|
Post by Pickers Ditch on Aug 13, 2015 11:55:30 GMT
I came across these couple of photos I took in 1968 at the 1st National Blues Convention held at Conway Hall, London. I thought it might make a fun Thursday Throwback for folk to identify who is who. C'mon then Alan, who's who? I've got Alexis Korner and I think Dave Kelly is there but my ancient brain cell cannot name the rest of 'em.
|
|
|
Post by AlanB on Aug 13, 2015 12:41:53 GMT
Under Stage: Mike Raven, Alexis K/Pete Shertser/Chris Trimming (NBF organiser)/Charlie Gillett (with fag in mouth)/Can't make out guy at back/White shirt could be anybody/Shakey Vick(ery)
On Stage: Korner/Steve Rye/Harp player/Shakey Vick/Simon Praeger (foot on chair)/the one with back to us I know stance can't place him.
Have fun.....
|
|
|
Post by Pickers Ditch on Aug 13, 2015 15:37:17 GMT
Yeah, Shakey Vic - one more time!
|
|
|
Post by AlanB on Aug 20, 2015 8:03:50 GMT
Slim Harpo anyone? Here's a very personal obituary from Mike Vernon.
SLIM HARPO: THE KING BEE
A Tribute by Mike Vernon
UK weekly Melody Maker (28 Feb 1970 p. 14)
THE NEWS of the death of Slim Harpo was indeed sad. Richard, my brother, received a ‘phone call from Bud Howell, President of the Nashboro Record Company, in Nashville, Tennessee, to inform us that on Thursday February 5 James Moore, known to the blues world as Slim Harpo, had suffered a heart attack and had died that same day. Exact details of his whereabouts at this tragic time were not revealed, although such details will be available shortly.
Stones
Bud himself seemed stone struck by the news. Besides being one of the company’s biggest selling acts at the present time, Slim was also a close friend of all those working at Excello. He was liked wherever he went. He drank little and did not smoke: the news of a heart attack thus came as even more of a shock. James Moore was born on January 11th, 1924 in the parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Little is actually known about his very early life (it seems that few people actually got to interview him for full press coverage), but it would seem that he did work at many different jobs throughout the South. Two noted: as a stevedore in New Orleans and as a labourer in Baton Rouge. His first professional name was Harmonica Slim. but was changed following his meeting with Jay Miller, as there was another Slim working the Southern night spots ‹ and the latter had been working the circuit for some time Miller, from Crowley, Louisiana, was then, responsible or the discovery of Moore, in a local club in 1957. His first record was released on Excello (2113) that same year. entitled “I’ve Got Love If You Want It” backed with “I’m A King Bee” In fact, it was this ‘flip’ side that proved to be the big seller. More than that. The Rolling Stones heard it on an American dub (you will recall that this was the period of Yardbards, T-Bones, Baldry Davies etc) and they recorded it on an album and before you knew what had happened every blues outfit in the country was singing and playing, “well, I’m a King Bee, honey, buzzing around your hive.”
Singles
But it was “Rainin’ In My Heart,” recorded and released in 1961 that broke Slim Harpo in the States. This record hit the number one spot on the rhythm and blues charts. Harpo put together a road band and went to work, six and seven nights a week. In fact, he became the strongest competition for Jimmy Reed, B. B. King and Lowell Fulson on the Southern club circuits. Then there was a period of little action: his singles were selling but not in such quantities as to guarantee hits. “Baby Scratch My Back,” released in 1966 (Excello 2273) broke the bad-luck spell, for this record was \o prove his biggest yet. “Shake Your Hips” and “Tip On In” followed in the next ten months and then recently two more big successes, one with Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” and his latest release, “I’ve Got My Finger On Your Trigger.”
