From Humble Beginnings To World Domination - How The British Blues Boom Changed Music Forever
Part One - #40 to #16
by Stuart Penney
Ah, the British Blues Boom. 50 years after the event it’s sometimes casually (not to say cruelly) dismissed - mostly by those who weren’t around at the time - as little more than a short-lived folly whereby a bunch of sallow-faced white boys from the Surrey Delta misappropriated the music of black America. And while there may be a grain of truth in that assessment, it’s not the whole story by any means.
Lest we forget, the Blues Boom was a very big deal in late 60s Britain with huge selling albums by major bands appearing almost weekly. At its creative and commercial peak it became a vibrant sub-culture directly linking the beat and R&B craze of the early 60s with the stadium rock era of the 70s and beyond. Even the Beatles were not immune to its charms and in 1968 they jumped aboard the 12-bar bandwagon to record the quirky and semi satirical "Yer Blues" for their double "White Album."
The title of the Beatles' track was, in all probability, directly influenced by the TV character Alf Garnett who appeared in the hugely popular (but now somewhat problematic) BBC comedy series Til Death Us Do Part which aired in the UK between 1966 - 1975. Alf would often use "Yer" instead of "The" when in mid-rant.
Admittedly, some took it all a little too seriously, leading to affectionate spoofs such as the Bonzo Dog Band's "Can Blue Men Sing The Whites" (1968) and the Liverpool Scene with "I've Got Those Fleetwood Mac Chicken Shack John Mayall Can't Fail Blues" (1969). But at its best the Blues Boom was so much more than just endless guitar solos, hackneyed “woke up this morning” lyrics and the same old I-IV-V chord progressions.
Active from around 1965 to the early 70s, it evolved directly out of the trad jazz and R&B scene of the early 60s when bands such as the Rolling Stones, Manfred Mann and the Animals picked up on the music Alexis Korner, Chris Barber and others had been playing around the London clubs since the late 50s.
Korner’s band sounded authentic enough, if a little restrained compared to what came later. But with their short back and sides, cardigans and pipes they definitely looked like relics from a bygone age. The time was ripe for some sharp-dressed kids with good haircuts to get involved and take over the scene.
Enter the Stones, Yardbirds, Pretty Things, Graham Bond Organisation, John Mayall and the rest. OK, Mayall and Bond’s crew weren’t exactly matinée idols, I’ll grant you, but they had the look, the attitude and, more importantly, they appealed to a younger, hipper audience.
Playing the soul, R&B and mod clubs across the country these bands built up a loyal, passionate following. The frenetic rave-ups of the Yardbirds evolved into more sophisticated Chicago and Delta blues and out of that emerged an entirely new and exciting phenomenon - the guitar hero. Gunslingers such as Peter Green, Jeff Beck, Mick Taylor and Eric Clapton became akin to teen idols, each with their own fiercely partisan fan base who would follow them from gig to gig, congregating in front of the stage to cheer on their favourites. By 1967 the lead guitarist had all but eclipsed the singer as the focal point of what by then we were calling blues bands.
Like skiffle a decade earlier, the blues craze swept the country in the late 60s. But also like skiffle, blues was very easy to play badly. Virtually anyone with a guitar could knock out a 12-bar shuffle with a little practice. But it is very difficult to play the blues with any degree of skill, authenticity or originality, let alone make it sound like B.B. King. And so a hierarchy evolved, with the big-name virtuosos (usually guitarists) rising to the top and becoming famous rock stars with huge-selling records. Pretty soon these prodigies moved into prog, heavy rock and (sometimes) metal, leaving the purists and the also-rans to slog it out, as the remnants of the Blues Boom receded back into the pubs and clubs from whence it came. And when the scorched earth policy of Punk arrived in the mid-70s, it seemed almost as if the Blues Boom had never happened (although it would make several low-key comebacks in future years).
But it was great fun while it lasted, and it produced some wonderful, timeless music. Here are 40 of the best albums, cherry picked from the first wave of the Blues Boom in the 60s and early 70s, listed in some kind of order. You may disagree with the rankings (I would expect nothing less), but these are the records I grew up listening to and which I often tried to emulate (with varying degrees of success). Just as importantly, more than half a century later, most of them still sound pretty damn good to me.
40. Long John Baldry and the Hoochie Coochie Men - Long John’s Blues
United Artists UKP 1081
Recorded: 1964
Released: 1965
Cliff Barton: Bass guitar
Bill Law: Drums
Geoff Bradford: Guitar, harmonica
Ian Armit: Piano
Plus:
Producers: Ron Belchier, Martin Davis, Jack Good
Musically speaking it’s not the most exciting of albums, but it’s an important part of the Blues Boom jigsaw nevertheless, packed with songs which would soon become common currency for every long-haired, denim-clad group schlepping up and down the motorways of Britain in their Ford Transit vans. And let’s not forget, Baldry’s influence on the nascent homegrown blues scene was just as pivotal as his contemporaries John Mayall and Alexis Korner.
“I Got My Mojo Working”, “Dimples”, “Five Long Years”, “Goin’ Down Slow” and “Roll ‘em Pete” are delivered with conviction, and Baldry sings them well. The backing is a touch pedestrian in places, perhaps, but this was 1964, after all. The B.B.King cover “You’re Breaking My Heart”, featuring the great Geoff Bradford on guitar is as good as British blues sounded before the Gibson Les Pauls and Marshall amplifiers arrived.
