Memphis Blues

Side 1:
01. Passing By Blues - Howlin' Wolf
02. I'm The Wolf - Howlin' Wolf
03. The Way You Treat Me - Joe Hill Louis
04. Highway 99 - Joe Hill Louis
05. Walter's Blues - Walter Horton
06. Love My Baby - Bobby Bland & Junior Parker

Side 2:
01. Drifting From Town To Town - Bobby Bland
02. Western Union Man - Joe Hill Louis
03. The Sun Is Rising - Howlin' Wolf
04. My Friends - Howlin' Wolf
05. Lonesome Bedroom Blues - Willie Nix
06. Little Boy Blue - Walter Horton

Memphis Blues (Mega)

Memphis Blues (Zippy)

This LP was originally issued on the Bihari's Kent label around 1969/70 as part of the "Anthology Of The Blues" series which was later reissued on their budget United label and then on the French Musidisc label. I posted the two Elmore James LPs from this series back in 2016, leaving another 3 from the series to post, which I'll be doing over the next week or two.

"Memphis Blues" follows on nicely from the previous post of Howlin' Wolf's recordings for Sam Phillips. This LP has 4 of the sides Wolf recorded for Joe Bihari and Ike Turner in West Memphis after the great fall out between Sam and the Biharis as recounted in the posts on Wolf and Rosco Gordon.

The first track on the LP, Wolf's "Passing By Blues," suffers from a woefully out of tune piano on which Ike Turner bashes away enthusiastically. Don't let that put you off because the rest of the tracks are pretty ace. Many were recorded in 1951 at the Memphis Recording Service pre-dating the Phillips / Bihari dispute. Full details are below.

Trax Fax

Howlin' Wolf -

"Passing By Blues" - recorded on October 2nd 1951, West Memphis. Released on RPM 340 in December 1951. Personnel - Howlin' Wolf (vocal, harmonica); Ike Turner (piano); Willie Johnson (guitar); Willie Steele (drums).

"I'm The Wolf," "The Sun Is Rising" and "My Friends" recorded in West Memphis on February 12th, 1952. First released this album Kent LP 9002). Personnel as above, add unknown bass player.

Joe Hill Louis -

One man band - vocal, guitar, harmonica, hi-hat, bass drum.

"Highway 99" and "The Way You Treat Me" - recorded on April 30th, 1951, Memphis Recording Service. First released on this album (Kent LP 9002).

"Western Union Man" - recorded on February 24th, 1953 at the Meteor Recording Studio, Memphis. First released on this album (Kent LP 9002). Different take to version released on Meteor 5004 as by "Chicago Sonny Boy."

Bobby Bland -

"Love My Baby" - recorded on January 24th, 1952, Memphis Recording Service. First released on this album (Kent LP 9002). Personnel - Bobby Bland (vocal); Junior Parker (vocal, harmonica); Johnny Ace (piano); Matt Murphy (guitar), Earl Forrest (drums).

"Drifting From Town To Town" - probably recorded on January 24th, 1952, Memphis Recording Service. Different version to that released on Modern 868 in June 1952. Personnel as above. First released on this album (Kent LP 9002).

Walter Horton -

"Little Boy Blue" and "Walter's Blues (I'm In Love With You)" recorded January or February 1951, Memphis Recording Service. Both first released on this album (Kent LP 9002). "Little Boy Blue" is probably a different take from that released on Modern 809. Personnel - Walter Horton (vocal, harmonica); Joe Hill Louis (guitar, percussion); Willie Johnson (guitar).

Willie Nix -

"Lonesome Bedroom Blues" recorded in July 1951, Memphis Recording Service. First released on RPM 327, Autumn, 1951. Personnel - Willie Nix (vocal, drums); Willie Johnson (guitar); Billy Love (piano).

