Because rock and roll is rooted solidly in the blues, and because we really love the genre, this page will be used to pay tribute to blues music and musicians.
GOD BLESS THE CHILD WHO'S GOT HIS OWN...BILLIE HOLIDAY
ALL THE CLOCKS SAY MIDNIGHT WHEN THE BLUES COME OVER ME...B.B.KING
July 1, 2007
UNPLUGGED 1992 And a short biography of Eric Clapton
When it comes to the great Greats of classic artists, deciding on a favorite album to review is not easy. So Unplugged is almost a random choice, but like all Eric Clapton’s work, it is excellent. To really understand how it came to be, it helps to know how Eric himself came to be. His life has been a mixture of tragedies and successes. Eric Patrick Clapton was born in Ripley, England, on March 30, 1945, in his grandparents’ home, to a 16-year-old mother. Eric’s father, a married Canadian soldier stationed in England, left before the birth. Eric never got to meet him before he died in 1985, and his father never knew about Eric. His father ultimately had other marriages and other children. His grandparents, Rose and Jack Clapp, raised him and were his legal guardians until he was eighteen. He believed his mother was his sister. There has been a lot of confusion over the last name, but Grandmother Rose’s first husband was named Clapton, and he was the father of Eric’s mother, Patricia (Pat). He was never legally adopted by his grandparents, the Clapps, and so retained his mother’s last name. Pat eventually remarried and moved away, and had three other children—Cheryl, Heather, and Brian. He was nine when Pat returned with Brian. That was when he learned the truth—that she was really his mother. It changed him. He went from being an exceptional student to a poor one. After failing an important test in school, he eventually ended up in another school studying art before music took over his life. Like many musicians, Eric was exposed to music from the beginning. Rose played piano and they all listened to music, especially the big bands. He later found out that his real father, Edward Fryer, had played piano and saxophone. He asked for and received a guitar for his thirteenth birthday, but did not really start learning to play it for two years. Rock music was popular, and he especially liked the blues. When he was seventeen he got an electric guitar, and before he was eighteen had joined his first band. Between bands he worked with his grandfather, who was a bricklayer. Before 1963 came to a close, he had played in a second local band, and, in October, was ask to join a third--The Yardbirds. Life as a musician had really begun. He was only with The Yardbirds for eighteen months, but during that time they recorded two albums and he gained a nickname, “Slowhand.” He felt the music they were playing wasn’t really what he wanted, as his soul was wrapped in the blues. He was asked to join John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and it was here that he established his reputation as a guitarist. He was also part of a studio band called Powerhouse that included Steve Winwood and Jack Bruce. In 1966 he formed Cream with Bruce and Ginger Baker. He was only twenty-one. During this time he also contributed to The Beatles “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and became friends with George Harrison. Cream lasted only two years, but put out three successful albums, and Clapton is credited with taking blues guitar to a new level. After Cream, he recruited Steve Winwood, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech to form a new group, Blind Faith. They fell apart after one album, and Eric moved to New York and began playing with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. It was during this time that he began to sing and write more. They released an album in 1970, and Eric released his first and self-titled solo album in the same year. It included a hit written by J.J. Cale—“After Midnight,” and the disc charted in Britain and the U.S. It was definitely a busy year, as it also saw the formation of Derek and the Dominos with several members from the Delaney & Bonnie group. Their album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, was evolved from Clapton’s love for his friend George Harrison’s wife, Patti. The album failed, the group broke up, and he became addicted to heroin. He lost two friends; Jimi Hendix in 1970, and Duane Allman, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1971. Eric went into seclusion with his spiraling addiction, but during these three years he did manage to keep writing songs, and eventually conquered his addiction to start over. With the help of his friend, Pete Townshend, he did two concerts in London that jump-started his career again, and in 1974 released 461 Ocean Boulevard that hit #1 in the U.S. The seventies and eighties were filled with album after album—solo and with other artists, as well as personal landmarks. He lost his half-brother, Brian, in 1974. He finally married Patti Harrison in 1979, several years after her divorce from George Harrison. They divorced in the late 