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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!


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Showing posts with label Long John Baldry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Long John Baldry. Show all posts

Friday, July 11, 2014

Stony Plain Records artist: Long John Baldry - The Best Of The Stony Plain Years

I just received the newest release, The Best of the Stony Plain Years from Long John Baldry and found it somewhat refreshing. I haven't heard Baldry in quite some time, his having passed in 2005 and my primary exposure being the album It Aint Easy released possibly 40 or more years ago. The release opens with Good Morning Blues, with classic Baldry vocals, John Lee Sanders on piano, Butch Coulter with some tasty harp riffs and nice bass lines from Norm Fraser. On old standard, I'm Shakin', Baldry adds a special dynamic to the vocal track coaxed along by Al Webster on tom tom and Johnny Ferreira on sax. Papa John King also adds a nice guitar solo on this track as well. Easy Street is laid down in New Orleans shuffle form with light bouncy piano by Webster and Baldry hits a nice groove on vocal as Babcock and Ferreira lay down some nice sax work. Traditional track Midnight Special has a special feel with John Lee Sanders on tuba and cool backing vocals from Kathi McDonald. Tom Colclough hits the note on clarinet accenting the new orleans feel of Chris Nordquist on drums. A little different take on Gallows Pole than the Led Zep fans may be accustomed to with a bit of a western flavor and cool violin by Jesse Zubot. Straight up blues track Midnight Hour Blues has King on simple acoustic lead guitar with Baldry laying down a smooth vocal track. Webster does a really nice job of punching up the track on piano and Rusty Reed does a really nice job on harp. On Hooker's Dimples, A stripped down feel with Baldry on vocal, King on guitar, Coulter on harp and Lent on bass is one of my favorite tracks on the release. On Insane Asylum, Baldry shares vocal lead with Kathi McDonald and Bill Runge drives the rhythm on bass. Midnight In New Orleans has a NO jazz feel with Amos Garrett and Gaye Delorme on guitars and sweet backing vocals by McDonals. Teddy Borowiecki leads the way on piano and Daryl Bennett blows a nice sax as well. Black Girl keeps a fairly traditional feel and again the strong vocals by McDonald and Baldry are particularly potent on this track. King adds some tasty acustic guitar riffs adding an iridescence overall. The release is wrapped by a live track, Time's Gettin' Tougher Than Tough with Jimmy Witherspoon and the Duke Robillard Band. A real swinger, Witherspoon and Baldry share lead vocals and Marty Ballou leads the way on bass. Robillard adds some really punchy guitar riffs and Sax Gordon Beadle really hits the note on sax. Super conclusion to a very cool release. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! ”LIKE”

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Stony Plain Records Announces New Compilation Series, "The Best of the Stony Plain Years" - First Sets from Joe Louis Walker and Long John Baldry Due June 17


                                                      

                                 

Stony Plain Records Announces New Compilation Series, The Best of the Stony Plain Years

First Sets from Joe Louis Walker and Long John Baldry Due June 17

EDMONTON, ALBERTA – Stony Plain Records announces it will begin releasing an exciting new compilation series of CDs, titled The Best of the Stony Plain Years, which includes tracks from the label’s vaults, as well as rare and previously-unreleased material. The first CDs as part of the new series will be albums from Joe Louis Walker and the late Long John Baldry, both set for release on June 17. Stony Plain Records has been releasing acclaimed and award-winning roots and blues music since 1976, and is independently distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA).

2013 Blues Hall of Fame inductee Joe Louis Walker recorded three albums for the label: Witness to the Blues, Between a Rock and the Blues and Blues Conspiracy: Live on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise. Between a Rock and the Blues won The Blues Foundation’s “Blues Album of the Year” award in 2010.

An international blues all-star, Joe Louis Walker has recorded a number of celebrated albums in a wide range of roots and blues styles, with such guests as B.B. King, James Cotton, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Steve Cropper, Branford Marsalis, Huey Lewis, Ike Turner, Shemekia Copeland and Duke Robillard, who produced Walker’s first two Stony Plain CDs. The 11 tracks on his Best of the Stony Plain Years reissue were compiled from all three CDs of his recorded output for the label.

British blues pioneer Long John Baldry (1941-2005) recorded for Stony Plain from 1991 up until his death. He started performing acoustic blues in London in the late 1950s and worked with fellow leaders of the British blues vanguard Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies in the early ‘60s.
Baldry was an inspiration to The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. He mentored Rod Stewart and Elton John, who both produced and recorded on some of Baldry’s early classic albums, Everything Stops for Tea and It Ain’t Easy. Both albums were re-issued by Stony Plain in 2012 with several bonus tracks and rare photos added and are still active in their catalogue.

Long John Baldry’s Best of the Stony Plain Years set includes songs from several of his label releases, as well as two rare and previously-unreleased tracks, plus a duet recorded live with the legendary Jimmy Witherspoon, “Time’s Gettin’ Tougher than Tough” (1995), with backing by the Duke Robillard band. Baldry and Witherspoon were long-time friends, dating back to when “Spoon” visited England on tour in the early 1960s.

Stony Plain Records President Holger Petersen contributes liner notes to each of the CDs by Joe Louis Walker and Long John Baldry, adding personal insights and memories to the compilations that promise to become collector’s items.