Recommended Purchase

Blues sides released on Modern and its subsidiaries were packaged into a series of CDs by Ace (UK). "The Modern Downhome Blues Sessions" ran to 4 volumes. Volume 3 "Memphis On Down" was a 26 track collection which features some of the sides on this LP but now seems to be out of print. Try digging around! Still available from Ace as an MP3 download.

On The Blog

 The Blues Came Down From Memphis

Red Hot & Blue

Grab yourselves some more of that Memphis blues sound!

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.

Howlin' Wolf - Off The Record

 

Side 1:
01. Shake For Me
02. The Red Rooster
03. You'll Be Mine
04. Who's Been Talkin'
05. Wang-Dang-Doodle
06. Little Baby

Side 2:
01. Spoonful
02. Going Down Slow
03. Down In the Bottom
04. Back Door Man
05. Howlin' For My Baby
06. Tell Me

Download from here:

http://www11.zippyshare.com/v/m94gBK06/file.html


A 1986 Italian re-release of Chess LP 1469 "Howlin' Wolf" which was originally released in January 1962. See below for original front cover:

Also known as "The Rockin' Chair Album."

One of the earliest LPs I ever bought was "The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions" which came out in 1971. Or to be more accurate my mum bought it for my birthday in the original Glasgow Virgin Record Shop in Argyle Street back in the summer of 1971. She also bought me Ten Years After's "Cricklewood Green." To be completely and absolutely accurate she stood in the middle of the hippy hangout shop, purse in hand, while I wandered from record bin to record bin agonizing over which two LPs to choose. Happily my choices proved to be spot on and both LPs provided many years of listening pleasure.

Over the years I bought a few more Wolf LPs and then CDs but the LP I've posted here is a comparatively recent purchase bought second hand somewhere in Glasgow within the last few years. It's a 1980s reissue and some of these reissued Chess albums weren't always in the best sound quality as is occasionally evident on the mp3s I've ripped.

The LP is a compilation of Wolf's early 1960s singles. Recording and release details are given below.

Single releases of the tracks from "Howlin' Wolf" / "Off The Record":

Chess 1750 - Tell Me / Who's Been Talking? - February 1960

Chess 1762 - Spoonful / Howlin' For My Darling - July 1960 re-titled "Howlin' For My Baby" on LP.

Chess 1777 - Wang-Dang-Doodle / Back Door Man - January 1961

Chess 1793 - Down In The Bottom / Little Baby - June 1961

Chess 1804 - The Red Rooster / Shake For Me - October 1961

Chess 1813 - You'll Be Mine / Going Down Slow - February 1962

Recording details:

"Who's Been Talking?" and "Tell Me" -
recorded in Chicago on June 24th 1957. Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal, harmonica); Adolph "Billy" Duncan (tenor sax); Hosea Lee Kennard (piano); Willie Johnson, Otis "Big Smokey"
Smothers (guitars); Alfred Elkins (bass); Earl Phillips (drums)

"Howlin' For My Darling" aka "Howlin' For My Baby" -
recorded in Chicago in July 1959. Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal, harmonica); Abb Locke (tenor sax); Hosea Lee Kennard (piano); Hubert Sumlin, Abraham "Abe" Smothers (guitars); S.P. Leary (drums)

"Back Door Man," "Wang-Dang-Doodle" and "Spoonful" -
recorded in Chicago in June 1960. Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal, harmonica); Otis Spann (piano); Hubert Sumlin (guitar); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums)

"Little Baby" and "Down In The Bottom" -
recorded in Chicago in May 1961. Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal, guitar); Johnny Jones (piano); Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rogers (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Sam Lay (drums)

"Shake For Me" and "The Red Rooster" -
recorded in Chicago in May 1961. Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal, harmonica, guitar); Johnny Jones (piano); Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rogers (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Sam Lay (drums)

"You'll Be Mine" and "Going Down Slow" -
recorded in Chicago in December 1961. Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal, guitar); Henry Gray (piano); Hubert Sumlin (guitar); Jimmy Rogers (bass guitar); Willie Dixon (bass, spoken vocal on Going Down Slow); Sam Lay (drums).

