JOHN LEE HOOKER
cont´d (page 1)
- the
singles and the CDs
presented by Claus Röhnisch
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JOHN LEE HOOKER
The
World´s Greatest Blues Singer
"The 50th
Anniversary Collection"
aka
the John Lee Hooker Story
(subjectively
compiled by Claus Röhnisch)
Note that the tracks below
are not "real album issues" - they are compiled as "dream-team" compilations.
On October 31, 2006 Shout!
Factory is to release an 84-track 4CD-box - most of the tracks below are on
that box!! - (see below)
The Top 50 Songs marked *
Also check the Top 62 Historic
Recordings on main page!
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The Modern Years
1948 - 1955

The Definitive Johnnie
Lee in Detroit
1948*
Drifting From Door To Door
(When My First Wife Left Me)
1948 Sally May (Sally Mae)
1948*
Boogie Chillen´
1948* Black Man Blues (King)
1948 Low Down Midnite Boogie
(Talking Boogie)
(Savoy)
1949*
Hobo Blues
1949 Hoogie Boogie (Rhythm #2)
1949 Moaning Blues (King)
1949* Crawling King Snake
1950 Don´t You Remember Me (King)
1950 Mad Man Blues (Gone)
1950 Wandering Blues (Staff/Gotham)
1950 Decoration Day Blues (Sensation)
1950* Bumble Bee Blues (Staff)
1950* Notoriety Woman (Regal)
1951 John L´s House Rent Boogie
1951 (Four) Women In My Life
1951* Just Me And My Telephone (Chess)
1951* I´m In The Mood
1952 The Journey (Chess)
1952* Blues For Big Town (Fortune)
1953*
Down Child
1954* Stuttering Blues (DeLuxe)
1954* Baby You Ain´t No Good (Dirty Mother)
1954 Boogie Rambler (Specialty)
1954 Half A Stranger
1955* The Syndicator
1955* I´m Ready
1948-1955 Detroit
Session Discography |
|
The Vee-Jay Years
1955 - 1964
Sir John´s Rhythm & Blues
Sounds of Chicago
1955 Unfriendly Woman
1956 Every Night
1956* Dimples
1957 I´m So Excited
1957*
I See You When You're Weak
1958* I Love You Honey
1959 Maudie
1959 Hobo Blues
1959 Tupelo Blues (Riverside)
1960* Gonna Use My Rod
(I´m Mad) (Riverside)
1960 Democrat
Man
(Riverside)
1960 I Need Some Money (Riverside)
1960* No Shoes
1960* Whiskey And Wimmen
1960 We're All God's Chillun
1961* When My Wife Quit Me (Savoy)
1961* I´m Going Upstairs
1961 Want Ad Blues
1961 Teachin´ The Blues (GuestStar)
1961* You Lost A Good Man (Atco)
1961 Process
1961* Boom Boom
1961 Drug Store Woman
1962* Let´s Make It, Baby (Brunswick)
1962* Frisco Blues
1963* Birmingham Blues (Big Road)
1964* It Serves Me Right To Suffer
1964*
I´m Losin´ You
(Losing You)
(Verve/Wand)
1955-1964 Vee-Jay Session Discography
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The ABC Years
1965 - 1974

The Hook - (NYLA)
Travelin´ from Coast to Coast
1965 King Of The World (Fontana)
1965 Shake It Baby
1965* Bottle Up And Go
1965 Country Boy
1966* One Bourbon, One Scotch,
One Beer (Chess)
1966* House Rent Blues
(Chess)
1966 I´m Bad Like Jesse James
1966* I'll Never Get Out Of These Blues
Alive
1967* Think Twice Before You Go
1968 I Don´t Wanna Go To Vietnam
1969 I Wanna Be Your Puppy, Baby
1970* Burning Hell (Liberty)
1970* Doin´ The Shout
1970 Sittin' In My Dark Room
1971* House Rent Boogie (Blues)
1972 Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive
1973 Younger Stud
1974* Bluebird
1974* Homework
Details on the recordings above
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The Virgin Blues Giant
1975 - 1999

The Boogie Man
at San Francisco Bay
1976 Dark Room (Labor/Tomato)
1977 Bar Room
Drinking (Tomato)
1982*
Early One Morning (Pausa)
1986* We´ll Meet Again (Pausa)
1987* Baby Lee
1988* The Healer
(Chameleon)
1988* I´m In The Mood (Chameleon)
1990 Mr. Lucky
1990*
Same Old Blues Again
1991* This Is Hip
1991 Chill Out (Things Gonna Change)
1991* Up And Down
1992 Bottle Up And Go
1995* Kiddio
1996* Frisco Blues
1996* Don´t
Look Back
1998 Boogie Chillen
2003* Loving People
exit: Rock These Blues Away
Details on the recordings above
|
|

