Albert King was an intense performer, and his sound, loaded with bent and crying notes, was among the meanest produced by any bluesman. Albert's nickname was "The Velvet Bulldozer" due to both his size – Albert was six-foot-four and 330lbs – his smooth singing style that had a passionate and steady vibrato to it.
Born on April 25, 1923, in Indianola, Mississippi, he did farm work as a child. His first experiences with music were in the church, and he spent the 1940s doing manual labor and occasionally singing in a family gospel group.
In the early 1950s, Albert moved north looking for work. In Gary, Indiana, he played drums for Jimmy Reed, who was starting his own career. In 1953, at the suggestion of Muddy Waters, he made his first recordings, for the Parrot label. Those recordings made Albert a major figure in postwar American music.
In
the mid-1950's he moved to St. Louis, where a flourishing blues scene
nurtured Chuck Berry and Ike Turner. There, he put together one of his
best bands and became a major figure on the blues circuit, playing
exclusively for black audiences.
His
career took a radical turn in 1966, when he was signed by the
Memphis-based Stax Records label. Backed by excellent bands, including Booker
T. and the MG's, he made the classic albums "Born Under a Bad Sign" and
"Live Wire/Blues Power."
In 1967 Albert opened for Jimi Hendrix, who considered him a hero. Albert boasted:
“I taught Jimi a lesson about the blues. I could have easily played his songs, but he couldn’t play mine.”In 1968, Rolling Stone Magazine reporter Jon Landau asked Albert who his guitar influences were, to which he replied:
“Nobody. Everything I do is wrong“.
Albert's ‘upside down’ style of playing was so unorthodox, so unusual, that it created a sound that went on to inspire
generations of guitarists. Unlike traditional guitarists, who pushed up on the
strings, King distinguished a definitive style by pulling them down with
his thumb.
Albert spent the rest of his career touring regularly, working with his
own band, capturing a dark, Southern blues sound, and singing and
playing with undiminished power. At the time of his death in 1992, he was planning a European tour with
two other blues masters, Bobby (Blue) Bland and B. B. King.
The reissue of 'Live Wire Blues Power' released this past September on the Craft label revisits the acclaim & reception the counter-culture/hippies of the late 60s bestowed on the elder blues artists, such as Albert (one of the 3 Kings of the blues: Albert, B.B. & Freddie) at this time when the late 60s white audience may have missed it the first time around. This particular set was Mr. King’s definitive guitar LP & it featured a tight quartet of supporting musicians, with Willie James Exon on second guitar, James Washington on organ, Roosevelt Pointer on bass and Theotis Morgan on drums.
To my ears,
Late '68 we saw Canned Heat doing their 45 minute Boogie, etc. Grass Roots & Bubble Puppy opened for them in San Antonio. (And thanx for the Heat you posted awhile back!) & don't for get to boogie!!
ReplyDeleteThe Friends Of Distinction at a medium sized theatre @ Fort Riley, KS. The local army jazz band opened the show. Not sure of the date, probably 1970 or 1971. I went with a couple of older students that were dating. They had a car & let me tag along. I always had a crush on Mary. They eventually got married. Thanks Babs.
ReplyDeleteAlso thanks for all of the freeloads, my listening is still trying to catch up! That's a good thing, right?
AND hope that you're feeling better every day. Thanks Babs.
In April 1961, Denise "The Grease" and I went to Murray The K's "Easter Parade Of Stars" at the Brooklyn Paramount. (Murray The K, was a New York AM disc jockey and concert promoter). On the bill were Dion, Chubby Checker, Ben E. King, The Shirelles, Bobby Rydell, Carla Thomas, Bobby Vee, Del Shannon, Little Anthony, The Isley Brothers, and Johnny Mathis. Back then, shows were about two hours long, so each performer did just a few songs, all done with the same backing band.
ReplyDeleteFirst concert was with a friend in 1972. My parents had to drive us. The Guess Who & John Kay. John Kay had just released his first solo album. If you think the Guess Who were just a pop group you'd be surprised at how they could stretch out and improvise. "Live At The Paramount" was recorded a couple days prior.
ReplyDeleteAnd my second concert was the first California Jam.
I recently saw my friend again' after all these years. He was still impressed by that concert. He had been to one other, his dad took him to see CCR. He said he was disappointed because Fogerty played everything as it was on record. No improvising.
Delete1971 - Allman Brothers Band at The Warehouse in NO. Few months before Duane died. Saw local acts before then (Meters, Dr. John, etc), but that was the first actual concert.
ReplyDeleteEnvious, pmac. You got to see Allmans with Duane. Good times.
DeleteAnd, Berry. I believe it was the last concert they did prior to Duane's fatal accident. They played The Warehouse so often, that they were jokingly referred to as the house band.
DeleteI like to think this was the first, anyway: Beach Boys (Good Vibrations just hit the charts), Buffalo Springfield, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Soul Survivors, Pickle Brothers.
ReplyDeleteSaw Strawberry Alarm Clock late but they did have Ed King with them. (1990)
DeleteVery cool, that he was still playing with them after Skynyrd. He wrote Sweet Home Alabama too! I was always on Neil Young's side of the argument, tho. My bad.
Deletegood for you. Anonymous, I saw Strawberry Alarm Clock in 1990. A little late.