Tragic
Steady work was assured too for many months to come. More than that a tour was being arranged in conjunction with Blue Horizon to take place in April and May, to cover Britain and some Continental countries. Terms of a deal to represent Excello Records in this country had also been completed and arrangements had been made with Bud Howell to record Harpo on his second return to the UK at the end of May. Musicians had already been booked to make the dates: Colin Allen (drums); John Best (bass) Paul Butler, Rick Hayward, Top Topham and Laurie Sanford (guitars) and Pete Wingfield (piano) and I was to produce the sessions. Pete Wingfield and Duster Bennett had already written songs for Slim to record. Back in the States, Nashboro had a set of six sessions booked for next week to cut some new sides on Slim to complete an album and for his next single. And then like a thunderbolt from the sky, the news of his tragic death. In the last eight months the blues world has lost Magic Sam, Billy Stewart and now Slim Harpo. Howlin’ Wolf suffered another heart attack; Muddy Waters escaped a fatal car crash; so sad. From all at Blue Horizon, Melody Maker and all those true blues fans, our sincere condolences to widow, Mrs James Moore and family, Dick Allen, his personal manager and Bud Howell, head of Nashboro. We shall never know truly how sad a loss this has been.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2015 12:00:03 GMT
The Slim Harpo catalog is full of gems.
Note - I tried to use the "like" button, above, but seems to be yet another bug in the system...perhaps due to turning off Java...Now it works when I turn java on after logging on...
|
|
|
Post by Michael Messer on Aug 20, 2015 15:44:08 GMT
'Like' is working on my machine - MacBook Pro .....and on my iPhone using the ProBoards App, it is working fine.
Shine On Michael
|
|
|
Post by Pickers Ditch on Aug 20, 2015 16:58:47 GMT
Sorry, it's not working on mine, too. I've also had an e-mail notification of a like for one of my posts which has not appeared on the forum. I'm not moanin' or braggin', just letting you know as there seems to be a bug somewhere I suspect. I'm running an old Toshiba laptop on Vista and Chrome if that helps guide the proboards people.
|
|
|
Post by Michael Messer on Aug 20, 2015 17:15:37 GMT
Alan,
Thanks for posting the Slim Harpo tribute.
I look forward to Thursdays, your ThrowBack T posts are excellent!
Thanks for sharing,
Shine On Michael
|
|
|
Post by Dessery on Aug 20, 2015 20:23:49 GMT
Hi
Its probably worth noting that if you have disabled JavaScript in your browser there is a very high chance that you will experience problems with things.
It's an integral part of the web these days and a lot of sites will be unsupported if you disable it.
I hope that may help.
All the best David
|
|
|
Post by slide496 on Aug 20, 2015 20:42:30 GMT
|
|
|
Post by AlanB on Aug 21, 2015 5:02:29 GMT
Alan, Thanks for posting the Slim Harpo tribute. I look forward to Thursdays, your ThrowBack T posts are excellent! Thanks for sharing, Shine On Michael Gratefully appreciate the kind words Michael. Nothing very earth shattering on my part, all I'm doing is excavating from my computer some of the items I've scanned over the past few decades for folk researching/writing blues biographies.
|
|
|
Post by AlanB on Aug 27, 2015 5:52:13 GMT
and now something totally different - a Throwback Thursday pianist.
Mike Vernon on Recording Otis Spann
Otis Spann is heavily featured on many of Muddy's mid-'Fifties recordings and was given an opportunity to record two sides under his own name for the Chess Brothers in 1955 - "It Must Have been The Devil" and "Five Spot" (Checker 807) being the result. But little happened behind this release and he was soon back tickling the ivories in Muddy's band. Whilst on the road and visiting New York City he recorded an excellent album for Candid Records and then during a European tour with one of the now famous Fritz & Rau organised Folk Blues Festivals cut a batch of titles for the Danish Jazz label Storyville featuring the talents of Sonny Boy Williamson, Matt "Guitar" Murphy and Willie Dixon.