click on image
to find review
The "Hooker" 4-CD box-set has almost the
identical tracks to my "Anniversary
Collection". |
JOHN LEE HOOKER
COMPLETE SINGLES DISCOGRAPHY
- revised
January 2015
Plug sides
(A-B) on Modern were marketed 1948-49, later most singles had no “official” plug
sides indicated on label.
Issue date |
Label |
Tracks and credits |
Bernie
Besman Detroit recordings 1948-1952
Note: "Let´s Talk It
Over" (Modern) and "It´s My Own Fault" (Chess) recorded by Besman.
Modern 847 issued as John L. Hooker.
Modern 876 issued as John Lee Hooker and "Little" Eddie
Kirkland.
11-48
3-49
7-49
10-49
11-49
12-49
1-50
3-50
4-50
5-50
7-50
8-50
8-50
10-50
12-50
3-51
5-51
9-51
12-51
3-52
7-52
10-52
12-52
1960
1964
ca 1965
ca 1966 |
Modern 20-627
Modern 20-663
Modern 20-688
Modern 20-714
Sensation 21
Sensation 26
Modern 20-730
Sensation 30
Modern 20-746
Sensation 33
Sensation 34
Regal 3295
Modern 20-767
Regal 3304
Modern 20-790
Modern 814
Modern 829
Modern 835
Modern 847
Modern 862
Modern 876
Modern 886
Modern 893
Kent 332
Modern Oldies 4
Modern Oldies 24
Modern Oldies 52 |
John Lee Hooker
&
(or and) His Guitar
or John Lee Hooker
(on 20-688)
Sally May - Boogie Chillen'
Hobo Blues - Hoogie Boogie
Whistlin´ And Moanin´ Blues -
Weeping Willow Boogie
Crawlin' King Snake - Drifting From Door To Door
Burnin´ Hell - Miss Sadie Mae
Huckle Up Baby - Canal Street Blues
Playin´ The Races - Howlin´ Wolf
Let Your Daddy Ride - Goin´ On Highway 51
Wednesday Evening - No Friend Around
My Baby´s Got Somethin´ - Decoration Day Blues
Boogie Chillen´ No. 2 - Miss Eloise
Boogie Chillen´ No. 2 - Miss Eloise (reissue)
Give Me Your Phone Number - Roll ´n´ Roll
Notoriety Woman - Never Satisfied
Let Your Daddy Ride (alt.take) - One More Time
John Lee Hooker
Queen Bee -
John L´s House Rent Boogie
Women In My Life - Tease Me Baby
How Can You Do It -
I´m In The Mood
Anybody Seen My Baby .
Turn Over A New Leaf
Cold Chills All Over Me - Rock Me Mama
It Hurts Me So - I Got Eyes For You
Key To The Highway - Bluebird Blues
New Boogie Chillen (edited) - I Tried
(by Sylvester Cotton)
Boogie Chillen - I´m In The Mood (reissues)
Boogie Chillen (reissue) - Sally Mae
(alt.take)
I'm In The Mood - Weeping Willow (reissue)
Howlin' Wolf - John L's House Rent Boogie (reissue) |
Elmer Barbee
Detroit productions 1948-49 and later
Note: King, Regent, Savoy,
Acorn and Chance issues sold to Joe Von Battle.
Hi-Q
5018X repressing has “609” Boogie c/w “Blues For Christmas”. The dates of
Hi-Q and Elmore issues not confirmed.
12-48
2-49
3-49
4-49
1949
11-51
1-52
6-52
11-58
12-59
12-60
12-61
1960 |
King 4283
Regent 1001
Savoy 5558
Acorn 308
Danceland 403
Chance 1108
Chance 1110
Chance 1122
Fortune 846
Fortune 853
HiQ 5018
Elmor 303
Fortune 855 |
Texas Slim
Black Man Blues - Stomp Boogie
(planned as by "Poor Joe & His Boys")
Delta John
Goin´ Mad Blues - Helpless Blues (John calls
himself "Poor Slim")
Birmingham Sam and his Magic Guitar
Landing Blues
-
Low-Down Midnite Boogie (John calls himself "Poor Slim")
The Boogie Man
Do The Boogie - Morning Blues
Little Pork Chops
Wayne County Ramblin´ Blues - Grievin´ Blues
(flip has unknown lead singer)
John Lee Booker and his Guitar,
John L. Booker and his Guitar
(1122)
(rec 1949)
Miss Lorraine - Talkin´ Boogie
(John calls himself "Slim" on "Lorraine")
I Love To Boogie -
Graveyard Blues (John calls himself "Poor
John")
609 Boogie - Road Trouble
(John calls himself "Slim" - to be issued as by "Alabama Slim")
John Lee Hooker
609 Boogie - (Miss Saide Me) Curl My Baby´s Hair (recorded 1948)
Cry Baby - Love You Baby
(recorded 1954)
Blues For Christmas - Big Fine Woman (recorded 1954)
HiQ 5018X - see not above
Blues For Christmas - Big Fine Woman (reissues)
Sir John Lee Hooker
Crazy About That Walk - We´re All God´s Chillun (recorded 1960, Devora and Jack Brown, prod) |
Joe Von
Battle Detroit recordings 1949-50 and 1953-54
Note: The King titles may have been
recorded by Elmer Barbee and sold to Battle.
8-49
10-49
1-50
2-50
5-50
7-50
12-51
1958
4-70
1951
8-51
10-53
5-55 |
King 4315
King 4323
King 4329
King 4334
King 4366
King 4377
King 4504
Federal 12377
King 6298
Gone 60/61
Chess 1462
DeLuxe 6009
JVB 30 |
Texas Slim
The Numbers - Devil´s Jump
Nightmare Blues - I´m Gonna Kill That Woman
Heart Trouble Blues - Slim´s Stomp
Wandering Blues - Don´t Go Baby
Don´t You
Remember Me -
Late Last Night
("Don't..." prod by Idessa Malone)
Moaning Blues - Thinking Blues ("Thinking..." prod by Idessa Malone)
John Lee Cooker
Moaning Blues (reissue) - Stomp Boogie
John Lee Hooker
(and his Guitar
-Federal)
Don´t You Remember Me - Late Last Night
(reissues with drums dubbed)
Moanin' And Stompin' Blues - Don't Go Baby
(reissues of "Moaning" and "Don't Go Baby"))
John Lee Booker (and His Guitar
- Chess)
Mad Man Blues - Boogie Now (John calls
himself "Sam")
Mad Man Blues - Boogie Now (reissue)
Johnny Lee
I´m A Boogie Man - I Came To See You Baby
Johnny Lee Hooker
No More Doggin´ -
Boogie Rambler |
Idessa Malone
Detroit productions 1949-1950
Note: "Thinking Blues" and "Don´t
You Remember Me", on King above, produced by Idessa Malone in 1950.
Prize 704 was
reisssued with an alternate, later take of "Miss Rosie Mae", c/w an instrumental
(not featuring Hooker).
Staff 711
Sunnyland Blues
/ Bull Headed Woman by Johnny
Willams may or may not be Hooker (although listed such in "The R&B Indies").
1949
1950
11-50
12-50
1951
1952 |
Prize 704
Staff 704
Staff 710
Gotham 506
Staff 718
SwingTime 266 |
Johnny Williams
with Guitar Accomp (704) or
and
his Guitar (710, 506)
or Johnny Williams Sings (718, 266)
Miss Rosie Mae - Highway Blues
Miss Rosie Mae - Highway Blues
(reissue)
Wandering Blues - House Rent Boogie
Wandering Blues - House Rent Boogie
(reissue)
Prison Bound - Bumble Bee Blues
Prison Bound - Bumble Bee Blues
(reissue) |
Gotham recordings (poss prod by Battle) Detroit
1950/51
ca 1-51
1951
3-52 |
Gotham 509
Gotham 513
Gotham 515 |
Johnny Williams (509/513) or
John Lee (515)
Questionnaire Blues - Real Gone Guy