Some recommended Howlin' Wolf CDs:

Howling Wolf Sings The Blues (Ace CD CDCHM 1013) - is an extended version of the Crown LP "Sings The Blues." A collection of Modern / RPM Wolf sides recorded in Memphis and West Memphis between 1951 and 1953. The Wolf was caught up in the complicated battle between Chess and Modern / RPM both of whom released sides recorded at Sam Phillips Memphis Recording service. The booklet contains an essay by Dave Sax which explains the twists and turns in the early recording history of The Wolf.

Come Back Home (SBLUECD017) - a budget Snapper Music collection of unreleased takes recorded at Sam Phillips' Memphis Recording Service on Union Avenue between May 1951 and October 1952. Rough, raw, ragged, but right!

The Genuine Article (MCD 11073) - the starting point for any Howlin' Wolf collection. All the biggies released on Chess, ranging from 1951 sides recorded by Sam Phillips to a version of The Red Rooster from the London Howlin' Wolf sessions recorded in 1970. Excellent sound quality on 25 tracks.

His Best Vol. 2 (Chess 112 026-2) - a good companion volume to "The Genuine Article." 20 tracks from Memphis 1951 to London 1970. Not much duplication between the 2 CDs. Any disc on the Chess The Legendary Masters Series will be in exemplary sound quality.

Recommended read:

Moanin' At Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf by James Segrest and Mark Hoffman. Pantheon Books, New York, 2004. A revised paperback edition (2005) published by Da Capo Press can be bought for a very reasonable price.

Enjoy the unique experience that is Howlin' Wolf!

Red Hot & Blue

Side 1:
01. Rocket 88 - Jackie Brenston
02. Red Hot And Blue - Dewey Phillips
03. Red Hot - Billy The Kid Emerson
04. Gee, I Wish - Billy Love
05. Baby Please Don't Go - Guitar Red
06. Love My Baby - Little Junior's Blue Flames
07. Bop With Me Baby - Rosco Gordon
08. The Hucklebuck - Earl Hooker
09. Strange Kinda Feeling - Tiny Kennedy

Side 2:
01. Bear Cat - Rufus Thomas
02. Ain't That Right - Eddie Snow
03. It Ain't Gonna Be That Way - Pat Hare
04. Oh Red - Howlin' Wolf
05. Mystery Train - Little Junior's Blue Flames
06. Doctor Ross' Boogie - Doctor Ross
07. Pinetop's Boogie Woogie - Pinetop Perkins
08. Blues Disease - Tiny Kennedy

Download from:

http://www90.zippyshare.com/v/B2APBTaE/file.html


Red Hot & Blue (Mega)


A 1983 Charly compilation of blues sides recorded at Sam Phillip's studio at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. Some of these sides were released on Sam's own label, Sun. Others were released on Chess (Jackie Brenston, Howlin' Wolf) and Trumpet (Tiny Kennedy) and many remained unreleased for decades. See the Facts on the Tracks below for more details.

The "hook" for this LP lies with the figure of wild man Memphis deejay Dewey Phillips, whose "Red Hot And Blue" show on WHBQ is credited with turning on the white youth of Memphis to rhythm and blues. He also helped to break the early Elvis records on Sun. Track 2 is a brief sample of the man a-hootin' and a-hollerin' over the rock 'n' roll airwaves.

Above: "Dewey and Elvis: The Life And Times Of A Rock 'n' Roll Deejay" by Louis Cantor, Illinois University Press, 2005. The Dewey Phillips story - a tale of hubris and nemesis, the rise and the downfall of one of rock 'n' roll's great characters. An all too human tragedy. At least his old pal Elvis turned up for the funeral.

Above: My beat-up copy of Robert Gordon's "It Came From Memphis". It has a chapter on Dewey - "Tell 'Em Phillips Sentcha." There's also a chapter titled "The World's Most Perfectly Formed Midget Wrestler."

The facts on the tracks, Jack. All the way from Memphis.