ReplyDeleteWhat impressed me about them was the way they all moved from instrument to instrument, they were all really versatile. And that there were two bass players.
DeleteAlmost embarrassed to say- ShaNaNa
ReplyDeleteFirst concert (without my parents) was Aug 1967: Herman's Hermits / The Who / Blues Magoos.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in the San Gabriel Valley, east of LA and going to school in El Monte, I saw a lot of the shows put on by DJ Art Laboe at the El Monte Legion Stadium. There were doo-woppers like The Penguins, more poppish acts like Rosie and The Originals ("Angel Baby"), and since the venue was in a predominantly Latino part of the valley, there were a lot of performers who he appealed to that community. A couple of the biggies I saw were Ritchie Valens and Don Julian and The Meadowlarks. Later on, a couple memorable performances I caught were Ike & Tina Turner and Don & Dewey. In terms of concerts in the 60s sense, I think it was Spirit, playing at the Shrine Auditorium in downtown LA, though my recollections of the show are subsumed by the psychedelics we were experiencing—allegedly mescaline in powdered form—that in addition to producing remarkable visuals left us feeling utterly rubber-limbed. You know, where you're walking down a flight of stairs and your legs are going that hyperextended Mr. Natural thing?
ReplyDeleteThe "Keep on truckin'" gait...know it well.
DeleteThe first real concert I attended was the Mothers of Invention in Vancouver Agrodome 1971. I was right up front at Frank's feet and could hear Everything Perfectly (yes, I was "on" something or other). The gentleman to my left had overindulged and spent the entire time screaming "Frank....Frank...", so combined with the antics of Flo & Eddie and some of the hottest guitar solos I've ever heard it was a pretty memorable evening.
ReplyDelete1956 my old man took me to the Palladium to see Frankie Laine, Joan Turner & something called Leo de Lion. Was unimpressed.
ReplyDeleteFirst proper concert 1962 Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Gene Vincent Jet Harris (but no Beatles) Walthamstow Granada.
You were unimpressed, but my 37 year old son would have been super impressed if I told him I saw Frankie Laine back in the day. He frequently shares old kinescope videos from YouTube of Frankie and will randomly sing "Bullet in my shoulder, blood running down my vest." from "Wanted Man."
DeleteI realize this isn't normal behavior, but it charms me.
Be-Bop Deluxe Modern Music tour Oxford Apollo Theatre Mar 19 1978 apparently
ReplyDeleteGot that wrong totally is released as Live in Air Age 1977 so guessing 1976
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ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/qPKDjjf5v34
First show was Big Brother & The Holding Company in a school gymnasium in Los Altos Hills, California in April of 1968. We all had to take off our shoes so as not to harm the gym floor. My 14 year old mind was blown.
ReplyDeleteSaw Quicksilver Messenger Service, Electric Flag, Youngbloods and the John Handy Quintet three months later at a free outdoor show on the Marina Green in San Francisco, with the Golden Gate Bridge as the backdrop.
Lucky you! We had the pleasure of seeing Big Brother in 71 in an old hockey barn, not a single original (or later) member of the group was present, and not a single BBatHC song was played. It was some kind of "I own the trademark" scam or a just plain scam to fool the rubes.
DeleteI was taken to see Tommy Steele and Mary Hopkin in pantomime at the London Palladium in 1969 but my first real concert was Showaddywaddy 4 years later at a local Ballroom. Subsequently I saw the likes Alvin Stardust, George McCrea, The Rubettes, The Glitter Band, KC & The Sunshine Band, Chairmen Of The Board, Mungo Jerry, Crazy Cavan and a number of others there. The music might have been a bit lame in many cases but there were other attractions.....
ReplyDeleteThe choice where I lived at that time was limited for a teenager without any source of income beyond pocket money as the nearest major venue was 50-60 miles away in London and there was no way that my parents were ever going to let me go to them alone and certainly weren't of a mind to take me.
The Who Quadrophenia Tour 1973. Lynyrd Skynyrd opened.
ReplyDeleteHard one! My uncle took me to a pop concert in Hilversum. It must have been 1970, because Rob Hoeke had a hit with Down South that year and they played there. To be honest I can't remember much as I was only 12 and not familiar with most of the performing artists...
ReplyDeleteTragically, Steeleye Span - with a mummer's play in the middle.
ReplyDeleteWhat the heck is "tragic" about that? I know, the mummer's play was a bit twee, but the music!
DeleteD in California
Pretty confident that my first concert was Joan Baez in UCLA's new Pauley Pavilion - it looks like it was on December 2, 1967.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, having trouble thinking what was the first concert without my parents... I went to a lot of movies around L.A. in high school, but not to auditorium shows. Tapes indicate that I missed a few good ones ;^)
D in California
Pretenders, original line-up, 1982, Cal Poly SLO, Bow Wow Wow opening. Didn't care for/about BWW and was there for the headliners. Got right up front, and when I saw how easy that was to do, did it at every show I saw since. Consequently, I have set lists from most of the shows I've seen, whether reaching up to pull them off the stage when the show's over, or asking a band member (like John Doe when I saw X) for them.
ReplyDeleteC in California
KISS at the LA Forum in 1977. I was in the 7th grade and it was the first time I smoked grass as well. First and last arena/stadium concert I attended until 40 years later when I got free box seats to one of Elton's farewell tours.
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