Little Boy Blue - My Daddy Was A Jockey
Mean Old Train - Catfish |
Chess
recordings Chicago April 26, 1951 and prob. Detroit April 24, 1952
8-51
10-51
1-52
4-52
5-52
3-54 |
Chess 1467
Chess 1482
Modern 852
Chess 1505
Chess 1513
Chess 1562 |
John Lee Booker
Ramblin´ My Myself - Leave My Wife Alone
Ground Hog Blues - Louise
John L' Hooker
Ground Hog Blues - Louise (reissue -
interesting -he? on Modern this one!)
John Lee Hooker
High Priced Woman - Union Station Blues
(rec. 1951)
Walkin´ The Boogie - Sugar Mama (rec.
April, 1952)
It´s My Own Fault (rec. by Besman in
1952)
- Women And Money (purch. from Fortune) |
Henry
Stone recordings Cincinnati or Miami July 1953
9-53
1-54
3-54
1954
1954
1956
1956 |
DeLuxe 6004
DeLuxe 6032
DeLuxe 6046
Rockin´ 524
Rockin´ 525
Chart 609
Chart 614 |
John Lee Booker
Lovin´ Guitar Man - Blue Monday
Stuttering Blues - Pouring Down Rain
Real Real Gone - My Baby Don´t Love Me
Blue Monday - Lovin´ Guitar Man
(reissues)
Pouring Down Rain
- Stuttering Blues
(reissues)
John Lee Hooker
Wobbling Baby (alt. of Pouring Down Rain ) -
Goin´ South (alt. of Real Real Gone)
I Ain´t Got Nobody (aka
Blue Monday) -
Misbelieving Baby (aka
My Baby Put Me Down) |
Specialty recordings Detroit May 1954
8-54 |
Specialty 528 |
John Lee Hooker
I´m Mad - Everybody´s Blues |
Bihari
Modern recordings Detroit 1953-1955
Modern 897 issued as John Lee Hooker and "Little" Eddie
Kirkland.
1-53
5-53
7-53
10-53
2-54
5-54
7-54
10-54
1-55
5-55
8-55
10-55 |
Modern 897
Modern 901
Modern 908
Modern 916
Modern 923
Modern 931
Modern 935
Modern 942
Modern 948
Modern 958
Modern 966
Modern 978 |
John Lee Hooker
I´ts Been A Long Time Baby - Rock House Boogie
Ride ´Til I Die - It´s Stormin´ And Rainin´
Please Take Me Back
- Love Money Can´t Buy
Too Much Boogie - Need Somebody
Gotta Boogie - Down Child
Jump Me (One More Time) -
I Wonder Little Darling
I Tried Hard - Let´s Talk It Over
("Let´s Talk" rec. by Besman in 1951)
Cool Little Car - Bad Boy
Half A Stranger - Shake, Holler And Run
Taxi Driver - You Receive Me
Hug And Squeeze - The Syndicator
Lookin´ For A Woman - I´m Ready |
Vee-Jay recordings Chicago 1955-1964
Some issues of Vee-Jay 493
may have Take A Look At Yourself / I Love Her
11-55
4-56
8-56
1-57
4-57
9-57
2-58
9-58
2-59
6-59
10-59
4-60
7-60
2-61
7-61
4-62
8-62
2-63
1963
1964
5-65
11-65
1965
1973
1973
1973
1974
ca 1974 |
Vee-Jay 164
Vee-Jay 188
Vee-Jay 205
Vee-Jay 233
Vee-Jay 245
Vee-Jay 255
Vee-Jay 265
Vee-Jay 293
Vee-Jay 308
Vee-Jay 319
Vee-Jay 331
Vee-Jay 349
Vee-Jay 366
Vee-Jay 379
Vee-Jay 397
Vee-Jay 438
Vee-Jay 453
Vee-Jay 493
Vee-Jay 538
Vee-Jay 575
Vee-Jay 670
Vee-Jay 708
Oldies 45 324
Trip 167
Trip 168
Trip 169
Dynasty DST 4501
Oldies 45 2451 |
John Lee Hooker
Time Is Marching - Mambo Chillen
Every Night - Trouble Blues
Dimples - Baby Lee
I´m So Worried Baby - The Road Is So Rough
I´m So Excited - I See You When You´re Weak
Little Wheel - Rosie Mae
You Can Lead Me Baby - Unfriendly Woman
I Love You Honey - You´ve Taken My Woman
Maudie - I´m In The Mood
Tennessee Blues - Boogie Chillun
Hobo Blues - Crawlin Kingsnake
No Shoes - Solid Sender
Tupelo (Newport, purch. from Vanguard)
- Dusty Road
I´m Going Upstairs - I´m Mad Again
Want Ad Blues - Take Me As I Am
("Take.." New York City, purch. from Prestige)
Boom Boom - Drug Store Woman
She´s Mine - A New Leaf
-take A Look At Yoursel - fFrisco Blues
(b/w I Love Her on early pressings)
Birmingham Blues - I´m Leaving
Don´t Look Back - Send Me Your Pillow
Big Legs, Tight Skirt - Your Baby Ain´t Sweet Like Mine
It Serves Me Right - Flowers On The Hour
I'm Leaving - Birmingham Blues (reissue)
I'm In The Mood - Boogie Chillun (reissues)
Boom Boom - Drug Store Woman (reissue)
Frisco Blues - Dimples (reissues)
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine
Boom Boom (reissue) - Whiskey And Wimmen |
The Other
Hooker Singles 1960 - 1974
United Artists single as Canned Heat & John Lee Hooker
Jewel 860 of 1978 features Daizie May (Paris) c/w Jimmy Reed's Hard Working
Hanna.
Slightly selected list.
6-60
1961
1961
1963
1963
1963/64
1966
4-66
6-66
1967
1968
5-68
1969
1969
1970
1971
1977
1978
1971
1971
1972
1974 |
Riverside 438
Lauren 361
Lauren 362
Battle 901
Galaxy 716
Polydor 2001363 (Eu)
Planet 114 (UK)
Impulse 242
Chess 1965
BluesWay 61010
BluesWay 61014
BluesWay 61017
BluesWay 61023
Stax 0053
Carson 662 (F)
Jewel 824
Jewel 852
Jewel 856
United Artists 50779
ABC 11298
ABC 11320
ABC 004-96069 |
John Lee Hooker
I Need Some Money - No More Doggin´
(from LP 12-828)
Mojo Hand - Ballad To Abraham Lincoln
(from Galaxy LP 201)
Lost My Job - Deep Down In My Heart
(from Galaxy LP 201)
I Need Some Money - No More Doggin´
(reissue)
I Lost My Job (reissue) -
You Gotta Shake It Up And Go (from LP 201
with overdub)
Shake It Baby - Let's Make It Baby"
(from the 1962 October, Germany
Brunswick session)
Mai Lee - Don´t Be Messing With My Bread
(from Verve LP FT 3003
Money (That´s What I Want) - Bottle Up And Go
(from LP 9103)
Let´s Go Out Tonight (edited) - In The Mood
(I'm In The Mood from LP 1508)
Motor City Is Burning - Want Ad Blues
(from LP 6012))
Mr. Lucky - Cry Before You Go (from LP
6012)
Think Twice Before You Go - Back Biters And Syndicaters
(from LP 6012)
I Don´t Wanna Go To Vietnam - Mean, Mean Woman
(from LP 6023)
Grinder Man - Slow And Easy (from
LP 4134)
I Feel Good - Dazie Mae (from LP
3662
I Feel Good (parts 1 and 2) (from LP 5005)
Stand By (parts 1 and 2)
(from LP 5005)
Roll And Tumble - Baby Baby (from LP
5005)
Whiskey And Wimmen' - Let's Make It
(from Liberty LP 2-35002 - also issued on Liberty 15463)
Kick Hit 4 Hit Kix U - Doin´ The
Shout
(from LP 2-720)
Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive -
Boogie With The Hook (from LP 736)
Make It Funky - 714 Blues
(from LP 838) |
John Lee
Hooker - singles discography at Soulful Kinda Music
Great John Lee Hooker on
vinyl site with images of most of
Hooker's singles
(jlhvinyl.com) by Scot A Pell
The Ultimate Hooker
CD Collection
- revised on May 26, 2008.

