I found this CD for sale in a gas station in Kennebunkport, Maine sometime in the late 1990s. It had a price tag of $2.99, and I thought it was just another of those public domain things with skimpy info, crappy graphics and the wrong song titles (and I was correct on several counts). But for $2.99, I figured what the hell, bought it and threw it in the glove compartment.
A week later, I was back home in Manhattan, and put it in the CD player, lit a joint and was completely surprised. Instead of a rehash of old, public domain Muddy Waters studio recordings that happened to be lying around, this CD is actually a rare show from 1964. I did some research (and by research, I mean a quick interwebz search) and found out that it's from the L'Olympia Bruno Coquatrix in Paris on July 25, 1964. This 55-minute set that sounds more like it's at an intimate Juke Joint than a festival.
This is the real deal: stripped down blues with spare guitar, piano, and harp that all just…. hangs…. together…. by a thread. It would take Mick, Keef and Charlie another four years and massive amounts of "Sweet Lady H", Jack Daniel's and Coke (no, not cola) to nail this timing.
The sound quality is excellent, though, strangely, there's hiss and phase between the songs, but only when the audience is applauding. When the music starts up again it's crystal clear, like you're right in front of the band, circa 1964.
Along with Muddy's vocals and slide guitar, are:
Otis Spann on piano
Sammy Lawhorn on guitar
Luther Johnson on bass
Frances Clay on drums
George "Mojo" Buford on harmonica
In typical cheapo "Grey Market" CD fashion, the liner notes do not mention George "Mojo" Buford playing harmonica, but instead claim that George Smith is on saxophone. He is not, nor is there, any saxophone to be found anywhere on this recording.
Frances Clay on drums
George "Mojo" Buford on harmonica
In typical cheapo "Grey Market" CD fashion, the liner notes do not mention George "Mojo" Buford playing harmonica, but instead claim that George Smith is on saxophone. He is not, nor is there, any saxophone to be found anywhere on this recording.
Set List
Once again, in typical cheapo "Grey Market" CD fashion, some titles are incorrect. I've put the correct titles in parentheses next to the song.
01. "Country Boy"
02. "Baby Please Don't Go"
03. "Hoochie Coochie Man"
04. "Sittin' And Thinkin" ("Tiger In Your Tank")
05. "19 Years Old"
06. "County Jail"
07. "Long Distance Call"
08. "Rock Me Baby"
09. "Sweet Little Angel" ("Trouble No More")
10. "Rosalie"
11. "All Night Long" ("Rollin' And Tumblin'")
12. "Early Morning Blues" ("I Feel Like Going Home")
For the freeload, tell us when you first heard Muddy Waters, and what you thought.
A friend in the mid-60s had a copy his Folksinger acoustic LP. Compared to the pop and rock of the time, Muddy seemed elemental, and in the best sense of the term, primitive. I was struck by the intensity of both his vocals and the tension of his slide work. Though I went on to own many of his Chicago electric LPs and caught several incarnations of the band, that Muddy Waters:Folksinger record remains a favorite in the Muddy canon.
ReplyDeleteLaserlight discs of this era can be a crapshoot with most, as you say, leaning to the cheapo side. But this one's a decided gem. Thanks for helping to spread the gospel of Mr. Morganfield, Babs.
Here’s a 24bit/192kHz rip of ‘Folk Singer’. This the DVD-A version released in 2000, and it sounds sweet!
Deletehttps://workupload.com/file/x6Cdqm8QAQM
Thanks Babs! My first copy went missing decades ago, and I think the pressing I have now dates back to the 70s when Chess, along with other labels, put out some thin, noisy, prone-to-warping LPs, apparently due to disruptions in the petroleum business. My aging ears are thankfully still keen to hear an enhanced copy.
DeleteEnjoy, apauling!
DeleteAs a teenager, I purchased a copy of Fathers & Sons, probably because Bloomfield and Butterfield were on it. That was the start of my never-ending journey with the man. Had the great good fortune to see him live about a half dozen times 1975-81 (or 1980 it must have been, according to a conversation I had with Bob Margolin a few years ago). Muddy was, and still is, the real deal, and provides my template for what the blues should and could be. My hero!
ReplyDeleteHere’s a 24bit/192kHz vinyl rip of the 2LP version of ‘Fathers And Sons’.
