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Blues Unlimited is an inspiring radio show produced by Steve Franz, author of the well-researched, well-written Amazing Secret History of Elmore James. He also produced a useful small Elmore James discography (contents are included in the book). Both are available on Amazon; you can order them directly from Steve at bluesourcepublications on Amazon (his pricing is among the lowest, there are other perks).
You can find the radio show at the Public Radio Exchange or contact Steve for pricing or other info at bluesunlimited@gmail.com
The broadcasts have insights into artists I’m familiar with and infrequently bring other musicians to my attention. (I bought a USB with something like 16 hours of broadcasts during one of their fund-raisers, that’s how I listen. They may still be available.)
This and some talk constitutes one hour of an Earl Hooker-related broadcast (song / artist / album / label / year / duration):
1. Black Cat Bone / Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee / I Couldn’t Believe My Eyes / Bluesway / 1969 / 3:20
2. Dust My Broom / Earl Hooker feat. Freddie Roulette / Do You Remember The Great Earl Hooker / Bluesway / 1966 / 3:44
3. The Sky Is Crying / Johnny “Big Moose” Walker / Rambling Woman / Bluesway / 1969 / 5:28
4. Look Over Yonder’s Wall / Earl Hooker feat. Johnny “Big Moose” Walker / Don’t Have To Worry / Bluesway / 1969 / 3:09
5. Moose Is On The Loose / Johnny “Big Moose” Walker / Rambling Woman / Bluesway / 1969 / 6:54
6. You Can’t Do A Thing When You’re Drunk / Jimmy Witherspoon / Hunh! / Bluesway / 1969 / 6:51
7. Rainy Rainy Day / Charles Brown / Legend / Bluesway / 1969 / 6:49
8. Farther Up The Road / Andrew “Voice” Odom / Farther On Down The Road / Bluesway / 1969 / 4:57
9. It’s My Own Fault / Andrew “Voice” Odom / Farther On Down The Road / Bluesway / 1969 / 6:14
10. Hookin’ / Earl Hooker / Don’t Have To Worry / Bluesway / 1969 / 4:22Don D.
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Of course, you’re welcome. I’m almost sure you and most people on the site will like it. Trying to think of other similar things to mention here; there are two things on YouTube that just blow me away. One is a series of videos documenting the American Folk Blues Festivals, European and English tours that were started by two German businessmen in the early ’60s and continued through the early ’80s. They produced albums and films, and although the performances were tamer than what you’d hear in a club, the fact they happened and were documented should be celebrated.
The other is The !!!! Beat, a Dallas-based R&B variety show, heavy on the B, from 1966. There were 26 glorious episodes. Most have been uploaded to YouTube by Rachel Cummings–thank you wherever you are! Gatemouth Brown was the musician director; on the few shows I’ve seen where he isn’t present, Teenie Hodges is standing in (the Hi Records gittarist, on most Al Green and Ann Peebles recordings). When the host, Hoss Allen, was distraught about the cancellation and couldn’t make it to the last show, one of the guests covered for him; the guest was Otis Redding.
Although there isn’t much, if any, overlap between the tour and the TV show, between them you’ll see so many of the greats of the times (if anyone notices any musicians who appear in both the tour and the TV show videos, please mention it–this is the first time that question occurred to me, I’ll be looking now). Both of these are so great, I think I’ll dedicate an individual post to them at some point.
A similar stellar video that does overlap with The !!!! Beat is the Stax tour of Sweden (Denmark? sorry, not going to look it up right now), don’t miss that.
Don D.
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Hey Don – thank you for posting your YouTube recommendations. I clicked on your link to the American Folk-Blues Festival for a quick squizz and was still riveted to the screen nearly an hour later. Great viewing for anyone interested in seeing the legends of blues from the ’60s like Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Lonnie Johnson, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Howlin’ Wolf, Hubert Sumlin et al. at their best. And unlike a lot of footage from that era, the vision and sound quality on this is very good.
If the rest of this series is as good as the first episode, the problem will be suppressing the urge to binge-view the lot. Cheers,
Rick
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Hey Don,
I just watched the American Folk Blues Festival and it was terrific. What incredibly talented performers and back up musicians. It was so 60’s. Not one white performer and not one black person in the audience. I had never seen Lightning Hopkin’s or Howlin’Wolf and I was blown away. Makes me feel sad for popular music today. “Little” junior Wells was amazing and you see where guys like Prince and Bruno Mars got their chops. I had to laugh as I recognized a Jimmy Page guitar solo from 1:35 in the Lemon Song, Led Zep 2. He lifted it almost verbatim from the Fender Jaguar back up guitarist in Howlin’ Wolf’s, “Don’t Laugh at Me”. Thanks for bringing this to the forum.
P.S. Was that guitarist Hubert Sumlin?
John-
Hi John, I see you mentioned “Lemon Song” much earlier in the day–the solo I wanted to go back and listen to. I just went back and read everything on the computer–that makes all the difference. Having the phone to read and respond is convenient but I’m fairly sure my understanding/retention isn’t as good as a full-size computer screen (paper in hand is still the best for reading).
Don D.
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John, you’ve got great ears–going to listen to those two solos side by side in a little while. Your input and enjoyment, and other people’s, make me glad I posted it. It’s going to be a long time before I’ll be able to make a similar contribution. This series is rilly exceptional.
Junior Wells said that James Brown was copping his moves, and I perceive the similarities. Even if J.B. was taking from J.W., he made it his own. The chitlin’ circuit was the path all black people’s music traveled in the Jim Crow days (with rare exception). To my ears, the closest Junior Wells comes to J.B. is on the 1965 Hoodoo Man Blues album with Buddy Guy, after J.B. released some influential records, so I would guess that was a drunken brag (I would never have been bold enough to say that to Junior Wells face unless I was drunker than I’very ever been).
Don D.
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Hi Don,
I have really enjoyed listening to the Public Radio Exchange which I would not have known about without your post so thank you very much!
Have seen the American Folk Festival stuff before and it was inspirational for the British Blues players in the 60’s. Great to see the old music still being enjoyed!
Andrew
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You’ll find, if you watch all the parts of the series, that this English tour video is made up of performances that are in the other four parts; I’m not sure that all are repeated.
I don’t know about law but I’d strongly suggest everyone give it a listen to find out if they like it or what they like, more likely (don’t let it cut into your practice or playing time–although hearing things like this, internalizing them, can sometimes be as valuable as hands-on practice).
That bass-like riff in “Don’t Laugh at Me” is the same as the “Killing Floor” riff (so’s the way the chords are played, but that’s not as easy to diagram). I remember when someone showed me this riff about a year and a half ago, I was trying all sorts of stuff–me: “Oh, chromatic ascent, duh!…thank you, Leo.” But the stuff I was trying was also cool, and I try to hang onto my mistakes and misinterpretations, they sometimes come in handy.
I’m not saying this for your benefit, John, but in A, here’s the riff:
A A (sixth string, 5th fret),
C# C# (fifth string, 4th fret),
D D D (fifth string, 5th fret),
D# (fifth string, 6th fret),
E (fifth string, 7th fret),
just a fret at a time up the fifth string (now I can hear lines like this everywhere, usually in turnarounds).That repeats 4x, then moves up a perfect fourth (one string set, to fourth and fifth strings) when the chord changes to D (for E, go two frets higher).
Don D.
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