Note: Some catalogue numbers are
British, although U.S. original issues exist (marked *).
There are
several more CDs to find
than listed, but here are the best.
Hooker´s recordings have been
issued on several hundred different compilations -
here you'll find the most valuable - the most "legal" - the most serious and ambitious
ones!
Albums under each section listed in order of "essentiality".
(the most important marked
E; note: editor´s subjectively opinion)
Note: Some CDs listed
may represent more than one "period", but are only listed once.
Order your Hooker CDs at
Roots & Rhythm - JLH
and check their main site
JLH at oldies.com
Order
almost any Hooker CDs
Download John Lee Hooker Music from RealPlayer Music Store
The Modern Detroit Years 1948 - 1955

|
Blues Kingpins - (Blues Immortal - John Lee Hooker) E
Virgin (The Right Stuff/The
Blues Foundation) CD 82741-2 (August, 2003)
The latest - and maybe it will turn out to be the best - compilation of
Hooker´s Modern years (1948-1955) with very fine samples of all the years
for the Bihari Brothers. It features 18 great tracks in chronological order
(The Right Stuff president Tom Cartwright was the initiator of this release
for the Blues Year). The CD has liner notes by compiler/annotator Bill Dahl.
Get this one! All tracks are owned by Ace Records Ltd. The tracks on this CD
can be found on the following four Ace/Mainstream CDs, although several
tracks are issued on CD for the first time in the United States.
Tracks: 1948: BOOGIE CHILLEN - SALLY MAE (LP version) - 1949: HOOGIE BOOGIE
- HOBO BLUES - WEEPING WILLOW BOOGIE - CRAWLIN´ KING SNAKE - 1950: HOWLIN´
WOLF - 1951: QUEEN BEE - I´M IN THE MOOD - HOW CAN YOU DO IT - ANYBODY SEEN
MY BABY - 1952: I GOT EYES FOR YOU - 1953: IT´S BEEN A LONG TIME BABY - LOVE
MONEY CAN´T BUY - 1954: I TRIED HARD - 1955: HUG AND SQUEEZE - THE
SYNDICATOR - I´M READY.
| tracks
list and info
| (from blueskingpins.com)
|