For more information, visit www.stonyplainrecords.com

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Don't Try To Lay No Boogie-Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll - Long John Baldry

John William "Long John" Baldry (12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an English and Canadian blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where Let the Heartaches Begin reached No. 1 in 1967 and in Australia where his duet with Kathi McDonald You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' reached number two in 1980. Baldry lived in Canada from the late 1970s until his death; there he continued to make records and do voiceover work. One of his best known roles in voice acting was as Dr Robotnik in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Baldry's birth was registered in Brixworth Registration District in the first quarter of 1941. This District includes East Haddon so it appears certain that this was his birthplace. His mother's maiden name was Parker. His early life was spent in Edgware, Middlesex where he attended Camrose Primary School until the age of 11, after which he attended Downer Grammar School. Just before his death, he attended the school's 40th anniversary celebrations. Baldry grew to 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), resulting in the nickname "Long John". He was one of the first British vocalists to sing blues in clubs. John appeared quite regularly in the early '60s in the Gyre and Gymble coffee lounge, around the corner from Charing Cross railway station. He sometimes appeared at Eel Pie Island on the Thames at Twickenham and at the Station Hotel in Richmond, one of the Rolling Stones' earliest venues. In the early 1960s, he sang with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, with whom he recorded the first British blues album in 1962, R&B from the Marquee. At stages, Mick Jagger, Jack Bruce and Charlie Watts were members of this band while Keith Richards and Brian Jones played on stage, although none played on the R&B at the Marquee album. When The Rolling Stones made their debut at the Marquee Club in July 1962, Baldry put together a group to support them. Later, Baldry was the announcer introducing the Stones on their US-only live album, Got Live If You Want It!, in 1966. Baldry became friendly with Paul McCartney after a show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in the early 1960s, leading to an invitation to sing on one of The Beatles 1964 TV specials, Around The Beatles. In the special, Baldry performs "Got My Mojo Workin'" and a medley of songs with members of The Vernons Girls trio; in the latter, the Beatles are shown singing along in the audience. In 1963, Baldry joined the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars with Nicky Hopkins playing piano. He took over in 1964 after the death of Cyril Davies, and the group became Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men featuring Rod Stewart on vocals and Geoff Bradford on guitar. Stewart was recruited after Baldry heard him busking a Muddy Waters song at Twickenham station after Stewart had been to a Baldry gig at Eel Pie Island. Long John Baldry became a regular fixture on Sunday nights at Eel Pie Island from then onwards, fronting a series of bands. In 1965, the Hoochie Coochie Men became Steampacket with Baldry and Stewart as male vocalists, Julie Driscoll as the female vocalist and Brian Auger on Hammond organ. After Steampacket broke up in 1966, Baldry formed Bluesology featuring Reg Dwight on keyboards and Elton Dean, later of Soft Machine, as well as Caleb Quaye on guitar. Dwight adopted the name Elton John, his first name from Dean and his surname from Baldry. Baldry was openly gay during the early 1960s when homosexuality was still criminalised and medicated. He later had a brief relationship with lead-guitarist of The Kinks, Dave Davies. Baldry supported Elton John in coming to terms with his own sexuality. In 1978 his then-upcoming album Baldry's Out announced his formal coming out, and he addressed sexuality problems with a cover of Canadian songwriter Bill Amesbury's "A Thrill's a Thrill" In 1967, he recorded a pop song "Let the Heartaches Begin" that went to number one in Britain, followed by a 1968 top 20 hit titled "Mexico", which was the theme of the UK Olympic team that year. "Let the Heartaches Begin" made the lower reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Bluesology broke up in 1968, with Baldry continuing his solo career and Elton John forming a songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. In 1969, Elton John tried to commit suicide after relationship problems with a woman. Taupin and Baldry found him, and Baldry talked him out of marrying the woman, helping make Elton John comfortable with his sexuality. The song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" from Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was about the experience. In 1971, John and Stewart each produced one side of It Ain't Easy which became Baldry's most popular album and made the top 100 of the US album charts. The album featured "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll" which became his most successful song in the US. John's first tour of the US was at this time. The band included, Micky Waller, Ian Armitt, Pete Sears, and Sammy Mitchell. Stewart and John would again co-produce his 1972 album Everything Stops For Tea which made the lower reaches of the US album charts. The same year, Baldry worked with ex-Procol Harum guitarist Dave Ball. Baldry had mental health problems and was institutionalised for a brief time in 1975. The 1979 album Baldry's Out was recorded after his release. In a 1997 interview with a German television program, Baldry claimed to be the last person to see singer Marc Bolan before Bolan's death on 16 September 1977, having conducted an interview with the fellow singer for an American production company, he says, just before Bolan drove away and had his accident. He played his last live show in Columbus, Ohio, on 19 July 2004, at Barristers Hall with guitarist Bobby Cameron. The show was produced by Andrew Myers. They played to a small group, some came from Texas. pg. 223 photo credit to Andrew Myers and show date. Two years previously the two had a 10-venue sell-out tour of Canada. Baldry's final UK Tour as 'The Long John Baldry Trio' concluded with a performance on Saturday 13 November 2004 at The King's Lynn Arts Centre, King's Lynn, Norfolk, England. The trio consisted of LJB, Butch Coulter on harmonica and Dave Kelly on slide guitar After time in New York City and Los Angeles in 1978, Baldry settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he became a Canadian citizen. He toured the west coast, as well as the U.S. Northwest. Baldry also toured the Canadian east, including one 1985 show in Kingston, Ontario, where audience members repeatedly called for the title track from his 1979 album Baldry's Out! – to which he replied, "I'll say he is!" In 1979, he teamed with Seattle singer Kathi McDonald to record a version of The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin", following which McDonald became part of his touring group for two decades. The song made the lower reaches of the US Billboard charts but was a top 5 hit in Australia in 1980. He last recorded with the Stony Plain label. His 1997 album Right To Sing The Blues won a Juno Award in the Blues Album of the Year category in the Juno Awards of 1997. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!