Happy Birthday — Mike Bloomfield
Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Electric Flag guitarist, Mike Bloomfield would have turned 66 today. His legendary fret work was featured on such albums as PBBB’s East-West, EF’s Long Time Runnin’ and Super Session with Al Kooper. Bloomfield died of a drug overdose in 1981.
Here’s a Mike, Muddy, Junior Wells and a whole slew of blues musicians.
Here’s a show featuring Paul Butterfield with aid from Mike. Click here.
Skip James — “Devil Got My Woman”
Born in Mississippi when the 20th century was but two years old, Nehemiah “Skip” James was a blues musician, share cropper, bootlegger and preacher. Recording songs in the late 20′s and into the 30′s, James disappeared from the blues/music scene and drifted in and out of music until he was discovered in a hospital by a group of blues enthusiasts that included Henry Vestine of Canned Heat in 1964. Skip would pick where he left off in the 30′s, recording for the Vanguard label. The new blues revival of the 60′s was good for sales and James found a new generation of fans, including Eric Clapton, Dion & Deep Purple amongst others. The song, “Devil Got My Woman” was featured prominently in the 2000 film Ghost World and is proof of James’ timeless legacy. Here he is performing the song in 1966:
Muddy Waters — Greenvale, NY (10/18/1977)
Instrumental, Muddy Intro, Blues Had A Baby And Called It Rock, Hoochie Koochie Man, Baby Please Don’t Go, Kansas City, Caldonia, Everything Gonna Be Alright, Got My Mojo Working
Rolling Stones with Eric Clapton — Little Red Rooster
One of the Stones’ great early blues covers. Written by Willie Dixon and recorded by Howlin’ Wolf, the Stones recorded and released it in 1964 and had quite the little blues/pop hit in Great Britain, reaching #3. Here are the Stones playing at Atlantic City in the late 80′s. Roughly in the same period when Mick stole Eric’s “bird”. Eric was apparently in love with Carla Bruni and she couldn’t resist Mick’s charms. Well she’s now married to the French president, Sarkozy. Funny how things happen, eh?
Willie Dixon — Back Door Man
With Stephen Stills on guitar and Norton Buffalo on harp:
And for good measure, here’s Mr. Mojo Risin’ with his cronies doing it too.
The Doors — Crawling King Snake
An old John Lee Hooker song, The Doors played this song early in their career together and then pulled it out, dusted it off and recorded it for their last album, L.A. Woman. This song showcases Mr. Mojo Risin’ at his bluesy best with snakey guitar wails from Robby Krieger and tasteful, swaggering drumming provided by John Densmore. This was recorded and broadcast for Australian television in 1971, not long before Morrison’s shocking and untimely death in Paris. While much of The Doors’ catalogue is overplayed on classic rock stations around the globe every day, this is one of their tracks that always sounds fresh to me. Hooker himself stated that he dug The Doors’ interpretation of his song. Have a listen:
Canned Heat — Playboy After Dark
Here’s one of the great overlooked bands of the 1960′s and 1970′s, Canned Heat. Comprised of Bob “The Bear” Hite, Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson (guitar), Larry “The Mole” Taylor, Fito de La Parra & Henry Vestine. The band suffered its first blow in 1970 when Alan Wilson commited suicide. Wilson was responsible for the unique tenor voice on the two of the band’s biggest hits, “On The Road Again” and “Up The Country”. The band played at the Newport Pop festival, Woodstock recorded several great albums including one with the blues great, John Lee Hooker entitled, Hooker-N-Heat. Lineup and personnel changes throughout the 1970′s typified life for Canned Heat, until “The Bear” died in 1981. Canned Heat still plays today, lacking its founding members, but still imploring those who come to see them, to not “forget to boogie”.
Here’s a bonus clip of Canned Heat at Woodstock:
Muddy Waters — Mannish Boy
“…now I’m a man. Way past 21. I want you to believe me, baby, I’m havin’ lots ‘o’ fun.”