|
The Legendary Modern Recordings 1948-1954 E
Ace CDCHD 315 (UK) (1993) - Flair V2 1Z-39658 (US) (1994)
A cross section of the original Modern 78´s - actually 1948-1953 - with
several classic early hits - simply a must if you want his definitive early
singles tracks. The very best of vintage Hooker - 24 classics! CD is
compiled by Ray Topping with a nice inlay comments by Dave Sax (of
September, 1991) and backcover images of early Modern singles (one of them
showing the original 78 rpm spelling of "Sally May").
Tracks:
BOOGIE CHILLEN - SALLY MAE (LP version) - HOOGIE BOOGIE - HOBO BLUES -
WEEPING WILLOW BOOGIE - DRIFTING FROM DOOR TO DOOR - CRAWLING KING SNAKE
- WOMEN IN MY LIFE - HOWLIN´ WOLF - PLAYING THE RACES - LET YOUR DADDY
RIDE - QUEEN BEE - WEDNESDAY EVENING - I´M IN THE MOOD (original
three-voice single) - TEASE ME BABY - TURN OVER A NEW LEAF - ROCK HOUSE
BOOGIE - TOO MUCH BOOGIE - NEED SOMEBODY - GOTTA BOOGIE - JUMP ME ONE
MORE TIME - DOWN CHILD - BAD BOY - PLEASE TAKE ME BACK. |

|
Note: The
image right is the Japanese P-Vine CD 3035, "The Great John Lee
Hooker" (which has the cover of Hooker's Crown album of 1963 and
the same runnning order as the Ace/Flair 24 CD).
|
Comprehensive Details |
|

|
Half A Stranger E
Mainstream MDCD 903 (UK) (1991)
In some ways the best of the Modern compilations - if you want good sound -
with original, high class (unedited) masters of 1948-1955, including several
titles from Hooker´s later Detroit "folk" period and a couple of alternates
- get it - 18 super titles (12 of them not on the above - and several from
1954-55)! Darryl Stolper and Stewart Humphries provided liner information.
The CD is prepared by Kevin Gray in Burbank, Calif.
Tracks: BAD BOY - ROCK HOUSE BOOGIE - THE SYNDICATOR - I LOVE YA BABY (aka
I Love You Baby) - BABY, I´M GONNA MISS YOU - HALF A STRANGER - SHAKE HOLLER
& RUN - DOWN CHILD - GONNA BOOGIE - BABY YOU AIN´T NO GOOD - LOOKIN´ FOR A
WOMAN (without oberdub) - HUG & SQUEEZE - I´M IN THE MOOD (alt. one-voice) -
HOUSE RENT BOOGIE - CRAWLING KING SNAKE - BOOGIE CHILLEN - QUEEN BEE - HOBO
BLUES.
|

