Tag Archives: John Lee Hooker

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

June 7, 2016 Egil 4 Comments

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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)

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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) →

Music Calendar

June 21 in music history

June 21, 2014 Hallgeir


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.
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.
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.
Spotify Playlist – June 21:

Live, Van Morrison

Van Morrison: One Irish Rover Happy 68th Birthday

August 31, 2013 Hallgeir 3 Comments

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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

Blues, Music Calendar

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

August 22, 2013 Egil

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):

Other August-22:

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

Van Morrison, Video

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

July 6, 2013 Egil 5 Comments

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)

I Will Be There
Whenever God Shines His Light
Cleaning Windows
It’s all in the game
Orangefield
Tore Down A La Rimbaud
When Will I Ever Learn To Live In God
Beautiful Vision
Help Me
Everybody’s Cryin’ Mercy
City Home
Thank God For Self Love
Raglan Road
Carrickfergus
Full Force Gale
Summertime In England
Caravan
Moondance
Fever
Vanlose Stairway > Trans-Euro Train
Star Of The County Down
Northern Muse (Solid Ground) > When Heart Is Open
In The Garden
Have I Told You Lately
These Are The Days
Gloria
It Serves Me Right To Suffer
Boom Boom
She Moves Through The Fair
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

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