Tag Archives: John Lee Hooker

Tom Jones covers Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Billy Joe Shaver, and more (videos)

Tom Jones

Happy 76th Birthday Tom Jones

Birth name Thomas Jones Woodward
Also known as Tom Jones
Born 7 June 1940 (age 76)
Treforest, Pontypridd,Glamorgan, Wales
Genres Pop, rock, country, Soul
Occupations Singer
Years active 1963–present

I remember watching Martin Scorsese’s wonderful The Blues  (a 2003 documentary film series) ten years ago, and there was a fantastic sequence of Van Morrison,Tom Jones & Jeff Beck performing Bring it on Home to Me & Trouble in mind (in the film: Red, White & Blues (Mike Figgis)). I was a big Van Morrison fan, but didn’t really like Tom Jones.. until I saw this. A great performance.

Since then I’ve listened to his music now & then, and his last 2 albums are really great stuff (back to the roots alà Johnny Cash’s American Recordings series)

We have to kick off with the “Red, White & Blues” clip:

Continue reading Tom Jones covers Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Billy Joe Shaver, and more (videos)

June 21 in music history

Today: Ray Davies is 70 – Happy Birthday! (read more)

Ray Davies’s (born 21 June 1944)influence on british music is large and important. It really became visible during the brit-pop period, but I can hear his way of talking about the english way of live in today’s pop and rap/hip-hop also. They might not know why they do it the way the do, but we do, it is the way Ray Davies taught them through his songs.

Raydavies
John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1917 – June 21, 2001) was a highly influential American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. Hooker was born in Mississippi, he was the son of a sharecropper, and rose to prominence performing his own interpretation of what was originally a unique style of country blues. He developed a ‘talking blues‘ style that became his trademark. Though similar to the early Delta blues, his music was metrically free. John Lee Hooker could be said to embody his own genre of the blues, often incorporating the boogie-woogie piano style and a driving rhythm into his blues guitar playing and singing. His best known songs include Boogie Chillen’ (1948), I’m in the Mood (1951), and Boom Boom(1962)—the first two reaching #1 on the Billboard R&B chart.  John-Lee-Hooker-sp08
Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951, Chicago, Illinois, United States) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has marked over 25 years as a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band as well as a former member of Crazy Horse and Grin. nils lofgren

Spotify Playlist – June 21:

Van Morrison: One Irish Rover Happy 68th Birthday

van4

One Irish Rover was broadcast in 1991 on BBC 2 Arena TV special and on A&E cable television program. It is a series of live songs with commentary by Morrison about music and poetry,  it has some truly amazing performances. It includes the footage of Morrison and Dylan in Greece, Georgie Fame at Ronnie Scott’s, John Lee Hooker, The Chieftains and Danish Radio Big Band.

Part 1:

This  profile of Van Morrison is both wayward and eccentric, but in a good way, an interesting way.

In One Irish Rover, Van is relaxed and playful. He is surrounded by people that he seem comfortable with, in Greece,  Morrison duets with Bob Dylan; sitting on a dock in the Louisiana bayou he do some tremendous blues with John Lee Hooker; we also see him in London playing at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s jazz club, with the Danish Radio Big Band at the Barbican Center in London  and in Belfast, playing with the Chieftains.

It is a true joy, and it ends with a tender Don’t look back with John Lee Hooker that is just …incredibly good!

Part 2:

Track list:

w/ Bob Dylan (Athen 1989-06-29)
1. Crazy Love

w/ John Lee Hooker:
2. Baby Please Don’t Go
3. Wednesday Evening Blues

At Ronnie Scotts Club (London 1989-05-24)
4. Help Me
5. It’s All In The Game/You Know What They’re Writing About
6. Did You Get Healed

w/ the Danish Radio Big Band (Barbican Center, London 1990-02-19)
7. Vanlose Stairway
8. I’d Like To Write another Song
9. Haunts Of ancient Peace
10. Whenever God Shines His Light
11. I Will Be There

w/ Bob Dylan (Athen 1989-06-29)
12. Foreing Windows
13. One Irish Rover

w/ The Chieftains (Belfast 1987-10-29)
14. Raglan Road

At Ronnie Scotts Club:
15. Summertime In England
16. Moondance

w/ John Lee Hooker:
17. Don’t Look Back

Credits
18. Celtic Swing

Part 3:

Part 4:

– Hallgeir

Today: The late John Lee Hooker was born in 1917 – 96 years ago

John Lee Hooker

I don’t think about time. You’re here when you’re here. I think about today, staying in tune.
~John Lee Hooker