01. Rocket 88 - Jackie Brenston - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee on March 5th 1951. Personnel:
Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats: Jackie Brenston (vocal, baritone sax); Raymond Hill (tenor sax); Ike Turner (piano); Willie Kizart (guitar); Jesse Knight (bass); Willie Sims (drums). Released on Chess 1458 in April 1951.

02. Red Hot And Blue - Dewey Phillips - airshot, unknown date.

03. Red Hot - Billy "The Kid" Emerson - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee on May 31st 1955. Personnel: Billy "The Kid" Emerson (vocal); Moses Reed, Jewell Briscoe (tenor saxes); Billy "Red" Love (piano); Calvin Newborn (guitar); Kenneth Banks (bass) Phineas Newborn Sr. (drums); Released on Sun 219 in June 1955.

04. Gee, I Wish - Billy Love - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee on January 19th 1954. Personnel - Billy "Red" Love (vocal, piano); Harvey Simmons, Jewell Briscoe, Lucian Coleman (saxes); Charles McGowan (guitar); Kenneth Banks (bass) Houston Stokes (drums). "Gee, I Wish" was unreleased in the 1950s as were the rest of the tracks recorded at this session. Billy "Red" Love Memphis recordings were released on Chess in 1951 and 1952.

05. Baby Please Don't Go - Guitar Red - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee on unknown date circa 1953 or 1954. Personnel - Guitar Red (vocal, guitar)  A.C. Reed (tenor sax); Dennis Binder (piano) Robert Prindell (drums). Unreleased.

06. Love My Baby - Little Junior's Blue Flames - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee in September / October 1953. Personnel: Little Junior Parker (vocal); unknown (alto sax); Raymond Hill, James Wheeler (tenor saxes); William Johnson (piano); Floyd Murphy, Pat Hare (guitars); Kenneth Banks (bass); possibly Houston Stokes (drums). Released on Sun 192 (b/w "Mystery Train") in December 1953.

07. Bop With Me Baby - Rosco Gordon - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, possibly on June 9th 1955. Rosco Gordon (vocal, piano) with unknown tenor sax, baritone sax, guitar, bass and drums. Unreleased in the 1950s. A single, Sun 801, "Bop With Me Baby" / "Let's Get High" was released in the early 1980s.

08. The Hucklebuck - Earl Hooker - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee on July 15th 1953. Personnel: Earl Hooker (guitar); Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins (piano); Edward Lee "Shorty" Irvin or Willie Nix (drums). Possibly with unknown bass player. Unreleased.

09. Strange Kinda Feeling - Tiny Kennedy - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee on September 25th 1952. Personnel: Tiny Kennedy (vocal); Bill Fort, Robert Hamp, Richard Sanders (saxes); Ford "Alfordson" Nelson (piano); Calvin Newborn (guitar); Williams Steinberg (bass); Houston Stokes (drums). Released on Trumpet 187 in December 1952.

10. Bear Cat - Rufus Thomas - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, March 8th 1953. Personnel: Rufus "Hound Dog" Thomas Jr. (vocal); Joe Hill Louis (guitar); Tuff Green (bass); Houston Stokes (drums). released on Sun 181 in March 1953.

11. Ain't That Right - Eddie Snow - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee on July 19th 1955. Personnel: Eddie Snow (vocal, piano); Benny Moore (alto sax); possibly Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor sax); Floyd Murphy (guitar); Jeff Greyer (drums). Released on Sun 226 in August 1955.

12. It Ain't Gonna Be That Way - Pat Hare - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee on May 14th 1954. Personnel: Pat Hare (vocal, guitar); Billy Love (piano); Israel Franklin (drums). Also known as "Bonus Pay." Unreleased.

13. Oh Red - Howlin' Wolf - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee on October 7th 1952. Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal, guitar); Walter "Tang" Smith (trombone); Charles Taylor (tenor sax); James Cotton (harmonica); Bill Johnson (piano); Willie Johnson (guitar); unknown (bass); Willie Steele (drums). Released on Chess 1528 in January 1953.

