midnight." This session was supervised by Joe Bihari and Ike Turner who would go on to record further sides by Wolf for RPM at a private house in West Memphis over two sessions in October 1951 and January 1952. During this time Wolf also recorded sides with Sam Phillips in Memphis for release on Chess, these sessions taking place in December 1951, January 1952, April 1952 and October 1952.

The West Memphis session on October 2nd 1951 resulted in two releases - RPM 340 - "Passing By Blues" / "Crying At Daybreak" which was released in December 1951, and RPM 347 "My Baby Stole Off" / "I Want Your Picture", released in January 1952.

On December 18th, 1951, Wolf was back at Sam Phillips' studio where he cut "Howlin' Wolf Boogie" and "The Wolf Is At Your Door" which were released on Chess 1497 in January 1952. Another side from this session, "Worried All The Time", was released on Chess 1515 in July 1952.

On January 23rd 1952, a Sam Phillips session produced Chess 1510 - "Gettin' Old And Grey" / "Mr. Highway Man" which was released in April 1952.

The West Memphis session on February 12th, 1952, which was the Wolf's last for the Biharis, resulted in 7 sides being recorded, none of which were released on single. 3 of them, "House Rockin' Boogie," "Brown Skin Woman" and "Worried About My Baby" were eventually released on the Crown LP "Howling Wolf Sings The Blues" in 1962.

Later in February 1952, Chess and Modern came to an agreement. Howlin' Wolf became an exclusive Chess artist while Modern got exclusive rights to Rosco Gordon (or so they thought).

On April 17th, 1952, the Wolf returned to Sam's studio where among the sides he cut was "Saddle My Pony" which was released with "Worried All The Time" from the December 1951 session on Chess 1515 in July 1952.

The Wolf's next session wasn't until October 7th, 1952, when he cut four sides for Sam, two of which were released on Chess 1528 in November 1952 - "Oh Red!!" and "My Last Affair."

There is some doubt about a series of recordings by Howlin' Wolf which are often listed as Memphis recordings from an unknown date which were subsequently remastered at the Chess Studio in Chicago in September and October 1953. It is likely that these recordings were in fact made in Chicago in 1953. One single resulted from these recordings, Chess 1557 - "All Night Boogie" / "I Love My Baby," released in December 1953.

Howlin' Wolf moved to Chicago in 1952 or 1953 and his subsequent recordings were made at the Chess Studio, perhaps from September 1953 onwards (see above), but without doubt from March 1954 onwards.

Recording Dates of the Trax on "The Legendary Sun Performers" LP:

All tracks recorded at Memphis Recording Service, 706 Union Avenue, Memphis Tennessee.

01. My Baby Walked Off - January 23rd, 1952

02. Smile At Me - December 18th, 1951

03. Bluebird - April 17th, 1952

04. Everybody's In The Mood - April 17th, 1952

05. Chocolate Drop - January 23rd, 1952

06. Come Back Home - October 7th, 1952

07. Dorothy Mae - April 17th, 1952

08. Highway Man - January 23rd, 1952

09. Oh Red - October 7th, 1952

10. My Last Affair - October 7th, 1952

11. Howlin' For My Baby - December 18th, 1951

12. Sweet Woman - April 17th, 1952

13. C. V. Wine - October 7th, 1952

14. Look-A-Here Baby - December 18th, 1951

15. Decoration Day - April 17th, 1952

16. Well That's All Right - April 17th, 1952

Session Details for the above Trax:

December 18th, 1951 -

Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal, harmonica) with: L.C.Hubert (piano); Willie Johnson (guitar); Wille Steele (drums); unknown bass and tenor sax.

Smile At Me

Howlin' For My Baby

Look-A-Here Baby

Howlin' For My Baby released as The Wolf Is At Your Door on Chess 1497 in June 1952. Rest of these sides unreleased.

Also recorded: Howlin' Wolf Boogie (Chess 1497), California Blues, California Boogie, Worried All The Time (Chess 1515).