I don’t play a lot of fancy guitar. I don’t want to play it. The kind of guitar I want to play is mean, mean licks.
~John Lee Hooker

When they say true blues, pure blues, John Lee Hooker is as close to it as anyone I’ve ever heard.
~B.B. King

One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer
Hey mister bartender come here
I want another drink and I want it now
~John Lee Hooker (One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer)

JLH was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Here from the ceremony he performs “In The Mood” together with Bonnie Raitt:

From Wikipedia:

Born August 22, 1917
Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States
Died June 21, 2001 (aged 83)
Los Altos, California, United States
Genres Blues, talking blues, country blues
Occupations Singer-songwriter, Musician, Songwriter
Instruments Guitar, vocals
Years active 1943–2001
Labels Vee-Jay, Chess, Bluesway, ++
Associated acts Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King,Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Canned Heat

John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1917 – June 21, 2001) was a highly influential American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.

Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally a unique brand of country blues. He developed a ‘talking blues’ style that was his trademark. Though similar to the early Delta blues, his music was metrically free. John Lee Hooker could be said to embody his own unique genre of the blues, often incorporating the boogie-woogie piano style and a driving rhythm into his blues guitar playing and singing. His best known songs include “Boogie Chillen'” (1948), “I’m in the Mood” (1951) and “Boom Boom” (1962), the first two reaching R&B #1 in the Billboard charts.

From Allmusic (Bill Dahl):
He was beloved worldwide as the king of the endless boogie, a genuine blues superstar whose droning, hypnotic one-chord grooves were at once both ultra-primitive and timeless. But John Lee Hooker recorded in a great many more styles than that over a career that stretched across more than half a century.
Read more -> allmusic.com

 

Awards and recognition

  • A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980
  • Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991
  • Two of his songs, “Boogie Chillen” and “Boom Boom” were named to the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
  • “Boogie Chillen” was included as one of the Songs of the Century.
John Lee’s style has always been unique, even among other performers of the real deep blues, few of whom remain with us today. While retaining that foundation he has simultaneously broken new ground musically and commercially. At the age of 80, John Lee Hooker received his third and fourth Grammy Awards, for Best Traditional Blues Recording (Don’t Look Back) and for Best Pop Collaboration for the song “Don’t Look Back” which Hooker recorded with his long time friend Van Morrison.
~johnleehooker.com

 

Grammy Awards:

  • Best Traditional Blues Recording, 1990 for I’m in the Mood (with Bonnie Raitt)
  • Best Traditional Blues Recording, 1998 for Don’t Look Back
  • Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, 1998, “Don’t Look Back” (with Van Morrison)
  • Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000

Boom! Boom!:

One Bourbon, one Scotch, one Beer:

Album of the day – John Lee Hooker Plays & Sings The Blues (1961):

John Lee Hooker Plays and Sings the Blues

John Lee Hooker Plays and Sings the Blues back

Other August-22:

Continue reading Today: The late John Lee Hooker was born in 1917 – 96 years ago

Van Morrison – Beacon Theater New York – 30 November 1989 (Concert Video)

van morrison beacon 1989

Great late 80’s VM concert with John Lee Hooker & Mose Allison. Check out “Summertime in England” @ ~30min.

Setlist:

(italic – not included in VHS release & this youtube video)

  1.  I Will Be There
  2. Whenever God Shines His Light
  3. Cleaning Windows
  4. It’s all in the game 
  5. Orangefield
  6. Tore Down A La Rimbaud
  7. When Will I Ever Learn To Live In God
  8. Beautiful Vision
  9. Help Me
  10. Everybody’s Cryin’ Mercy
  11. City Home
  12. Thank God For Self Love
  13. Raglan Road
  14. Carrickfergus
  15. Full Force Gale
  16. Summertime In England
  17. Caravan
  18. Moondance
  19. Fever
  20. Vanlose Stairway > Trans-Euro Train
  21. Star Of The County Down
  22. Northern Muse (Solid Ground) > When Heart Is Open
  23. In The Garden
  24. Have I Told You Lately
  25. These Are The Days
  26. Gloria
  27. It Serves Me Right To Suffer
  28. Boom Boom
  29. She Moves Through The Fair
  30. Buona Sera

Musicians:

  • Van Morrison – vocals
  • Richie Buckley – saxophone
  • Dave Early – drums
  • Georgie Fame – keyboards
  • Steve Gregory – saxophone
  • Bernie Holland – guitar
  • Neil Drinkwater – keyboards
  • Brian Odgers – bass
  • Mose Allison – Vocals
  • John Lee Hooker – Vocals, guitar

Check out:

-Egil