Standout track: I Got My Mojo Working
Blues highlight: You’re Breaking My Heart
Blues boom score: 5/10
39. John Dummer Blues Band - Cabal
Mercury 20136 SMCL
Released: 1969
Keith Tillman: Bass
Thumper Thomson: Bass
John Dummer: Drums
Dave Kelly: Guitar, vocals
Jo-Anne Kelly: Guitar, vocals
T. S. Mcphee: Guitar, vocals
John O'Leary: Harmonica
Steve Miller: Piano
Plus:
Producer – Brian Shepard
Engineer – Dave Voyde
The John Dummer Band changed personnel with almost every album and their debut LP featured siblings Dave and Jo-Anne Kelly, Tony McPhee (on a break from the Groundhogs) and Steve Miller (no, not that one) who played piano on the first Free album.
There’s nothing sophisticated here, just some hugely enjoyable down-home country blues, of the kind Dave Kelly would later play with his 80s outfit, The Blues Band.
Record Collector Notes:
All the early John Dummer LPs are rare and original pressings now change hands for huge sums, to the point where counterfeit copies of Cabal have been reported
Standout track: Daddy Please Don’t Cry
Blues highlight: Young Fashioned Ways
Blues boom score: 5.1/10
38. Taste - Taste
Polydor 583 042
Released: April 1969
Rory Gallagher - Guitars, vocals
Richard McCracken - Bass guitar
John Wilson – Drums
Plus:
Producer: Tony Colton
This is the place where most of us first encountered the genius of Rory Gallagher. It was a solid debut with all tracks, apart from “Leaving Blues” (Leadbelly), “Sugar Mama” (traditional) and “I’m Moving On” (Hank Snow), penned by Rory himself. The guitar work is stunning, of course, but Rory was always better experienced live and the two concert albums Live Taste and Live At The Isle Of Wight, both released in 1971 after they had split up (see below) showcased the band at its formidable best.
Standout track: Born On The Wrong Side Of Time
Blues highlight: Sugar Mama
Blues boom score: 5.5/10
37. Killing Floor - Killing Floor
Spark SRLP 102
Released: 1969
Mick Clarke: Guitar
Bill Thorndycraft: Lead vocals, harp
Lou Martin: Keyboards
Bas Smith: Drums
Stuart Macdonald: Bass
Plus:
Producer: John Edward
Engineers: Dave Hunt, Howard Barrow
Liner Notes: Mike Raven
This is Blues Boom 101. You can almost smell the army greatcoats and loon pants. The band were named after the Skip James song "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" and the opening track of their debut LP was a cover of Willie Dixon’s “Woman You Need Love”, soon to be re-invented as “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin. The rest of the album contained original material, albeit performed in a generic Chicago blues style.
Although the big time eluded them, the South London outfit was recruited to back visiting US bluesman Freddie King on two UK nationwide tours, and they also worked with Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup. Their Spark label debut was followed a year later by the amusingly titled Out Of Uranus on Larry Page’s Penny Farthing label. Neither record sold well at the time, and original pressings now command huge prices.
Record Collector Notes:
Killing Floor was released in the US on the Sire label with a different sleeve
Standout track: Woman You Need Love
Blues highlight: Bedtime Blues
Blues boom score: 5.2/10
36. Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated - R&B From The Marquee
Ace Of Clubs ACL 1130
Recorded: June 8, 1962
Released: November 1962
Alexis Korner: Acoustic guitar
Cyril Davies: Vocals, harmonica
Dick Heckstall-Smith: Tenor saxophone, vocal chorus
Keith Scott: Piano
Spike Heatley:String bass
Graham Burbidge: Drums
Long John Baldry: Vocals
Teddy Wadmore: Bass guitar
Big Jim Sullivan: Vocal chorus
Plus:
Producer: Jack Good
Recording Engineer: Jack Clegg
The band members on the cover resemble middle-aged bank clerks with bad haircuts, and the music probably sounds a little vanilla to modern ears, especially compared to the fireworks which came just a few years later. But don’t let appearances fool you, the oldest record on this list is also one of the most important UK blues albums of all. And, despite an absence of guitar gymnastics, it all grooves along quite nicely with sterling performances from vocalist Long John Baldry and harmonica giant Cyril Davies.
Korner himself was no great shakes as a guitarist and his voice is an acquired taste, but he recognised talent when he saw it and some of the biggest names in 60s UK blues and rock passed through his many bands. Without Alexis it’s possible groups such as the Rolling Stones, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers or Free (all of which he mentored) would not have happened quite as they did.
This is the album that introduced timeless songs by Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Leroy Carr and Jimmy Witherspoon into the British blues lexicon and for that we should be eternally grateful to Alexis Korner.
Record Collector Notes:
Despite the title, this was not recorded at the Marquee club (then located at 165 Oxford Street) but at the Decca studios in West Hampstead
Standout track: I Got My Mojo Working
Blues highlight: How Long, How Long Blues
Blues boom score: 5.5/10
35. John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers - John Mayall Plays John Mayall
Decca LK 4680
Recorded: December 7, 1964
Released: March 25, 1965
John Mayall: Vocals, harmonica, organ, 9 string guitar
Roger Dean: Guitar
John McVie: Bass guitar
Hughie Flint: Drums
Plus:
Nigel Stanger: Tenor saxophone, slide saxophone
Producer: Tony Clarke
With its high energy performances and clipped, formal song introductions, some of them well past their use-by date even in 1965 (“this one’s dedicated to all the fine chicks that are out front” leers Mayall before launching into “I Need Your Love”), this album is a hangover from the early 60s R&B era as well as a precursor of the Blues Boom. The Bluesbreakers wore matching suits at the time and Mayall’s short haircut, as seen on the cover photo, is a world away from the fringed buckskin, wild man of the woods image he would cultivate just a couple of years later.