January 23rd, 1952 -

Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal, harmonica) with: L.C.Hubert (piano); Willie Johnson (guitar); Wille Steele (drums); unknown bass and saxes.

My Baby Walked Off

Mr. Highway Man

Chocolate Drop

Mr. Highway Man is an alternate take of Chess 1510 (April 1952). Rest of these sides unissued.

Also recorded: Gettin' Old And Grey (Chess 1510), My Troubles And Me.

April 17th, 1952 -

Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal, harmonica) with: James Cotton (harmonica) on "Dorothy Mae"; William "Struction" Johnson (piano); Willie Johnson (guitar); Willie Steele (drums); unknown bass.

Everybody's In The Mood

Bluebird

Dorothy Mae

Sweet Woman

Well That's All Right

Decoration Day

All sides unissued.

Also recorded: Saddle My Pony (Chess 1515), Color And Kind.

October 7th, 1952 -

Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal, harmonica) with: James Cotton (harmonica); Walter "Tang" Smith (trombone on Oh Red); Charles Taylor (tenor sax on Oh Red); L.C. Hubert (piano); Willie Johnson (guitar); Willie Steele (drums); unknown bass.

Oh Red

My Last Affair

C. V. Wine Blues

Come Back Home

"Oh Red"!! and "My Last Affair" released on Chess 1528 in November 1952. Rest of these sides unissued.

The Howlin' Wolf CDs in my collection are:

"Come Back Home" (SBLUECD017) is a budget priced compilation of 20 of the Memphis Recording Service tracks. Snapper, Complete Blues series, 2004.

"Howling Wolf Sings The Blues" is an augmented reissue of Crown LP 5240. The original LP had 10 Modern / RPM tracks, 2 of which were actually Joe Hill Louis instrumentals. For this issue Ace added 10 more tracks from the RPM vaults, including the early demos of "Ridin' In The Moonlight." This collection comprises just about everything recorded by The Wolf for the Biharis. Ace CDCHM 1013, released in 2004.

Also in my collection:

"Howlin' Wolf - The Genuine Article." - 25 track comp of Chess sides which includes "Moanin' At Midnight" and "How Many More Years" from the Sam Phillips sessions. Loads of later classics such as "Spoonful," "Smokestack Lightnin'," "Back Door Man,"  etc. MCA MCD 11073, 1997.

 

"Howlin' Wolf: His Best Vol. 2" - 20 more Chess sides such as "Down In The Bottom," "Rockin' Daddy," etc. Some duplication with "The Genuine Article." Includes "Howlin' Wolf Boogie" and "Mr. Highway Man" from the Sam Phillips sessions.Also "All Night Boogie" from the 1953 tracks which are sometimes attributed as Memphis recordings. Universal, 112 026-2, issued in 2000.

Recommended reading -

"Moanin' At Midnight: The Life and Times Of Howlin' Wolf", by James Segrest and Mark Hoffman, Pantheon Books, New York, 2004.

Information for this post was found in the above book, plus - liner notes by Dave Sax to Ace CD "Howling Wolf Sings The Blues," and the Bruyninckx discography. Online sources - www.45worlds.com, www.discogs.com, www.706unionavenue.nl, Billboard on Google Books.

Etta James Argo LP 4013

Side1:
01. Waiting For Charlie (To Come Home)
02. Guess Again
03. A Lover's Mourn
04. You Can Count On Me
05. If I Can't Have You

Side 2:
01. Something's Got A Hold On Me
02. My Dear
03. Nobody But You
04. Let Me Know
05. Spoonful

Etta James Argo LP 4013 (Mega)

 Etta James Argo LP 4013 (Zippy)

Once more it's thanks to Marv for sending in a reconstruction of this March 1962 Etta James LP on Argo. This was the third Etta James LP issued on the Argo label, the first 2 being "At Last!" (Argo LP 4003) issued in November 1960, and "The Second Time Around" (Argo LP 4011) issued in August 1961.

