Earl Hooker blows through "Wipeout" in Eb

[Don D.]

Almost four minutes of pure joy, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqYHbuustug&list=PL4FD342CF4DB8C7D6&index=2, this clip of Earl Hooker at the American Folk Blues Festival in 1969 documents him blowing through “Wipeout” (less than a year before he died of TB, so his energy was diminished, he himself mentioned this). I put this on almost once a day–can’t be the only one who would get so much pleasure out of it.

There are five hour-plus long videos of the American Folk Blues Festival on YouTube, where this was recorded. If this comes through on the playlist I created, they begin about half a dozen videos after this one (fortunately, some of these are posted by more than one person and there are many, many, many one- and two-song excerpts, like this one).

I think the bassist is Dave Myers (of the Aces) or Matt Guitar Murphy. I don’t know who is drumming. If you know anything additional about this recording, please comment. Thanks!

Earl Hooker is John Lee Hooker’s cousin and one of my favorite gittarists.

Don D.

[Bryce-AKguitar]

I like how was casually playing with his teeth.

-Bryce
Anchorage, Alaska

[Don D.]

Earl Hooker was a monster gittarist, someone I’ll never get tired of, seems comfortable doing anything associated with it, using his feet too. There’s another clip from same event (in fact, looks like it occurred about five minutes before this) of him playing “Walking the Floor Over You,” a very sweet and funny take on the Ernest Tubbs’ song. That kind of ease reminds me of Elmore James, who can be heard talking while he’s soloing (sorry, can’t remember the song, if I do, I’ll either post it or mention it here).

Don D.

[charjo]

I thought I read that Willie Dixon stole the riff for Whole Lotta Love from Earl Hooker before it was stolen by Led Zeppelin.

[Don D.]

Willie Dixon bought or somehow otherwise negotiated the rights to Earl Hooker’s 1953 “Blue Guitar,” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EObiEJaVY6I&list=PL4FD342CF4DB8C7D6&index=1), wrote lyrics to it. Muddy Waters sang those lyrics directly on top of it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY1E26bi9kE, I don’t trust the date given on this recording for when Earl Hooker recorded it, I think–could be wrong–they used the ’53 recording, don’t take my concept about the dates for fact), was released on Chess (J.B. Lenoir also got writing credits–it seems strange to me that Earl Hooker didn’t but maybe that was part of the deal, “facts” can be negotiable).

Here again, I’m not 100%, but I don’t think this is one of the ones Zeppelin claimed as their own or “traditional.” I think Willie Dixon was credited on the label on the very first pressing for this and “I Can’t Quit You.”

Over time, I acquired an opinion that Willie Dixon took great advantage of his A&R positions at Chess (and one other label whose name I can’t remember at present); I thought he put his name on a lot of things he didn’t write, but in his autobiography he says “no.” Buddy Guy’s really worthwhile autobiography has a few anecdotes about this.

Don D.

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