80s without having any children. He then went into alcohol rehab to get rid of the demon that had replaced heroin. But during this time, in 1985, he fathered his first child, a girl, with Yvonne Kelly. A second child, Conor, was born in 1986 to Lori Del Santo, an Italian actress. He was given his father’s last name. Another Domino’s member and friend, Carl Radle, died of alcohol poisoning in 1981. And in 1984, still another met with catastrophe. Jim Gordon, who was an undiagnosed schizophrenic, killed his mother with a hammer and is still in a mental hospital today. But Eric kept putting out music that seemed to evolve with each album. Throughout the eighties he worked with many other artists, worked on scores for television and movies, and even promoted a beer. His song “Heaven Is One Step Away” was used in the movie Back to the Future in 1985. Another song was used in The Color of Money in 1986. The Goodfellas soundtrack in 1990 used “Layla” and “Sunshine of Your Love.” A helicopter crash between concerts in 1990 killed Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric’s agent, as well as two road crew members who were all touring with Clapton. Then the biggest heartache of them all—Conor died in March of 1991 when he fell from a 53rd-story window in New York City and landed on the roof of another four-story building. He was only four. Eric went into seclusion for a while and then went on to write the score to the 1991 film Rush, a movie about drug addiction. It included a song, “Tears In Heaven,” that had been written about Conor. The song is on his 1992 album, Unplugged, a soundtrack taped from the MTV segment of the same name. The disc featured Clapton on acoustic guitar and really showcased his voice. The album and the song reached #2 on the charts and earned him several Grammy awards—Album of the Year, Song of the Year (for Tears), Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (Tears), Best Male Rock Vocal Performance (for Layla), and Best Rock Song (Layla). It is, for the most part, a blues album. The first track is ‘Signe,” an upbeat acoustic-guitar-only number by Clapton that sets the mood for the album. Next is “Before You Accuse Me,” a bluesy tune written by Elias McDaniel, alias Bo Didley, and performed by Clapton and Andy Fairweather, another superb guitarist. “Hey Hey,” a tune written by Big Bill Broonzy, is a laid-back tune that sounds like slide guitar, but is just another example of Eric’s unique guitar playing. “Lonely Stranger” is written by Eric and is the least bluesy song on the album. It is a melancholy tune with subtle and perfect piano accompaniment by Chuck Leavell. “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” is a Jimmy Cox song that speaks for itself. Again, the piano is exceptional on this definitely blues tune and re-do from Derek and the Dominos days. “Layla” was reworked for Unplugged, having been done originally with electric guitar, and this time it went to #12 on the charts. It was written in 1970 by Eric and Jim Gordon and was on the Derek and the Dominos album. Fans of that electric version would never have believed it could be so well done acoustically. It is followed by “Running On Faith,” by Jerry Lynn Williams. The finger picking and piano on this one, and the background vocals, make it a stand-out tune. “Walkin’ Blues” and “Malted Milk” are by Robert Johnson and are the definition of Delta blues. These are definitely slide guitar, and make you wish you were sitting on a bayou in Louisiana eating crawfish and watching the sunset with a group of friends. This album’s take on an old classic, “Alberta,” shows outstanding piano playing by Leavell and Eric’s voice is perfect for this blues tune. “San Francisco Bay Blues” by Jesse Fuller is upbeat and the band has fun with kazoos. From his 1989 album Journeyman comes “Old Love,” one of his own tunes written with Robert Cray that is more jazzy than blues, and has some great finger-picking guitar and once more, stand-out piano. The album ends with another classic blues tune made famous by McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters), “Rollin’ & Tumblin.” Eric gets in his guitar licks on this one and the band does a little jammin’ before closing. This is an excellent back-up band and Clapton shows one more time why his music sells—he is one of the best guitar players anywhere.
To see more on Eric Clapton after Unplugged, see our CLASSIC ARTISTS UPDATE page.
May 1st, 2006
THE BEST OF PETER GREEN'S FLEETWOOD MAC
In the 1970's, Fleetwood Mac retooled by adding Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to replace the members that had quit the band. The California pop sound they developed led to phenomenal success, including one of the biggest selling albums of all time: Rumours. The fame they achieved eclipsed the earlier and very successful version of the band to the point that many fans are unaware of the group's roots. With Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, and Danny Kirwan, Fleetwood Mac had been one of the premier blues/rock bands of the late 1960's.