The guitar sound also makes a huge difference here. While Roger Dean admittedly makes a decent fist of things, his polite, clean tones lack the Les Paul crunch which the holy trinity of Clapton, Green and Taylor would bring to Mayall’s later albums.
Recorded live at Klook’s Kleek, Hampstead towards the end of 1964, all but one of the 12 tracks on the original LP were penned by John Mayall himself, a shrewd move when others were plundering the Chicago blues songbook for their material. Some original songs, such as “Crocodile Walk” and “Crawling Up A Hill”, became fixtures of Mayall’s live set and would crop up in later Bluesbreakers’ line-ups while others, such as the medley featuring a cover of Little Richard’s “Lucille” came and went quickly. Just as well judging by this performance, as Mayall seemingly learned the song directly from the Little Richard record and made a wild guess at some of the lyrics.
A vitally important, if slightly pedestrian, debut album from the man who kickstarted the entire movement and who would soon be dubbed the Godfather of British Blues. Mayall would shortly hire a new guitarist by the name of Eric and together with the rhythm section of John McVie and Hughie Flint, the Bluesbreakers would produce something rather better next time out.
Record Collector Notes:
The 2006 CD reissue contained five bonus studio tracks including both sides of Mayall’s first two singles “Crocodile Walk” and “Crawling Up A Hill”, plus the outtake “My Baby Is Sweeter” which had already appeared on the 1971 compilation Thru The Years
After the album failed to sell, Mayall was briefly dropped by the Decca label. See below (#1) for the full story
Standout track: Crawling Up A Hill
Blues highlight: I Need Your Love
Blues boom score: 5.6/10
34. Savoy Brown Blues Band - Shake Down
Decca LK 4883 (mono) / SKL 4883 (stereo)
Released: September 1967
Brice Portius: Vocals
Kim Simmonds: Lead and rhythm guitar
Martin Stone: Lead and rhythm guitar
Ray Chappell: Bass
Leo Mannings: Drums, percussion
Bob Hall: Piano
Plus:
Producer: Mike Vernon
Recording Engineer: Gus Dudgeon
Arriving comparatively early in the Blues Boom era and consisting almost entirely of well-worn favourites made famous by Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Freddie King, B.B. King and the like, the debut Savoy Brown album didn’t exactly set the world on fire. But it was a solid, meat and potatoes representation of UK white boy blues at that time. Kim Simmonds exceled on guitar, as always, and the album is worth owning for that reason alone.
Record Collector Notes:
Despite Savoy Brown’s later success in America, Shake Down didn’t receive a US release until the CD era
The band was billed as the Savoy Brown Blues Band for this debut album only
Standout track: Let Me Love You Baby
Blues highlight: It’s My Own Fault
Blues boom score: 5.7/10
33. Taste - On The Boards
Polydor 583 083
Released: January 1970
Rory Gallagher - Guitars, vocals, alto-sax, harmonica
Richard McCracken - Bass guitar
John Wilson – Drums
Plus:
Producer: Tony Colton
Their second and final studio album showed Taste weren’t just another bunch of generic 12-bar merchants. There’s something here for everyone: heavy rock (“What’s Going On”), jazz rock (“It’s Happened Before, It’ll Happen Again”), a folk ballad (“If The Day Was Any Longer”), boogie (“Morning Sun”) and blues prog (“On The Boards”). All tracks were written by Rory Gallagher this time, pointing the way to his impending solo career.
Standout track: What’s Going On
Blues highlight: Morning Sun
Blues boom score: 5.8/10
32. Bakerloo - Bakerloo
Harvest SHVL 762
Released: November 1969
Dave 'Clem' Clempson: Guitar, harmonica, harpsichord, piano
Terry Poole: Bass Guitar
Keith Baker: Drums
Plus:
Gerry Salisbury: Trumpet
Producer: Gus Dudgeon
Sound Engineer: Barry Sheffield
Despite taking their name from a London Underground line, Bakerloo hailed from the Midlands area and started life as Bakerloo Blues Line in the Birmingham clubs alongside the embryonic Black Sabbath.
This was their only release, but it’s an important and often overlooked album, incorporating blues, prog, jazz and heavy rock. Aside from a cover of Willie Dixon’s “Bring It On Home” and the Baroque-inspired “Drivin’ Bachwards” (a rocked-up arrangement of Bach’s “Bourrée in E minor”, recorded before Jethro Tull released the same piece on Stand Up) everything was written by Clem Clempson and Terry Poole.
The epic final track “Son of Moonshine” incorporates snatches of blues boom staple “Cat’s Squirrel” (as recorded by Cream and Tull) alongside prog and heavy rock elements. Their early live repertoire included a version of “Eleanor Rigby”, but this didn’t make it to the album.
Clempson is a great guitarist who moved on to bigger things with Colosseum, Humble Pie and the Jack Bruce Band, while Poole and Baker formed Vertigo band May Blitz and individually worked with Graham Bond, Vinegar Joe, Supertramp and Uriah Heep.
Record Collector Notes:
A 2000 Repertoire CD reissue added the single B-side "Once Upon a Time" and an alternate take of "This Worried Feeling” as bonus tracks
Standout track: Son of Moonshine
Blues highlight: This Worried Feeling
Blues boom score: 5.9/10
31. Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation - Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation
Liberty LBL 83154 (mono) / LBS 83154 (stereo)
Released: 1968
Victor Brox: Vocals, guitar, keyboard, horns
John Morshead: Guitar, vocals
Alex Dmochowski: Bass
Aynsley Dunbar: Drums
Plus:
Producer: Ian Samwell
Sound Engineer: Victor Gamm
The number of bands formed by ex-Bluesbreakers members could fill a book or, at the very least, a couple of Pete Frame’s wonderfully convoluted family trees. Aynsley Dunbar’s CV is particularly impressive, putting the drummer right up there with Mayall’s famous guitar slingers. In just six years between 1964 and 1970 he played and recorded with the Mojos, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, the Jeff Beck Group and Frank Zappa before forging a brief solo career and moving on to work with David Bowie, Journey, Jefferson Starship and countless other big names in the 70s. It almost goes without saying, there is a lot of mightily impressive drumming on this record.
