John Mayall

In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, the blues was leading a rather silent life in its native country. It was not seen as the kind of music that good, clean (white) citizens should listen to, a problem the blues had struggled with for half a century. Muddy Waters, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, Elmore James. The list of fantastic artists and performers that were being ignored by popular and powerful radio stations was endless. The blues was suffering. Suffering, but still surviving.

Thanks to sailors, the blues found a new audience in Britain. The British working class immedately recognized the themes that the lyrics simply, but efficiently told. The blues also appealed to the young middle class who found the music rebellious and interesting. Old American blues artists suddenly climbed the charts 600 miles away from home. 600 miles away from the problems they sung about. The British would pay tribute by recording their favorite songs and by adding their own touch, the American audience gained interest. Cream, Led Zeppelin, The Animals and The Rolling Stones were among the popular British bands to celebrate success across the Atlantic. One could argue that these bands would have had a hard time breaking through, or even existing at all, had it not been for John Mayall.

The most consistent member of Mayall’s band was bass player John McVie. McVie was having disputes with Mayall because Mayall did not approve of band members drinking alcohol on the job or in the tour bus. So between the fights and arguing Mayall was forced to bring in other bass players. One of those was named Jack Bruce.

Jack Bruce had been playing with Manfred Mann and soon left Mayall and eventually would end up in the same band as Eric Clapton, Cream. With Bruce and Clapton out of the band, Mayall got Peter Green and McVie back. Peter Green was a great guitarist who only lasted for one album, before he snatched McVie from Mayall and started a little band called Fleetwood Mac together with Blues Breakers part-time drummer Mick Fleetwood.

Before all this, Peter Green had given away his guitar to a huge fan after a gig in Dublin. The fan was Gary Moore, which creates a link between Mayall and Thin Lizzy!

Eric Clapton also had played in a band called The Roosters, featuring a certain Tom McGuinness. McGuiness later would appear in Manfred Mann together with Cream/Mayall-bassist Jack Bruce.

There are several links between Mayall and The Beatles as well. Clapton would play on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and appear on several albums by George Harrison. Clapton also played with John Lennon and has lately appeared on stage together with Paul McCartney on quite a few occasions. More over, Clapton married George Harrison’s ex-wife.

When Hugie Flint, drummer in the Blues Breakers, left Mayall for Alexis Korner, Mayall brought in Keef Hartley. Hartley had replaced Ringo Starr in Rory Storm & The Hurricanes when Ringo decided that The Beatles probably had greater potential than his current band.

No matter of all this, Mayall did have success with his music and helped spread the blues to many people that probably never would have heard it before. He was in his 30’s when he decided to fully pursue the music and move from Manchester to London. He educated and brought wisdom to young people looking for something bigger and greater than themselves.
Now, that it was Alexis Korner who convinced him to give the music a fair chance, well, that’s another story.

Today John Mayall isn’t remembered as a very good musician or maybe not even as an important artist. Yet, if you look at the history of many British artists you will find a link to John Mayall and his Blues Breakers. He had an extraordinary way of finding young talents, polishing their roughness and guiding them into something bigger than they first were meant for.

By picking up the literally unknown guitarist Mick Taylor, Mayall eventually provided The Rolling Stones their finest guitarist when Taylor joined Mick Jagger and Keith Richards after the tragic death of Brian Jones. When Taylor left the Stones, he was replaced by Small Faces’ bass player Ron Wood. Which is interesting, as Ron Wood’s brother had played in the same band as Taylor.

Another Mayall guitarist, Peter Green, had played in a band together with Rod Stewart, the singer in Small Faces. Ron Wood and Rod Stewart also played together with Jeff Beck in The Jeff Beck Group. Beck, himself had replaced Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds when he walked out of the band to join John Mayall. To this we can also add that John Mayall drummer Aynsley Dunbar decided to leave Mayall’s band to join... That’s right, The Small Faces.

With Clapton still in his group, Mayall recorded a single called “I’m Your Witch Doctor” which was produced by Jimmy Page, another Yardbirds member and soon to be member of Led Zeppelin.