John Mayall was the acknowledged father of British blues at the time. John McVie had been serving as bassist for Mayall's Bluesbreakers, while Mick Fleetwood had a short stint as drummer. Peter Green meanwhile, had successfully taken on the difficult task of replacing Eric Clapton on lead guitar. When these three decided to form their own group, they took the name Fleetwood Mac at Green's suggestion. While Peter was the obvious star, it was not a position he craved. He would have happily stayed in the background. The promoters, however, new who was the draw. They consistently billed the group as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.
Very quickly, Jeremy Spencer was brought into the group. This added another guitar, voice, and songwriter. Spencer was so adept at imitating blues great Elmore James that he sometimes seemed to be channeling him. This lineup provided Fleetwood Mac's initial success. Another talented guitar player, Danny Kirwan was added later.
Fleetwood Mac's initial success came on the strength of Peter Green's song writing and guitar skills. Several of his songs stand as classics. "Black Magic Woman" remains his best known tune, even if most fans of the song don't know it as anything other than a Santana song. Originally, it was a Fleetwood Mac hit. The instrument "Albatross" was a success in Britain, but less so in the U.S. This instrumental is a masterpiece of melody driven, controlled guitar playing. The dichotomy of "Oh Well Part 1" and "Oh Well Part 2" (the opening of this song was used in the Jerry Maguire soundtrack) demonstrates the diversity of Green's musical direction. The first part of the song is a rocker with some of the most attention catching lyrics of the era. The song then segues into an acoustic instrumental which features the same restraint as "Albatross."
These songs represented the rock part of the blues/rock equation. Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac was known equally well for their blues. Some of their biggest songs were remakes of classic blues tunes. "Need Your Love So Bad" and "Shake Your Moneymaker" get a new life when redone by Fleetwood Mac. They also wrote their own blues songs. "Need Your Love Tonight," "My Heart Beat Like A Hammer," "Rollin' Man," "Looking For Somebody," and "Rattlesnake Shake" all stand up well when compared to the classic songs from American blues.
Sadly, the end of this band was inevitable due to the emotional instability of the stars. Peter Green's decline was fairly swift. His disillusionment with fame and the commercialism of popular music was laid bare in two of his most popular songs. "The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)" spoke directly of his feelings about the power of money to corrupt. One of his last hits, "Man Of The World" shows just how weary, and how jaded he had become. Biographer Leah Furman feels that his experiments with LSD hastened what was likely an organic disease in Green. The previously mentioned dichotomy in "Oh Well" parts one and two may have mirrored his growing schizophrenia.
Next to go was Jeremy Spencer. Always unstable and vacillating between religion and vulgarity, Spencer ran off and joined a religious cult during a Fleetwood Mac U.S. tour. Kirwan, whose most lasting contribution may be the beautiful and unique "Dragonfly," simply lost it before a show and refused to go on stage.
If it is true that everything happens for a reason, then this band's end must have come about so that the now familiar version could have its day. But for those who are unfamiliar with the early incarnation of Fleetwood Mac, this album will come as a surprise. The quality of the music is such that it holds up very well, and the difference between the early and later versions of the band is fascinating.
In 1969, Johnny Winter was making a mad dash to stardom in the world of blues-rock. Two albums had already been released that year, Johnny Winter on the Columbia label and The Progressive Blues Experiment by Imperial Records. Returning to CBS studios in Nashville (where Johnny Winter had been recorded) to make his sophomore album for Columbia, Winter had the proven team of "Uncle" John Turner, Tommy Shannon, and brother Edgar to work with. Second Winter was recorded over four days in July and five days in August, and became the third album released by Johnny Winter in one terrifically prolific year. All three records were good enough to be considered milestones in the burgeoning arena of blues mixed with rock and roll.
Released in 2004, Second Winter Legacy Edition is a re-mastered version of that classic album with some priceless material from the "never before released category" added in. The original album is still notable as the only three sided double album ever released. That is, two albums with one side blank. As it happens, those three sides fit neatly on one cd with room for two previously unreleased tracks. The original material includes some of the best music Winter has ever recorded. It begins with "Memory Pain," "I'M Not Sure," "The Good Love," and a short but lively version of Little Richard's "Slippin' and Slidin';" then continues with "Miss Anne," "Johnny B. Goode," and Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited." This last still stands as one of the greatest cuts that Winter ever recorded. "I Love Everybody," "Hustled Down in Texas," "I Hate Everybody," and "Fast Life Rider" complete the original release. Disc one of the legacy edition is finished off with unreleased versions of "Early in the Morning" and "Tell the Truth."