Dunbar was fired from the Bluesbreakers in early 1967 for being “too jazzy” and was briefly replaced by Micky Waller. But he couldn’t resist a farewell dig at Mayall, naming his new band the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation. Their differences were evidently soon forgotten however, since Mayall went on to produce the Retaliation’s 1969 third album To Mum, From Aynsley & The Boys.
As for the rest of the Retaliation, John Moorshead is one of the great unsung lead guitarists of the era and Victor Brox has a voice the equal of virtually anyone in UK blues. Bassist Alex Dmochowski went on to record with many big names, including Peter Green and Frank Zappa.
Apart from “See See Baby” (credited to Ma Rainey but based on the Freddie King arrangement) and Percy Mayfield’s “Memory Pain”, all songs on this debut album are attributed to one or more band members, despite being very much in the traditional Blues Boom style.
Opening track “Watch N’ Chain” is virtually a re-tread of Donovan’s 1965 song “Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)” which in turn was closely based on Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy’s 1930 recording of “Can I Do It For You”.
Record Collector Notes:
Producer Ian Samwell started out as a songwriter, penning Cliff Richard’s 1958 debut single “Move It”, before moving into production with the Small Faces and others
Standout track: See See Baby
Blues highlight: My Whiskey Head Woman
Blues boom score: 6/10
30. Black Cat Bones - Barbed Wire Sandwich
Decca Nova SDN 15
Released: November 1969
Rod Price: Lead guitar
Brian Short: Vocals
Derek Brooks: Guitar
Stu Brooks: Bass
Phil Lenoir: Drums
Plus:
Producer: David Hitchcock
Yes, Black Cat Bones once boasted Paul Kossoff and Simon Kirke in the line-up, but both had left to form Free by the time their only LP was recorded. Rod Price (later with Foghat) proved an able replacement for Koss and it’s a solid, well recorded album. But the generic vocals and a handful of plodding songs bring the score down a notch.
The front cover photography came via the great David Wedgbury, erstwhile art director at Decca. He was responsible for countless classic record sleeves in the 60s and 70s including a certain “Beano Album”, of which we’ll be hearing a great deal more later. Several personnel changes also saw future Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Weston pass briefly through the Black Cat Bones ranks. As is often the way of things, poor sales on release mean that original 1969 Decca Nova pressings of Barbed Wire Sandwich now sell for crazy money.
Standout track: Save My Love
Blues highlight: Death Valley Blues
Blues boom score: 6.1/10
29. Love Sculpture - Blues Helping
Parlophone PMC 7059 (mono) / PCS 7059 (stereo)
Released: October 1968
Dave Edmunds: Guitar, organ, piano, lead vocals
John Williams: Bass guitar, piano, vocals
Bob ''Congo'' Jones: Drums, vocals
Plus:
Liner Notes: Malcolm Jones
Sleeve design: Hipgnosis
Hard to believe now, but in late 1968 Dave Edmunds threw his hat into the Blues Boom ring. The debut album by Welsh trio Love Sculpture was the real deal, featuring songs by Freddie King (“The Stumble”), Willie Dixon (“Wang Dang Doodle”), Slim Harpo (“Shake Your Hips”) and other familiar names. Naturally there was a surfeit of full-fat lead guitar work from the always dependable Edmunds.
It didn’t last, however, and within a year Love Sculpture had bowed out with their second and final album Forms and Feelings which contained not a trace of blues amid its prog/psych workouts (notably a positively exhausting 11-minute marathon version of their 1968 hit single “Sabre Dance”).
Record Collector Notes:
The 2007 CD of Blues Helping contained four bonus tracks: both sides of a non-album 45 “River To Another Day” / “Brand New Woman” and a rare single by Edmunds’ pre-Love Sculpture band The Human Beans “Morning Dew (Take Me For A Walk)” / “It’s A Wonder”
In North America Blues Helping appeared on the Rare Earth label with a completely different sleeve design. While Canadian pressings stuck with a conventional square cover, the US version went for an unusual, rounded design on the top half
Standout track: The Stumble
Blues highlight: 3 O’Clock Blues
Blues boom score: 6.2/10
28. Taste - Live Taste
Polydor 2310 082
Recorded: August 31, 1970
Released: February 1971
Rory Gallagher: Guitar, vocals
Ritchie McCracken: Bass guitar
John Wilson: Drums
Taste were always better experienced live, and the first of two concert LPs released in 1971 shows them at their explosive onstage best. Recorded in August 1970 at the famous (if ill-fated) Montreux Casino in Switzerland, it features piledriver versions of “Sugar Mama” and Big Bill Broonzy’s “Feel So Good” (the latter split over both sides of the LP). But “Catfish” is the showstopper here with some incredible guitar from Rory on the traditional slow blues.
