The Original Blues Brothers Live
Info
|
Label |
Magnum |
|
Released |
1995 |
|
Original year of release |
1983 |
|
Recorded |
1964 |
|
Total playing time |
42:32 |
|
Producer (compilation) |
? |
|
|
|
Buddy Guy |
Guitar, Vocals |
|
Fred Below |
Drums |
|
Gerry Gibson |
Sax (Tenor) |
|
Donald Hankins |
Sax (Baritone) |
|
Jack Myers |
Bass |
|
Junior Wells |
Harmonica, Vocals |
Tracks
written by |
playing time |
||
| 1. |
Buddy Guy |
4:41 |
|
| 2. |
? |
5:07 |
|
| 3. |
Peter Chatman |
5:04 |
|
| 4. |
? |
? |
|
| 5. |
? |
3:35 |
|
| 6. |
Mel London |
2:33 |
|
| 7. |
? |
3:03 |
|
| 8. |
? |
4:40 |
|
| 9. |
Junior Wells |
4:28 |
|
| 10. |
? |
6:12 |
Extra Info
Recorded live at the Chicago Blues Festival 1964.
Original Liner Notes:
The Original Blues Brothers? We wasn't called the Blues Brothers
but maybe we were."
A reflective Buddy Guy sat in his dressing room with Junior Wells ready to do their first set before a packed house of blues fans at Hollywood's famous Roxy on the Sunset Strip. It was a cool Thursday December night as 1982 was coming to an end.
Buddy had just listened to excerpts from this live recording made some 20 years earlier in Chicago. Although two decades had passed, you could immediately sense an inner satisfaction as he quietly listened; an umbilical cord had never been severed.
"Some of my greatest memories is in those days. Throughout all those years we never rehearsed anything. I don't know if this was a downfall to us but I do know they were some great musicians who always wanted to play behind Junior or me. We had all the freedom in the world to do what we wanted. Groups today - everyone wants to be the top man. But in those days when you called Jack Meyers, Fred Below, Don Hankins and Jerry Gibson no one wanted to solo. They were so concerned about makin' the band sound right! That made a lot of difference with the blues than it does today.'
Buddy Guy - a self-taught guitarist from Louisiana with deep roots in the 50's Southern blues scene - has appeared on over 100 albums, playing a lyrical and fierce 6-string and is an intense blues singer.
Junior Wells who replaced Little Walter in Muddy Water's band as the premiere blower of blues harmonica - has been playing and touring with Buddy for almost a quarter of a century.
But neither consider themselves from the "Chicago blues scene."
"I got off the train in Chicago with a guitar on my back," said Buddy. 'I'm from Louisiana, Junior's from Arkansas, Muddy Waters' from Mississippi , Howlin' Wolf from Mississippi, John Lee Hooker from somewhere in Mississippi ... now who's from the Chicago blues? I don't think Chicago produced a record but the South produced the blues."
Playing with the likes of Eric Clapton (who called Buddy the best guitar player in the world) and the Rolling Stones, Buddy's been with the biggest. But the experiences only seem to humble this blues giant who unfortunately has never had the recognition he so aptly deserves.
"I had the great honour of playin' with people like Sonny Boy Williams, Howlin'Wolf and Little Walter. With memories like that I'll leave here sayin' I may not have made it like I wanted to in the record business, but I made it to the guys that I learned off of and that's a great feeling that I have in my heart. The first time I saw Muddy Waters I said I don't need to play no more. I got a chance to talk with him."
Buddy sat back for a moment sipping his Rémy Martin, glanced for a moment over to Junior and pinched his lips together. 'I would like to see my face before it's too late flash across the tube maybe once a year and some discjockey mention my name two or three times a year so that at least somebody would know. I would just like the same damn chance that everybody else has. It's something about the blues that everybody's down on because it speaks the truth. The average blues singer's gonna tell you EXACTLY what's happenin'! The ones that are sayin', 'I don't want to hear no blues' cause it's talkin' about the past.' But the past to me was better than my future ... My dad used to work of 75c a day but he did a lot with it. I work for $175 a day and can't do as much with it. I mean if that's not the blues, what is it?"
Listen to Buddy Guy's past... and remember! - David Morris