14. Mystery Train - Little Junior's Blue Flames - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee in September / October 1953. Personnel: Little Junior Parker (vocal); unknown (alto sax); Raymond Hill, James Wheeler (tenor saxes); William Johnson (piano); Floyd Murphy, Pat Hare (guitars); Kenneth Banks (bass); possibly Houston Stokes (drums). Released on Sun 192 (b/w "Love My Baby") in December 1953.

15. Doctor Ross' Boogie - Doctor Ross - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee in July 1954. Personnel: Doctor Ross (vocal, harmonica, guitar); Tom Troy (guitar); Roosevelt Parker (drums). Unreleased.

16. Pinetop's Boogie Woogie - Pinetop Perkins - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee on August 10th, 1953. Personnel: Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins (vocal, piano); Earl Hooker (guitar); Kenneth Banks (bass); Edward Lee "Sorthy" Irvin (drums). Unreleased.

17. Blues Disease - Tiny Kennedy - recorded in Memphis, Tennessee on September 25th 1952. Personnel: Tiny Kennedy (vocal); Bill Fort, Robert Hamp, Richard Sanders (saxes); Ford "Alfordson" Nelson (piano); Calvin Newborn (guitar); Williams Steinberg (bass); Houston Stokes (drums). Released on Trumpet 188 in August 1953.

If you have a week or so to spare you may wish to immerse yourself in this website:

http://www.706unionavenue.nl/

Elsewhere on Be Bop Wino:

The Blues Came Down From Memphis

Various Artists - Chess Masters

LP1:

Download LP1 from here:

http://www9.zippyshare.com/v/Pu2TH1QV/file.html

Side 1:

01. Sweet Black Angel - Robert Nighthawk

02. Walkin' Blues - Muddy Waters

03. Mad Man Blues - John Lee Hooker

04. Sad Hours - Little Walter

05. Dust My Broom - Elmore James

06. Diggin' My Potatoes - Washboard Sam

Side 2:

01. Third Degree - Eddie Boyd

02. Mama Talk To Your Daughter - J.B. Lenoir

03. I'm Ready - Muddy Waters

04. I'm Glad You Reconsidered - Lowell Fulson

05. I'm A Man - Bo Diddley

06. Walkin' By Myself - Jimmy Rogers

LP2:

Download LP2 from here:

http://www69.zippyshare.com/v/sS5w6Ggh/file.html

Side 3:

01. I Don't Know - Sonny Boy Williamson

02. Goin' Down Slow - Little Walter

03. So Many Roads - Otis Rush

04. All Your Love - Otis Rush

05. I Got My Eyes On You - Buddy Guy

06. The First Time I Met The Blues - Buddy Guy

Side 4:

01. The Sun Is Shining - Elmore James

02. Stormy Monday Blues - Elmore James

03. Spoonful - Howlin' Wolf

04. The Red Rooster - Howlin' Wolf

05. Help Me - Sonny Boy Williamson

06. Feel So Bad - Little Milton

I think this PRT (Precision Records and Tapes) Chess Masters double LP came out in the early 1980s. I bought quite a few titles in this series, including double LPs of Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Lowell Fulson, Bo Diddley, and Sonny Boy Williamson, and single LPs of Chuck Berry, Bobby Charles and Willie Mabon. PRT was the successor company to Pye, which had been issuing Chess material in the UK since 1961.

As the LP cover has no information on the tracks, I did a bit of burrowing around in the Bruyninckx Discography, various LP sleeves and CD booklets, and online: Billboard (via Google Books search), www.45worlds.com, www.45cat.com and www.wirz.de with horrendous consequences for my sanity. But here it is, the lowdown on the original single issues of these 24 tracks, plus details of who was (perhaps) playing on these recordings. I ain't gonna do this for every album I post!