Record Collector Notes:
The second Taste LP also released in 1971 was Live At The Isle of Wight (Polydor 2383 120) recorded a year earlier. Both live albums were issued after the band had split up and Rory had gone solo
Standout track: Sugar Mama
Blues highlight: Catfish
Blues boom score: 6.3/10
27. Savoy Brown - Blue Matter
Decca LK 4994 (mono) / SKL 4994 (stereo)
Released: April 1969
Chris Youlden: Lead vocal, guitar, piano
Kim Simmonds: Lead guitar, harmonica, piano
"Lonesome" Dave Peverett: Rhythm guitar, lead vocals
Tone Stevens: Bass
Rivers Jobe: Bass
Roger Earl: Drums, percussion
Bob Hall: Piano
Plus:
Terry Flannery, Keith Martin, Alan Moore, Brian Perrin, Derek Wadsworth: Trombones
Mike Vernon: Percussion
Producer: Mike Vernon
Recording Engineer: Roy Thomas Baker
Savoy Brown probably peaked with their third album Blue Matter which consists of studio material and live tracks recorded at The City of Leicester College of Education in December 1968. Vocals were shared between Chris Youlden (studio) and “Lonesome” Dave Peverett (live).
Their early albums may sound a little pedestrian to modern ears, but Savoy Brown were stalwarts of the British R&B scene and one of Decca’s most popular blues bands of the era, releasing almost a dozen albums on the label and enjoying success in America.
In 1970 several members split to form Foghat, leaving guitarist and founder Kim Simmonds to soldier on with a variety of line-ups. At one time the entire Chicken Shack rhythm section was drafted into Savoy Brown and in 1974 Shack guitarist Stan Webb completed the picture when he played on their Boogie Brothers album alongside Simmonds and Miller Anderson, late of the Keef Hartley Band.
Record Collector Notes:
In November 1968, the two opening tracks on Blue Matter were released as a single “Train To Nowhere” / “Tolling Bells” (Decca F12843)
The US Parrot label pressing of Blue Matter came in an impressive heavy duty gatefold sleeve with several extra photos not found on the UK Decca version
Standout track: Train To Nowhere
Blues highlight: May Be Wrong
Blues boom score: 6.4/10
26. Ten Years After - Ten Years After
Deram DML 1015 (mono) / SML 1015 (stereo)
Released: October 27, 1967
Alvin Lee: Guitar, vocals
Leo Lyons: Bass
Chick Churchill: Keyboards
Ric Lee: Drums
Plus:
Producer: Mike Vernon and Gus Dudgeon
Recording Engineer: Gus Dudgeon
Sleeve Notes: John C. Gee - Manager of the Marquee Club
The debut TYA album met the Blues Boom head-on with covers of classics by Willie Dixon (“Spoonful”), Sonny Boy Williamson (“Help Me”) and Blind Willie Johnson (“I Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes” - credited here to Al Kooper). Like so many records on this list Ten Years After was recorded at the Decca studios in West Hampstead and produced by the mighty Mike Vernon.
The opening track on side one “I Want To Know” is something of a curio. Credited to “S. McLeod”, this is thought to be a pseudonym for Manfred Mann front man Paul Jones, writing under his wife’s name Shirley McLeod. The song first appeared on the 1966 Elektra compilation album What’s Shakin’ performed by Eric Clapton’s all-star band the Powerhouse, whose line-up included Jack Bruce, Steve Winwood and Pete York, plus Paul Jones on harmonica.
Record Collector Notes:
A 2002 CD reissue featured six bonus tracks, including a studio version of Woody Herman’s “At The Woodchopper’s Ball” a live version of which would feature so prominently on the next TYA album Undead
Standout track: I Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes
Blues highlight: Spoonful
Blues boom score: 6.5/10
25. Duster Bennett - Smiling Like I’m Happy
Blue Horizon 7-63208 (mono) / S7-63208 (stereo)
Recorded: July-September 1968
Released: November 1968
Duster Bennett: Vocals, harmonica, guitar, bass drum, hi-hat cymbal
Stella Sutton: Vocals
Peter Green: Guitar
Mick Fleetwood: Drums
Ham Richmond: Piano
Plus:
Producer: Mike Vernon
Even if Anthony “Duster” Bennett had only ever written and recorded one song, his immortality would be assured, thanks to “Jumping At Shadows”. This tremendous eight-bar blues shuffle with its unusual chord changes is a gilt-edged Blues Boom classic which was even adopted by Fleetwood Mac in their late 60s live set.
Bennett was basically a one-man band, which is how he performed in concert, playing a gold top Gibson Les Paul (a gift from Peter Green), harmonica and assorted percussion. In the studio, however, he was sometimes backed by Green and other Fleetwood Mac members, making the albums he recorded for Blue Horizon hugely collectable today. Duster sadly died in a car crash in 1976. He was aged just 29.
Record Collector Notes:
The album title Smiling Like I’m Happy is taken from a line in the song “Life Is A Dirty Deal”
Pianist “Ham Richmond” is an alias for producer Mike Vernon. The name is an amalgam of two of the most blues-related suburbs in south west London
Standout track: Jumping At Shadows
Blues highlight: Life Is A Dirty Deal
Blues boom score: 6.6/10
24. The Groundhogs - Blues Obituary
Liberty LBS 83253
Recorded: June 1969
Released: September 1969
Tony (T.S.) McPhee: Vocals, guitars
Peter Cruickshank: Bass
Ken Pustelnik: Drums
Plus:
Producer: Tony (T.S.) McPhee
Recording Engineers: Colin Caldwell, Gery Collins
The second Groundhogs album was not their most successful. Indeed, they would soon score a trio of big-selling UK top ten LPs with their next three releases Thank Christ For The Bomb, Split and Who Will Save The World? But Blues Obituary fits the bill perfectly here.
With every track written and arranged by guitarist Tony McPhee, this album showcases the band at their Blues Boom finest. This is the Groundhogs as you might have heard them at your local blues club or university students’ union gig in 1969. I’m not sure they ever sounded better than they do here.