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House Rent Boogie
Ace CDCHD 799 (UK) (2001)
A great CD, featuring 24 Modern and Besman tracks (mostly late
Bihari-productions, but also some other early Besman titles). A
never-before-issued alternate of "I´m In The Mood" with dubbed harmonica
(prob. not Hooker - although the sleeve says so) and several alternates plus
some never-on-a-legal-CD-issued titles from 1953-54. A must for a true
Hooker collection! Great liner notes by Ray Topping, who also compiled this
CD.
Tracks: HOUSE RENT BOOGIE (alt tke) · SALLY MAE (original single version) ·
NOBODY TO TALK TO ME (aka MEAN OLD TRAIN) · NUMBERS BLUES (the
original Besman cut of "Playin´ The Numbers") · BUILD MYSELF A CAVE (alt
tke) · ROLL 'N' ROLL · ANYBODY SEEN MY BABY · HOW CAN YOU DO IT · KEY TO THE
HIGHWAY (alt version with less overdub) · I GOT EYES FOR YOU · BLUE BIRD
BLUES · I GOT EYES FOR YOU (alt tke 2) · I'M IN THE MOOD (with harmonica) ·
LOVE MONEY CAN'T BUY · IT'S STORMIN' AND RAININ' · LET'S TALK IT OVER (1954
version recorded 1951) · IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME BABY · I TRIED HARD · YOU
RECEIVE ME · TAXI DRIVER · BABY YOU AIN'T NO GOOD · HALF A STRANGER · HUG
AND SQUEEZE · I'M READY.
|

|
Original Folk Blues - Plus
Ace/Flair* CDCHM 530 (1994)
Kent´s original 1964 album, plus six interesting bonus tracks, (several
tracks are on the above two though) - total tracks: 18. Compiled by Ted
Carroll with the Kent LP original liner notes and cover.
Tracks: BOOGIE CHILLEN - QUEEN BEE - CRAWLIN´ KING SNAKE - WEEPING WILLOW
BOOGIE - WHISTLIN´ & MOANIN´ BLUES - SALLY MAE (LP version) - I NEED LOVE SO
BAD - LET´S TALK IT OVER ("One More Time" of 1949) - THE SYNDICATOR - LET
YOUR DADDY RIDE (alt) - DRIFTING FROM DOOR TO DOOR - BABY I´M GONNA MISS
YOU. Bonus: COLD CHILLS - COOL LITTLE CAR - I WONDER LITTLE DARLING - JUMPE
ME ONE MORE TIME - LOCKIN´ FOR A WOMAN (with overdub) - RIDE ´TIL I DIE.
|
|
Note:
If you possess the CDs above you have all the original Modern singles (and
Crown LP titles) except "No Friend Around" (which is issued on the Capitol
3CD as "TB´s Killing Me"), "Rock Me Mama" (only available on the
GreeneBottle LP today) and "It Hurts Me So" (available on UK Demon Fiend CD
154 "The Detroit Lion" and on the "Boogie Chillen´" CD below) - and not
"Looking For Romance" from Kent (only available on the GreeneBottle LP today
as "Movin On Down The Line" and in an alternate as "Streets Is Filled With
Women" on the Capitol 3CD). The Body & Soul issues (see below) contain all
Hooker´s Besman Detroit recordings, including all alternates (see
Besman-issued below) and the ones from the GreeneBottle LP "Johnny Lee"
(except "Numbers Blues" from Ace CDCHD 799, by technical mistake "Shake
Holler & Run", plus the unedited "Baby, I Prove My Love To You" and its
Fortune harmonica dubbed version).
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Boogie Chillen´
Audio Fidelity AFZ 005 (March,
2003)
This is the only album (except for the Rhino issues) with the original
spelling of "Boogie Chillen´". It contains 20 1948-1954 tracks, of which 11
are featured on "The 40th Anniversary Album" ("The Detroit Lion") -
including "It Hurts Me So" and the rest are to be found on the Mainstream
"Half A Stranger" CD. This is a perfect buy if you haven´t got any of those
two! Personnel listings on this CD include Eddie Burns, gtr & hca, Sylvester
Cotton and Andrew Dunham, gtrs plus Bernard Besman, pno/organ. The
guitarists are mentioned on earlier albums produced by Besman during the
1970s (information probably from there - and not completely correct). All of
the tracks are recorded at United Sound (with Joe Siracuse as engineer - and
the sound is simply terrific - probably taken from the original acetates).
Darryl Stolper has the liner notes and Steve Hoffman noted as compilation
producer. Production under license from Pure Music. Note: Check the Detroit
discography for retitlings! Some of the retitlings have been retitled again!
Tracks: HEY, ´S THE HOUSE RENT BOOGIE - I´M IN THE MOOD (alt.one-voice) - DO
MY BABY THINK OF ME? - I´M GONNA GIT ME A WOMAN - FOUR WOMEN IN MY LIFE -
YES, BABY, BABY (re-retitled) - LET´S TALK IT OVER (ONE MORE TIME) - BABY,
HOW CAN YOU DO IT? - BLUEBIRD, TAKE A LETTER DOWN SOUTH (retitled) - BOOGIE
CHILLEN´ - IT HURTS ME SO - DOWN CHILD - GONNA BOOGIE - BAD BOY - BABY, IM
GONNA MISS YOU - HALF A STRANGER - ROCK HOUSE BOOGIE - BABY, YOU AIN´T NO
UGLY GOOD (re-retitled) - LOOKIN´ FOR A WOMAN - THE SYNDICATOR.
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The Besman Detroit Years 1948 - 1952