The LP set was in decent condition, but there is a bit of "juddering" on the final track by Little Milton. Apologies! Please note that the track listed on the sleeve as "Reconsider Baby" by Lowell Fulson is in fact "I'm Glad You Reconsidered" by the same artist.

Track details for LP1:

Sweet Black Angel - Robert Nighthawk. Originally released as "Black Angel Blues" by The Nighthawks on Aristocrat 2301 (B side of Annie Lee Blues), November 1949. Recorded in Chicago on July 12th, 1949. Personnel: Robert Nighthawk (vocal, guitar); Ernest Lane (piano); Willie Dixon (bass).

Walkin' Blues - Muddy Waters. Originally released on Chess 1426 (B side of "Rollin' Stone"), June 1950. Recorded in Chicago, February 1950. Personnel: Muddy Waters (vocal, guitar); Ernest "Big" Crawford (bass).

Mad Man Blues - John Lee Hooker. Originally released on Chess 1462, May 1951. Credited to "John Lee Booker and his Guitar". Recorded in Detroit, 1950. Personnel: John Lee Hooker (vocal, guitar).

Sad Hours - Little Walter. Originally released on Checker 764 (B side of "Mean Old World"), November 1952. Credited to Little Walter and his Night Caps. Recorded in Chicago, October 1952. Personnel: Little Walter (harmonica); Louis Myers and David Myers (guitars); Fred Below (drums).

Dust My Broom - Elmore James. Originally released as "She Just Won't Do Right" on Checker 777, July 1953. Recorded in Chicago, January 17th, 1953. Personnel: Elmore James (vocal, guitar); J.T. Brown (tenor sax); Johnny Jones (piano); possibly Ransom Knowling (bass); Odie Payne (drums).

Diggin' My Potatoes - Washboard Sam.  Originally released on Chess 1545 (B side of "Bright Eyes"), July 1953. Recorded in Chicago, April 1953. Personnel: Washboard Sam (vocal, washboard); Big Bill Broonzy (guitar); Ernest "Big" Crawford (bass).

Third Degree - Eddie Boyd. Originally released on Chess 1541, May 1953. Credited to "Eddie Boyd and his Chess Men." Recorded in Chicago, May 1953. Personnel: Eddie Boyd (vocal, piano); Little Sax Crowder (tenor sax); Lee Cooper (guitar), Willie Dixon (bass); Percy Walker (drums).

Mama Talk To Your Daughter - J.B. Lenoir. Originally released on Parrot 809, January 1955. Credited to J.B. Lenore. Recorded in Chicago, October 6th, 1954. Personnel: J.B. Lenoir (vocal, guitar); Lorenzo Smith (tenor sax); Joe Montgomery (piano); Al Galvin (drums).

I'm Ready - Muddy Waters. Originally released on Chess 1579, September 1954. Credited to "Muddy Waters and his Guitar." Recorded in Chicago, September 1st, 1954. Personnel: Muddy Waters (vocal); Little Walter (harmonica); Jimmy Rogers (guitar); Otis Spann (piano); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

I'm Glad You Reconsidered - Lowell Fulson. Originally released on Checker 959, September 1960. Recorded in Los Angeles, June 2nd 1960. Personnel: Lowell Fulson (vocal, guitar); Earl Brown (alto sax); Louis Williams (tenor sax); Big Jim Wynn (baritone sax); Lloyd Glenn (piano); Billy Hadnott (bass); Robert "Snake" Sims (drums).

I'm A Man - Bo Diddley. Originally released on Checker 814 (B side of "Bo Diddley"), April 1955. Recorded in Chicago, March 2nd 1955. Personnel: Bo Diddley (vocal, guitar); Billy Boy Arnold (harmonica); Otis Spann (piano); Willie Dixon (bass); Clifton James (drums); Jerome Green (maracas).