All artwork from Discogs.com

The orchestrated productions of Hampton Hawes predominate on this LP, but there's some raunchy stuff too, especially "Something's Got A Hold On Me" and the two duets with Harvey Fuqua which were originally released on single as by "Etta and Harvey" - "If I Can't Have You" and "Spoonful."

This download is in a lower bitrate than usual (128 kbps) but Etta James' Chess / Argo / Cadet material has remained in print in some form or another, either through the successor companies to Chess or through public domain issue companies, so there is no lack of opportunity to purchase better quality versions of this LP. There are even public domain Etta James vinyl reissues by labels such as Not Now and DOL, but I can't comment on their quality as I have never purchased them.

So all in all a very good album and as usual here's some background info on the tracks. Thanks, Marvin.

Fax On The Trax

LP released in March, 1962 in mono and stereo versions (LP 4013 / LPS 4013).

01. Waiting For Charlie (To Come Home) - Recorded in Chicago on July 14th, 1961. First released on Argo 5409 in January 1962.

02. Guess Again - Recorded in Chicago on July 14th, 1961. First released on this LP.

03. A Lover's Mourn - Recorded in Chicago, March 1961. First released on this LP.

04. You Can Count On Me - Recorded in Chicago in September 1960. First released on this LP.

05. If I Can't Have You - Recorded in Chicago, May 1960. First released on Chess 1760 by Etta & Harvey in July 1960.

06. Something's Got A Hold On Me - Recorded in Chicago in December 1961. First released on Argo 5409 in January 1962.

07. My Dear - Recorded in Chicago, March 1961. First released on this LP.

08. Nobody But You - Recorded in Chicago, September 1960. First released on this LP.

09. Let Me Know - Recorded in Chicago, May 1960. First released on this LP.

10. Spoonful - Recorded in Chicago, September 1960. First released on Chess 1771 by Etta & Harvey in December 1960.

Etta James - Chess Masters

Side 1:
01. I'd Rather Go Blind
02. All I Could Do Was Cry
03. Stop The Wedding
04. Security
05. Tell Mama
06. Something's Got A Hold On Me
07. At Last

Side 2:
01. Only Time Will Tell
02. My Dearest Darling
03. Don't Pick Me For Your Fool
04. I Worry About You
05. The Same Rope
06. Steal Away
07. I Prefer You

Etta James Chess Masters (Mega)

Etta James Chess Masters (Zippy)

In early 1960 Etta James signed for Chess Records of Chicago, a move facilitated by her then boyfriend Harvey Fuqua of The Moonglows. This period of Etta's career saw a move away from the rockin' R&B she had recorded for the Bihari brothers' labels in Los Angeles to a more soulful (and pop) sound with a series of ballads and weepers backed by the lush arangements of  Hampton Hawes. The change in her musical fortunes was instant. Having achieved only 2 R&B chart entries with her rocking West Coast sound ("The Wallflower" and "Good Rockin' Daddy"), Etta began a remarkable sequence not only of R&B hits, but also of pop chart entries.

Etta's chart success ran out of steam around 1963 while at the same time heroin addiction dominated her personal life. However in 1967-68 she was back in the R&B and pop charts thanks to a series of sides recorded over 4 sessions at the Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. "Tell Mama," "I'd Rather Go Blind," "Security" and "Steal Away" were all brilliant examples of "southern soul" and make this 14 track compilation an excellent overall listening experience.

The Tracks - Original Issues and Chart Info

All I Could Do Was Cry / Girl Of My Dreams - Argo 5359 in March 1960. #2 R&B; #33 Pop.

My Dearest Darling / Tough Mary - Argo 5368 in August 1960. #5 R&B; #34 Pop.

At Last / I Just Want To Make Love To You - Argo 5380 in December 1960. #2 R&B; #47 Pop.

Something's Got A Hold On Me / Waiting For Charlie To Come Home - Argo 5409 in January 1962. #4 R&B, #37 Pop.

Stop The Wedding / Street Of Tears - Argo 5418 in July 1962. #6 R&B; #34 Pop.