|
Alternative Boogie: Early Studio Recordings, 1948-1952 E
Capitol CD 33912-2 (3-set) (1995)
A whole bunchful of early studio Besman-recordings 1948-1952, mostly
alternates of Modern titles - here in super sound quality. This is United
Artists´ "Coast To Coast Blues Band" and the 3LP-set "John
Lee Hooker´s Detroit" in one wonderful package - total number of
tracks: 49 plus 7 from Hooker´s Besman-recordings for Galaxy in California,
1961 (the only ones issued on CD by the way). Perfect sound on most and a
true collector´s gem and in-depth track analyzis by Pete Welding. Get it!
Among the great tracks: "Lord Taketh My Baby Away" (originally "Decoration
Day Blues"), "Johnny Lee´s Original Boogie" (that´s an alternate of "Boogie
Chillen´"), "Throw My Money Around" (an alternate of "How Can You Do It")
and "TB´s Killing Me" (originally "No Friend Around"). You'll also find the
origingal version of "Sally May" (as "There's A Day Comin' Baby".
|
Comprehensive Details |
|

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Everybody´s Blues E
Specialty SPCD 7035 (US), Ace
CDCHD 474 (UK) (1993)
Besman 1950-1951 - 8 tracks - plus 12 tracks from Hooker´s two Specialty
sessions by Joe Siracuse and Johny Vincent of 1954 (mostly US unissued, but
it also includes the single "I´m Mad" and some from the Sonet/Specialty
vinyl of Europe - only "I Do Like A Please" is missing). Tracks
presented in chronological order. If you have this and the next CD, you
don´t need "Blues Brother" on Ace/Specialty. This is a must
- since it features the rare 1954 Specialty tracks with Hooker accompanied
by a full combo. Liner notes by Billy Vera, 1991.
10 tracks from this CD plus 5 from the next are to be found on the Specialty
CD SPCD-30053 "Specialty Profiles" (which also has a a
10-track bonus CD including samples from other
Specialty Profiles (issued in
early 2006).
|
Comprehensive Details |
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Graveyard Blues
E
Specialty SPCD 7018 (US), Ace
CDCHD 421 (UK) (1992)
Besman 1948-1950 - 20 tracks in chronology prior to the eight above; with
several from Sensation 78´s (including several alternates of his Modern
tracks). Listen to a.o. "Boogie Chillen #2" and the original "Burnin´ Hell".
On this and "Everybody´s Blues" you´ll find the tracks from his two
Specialty LPs "Alone" and "Goin´ Down Highway 51".
Note that the alternates here are not issued on the Capitol 3CD set - which
means: If you want the full Besman discography you´ll need the Modern/Ace
CDs, both of the Specialty/Ace CDs and the 3CD-Capitol set. Both the above
CDs are very essential! Same liner notes as on the above.
|
Comprehensive Details |
|
 |
To complete
your Besman collection you´ll have to purchase his vinyl:
Johnny Lee
GreeneBottle GBS 3130 (2LP-set)
(1972)
which can´t be find on CD, but includes several alternate masters of titles
included in "Alternative Boogie", a.o. "My Own Boogie" (one of several
alternates of "Hoogie Boogie"), "Jump Chillun" (an alternate of "Boogie
Chillen #2"), "Please Have Mercy", an alternate of "Tease Me Baby", and
several other rarities not on Modern, Capitol or Specialty. This double-LP
was issued after the two Specialty LPs of 1971 ("Alone" and "Goin'
Down Highway 51", also comprising early Sensation singles) and the first
United Artists LP, "Coast To Coast Blues Band" of 1972 - but before the
second United Artists LP (the triple-album "John Lee Hooker's Detroit",
issued in 1973), which just like this also had some Galaxy/Besman recordings
of 1961. Hooker made three issued takes of several Besman classics, and here
you have some of the late-found alternates. The GreeneBottle LP also
includes several never-issued titles 1949-1952 (a.o. the unedited version of
"It´s My Own Fault", titled "Baby, I Prove My Love To You") plus a couple of
California-Besman 1961´s. Album concept by David L. Edwards.
|
Tracks (Jarlvik's site) |
(tracks
at jlhvinyl)
Alternate Besman
compilations:
|