A visit to London eight months later lead to my approach on behalf of The Decca Record Company which in turn lead to the Decca album "The Blues of Otis Spann". Still one of his best recordings (and sadly not available in CD form) it featured Ransom Knowling on bass, Little Willie Smith on drums and Muddy on guitar and occasional vocal encouragement. Due to Muddy's contractual commitments at the time with Chess Records in Chicago, Muddy was listed as "Brother". I don't believe for a moment that anyone was fooled. I have very fond memories of those sessions - perhaps one day such memories will be recounted for posterity. Who knows. But in any event, it gave me the opportunity to work with a truly talented blues artist. He was a unique talent and listening to his recorded output today his ability both as pianist and vocalist is in full evidence.
It was almost five years later before I had the opportunity to get him into the studio again to cut a solo album. But Otis Spann was not one to let the grass grow under his feet. Within that five year span (excuse the pun) he had managed to record a whole host of product for many different labels - Prestige, Testament, Vanguard, ABC Bluesway, Delmark and Folkways amongst others. His importance as a major force in the blues world had at last been recognised. It was then, with some considerable relish that I confirmed our recording date for the early part of January 1969, at tempo Sound Studios, New York City.
So how did Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac come to be the mainstay of the musical backing for Spann on these sessions ? Well, the Mac were in the midst of their first US tour and as many will know several days recording had already been arranged at the Ter Mar Studios in Chicago from which the "Blues Jam At Chess" package was subsequently taken. One of the artists involved in that project was Otis Spann and the relationship that was built up even over such a short space of time led to my belief that a solo album featuring both acts would make for some great listening. The only difficult decision that had to be taken was in relation to the drummer. Otis was used to working with long-time associate S.P. Leary and he felt happier in his mind at having that personal bond with at least one of the sidemen on the recording date. Mick Fleetwood very graciously stepped down and let the flamboyant S. P. onto the drum stool. I think in many ways, Mick felt almost relieved - he could actually study someone else's technique first hand and indeed, in this particular case, someone with a fair pedigree. No one disappointed. The album is full of great playing and some truly memorable vocalising from the star of the day. In all eleven titles were recorded with all but one making the final vinyl release. "Blues For Hippies" was subsequently released in the USA on the Nashville based Excello label and an alternative take of "Temperature Is Risin"' was coupled with "Walkin"' on a Blue Horizon single (57 3155). This particular version was not thought (at the time anyway) to be as good as Take 2; hence Take 1 is sub-titled (98.8 ' F) whilst the "hotter" version is sub-titled (100.2 ' F). Clever stuff eh? Anyway, the whole album was recorded in a day - no overdubs and straight to two track stereo: January 9th, 1969. It was a wonderful experience. The music flowed as did the alcohol! Truly a blues summit to savour.
"The Biggest Thing Since Colossus" - perhaps a slight over-statement but well intended. We took this title from the lyrical ideas incorporated in Otis' self-penned "It Was A Big Thing" where he sings of God making the elephant and it's big snout (trunk to you and me). Once again Terence Ibbott came up with the startling artwork depicting a black beetle of all things. What a strange chap! A lovely relaxed photograph on the back cover however redeems all, featuring as it does, Spann supporting his new mode of transport.
As a final addenda I would only like to add that the 9th January 1969 sticks in my memory for another quite important reason. As I'm sure you will know the 9th is always followed by the 10th and on this particular date, in New York, 1969, the basic track was laid by Fleetwood Mac for their follow-up to the chart topping instrumental "Albatross". "Man Of The World" was that title - but released on Immediate and not Blue Horizon ? Well, that's another story completely. MIKE VERNON - January, 1994
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2015 12:55:50 GMT
The Blues Masters DVD (based on CBC 1966 broadcast) offers a wonderful glimpse of the talented and charismatic Otis Spann...
|
|
|
Post by AlanB on Aug 27, 2015 13:20:14 GMT
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2015 6:49:49 GMT
Had the pleasure of doing a support slot for Mike Vernon and the Mighty Combo last night. Aside from being the producer of many amazing big name records, his band were tight as a gnats chuff. TT
|
|