Standout track: Mistreated
Blues highlight: Natchez Burning
Blues boom score: 6.7/10
23. Fleetwood Mac - Blues Jam At Chess
Blue Horizon S 7-66227
Released: December 1969
Peter Green: Guitar, vocals
Jeremy Spencer: Guitar, vocals
Danny Kirwan: Guitar, vocals
John McVie: Bass
Mick Fleetwood: Drums
Plus:
Otis Spann: Piano, vocals
Willie Dixon: Upright bass
Walter "Shakey" Horton: Harmonica, vocals
J. T. Brown: Tenor saxophone, vocals
Buddy Guy: Guitar
David "Honeyboy" Edwards: Guitar, vocals
S.P. Leary: Drums
Producer: Mike Vernon, Marshall Chess
Sound Engineer: Stu Black
This double LP (one of only two in this list) goes under many titles with varying track listings and cover artwork. In America and parts of Europe it appeared as both Blues Jam In Chicago and Fleetwood Mac In Chicago. The original UK release was called Blues Jam At Chess, however, so that’s the name we’ll use here.
It was recorded in January 1969 at, as the title suggests, the famous Chess studios in Chicago with a host of famous US blues musicians. It was an interesting concept: white boy disciples meet the genuine article in the birthplace of Chicago blues. But, by the time the record arrived in the shops almost a year later, Fleetwood Mac had already departed Blue Horizon for the Reprise label and the next level of rock stardom.
The assembled US musicians appear to be having a whale of a time working with the young English upstarts, which was the entire point of the exercise. But this was the Peter Green Show all the way and he never sounded better than on the tracks “Watch Out”, “Homework” and the fearsome “Sugar Mama.” Danny Kirwan also excels on the Jimmy Rogers song “World’s In A Tangle”.
Record Collector Notes:
In 1969 the double LP sold for the budget price of 43s/9d which converts to £2.19 in decimal currency
Standout track: Sugar Mama
Blues highlight: Watch Out
Blues boom score: 6.8/10
22. John Mayall - The Blues Alone
Ace of Clubs ACL 1243 (mono) / SCL 1243 (stereo)
Released: November 1967
John Mayall: Vocals, guitars, harmonica, keyboards, celeste, drums (tracks 1 and 5)
Keef Hartley: Drums (all tracks except 1 and 5)
Plus:
Producer: Mike Vernon and John Mayall
Recording Engineer: Gus Dudgeon and Dave Grinstead
Sleeve Notes: John Peel
John Mayall’s fifth album was an almost totally solo effort with Mayall singing and playing all instruments, with a little help from Keef Hartley who contributed drums on eight tracks.
Without a star guitarist on board Decca seemingly didn’t share Mayall’s enthusiasm for what appeared to be a vanity project and The Blues Alone was relegated to their budget Ace of Clubs label instead of appearing on the usual full-price Decca imprint. On the week of release in November 1967 the LP was advertised at 20s/9½d (£1.04p), around 10 shillings (50p) cheaper than a full-price release.
Seemingly recorded in a single day on May 1, 1967, at Decca’s West Hampstead studios, the album has aged well and despite the lack of guitar histrionics it holds up alongside much of Mayall’s Decca catalogue. A 2006 CD reissue added early versions of "Brand New Start" and "Marsha's Mood" as bonus tracks.
Record collector notes:
Deliberately named to combat the emergent record clubs, Decca used the Ace of Clubs offshoot to release British recordings usually (but not always, as in this case) taken from their back catalogue, while sister label Ace of Hearts did the same for material recorded in America. Both labels were active from the late 50s to around 1975.
In the Netherlands and France, The Blues Alone appeared with a different sleeve photo, shown above.
Standout track: Sonny Boy Blow
Blues highlight: Broken Wings
Blues Boom score: 6.9/10
21. Chicken Shack - 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready To Serve
Blue Horizon 7-63203 (mono) / S 7-63203 (stereo)
Released: June 1968
Stan Webb: Vocals, guitar
Christine Perfect: Vocal, piano, organ
Andy Silvester: Bass
Dave Bidwell: Drums
Plus:
Dick Heckstall-Smith: Tenor saxophone
Johnny Almond: Alto saxophone (solo on “See See Baby”)
Alan Ellis: Trumpet
Producer: Mike Vernon
Recording Engineer: Mike Ross
British blues was at its peak in mid-1968 with records regularly selling well enough to enter the UK albums chart. Recorded at the CBS Studios in Theobalds Road, London, the debut Chicken Shack LP peaked at #12, not bad for an album containing six blues covers (including three by Freddie King) and four band originals written in very much the same style.
With their flamboyant lead guitarist and sultry girl keyboard player, Chicken Shack would have been hot property on almost any other label. But at Blue Horizon they were destined to forever live in the shadow of Fleetwood Mac.
Even so, guitarist Stan Webb was a great showman and the obvious focal point of the band. Starting at the Bath Festival of Blues in 1969, he began using a 200-foot (60m) guitar lead, enabling him to walk out into the crowd mid-solo. Wireless guitar leads would eventually make Webb’s party piece somewhat less impressive (if not entirely redundant), but that innovation was still some years away at the time. As for Christine Perfect: after one more LP with Chicken Shack she married John McVie and, following a brief solo career, moved over to join Fleetwood Mac. And we all know what happened next.
Blue Horizon may have been what we would now call a roots label, but Mike Vernon’s small company consistently boasted wonderful sleeve designs very much in line with the current rock zeitgeist and 40 Blue Fingers, (just the fourth LP release on the label) was no exception. Sleeve photographer Robert Dowling also worked on albums for Pentangle and Pink Floyd, as well as other Blue Horizon releases.