The big bonus here is found on disc two. Recorded live in London at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970, this is Johnny Winter and bandmates at the apex of their improvisational skills. The band had been touring for a while and developed a keen sense of where their leader was going. The result is a great live album that could stand on its own. As Winter veers off on tangents that could easily leave the other band members baffled, they manage to follow him flawlessly. There are nine songs included here; among the best are "Black Cat Bone," "Mean Town Blues," and the earliest known recording of Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein." It is the perfect accompaniment to what was already a priceless album.
While most of white America was ignoring that uniquely American form of music known as the blues, British youth were delving into it with a fervor that energized the popular music scene in England. Blues based bands like John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, Cream, and Savoy Brown were also bringing their updated versions of the blues to the shores of America, where many fans were enjoying it with little understanding of its' roots. Considering the paradoxical nature of this music paradigm, there is less irony in the idea hatched by producer Norman Dayron to travel to London with Chester Arthur Burnett, popularly known as Howlin' Wolf, and make a blues record with Eric Clapton and other local musicians.
When Dayron first broached the idea to Clapton, he offered to bring a small entourage to London along with Howln' Wolf. As it happened, that entourage included the great blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin (longtme collaborator with both Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters) and a tragically short lived but very talented harmonica player by the name of Jeffrey Carp. Clapton was to provide the rest of the band, and he quickly raided the Rolling Stones lineup to provide a rhythm section made up of drummer Charlie Watts and bass player Bill Wyman. Ian Stewart, often referred to as “the sixth Rolling Stone,” was recruited to play keyboards.
With that lineup, it might seem that the music would flow easily. There were, however, some initial problems. The Wolf's health was not stellar. Suffering from heart and kidney problems, the trip was not easy and his mood was not the best. The situation was also complicated on the first day of recording when Wyman and Watts were not available for that day. A call for help went out and was quickly answered by Ringo Starr (credited on the album as Ritchie for reasons unknown) and Klaus Voorman, one of the world's truly great bass players. One complication that Dayron did not anticpate was the degree to which the British stars would be intimidated by the legendary and physically imposing Howlin' Wolf. Clapton actually considered not coming back for a second day of recording.
He did come back though, and things got better. Howlin' Wolf's attitude improved as he realized that this group of kids could play; and as he recognized that they deferred to his legend and the talent that created it. Subsequent sessions became more productive as they recorded new versions of some Howlin' Wolf classics. When the recording was finished, the work was just beginning for producer Dayron. He returned to the States with the tapes and found they were not up to his standards as yet. He brought in other musicians to add horns and some additional guitar and keyboard (the latter courtesy of Steve Winwood) to beef up the tracks. The contribution of Dayron in mixing these master tapes cannot be discounted. Fans will love the re-energized versions of “Rockin' Daddy,” “Sittin' on Top of the World,” “The Red Rooster,” and “Wang Dang Doodle.”
As stated in the title above, this is the deluxe edition. That mean that the first disc contains the original recordings plus three songs that were issued on a follow up album titled London Revisited. These songs were recorded during the original 1970 sessions. One listen to the great old song “Killing Floor” can only make one wonder how it could have been left off the original. There is also a second disc consisting of unused takes, with some of the chatter from the recording sessions. The chatter serves as an interesting peek into the recording process.
When The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions was released in 1971, it became his only record to break into the top 100 albums chart. For any blues fan, this one is a keeper.
12-Bar Blues - The Complete Guide For Guitar Written by Dave Rubin. Instructional book and accompaniment CD for guitar. With guitar tablature, standard notation, chord names, guitar chord diagrams, instructional text, guitar notation legend and introductory text. 61 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. (HL.695187) See more info...
The guitars lover's electric! Click the image to learn more about this favorite.