Walkin' By Myself - Jimmy Rogers. Originally released on Chess 1643, January 1957. Recorded in Chicago, October 29th, 1956. Personnel: Jimmy Rogers (vocal, guitar); Walter Horton (harmonica); Otis Spann (piano); Robert Jr. Lockwood (guitar); Willie Dixon (bass); A.J. Gladney (drums).

Track details for LP2:

I Don't Know - Sonny Boy Williamson. Originally released on Checker 864 (B side of "Fattening Frogs For Snakes"), June 1957. Recorded in Chicago, February 8th 1957. Personnel: Sonny Boy Williamson (vocal, harmonica); Robert Jr. Lockwood and Luther Tucker (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

Goin' Down Slow - Little Walter. Unissued Checker recording. Possibly recorded in Chicago, December 1959. Possible personnel: Little Walter (vocal, harmonica); Robert Jr. Lockwood and Luther Tucker (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); George Hunter (drums). A different version of the same song (composed by St. Louis Jimmy Oden), retitled "I Had My Fun" and probably recorded in June 1957, was released by Little Walter on Checker 945, February 1960.

So Many Roads - Otis Rush. Originally released as "So Many Roads, So Many Trains" on Chess 1751, March 1960. Recorded in Chicago, January 1960. Personnel: Otis Rush (vocal, guitar); Bob Neely (tenor sax); Lafayette Leake (piano); Matt Murphy (electric bass); Willie Dixon (bass); Odie Payne Jr. (drums).

All Your Love - Otis Rush. Originally released on Chess LP 1538 "Door To Door" (Albert King and Otis Rush). Recorded at same session and with same personnel as "So Many Roads" January 1960. This is a re-recording of "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" by Otis Rush & His Band, Cobra 5032, released July 1959.

I Got My Eyes On You - Buddy Guy. First released on Chess 1753, April 1960. Recorded in Chicago, March 2nd 1960. Personnel: Buddy Guy (vocal, guitar); Jarrett Gibson and Bob Neely (tenor saxes); Donald Hankins (baritone sax); Little Brother Montgomery (piano); Jack Myers (electric bass), Fred Below (drums).

The First Time I Met The Blues - Buddy Guy. B side of "I Got My Eyes On You" (Chess 1753). Recorded at the same session and with the same personnel.

The Sun Is Shining - Elmore James. Alternate take of Chess 1756 (B side of "I Can't Hold Out") which was released in May, 1960. Recorded in Chicago, April 14th, 1960. Personnel: Elmore James (vocal, guitar); J.T. Brown (tenor sax); Unknown (tenor sax); Little Johnny Jones (piano); Homesick James (guitar); Henry Harris (drums).

Stormy Monday Blues - Elmore James. Unreleased as a single. First released in 1968 on Blue Horizon LP "Tough" (Elmore James and John Brim). Recorded at the same session and with the same personnel as "The Sun Is Shining", April 14th, 1960.

Spoonful - Howlin' Wolf. First released on Chess 1762, July 1960. Recorded in Chicago, June 1960. Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal); Otis Spann (piano); Hubert Sumlin and Freddy Robinson (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

The Red Rooster - Howlin' Wolf. First released on Chess 1804, October 1961. Recorded in Chicago, May 1961. Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (vocal, guitar); Johnny Jones (piano); Hubert Sumlin (guitar); Willie Dixon (bass); Sam Lay (drums).

Help Me - Sonny Boy Williamson. First released on Checker 1036, February 1963. Recorded in Chicago, January 11th, 1963. Personnel: Sonny Boy Williamson (vocal, harmonica); Lafayette Leake or Billy Emerson (organ); Matt Murphy (guitar); Milton Rector (bass); Al Duncan (drums).

Feel So Bad - Little Milton. First released as a single on Checker 1162, December 1966. Also released in December 1966 on Checker LP 3002 "Little Milton Sings Big Blues." Recorded in Chicago, June 3rd 1966. Personnel: Little Milton (vocal, guitar); Sonny Thompson (piano); Roosevelt Williams (electric bass), Maurice White or Ira Gates (drums).