Our Blues Roots: Johnny Shines in the 1970s; Johnny Fuller

[Don D.]

In case you didn’t see the feature on Lurrie Bell yesterday, Jontavious Willis started working on his second album, with Keb’ Mo’ producing.

Thanks for checking this out. The next Blues Roots will appear on Thursday, March 29.

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John Ned Shines (April 26, 1915–April 20, 1992) was a remarkable blues singer and guitarist with a long career. He traveled and played with Robert Johnson and he played and recorded with Roy Buchanan and the blues rockers the Nighthawks, so he recorded much before and another decade after the period I’m spotlighting here, a little more than a decade, from 1969 through 1980. In some ways it was a long time, but it’s only a small fraction of his artistic life.

First, a handful of his early songs, starting with the first one he recorded, “Tennessee Woman Blues”; Big Bill Broonzy is possibly the second guitarist, the drummer is unknown, Chicago, Sunday, February 24, 1946.

“Livin’ In the White House,” with Sunnyland Slim, 1952

“Evening Sun,” Johnny Shines (vocal, guitar), with Walter Horton (harmonica), Al Smith (bass), Chicago, January 22, 1953.

“No Name Blues,” same session as above

Al Smith, credited with bass on both 1953 tracks above, didn’t play much bass but he seemed to have a great musical sense, and he produced a number of records in the ’70s on the Blues On Blues imprint (including ones by Earl Hooker and Homesick James, most have a kind of aqua/turquoise color scheme on their covers).

Here’s a list containing both earlier and later music (as well as repeats of the songs above), starting with filmed recordings.

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This guitar and voice recording from 1969, Last Night’s Dream, is what spurred my post for this Blues Roots. Solid gold, as the first title tells us. The music on here is as close

This is another masterpiece. Johnny Shines with Big Walter Horton (1969 on Testament Records), every song on here is invested with emotion

Chicago Blues All Stars, Loaded with the Blues. Left to right below: Johnny Shines (guitar), Clifton James (drums), Willie Dixon (bass), Sunnyland Slim (piano), Big Walter Horton (harmonica), recorded Loeve Studio, Cologne, July 1, 1969

Live 1970 Acoustic & Electric, 1970

“Tell Me Mama,” from Sittin’ On Top of the World, 1972
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ItlwmiA3Gg

Takin’ The Blues Back South, Johnny Shines (vocal, guitar) with Luther “Snake” Johnson (guitar on one song only “Mean Black Gobbler”), live at the Chicago Blues Festival in Gan, France (November 14, 1972), and in Bordeaux, France (December 4, 1972)

“Sweet Home Chicago,” “Kindhearted Woman,” “Crossroads,” live in France, 1973

“Sweet Home Chicago” (early-mid 1970s)

“Two Steps to Hell,” 1974

At Kurt Hricz’s home in Vienna, February 1975

Too Wet to Plow, Johnny Shines (leader, vocals, guitar), Louisiana Red (vocal on track 5, guitar on 1, 2, 5, 9), Sugar Blue (harmonica on track 1, 5, 6, 9, 11), Ron Rault (bass on track 1 and 5), recorded September 18th & 19th, 1975, at Century 11 Studios, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

“Ramblin’” aka Robert Johnson’s “Walking Blues” live, mid-70s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mohuaJWFGVU

Two old masters, Robert Lockwood and Johnny Shines, “We’re Gonna Ball Tonight,” from Hangin’ On, 1980

“Early in the Morning,” from Hangin’ On

“Lonesome Whistle,” from Hangin’ On

Johnny Shines with Robert Lockwood, “Little Wolf,” live at the first Mississippi Delta Blues Festival, Freedom Village, Mississippi, 1979

Johnny Shines live, “Early in the Morning,” live, Freedom Village, Mississippi, 1979
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxUPbaqZEuc

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Johnny Fuller was born in Edwards, Mississippi, on April 20, 1929. He relocated with his family to Vallejo, California, in 1945 (please see Wikipedia biography in the link). The Wikipedia article tells us about his blues career, and after, but he also worked as a gospel singer as a teenager, singing for five years as the lead voice at one radio station before singing for another for another couple years. His “Sister Jenny” (number 22 on the playlist) sounds like a gospel song, but its lyrics aren’t traditional.

If you want to hear his blues, they appear throughout, but especially check out the group of songs that starts with “Hard Times” and ends with “Mama Told Me” (numbers 9 through 19), including this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-GswJaFWkY&t=6s

Some of the songs on the California Blues compilation (numbers 43 through 48 on the playlist, “Prowlin’ Blues,” “Hard Times,” “It’s Your Life,” “Buddy,” “Back Home,” “Johnny’s Low Down Blues”) appeared previously in the playlist, but I included them again because the sequence on the record is so right. He recorded many songs several times so I’m not always sure I have the right versions, but the ones corresponding to the California Blues compilation definitely are. Most of these records are available used for reasonable prices; this one is available starting at the ridiculously low price of $2.50 plus shipping (link in title above).

This 1973 album, Fullers Blues, co-led by Phillip Walker ends the playlist at number 49.

The discographies I used were Stefan Wirz’s American Music and Pete Hoppula’s Wang Dang Dula. Thanks to both of them for their tireless work and continuous improvements.

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This is an ever-changing playlist put together and maintained by Jay Bee Rodriguez, a blues fan in Madrid, Spain (where Larry Taylor will be playing next week).

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Look down the page of this discography a bit, for the album titled Harmonica Williams with Little Freddie King. There are links to the individual songs and one to the whole album (that’s also below). This isn’t virtuoso playing, it’s straightforward, grooving blues. From left to right on the LP cover are (John) Harmonica Williams (harmonica, vocals on “Hi Way 82”), A.B. Bruer (bass), Rudy Taylor (drums) and Little Freddie King. Not in the photo is the vocalist Newton Greer.

“Tuskegee Boogie (Sheriff Amerson’s Blues)” backed with “Ain’t Gonna Pick No Cotton,” a double-sided harmonica blowout. It’s McKinley James singing, playing harmonica and guitar in Columbus, Georgia, in 1966.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRzIkXsRaDk

Don D.

[San Luis Rey]

Thanks Don! Really enjoyed J Shines version of Sweet Home Chicago. Anybody that can sing and play like that without a band, is a real gift to music.

Mike

[Don D.]

Hey Mike, thanks for checking this out. There was something about Johnny Shines’ style. He was so powerful a singer and song stylist. He never just covered a song, played it to be playing it. It always sounds like he was singing it because he felt a need to, and he put his curve on it.

Johnny Fuller was in some ways the opposite of that, someone who played around with different styles. He could do a song as a blues or a rockabilly or some other way. He was great at that. I guess it’s because I love his blues sound that I focus on it, but to other people, it was his rockabilly stuff they like.

Don D.

[Lights]

Really enjoyed it, Don! Thanks for huge job!
Lights.

[Don D.]

Hi Meelis, this is what you call a delayed reaction, it’s good hearing from you!

Don D.

[Author]

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