Record Collector Notes:
In the New Musical Express Awards for the best British LP sleeves of 1968, this album came second in the pop category, runner-up to Ars Longa Vita Brevis by The Nice
Standout Track: Lonesome Whistle Blues
Blues highlight: First Time I Met The Blues
Blues boom score: 7/10
20. Fleetwood Mac - The Original Fleetwood Mac
CBS S 63875
Released: May 1971
Peter Green: Vocals, guitar, harmonica
Jeremy Spencer: Vocals, slide guitar
John McVie: Bass guitar
Mick Fleetwood: Drums
Danny Kirwan: Vocals, guitar
Bob Brunning: Bass guitar
Plus:
Producer: Mike Vernon
Comprising mostly previously unissued Blue Horizon material deemed not worthy of release at the time, this turned out to be one of the best Fleetwood Mac albums of all (despite the unimaginative title). Recorded between August 1967 and October 1968 it didn’t see the light of day until mid-1971, by which time Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer were gone and Mac was a very different band indeed.
As usual it’s Green who steals the show with tracks such as “Drifting”, “Watch Out” and “A Fool No More” but look out for the 1999 expanded version from The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967-1969 CD box set. This contains seven bonus tracks, some of them early versions of the Danny Kirwan songs which later appeared on the final Fleetwood Mac LP with Peter Green Then Play On.
Record Collector Notes:
In 2000 the album was reissued with four extra tracks, then in 2004 the version from the Blue Horizon box set became available separately with seven (different) extra tracks (but this did not include the four extra tracks from the 2000 re-release)
By 1971 Blue Horizon had changed UK distributors from CBS to Polydor. Hence, this compilation of earlier BH material was released on the CBS label
Standout track: Drifting
Blues highlight: A Fool No More
Blues boom score: 7.1/10
19. John Mayall - Blues From Laurel Canyon
Decca LK 4972 (mono) / SLK 4972 (stereo)
Released: November 1968
John Mayall: guitar, harmonica, keyboards, vocals
Mick Taylor: guitar, pedal steel guitar
Colin Allen: drums
Steve Thompson: bass
Plus:
Peter Green: guitar on "First Time Alone"
Producer: Mike Vernon, John Mayall
Recording Engineer: Derek Varnals
“Blues from Laurel Canyon is an outsider’s musical impression of Los Angeles” reads the sleeve inscription.
All tracks were written by Mayall this time but despite the title and the array of cover photos showing John communing with nature out in the desert, the album was, inevitably, recorded at the Decca studios in West Hampstead, as usual. Mayall would re-locate to LA a year later however and the songs here were inspired by an earlier visit to California as referenced in the sleeve notes and opening track “Vacation.”
During the LA visit he stayed at Frank Zappa’s house at 2401 Laurel Canyon Boulevard and the track “2401” namechecks Frank, his wife Gail, daughter Moon and various members of the musical collective (and erstwhile groupies) the GTOs who doubled as home help for Zappa. Canned Heat were also referenced in “The Bear” and singer Bob Hite’s collection of blues 78s (estimated to number over 15,000) is mentioned in the lyrics.
Mick Taylor excels on guitar as always, with “2401” and the nine minute “Fly Tomorrow” deserving special praise.
After Mayall left the label, Decca released two excellent LPs of singles, B-sides and outtakes featuring Bluesbreakers material recorded with Clapton, Green and Taylor. Both are essential.
Looking Back (Decca LK 5010 (mono) / SKL 5010 (stereo) 1969
Thru The Years (Decca SKL 5086) 1971
Record Collector Notes:
“The Bear” / “2401” was issued as a Decca single in November 1968
The 2007 CD re-issue contained two bonus tracks: a single edit of “2401” and the live “Wish You Were Here”
Later pressings of the LP used a totally different back cover photograph. Although it was a better picture, it only served to make the track titles harder to read against the foliage. The 2007 CD release reverted to the original back cover photo
As with Crusade (see #16), the liner notes show the key for each song
Standout track: Walking On Sunset
Blues highlight: Long Gone Midnight
Blues boom score: 7.2/10
18. Keef Hartley Band - The Battle Of North West Six
Deram DML 1054 (mono) / SML 1054 (stereo)
Released: October 1969
Keef Hartley: Drums, percussion
Miller Anderson: Vocals, guitars
Henry Lowther: Trumpet, flugelhorn, violin, brass arrangements
Jim Jewell: Tenor saxophone
Gary Thain: Bass guitar
Spit James: Guitar
Plus:
Mick Weaver: Organ, piano, percussion
Mike Davis: Trumpet
Harry Beckett: Trumpet, flugelhorn
Lyn Dobson: Tenor saxophone, flute
Chris Mercer: Tenor saxophone
Barbara Thompson: Baritone saxophone, flute
Ray Warleigh: Flute
Mick Taylor: Guitar
Producer: Neil Slaven
Recording Engineer: Derek Varnals
By the time he was famously fired from the Bluesbreakers by John Mayall (an act hilariously recreated on “Sacked”, the opening track of his 1969 first solo LP Halfbreed) Keef Harley had a CV the envy of any drummer in the land.
Starting out as Ringo’s replacement in Liverpool band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Hartley went on to play and record with the Artwoods, alongside Ron Wood’s brother Art and future Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord. From there he joined Mayall’s Bluesbreakers for the 1967/68 albums Crusade, The Blues Alone and Diary of A Band Volumes 1 & 2, then, in 1969, he formed the Keef Hartley Band releasing six albums for Deram, plus a seventh under his own name.
The Battle Of North West Six is the second KHB album and many believe it’s their strongest. Miller Anderson is no guitar hero, but he’s no slouch either and while very much of the period, his playing is powerful and supremely tasteful throughout.