DeleteLP1 is the original release.
LP2 was recorded live in concert at Super Cosmic Joy-Scout Jamboree, Chicago, Illinois, April 24, 1969.
https://workupload.com/file/Wm6fguC2Khj
The original release had both LPs, Babs. I'll do a comparison with the files I have to see which is "better", and thanks!! Worth searching out are the "complete" Chess recordings which exist in various formats, nowhere else can you find "She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain" and "The Muddy Waters Twist"!!
DeleteFirst time was 1977, a friend put on the album Hard Again, I was blown away. I had heard of Muddy Waters and had heard him on the radio, but didn't associate the two together. Mannish Boy slays, every time I hear it. Looking forward to this freeload. Once again & as always, thanks Babs
ReplyDeleteHere’s a 24bit/192kHz vinyl rip of the of ‘Hard Again’
Deletehttps://workupload.com/file/fNQuZNMpn67
Thank you so much, I look forward to being amazed all over again. The first bars of Mannish Boy right after Muddy goes "Whoo!", is my ring tone & it's loud. Thanks Babs
DeleteOh my, I didn't think I would see a Laserlight release on your blog! I have a couple of those, as they were around a lot when I was starting to buy CDs with my pocket money in the late 80s. They were grey market at best, I had a Best Of James Bond album which was half songs, half instrumental and probably fully non-licenced.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think I'd have a music blog, but here we are.
DeleteIs the Bond album any good?
There's a Laserlight release on the Dillards - Mountain Rock- it's live in the studio, not bad.
DeleteAs a kid, for the equivalent of five bucks, it was okay I guess. I was disappointed that only half of the tracks had vocals.
DeleteAm I in a generous mood this evening, or what? — LOL!
ReplyDeleteYou’d think I was drinking Château de Beaulon XO Vintage 1980 Cognac, and smoking ‘Willy Kush’ (nice Indica strain), with Denise “The Grease” on her birthday.
Long time reader, first time poster.
DeleteBabs is ripped to the tits!
"Long time reader, first time poster."
Delete***rolls eyes***
If this wasn't your birthday, I'd give you a virtual bitch slap.
First time poster, because, I don't listen to the jazz and hippie shit, you think is good.
Delete"The Grease" is my oldest friend. I'll see if I can get my best friend to post here.
DeleteWe should live stream this birthday bash!
DeleteI do not think "MILF" means what you think it means.
DeleteWelcome to Babs World, we're just livin' in it! Denise "The Grease" it is a pleasure, you are a legend on the interwebs, like it or not. Happiest Birthday wishes for all y'all yinzers, there in the Big City! Wow. Guess we'll see you ladies around now & then? Party On Ladies! Party On! Thanks Babs
DeleteWhat in the wide, wide world of friggin' sports is a "yinzer"?
DeleteExcellent question, Yinzers are folks from Pittsburgh, I believe. Go onto the Youtube machine and search for Pittsburgh Dad. He's pretty funny. Might be good for a laugh, though I'm not sure you need further help in that department. My daughter moved there several years ago after a few years in Memphis, thus y'all. Thanks Babs & Denise & the Gals (MILFS or otherwise!)
DeleteCorrection - yinzers is how people from Pittsburgh refer to people, I don't think you have to actually be from there, I could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time.
DeletePittsburgh? We're "Noo Yawkas"
DeleteI just passed a (very expensive) sip of Château de Beaulon through my nose! Burns like "The Dickens"...
DeleteNuthin' but class!
DeleteAND, who says "the Dickens"? C'mon
Yeah, who says, "The Dickens"?
DeleteEducated people do.
DeleteLittle Miss "I have two PhDs"
DeleteWhat the dickens do you mean?
DeleteIt means Babs is a know-it-all
DeleteWell, like the name implies, Cuz Babs Sez, That's Why
DeleteGood night ladies, you're a collective hoot! It's been a gas (who says that?!) My night time meds are kickin' in, I'll see you later, thanks Babs asiuh wefj'; kjl;flk
Deletekf'or 'f;,sd
"Little Miss "I have two PhDs""
DeleteSays Zelda "The Shrink".
How they can give out Doctor of Medicine degrees in psychotherapy; what basically is a pseudoscience, is beyond me.
