Tag Archives: Fred McDowell

Jan 12: The late Ray Price was born in 1926

rayprice

Ray Price has covered — and kicked up — as much musical turf as any country singer of the postwar era. He’s been lionized as the man who saved hard country when Nashville went pop, and vilified as the man who went pop when hard country was starting to call its own name with pride.

~Dan Cooper (allmusic.com)

The late Ray Price was born in 1926

He had a wonderful voice of the finest in country music!

Ray Price, the legendary country singer, sadly died 16. Dec in 2013 following his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 87.

For The Good Times:

Continue reading Jan 12: The late Ray Price was born in 1926

July 03 in music history

Muddy Waters @ Newport 1960 (read more)

muddy waters at newport 1960
 Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English musician and a bandleader of the Rolling Stones.  brian_jones_1966_rca_studio_aftermath
 Fred McDowell (January 12, 1904 – July 3, 1972) known by his stage name; Mississippi Fred McDowell, was an American Hill country blues singer and guitar player.  Fredmcdowell
 James Douglas “Jim” Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors, as well as a poet. Following The Doors’ explosive rise to fame in 1967, Morrison developed a severe alcohol and drug dependency that culminated in his death at the age of 27 in Paris. He is alleged to have died from an overdose of heroin, but as no autopsy was performed, the exact cause of his death is still disputed.  jim-morrison
 White Blood Cells is the third studio album by American alternative rock duo The White Stripes, released on July 3, 2001. Recorded in less than one week at Easley-McCain Recording in Memphis, Tennessee, and produced by frontman and guitarist Jack White, it was the band’s final record released independently on Sympathy for the Record Industry. Bolstered by the hit single “Fell in Love with a Girl”, the record propelled The White Stripes into early commercial popularity and critical success. In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 497 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.  whitestripes - white blood cells

Spotify Playlist – July 03

Muddy Waters recorded – At Newport 1960 – 53 years ago

muddy waters at newport 1960

For many back in the early ’60s, this was their first exposure to live recorded blues, and it’s still pretty damn impressive some 40-plus years down the line. Muddy, with a band featuring Otis Spann, James Cotton, and guitarist Pat Hare, lays it down tough and cool with a set that literally had ’em dancing in the aisles by the set closer, a rippling version of “Got My Mojo Working,” reprised again in a short encore version.
~Cub Koda (allmusic.com)

A stomping live document of the period when Waters’ Chicago blues started reaching a wider pop audience. Newport has his classics – “Hoochie Coochie Man,” a torrid “Got My Mojo Working” – delivered by a tough, tight band anchored by harp genius James Cotton.
~rollingstone.com

Got My Mojo Working (part 1 & 2)

Wikipedia:

Released November 15, 1960 (US)
Recorded July 3, 1960
Genre Chicago blues
Length 32:38
Label MCA/Chess
Producer Leonard Chess

At Newport 1960 is a live album by Muddy Waters performed at Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island with his backing band, consisting of Otis Spann (piano, vocals), Pat Hare (guitar), James Cotton (harmonica), Andrew Stevens (bass) and Francis Clay(drums), in July 3. Water’s performances across Europe in the 50s and at Newport helped popularize blues to broader audience, especially to whites. The album is often said to be one of the first blues live albums.

muddy waters at newport 1960 back

The album was released in the US on November 15 that year, featuring eight songs, from “I Got My Brand On You” to “Goodbye Newport Blues”. In 2001, record label Chess released a remastered version, which includes three bonus tracks recorded in Chicago in June. Although At Newport 1960 never charted, it received critical acclaim and was influential for future bands. It was ranked on several music lists, including at number 348 on Rolling Stones “The 500 Greatest Albums of all Time” in 2003.

Hoochie Coochie Man:

Track listing:

Original vinyl release in 1960
  1. “I Got My Brand On You” (Dixon) – 4:24
  2. “(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man” (Dixon) – 2:50
  3. “Baby, Please Don’t Go” (Morganfield) – 2:52
  4. “Soon Forgotten” (Oden) – 4:08
  5. “Tiger In Your Tank” (Dixon) – 4:12
  6. “I Feel So Good” (Broonzy) – 2:48
  7. “Got My Mojo Working” (Foster) – 4:08
  8. “Got My Mojo Working, Pt. 2” (Foster) – 2:38
  9. “Goodbye Newport Blues” (Hughes, Morganfield) – 4:38
Remastered version in 2001
  1. “I Got My Brand On You” (Dixon) – 4:24
  2. “(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man” (Dixon) – 2:50
  3. “Baby, Please Don’t Go” (Morganfield) – 2:52
  4. “Soon Forgotten” (Oden) – 4:08
  5. “Tiger In Your Tank” (Dixon) – 4:12
  6. “I Feel So Good” (Broonzy) – 2:48
  7. “Got My Mojo Working” (Foster) – 4:08
  8. “Got My Mojo Working, Pt. 2” (Foster) – 2:38
  9. “Goodbye Newport Blues” (Hughes, Morganfield) – 4:38
  10. “I Got My Brand On You” (Dixon) – 2:22
  11. “Soon Forgotten” (Oden) – 2:41
  12. “Tiger In Your Tank” (Dixon) – 2:17
  13. “Meanest Woman” (Morganfield) – 2:18

muddy waters at newport 1960 live

Personnel:

  • Muddy Waters – Guitar, vocals
  • Otis Spann – Piano, vocals
  • Pat Hare – Guitar
  • James Cotton – Harmonica
  • Andrew Stephens – Bass
  • Francis Clay – Drums
  • Jack Tracy – Liner Notes
  • Burt Goldblatt – Photography

Spotify (remastered version):

Other July 03:

Continue reading Muddy Waters recorded – At Newport 1960 – 53 years ago

Today: Ray Price is 87

Ray Price has covered — and kicked up — as much musical turf as any country singer of the postwar era. He’s been lionized as the man who saved hard country when Nashville went pop, and vilified as the man who went pop when hard country was starting to call its own name with pride.
~Dan Cooper (allmusic.com)

For The Good Times:

From Wikipedia:

Birth name Ray Price
Also known as The Cherokee Cowboy
Born January 12, 1926 (age 87)
Origin Perryville, Texas, U.S.
Genres Country, Western swing
Occupations Singer, songwriter, guitarist
Years active 1948–present
Associated acts Johnny Bush, Merle Haggard, Rosetta Tharpe, Harlan Howard, George Jones, Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck

Ray Price (born January 12, 1926) is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music. His more well-known recordings include “Release Me”, “Crazy Arms”, “Heartaches by the Number”, “City Lights”, “My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You”, “For the Good Times”, “Night Life”, “I Won’t Mention It Again”, “You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me”, and “Danny Boy”. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996 and—now in his 80s—continues to record and tour.

….He relocated to Nashville in the early 1950s, rooming for a brief time with Hank Williams. When Williams died, Price managed his band, the Drifting Cowboys, and had minor success…..

ray price & hank williams

Heartaches by the number:

Industry Awards:

Academy of Country Music

  • 1970 Album of the Year – “For The Good Times”
  • 1970 Single of the Year – “For The Good Times”

Country Music Association

  • 1971 Album of the Year – “I Won’t Mention It Again”

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

  • Inducted in 1996

Grammy Awards

  • 1971 Best Male Country Vocal Performance – “For The Good Times”
  • 2008 Best Country Collaboration with Vocals with Willie Nelson – “Lost Highway”

Album of the day:

The Essential Ray Price (1951-1962) – (1991)

album-the-essential-ray-price-1951-1962

@Spotify:

More January 12: Continue reading Today: Ray Price is 87

Today: The late Brian Jones passed away in 1969 – 43 years ago

From Wikipedia:

Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969), was an English musician and a founder member of The Rolling Stones.

Jones’ main instruments were the guitar and the harmonica, but he played a wide variety of other musical instruments and was a talented multi-instrumentalist. His innovative use of traditional or folk instruments, such as the sitar and marimba, was integral to the changing sound of the band.


 

Originally the leader of the group, Jones’ fellow bandmembers Mick Jagger and Keith Richards soon overshadowed him; especially after they became a successful songwriting team. He developed a serious drug abuse problem over the years and his role in the band steadily diminished. He was asked to leave the Rolling Stones in June 1969 and guitarist Mick Taylor took his place in the group. Jones died less than a month later by drowning in the swimming pool at his home on Cotchford Farm in East Sussex.

Original Stones bassist Bill Wyman stated about Jones: “…he formed the band. He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs … Very influential, very important, and then slowly lost it – highly intelligent – and just kind of wasted it and blew it all away.”

The Rolling Stones – “Carol” – 1964:

In the spirit of Brian Jones.. and considering that the crucial blues masterpiece “Muddy Waters at Newport 1960” also has it’s birthday, I choose this album as album of the day:

Other July-03:

Continue reading Today: The late Brian Jones passed away in 1969 – 43 years ago