The big band brass section, comprising mostly Bluesbreakers alumni, fills out the sound beautifully, lifting the band well above the meat and potatoes Blues Boom level. Hartley had already recorded the 1967 Little Joe Blue song “Me and My Woman” with Mayall on Crusade, so it was a surprise inclusion. But it’s a great blues standard nevertheless and a highlight here. Mick Taylor, then newly signed to the Rolling Stones, guests on the jazz/prog final track “Believe In You” although you’d never guess it was him from this somewhat anonymous performance.
In August 1969 the Keef Hartley Band appeared at the Woodstock festival, for which they were paid the princely sum of US$500 (which translates to around U$3,800 in 2022). They are one of the few Woodstock acts whose set has never been officially released.
Record collector notes:
Showing portraits of the band over a map of London with the postal districts and suburbs identified, this LP has one of the best gatefold sleeves of the entire era, designed by Keef Hartley himself
The album title The Battle of North West Six refers to the Decca studios at 165 Broadhurst Gardens, West Hampstead, London NW6 where this and so many other records in this list were recorded
Standout track: Don’t Be Afraid
Blues highlight: Me and My Woman
Blues boom score: 7.3/10
17. Various Artists - Raw Blues
Ace of Clubs ACL 1220 (mono) / SCL 1220 (stereo)
Released: January 1967
Champion Jack Dupree: Piano, vocals
Alexis Korner: Guitar
Aynsley Dunbar: Drums
John Mayall: Guitar, harmonica, piano, vocals
Peter Green: Guitar, vocals
Eric Clapton: Guitar, vocals
Curtis Jones: Piano, vocals
Eddie Taylor: Drums
Otis Spann: Piano, vocals
Steve Anglo: Organ
Tony McPhee: Guitar
Jack Fallon: Bass
Keef Hartley: Drums
Malcolm Pool: Bass
Ransom Knowling: Bass
John McVie: Bass
Little Willie Smith:Drums
Plus:
Producer: Mike Vernon
Liner notes: Mike Vernon
Retailing at just 20s/10d (£1.04) it may have been a mid-price compilation on Decca’s budget Ace of Clubs subsidiary, but Raw Blues is an important part of the Blues Boom jigsaw with many tracks rare or unavailable elsewhere at the time of release.
In the early to mid 60s, producer Mike Vernon brought several visiting US blues giants into Decca’s West Hampstead studios where he recorded them with British sidemen. So, here we have the likes of Otis Spann and Champion Jack Dupree backed, variously, by John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Tony McPhee and Keef Hartley on material recorded between 1963-66.
Before his Blue Horizon label achieved success with national distribution in 1968, Vernon issued a handful of extremely limited-edition singles on his own tiny labels such as Purdah and Outasite. Both sides of the rare 1966 Purdah single “Lonely Years”/“Bernard Jenkins” by John Mayall and Eric Clapton appear here.
Peter Green had recently joined Mayall’s Bluesbreakers when this LP was compiled, and he delivers a tremendous vocal and guitar performance on the (then) otherwise unavailable “Evil Woman Blues”. Steve Winwood, then still firmly tied to the Spencer Davis Group, appears as “Steve Anglo” on “Long Night”, backed by John Mayall, John McVie and Aynsley Dunbar from the Bluesbreakers.
Record Collector Notes:
The Eric Clapton and Peter Green tracks are now freely available as bonus material with various John Mayall CDs, while the Raw Blues album itself was re-issued on CD in 1987
The sleeve picture of John Mayall and Eric Clapton was taken by David Wedgbury at the same photo session which produced the famous “Beano Album” cover – note Eric’s fur coat and orange & black hooped matelot shirt
Standout track: Lonely Years
Blues highlight: Evil Woman Blues
Blues boom score: 7.4/10
16. John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers - Crusade
Decca LK 4890 (mono) / SLK 4890 (stereo)
Released: September 1, 1967
John Mayall: Vocals, organ, piano, harmonica, bottleneck guitar
Mick Taylor: Guitar
John McVie: Bass guitar
Keef Hartley: Drums
Chris Mercer: Tenor saxophone
Rip Kant: Baritone saxophone
Plus:
Producer: Mike Vernon
Recording Engineer: Gus Dudgeon
With the possible exception of the poorly recorded two volume Diary Of A Band live albums, all of John Mayall’s Decca LPs are certified Blues Boom classics and Crusade is up there with the best of them, selling well enough to reach the UK top ten in late 1967. Mayall’s band was a finishing school for some of the most celebrated British rock musicians of the era and the fourth Bluesbreakers album saw the 18-year-old Mick Taylor taking over guitar hero duties from Peter Green.
The material is divided equally between blues standards (“Oh, Pretty Woman”, “My Time After a While”, “I Can’t Quit You Baby”) and top-drawer original songs (“Stand Back Baby”, “Tears In My Eyes”, “The Death Of J.B. Lenoir”). There’s scarcely a weak track among them and Taylor shines on the instrumentals “Snowy Wood” and Freddie King’s “Driving Sideways”.
Record Collector Notes:
The 2007 CD re-issue contained 10 bonus tracks, comprising the A&B sides of three singles, plus four studio outtakes
In 1973 this LP was released by mail order in Australia via the budget World Record Club label with a new (and frankly terrible) sleeve design
For the budding blues musicians wishing to play along at home, the liner notes on the original vinyl LP showed the key for each song
Standout track: Oh, Pretty Woman
Blues highlight: My Time After a While
Blues boom score: 7.5/10
Coming Soon: Part Two - #15 to #1 (January 1st. 2022)