"asiuh wefj'; kjl;flk
Deletekf'or 'f;,sd"
Those must some strong nighttime meds. Where might a person score those nighttime drugs. Asking for a friend.
"asiuh wefj'; kjl;flk
Deletekf'or 'f;,sd....SHARON!
OK, Ladies, I think that's enough internet for one evening. If we're going out, it's time to do just that.
DeleteSo. Whew! That was fantastic, a further glimpse into the life of Babs, in real time, even. I honestly haven't laughed so much in a long, long time, last night walking around the house & then back to check the computer and then again this morning I literally woke up chuckling about it, like the Dickens. Thanks again Babs & Co!
DeleteWhat an exchange, including a guest appearance of the legendary Denise The Grease!!... Art imitates life, sort of....
DeleteLike a lot of blues artists that I discovered via groups like the Stones I'm sure it was a compilation called (your testing my memory) 'McKinley Morganfield' which unfortunately I don't have anymore although I have plenty of his releases since.
ReplyDeleteI don't know when I first heard Muddy Waters, probably when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. The (deep south) university town I grew up in had four AM radio stations that I remember: an "adult pop" station, a country & western station (operated by Jimmy Swan who had a few rockabilly styled 78s in the '50s and later ran for governor on a George Wallace white supremacist platform, a top 40 station (appropriately, WXXX), and an R&B station. I'm pretty sure I first heard Muddy Waters on the latter. I'm pretty sure the tune was "Got My Mojo Working."
ReplyDeleteI thought it was pretty cool. My dad didn't. He detested electric instruments pretty much. Late in life he told me he was a fan of Muddy's early acoustic stuff, but "he had to pick up that damn electric guitar & a band."
Nice reminiscence. Thanks, BlueNote Cyberstar!
Delete'I Got My Mojo Working' by Muddy was included on album 6 album Reader's DIgest Compilation called Rock Revival that I was given as a present in 1975. I think I had already at least two cover versions of the song (by the Sheffields and the Zombies). So I already thought the song was a great song but I thought Muddy's version probably unsurprisingly was rougher than the cover versions if not quite as frenetic.
ReplyDeleteProbably Fathers & Sons & then Hard Again. Classic songs by the the man that wrote 'em. A great learning experience! & Party on Babs & The Grease!! Y'all be good, or if you can't be good, be careful!
ReplyDeleteLink
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/qNdX8q8Z9rw
Hey Babs, great posts as usual and fantastic music as ever. In a herb induced humour... I'm using Firefox/Mozilla's "Bitch to Boss" extension - great for day to day life with the baser colleagues I'm forced to work with. Anyway, makes the night's post more fun. Almost like being there and a tut tuttin'. So many thanks you're due.
DeleteI'm sure I heard about Muddy before I heard him. I knew he'd come over to play with Chris Barber in 1958, and he was featured in Peter Clayton's short-lived Jazz News & Review weekly mag (where Brian Jones advertised for people to join the Stones) must have been 61 or 2. And probably Humph had played him on the radio. He had an EP released here in 1955.
ReplyDeleteBut there was a Chess compilation on the yellow Pye R & B label which had his Mojo Workin from the 1960 Newport album on it as the closing track. I bought that and played it a lot. that was it. Only saw him once, in 1980 I think.
It must have been 'I Got My Mojo Working' on some compilation album I guess.., my memory is a bit hazy, some parts are definitely lost in the mists of time ;-)
ReplyDeleteInteresting that sometimes a low-budget album actually turns out to be worthwhile!
Surprise! There is even some (colourised) live footage of this concert as well:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UQChCusm9k
6th grade, Ms. Hernandez was our teacher. Just a mean woman - took joy in humiliating her students in front of the entire class. I'm certain that some of my fellow classmates spent years in therapy as a result of her. But, she had a record player in class and would spin albums during quiet time. Normally very obscure folk lps. But, occasionally she would slip in something else, like Waters' Folk Singer. Her only saving grace was introducing a room full of 11 year olds to that album and artist.
ReplyDeleteIn early 1970, during my catch-up phase, (10th grade,) a pal literally sat me down for a hazy afternoon of Chess blues. He prepped me by suggesting 'here is the real rock and roll.' It would be fifteen years or so before I saw Muddy Waters play, on two very good nights, one in NYC and the other in Vermont.
ReplyDelete