Two Sides (To Every Story) / I Worry 'Bout You - Argo 5452 in September 1963.

Only Time Will Tell / I'm Sorry For You - Cadet 5539 in January 1966.

I Prefer You / I'm So Glad - Cadet 5562 in December 1966. #42 R&B.

It Must Be Your Love / Don't Pick Me For Your Fool - Cadet 5564 in May 1967.

Tell Mama / I'd Rather Go Blind - Cadet 5578 in October 1967. #10 R&B; #23 Pop.

Security / I'm Gonna Take What He's Got - Cadet 5594 in February 1968. #11 R&B; #35 Pop.

The Same Rope and Steal Away first released on Cadet LP 802 - "Tell Mama" in February 1968.

Almost Persuaded / Steal Away - Cadet 5630 in December 1968. #32 R&B; #79 Pop.

We're not quite done with Etta - one more post is in the pipeline!

Chuck Berry - Berry Is On Top

Side 1:
01. Almost Grown
02. Carol
03. Maybelline
04. Sweet Little Rock & Roller
05. Anthony Boy
06. Johnny B. Goode

Side 2:
01. Little Queenie
02. Jo Jo Gun
03. Roll Over Beethoven
04. Around And Around
05. Hey Pedro
06. Blues For Hawaiians

Berry Is On Top (Mega)

Berry Is On Top (Zippy)

Originally issued as Chess LP 1435 in June 1959. The John Sippel sleevenotes on the back cover are the notes which appeared on the original issue. "Sweet Little Rock & Roller" was originally titled "Sweet Little Rock And Roll" on its single release.

There are quite a few classics on this LP but I would class "Hey Pedro" and "Blues For Hawaiians" as filler and not killer! The rest? Rock 'n' roll, baby, rock 'n' roll.

Traxfax

Maybellene - recorded on May 21st 1955. Chuck Berry (guitar, vocal) with Johnnie Johnson (piano); Willie Dixon (bass); Jasper Thomas or Ebby Hardy (drums); Jerome Green (maracas).

Released on Chess 1604 b/w "Wee Wee Hours" in July 1955.

Roll Over Beethoven - recorded on April 16th, 1956. Chuck Berry (vocal, guitar) with Johnnie Johnson (piano); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

Released on Chess 1626 b/w "Drifting Heart" in May 1956.

Johnny B. Goode - recorded on 29th or 30th December, 1957. Chuck Berry (vocal, guitar) with Lafayette Leake (piano); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

Released on Chess 1691 b/w "Around And Around" in April 1958.

Around And Around and Blues For Hawaiians - recorded on February 28th, 1958. Chuck Berry (vocal, guitar, dubbed 2nd guitar) with unknown piano, electric bass, drums.

Around And Around - released on Chess 1691, B Side of "Roll Over Beethoven" in April 1958.

Blues For Hawaiians not released on single.

Carol and Hey Pedro recorded on May 2nd, 1958. Chuck Berry (vocal, guitar) with Johnnie Johnson (piano on "Carol"); George Smith (bass); Ebby Hardy (drums).

Both sides released on Chess 1700 in August 1958.

Anthony Boy, Jo Jo Gun, Sweet Little Rock And Roll, were recorded on 28th September, 1958. Chuck Berry (vocal, guitar) with Johnnie Johnson (piano); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums) with possibly Bo Diddley (2nd guitar).

Sweet Little Rock And Roll / Jo Jo Gun - released on Chess 1709 in October 1958.

Anthony Boy / That's My Desire - released on Chess 1716 in January 1959.

Little Queenie - recorded in January 1959. Chuck Berry (vocal, guitar) with Johnnie Johnson (piano); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums); possiby Bo Diddley (2nd guitar).

Release - see below.

Almost Grown - recorded on February 17th, 1959. Chuck Berry (vocal, guitar) with Johnnie Johnson (piano); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums); Harvey and The Moonglows (vocal group).

Almost Grown / Little Queenie released on Chess 1722 in March 1959.