July 24th, 2005
BILLIE HOLLIDAY--THE COMPLETE DECCA RECORDINGS
If ever anyone was born to sing the blues, it was Billie Holiday. A uniquely talented but tragically troubled lady, she was plagued throughout her life by racism, drug addiction, and toxic relationships. By turns she was heroic and helpless. This dual nature is infused in her entire body of work, and is certainly on display in “BILLIE HOLIDAY-- THE COMPLETE DECCA RECORDINGS.”
Released as a compilation in 1991, this two disc set covers five and one half years of her career. Recorded from 1944 to 1949, Ms. Holiday was at the acme of her talents, if not necessarily at a career peak. This was still a very tough time for black performers in the United States. It was also a time of trouble between the record companies and labor unions, and not the most profitable time for singers. Decca was probably the only major label during at least part of this period that did not have labor union problems, and Billie was lucky to be able to record for them.
The sessions were held at intervals over the five years, with the goal of each session usually being to record two to four sides for release as singles. Although Billie was famous for being able to nail a song in one take, they usually recorded more than just one. In some cases, a song was not released and was re-recorded at a later session. The result for this compilation is that there are alternate takes for many songs, including four takes for “Big Stuff,” a song which uncharacteristically seemed to give her problems. Rather than feeling repetitive, there is a sense of gaining some insight into the creative process that she experienced.
The material on these discs will be familiar to any Holiday fan. It is the music not only of her career, but of her genre. Besides those distinctly Billie Holiday songs, there are songs made famous by other singers. “Tain't Nobody's Business if I Do” is sometimes assumed to be her song because it seems perfectly tailored to her attitude. It is, of course, originally a Bessie Smith song, as is the upbeat “Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer.” In these songs,along with others such as the saucy “Baby, I Don't Cry Over You,” it is easy to picture Billie Holiday as an independent, almost happy-go-lucky personage. But as someone said, “She sang each line as if she lived it, and she probably had.” When she becomes the victim, it is even more believable. There is always heartbreak in Lady Day's voice when she sings of love gone bad. Alternate takes of the Holiday penned “Don't Explain,” along with “Solitude” and “My Man,” testify to the power of phrasing and timing which she had mastered. And always there is that voice, which was truly at its best during this prime (age 29 to almost 35) of her life.
The most curious take in this collection is the hymn-like version of one of Billie's most enduring songs. “God Bless the Child” could have been recorded in a church with the choral arrangement used here. While it may not be the definitive version of the song, it is an interesting transformation. And absolutely everything seems to work with that voice.
“The blues come in a whisper, and make you scream and shout.” This line, from B.B. King's 1991 release THERE IS ALWAYS ONE MORE TIME, should go right to the heart of every blues singer and every blues fan. It is one of several pithy lines from the disc's third track: “The Blues Come Over Me.” This often overlooked song may be the best thing King has recorded since his signature song, “The Thrill is Gone.” Indeed, the liner notes contain a message from B.B. stating that this is the best album he has ever recorded. That covers a lot of territory, but may well be accurate. This is a very even effort, with every song a winner. It does what a great blues album shoud do, taking the listener through a gamut of emotions ranging from hope to despair, and from elation to rueful anguish.
Song number one, “I'm Moving On,” is an upbeat tune of salvation and second chances. It is followed, though, by “Back in L.A.” This story of a life wasted in crime leads directly into the gut-bucket blues of that third track. When King sings “I may think I'm happy, I may think I'm free, nothing don't mean nothing when the blues come over me,” there is no doubt that this is a man who has seen the worst. B.B. seems right at home with this number; his vocals are filled with emotion, and “Lucille” is in perfect harmony.
The next three songs are about coming to terms with the realities of life, but with a jaded and world-weary view. “Fool Me Once,” “The Lowdown,” and “Mean and Evil” speak of a a man who has accepted the unfairness of it all. This if a familiar theme in blues music, but the “King of the Blues” knows that he cannot leave the listener in this frame of mind.
The album is brought full circle by the last two songs. “Roll Roll Roll” is a testament to the regenerative powers of the good times, and our faith that they will always return is confirmed by the gospel-like “There is Always One More Time.” In nine songs, the listener has moved from optimism to dissolution and back again. This is the blues.
THERE IS ALWAYS ONE MORE TIME is released on the MCA label.