|
40th
Anniversary Album / The Detroit Lion 
DCC DZS 042 (US) (1989);
Demon CD 154 (UK) (1990)
Originally the "40th
Anniversary Album" on DCC LP 054. It has 14 interesting Besman cuts
of 1948-1952 (including a couple of alternate Modern titles - several simply
retitled). The CD has a perfect sound and also includes one track from
Besman´s 1961 California session. Liner notes by Besman himself. Note: Check
the Detroit discography for retitlings! Tracks: Hey, ´S The House Rent
Boogie - I´m In The Mood - Baby How Can You Do It? - Let´s Talk It Over -
Yes, Baby, Baby, Baby - I Got The Key - Four Women In My Life - Do My Baby
Think Of Me? - I´m Gonna Git Me A Woman - It Hurts Me So - Bluebird,
Bluebird, Take A Letter Down South - Boogie Chillen - Hello Baby, This Is 19
and 52, Babe - Blues For Abraham Lincoln (1961).
Blues Brother
Ace CDCHD 405 (1992)
24 vintage Besman / Sensation
tracks including tracks from the original Besman session of September, 1948
and all his Sensation singles. You don´t need this if you have the other two
Ace / Specialty CDs, but it is an interesting compilation if you are
interested in the very early Besman recordings 1948-1951. The tracks come
from Hooker's two Specialty LPs of the ealry 1970s with dates of recording
(although not always correct). Tracks: Boogie Chillen - Rollin´ Blues - I
Need Lovin´ - Grinder Man - Women In My Life - My Baby´s Got Something -
Momma Poppa Boogie - Sailing Blues - Graveyard Blues - Huckle Up Baby -
Alberta - Boogie Chillen #2 - Three Long Years Today - Do My Baby Think Of
Me - Burnin´ Hell - Goin´ On Highway 51 - Sail On Little Girl - Alberta Part
2 - Find Me A Woman - Hastings Street Boogie - Canal Street Blues - War Is
Over (Goodbye California) - Henry´s Swing Club. |
The Pseudonym recordings 1948 - 1954

|
The Complete 50´s Chess Recordings
E
MCA MCD2-9391 (US
1997) / Universal MCD 09391 (Europe 1998)
(2-set)
Battle / Chess / Fortune 1950-1954 - a wonderful compilation, featuring
31 tracks, including several originally not on the famous Chess LPs. Be
sure to get it - the CD includes all tracks from "House of the
Blues" (MCA CHD 9258) and "Plays And Sings The Blues"
(MCA CHD 9199) plus several odd Fortune recordings: "You Have Two
Hearts" (never issued before), "It´s My Own Fault", "Big Fine Women",
"Tell Me Baby" (originally known as "Love You Baby"), "Blues For
Christmas" and "Cry Baby Cry", plus the alternate of "Walkin´ The
Boogie". Simply superb, and if you can´t find this one - order the two
MCA CDs named as the LPs - although you´ll miss the fine "bonus" tracks,
including "Blues For Big Town" (produced by Bernie Besman and originally
issued on a Fortune LP and later on a Charly CD). Note:
The 2-set CD is issued with differing cover: In the USA (Chess
50th Anniversary Series); and in Europe with more detailed
information given by Dave Sax and Colin Escott on the Universal issue
(from the "Legendary Masters Series"). It says the
original Chess recordings were done in either Chicago or Detroit on
April 26, 1951 and April 24, 1952 (with the Fortune recordings done in
Detroit 1952-1954). Battle is given as producer only on the two Gone
recordings.
Note: Lefte image showing US cover - rightl image European.
|
House of the Blues | Plays And Sings The Blues |
Blues For Big Town |
|
all the tracks at Jarlvik's site |
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Don´t Turn Me From Your Door - JLH Sings His Blues E
Atco/Atlantic CD 7-82365-2 (1992)
Ten great DeLuxe (Henry Stone produced) pseudonym Booker recordings of 1953,
plus Atco / Henry Stone 1961, with a total of 16 super tracks. An essential
"no-contract" album, containing all sixteen tracks from Atlantic´s LP "Detroit
Special", (that´s 4 more than the original Atco LP named "Don´t
Turn Me From Your Door"). You´ll find ""Pouring Down Rain" and its alternate
"Wobbling Baby" from 1953, "Drifting Blues" and "You Lost A Good Man" from
1961, and the two mistitled instrumentals of unknown birth date. Liner notes
by Pete Lowry from the Atlantic bonus LP of 1972 (not from the original Atco
LP of 1963). In April, 2006 Collectables reissued the original Atco album
with 12 tracks on COL CD 7703.
|
Comprehensive Details |
|

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I´m A Boogie Man -
The Essential Masters (1948-1953) E
Varese Vintage DeLuxe CD 302066571-2 (September, 2004)
check it out! (with track listing)
The old King LP "Sings Blues", later titled "Moanin´
And Stompin´" on other compilations, comprising original Joe Von
Battle recordings of 1948-1950 (the very first recordings actually Elmer
Barbee productions, sold to Battle) - here though with all 16 original
titles (as on the Polydor LP "Slim´s Stomp" -
without the dubbed drums on track 11 and 16 and no echo effects).
The 2004 Varese CD has all 16 tracks in chronological order plus three rare
Battle De-Luxe tracks of 1953 including the never-issued before "My Baby
Left Me". Hooker mostly calls himself "Poor Johnny" - not "Slim". It´s a
great compilation produced by Cary E. Mansfield of Varese Sarabande and Bill
Dahl (the latter also wrote the nice liner notes. Get it!
Track order:
1. Black Man Blues 2. Who’s Been Jiving You 3. Poor Joe 4. Stomp Boogie 5.
The Numbers 6. Devil’s Jump 7. Nightmare Blues 8. I’m Gonna Kill That Woman
9. Wandering Blues 10. Don’t Go Baby 11. Late Last Night 12. Moaning Blues
13. Slim’s Stomp 14. Heart Trouble Blues 15. Thinking Blues 16. Don’t You
Remember Me 17. I Came To See You Baby 18. I’m A Boogie Man 19. My Baby Left
Me (originally unissued).
The CD is also issued
with lesser titles on Ember/King EMBCD 3356 (with the echo effects and
dubbeld drums) and there is an alternate CD titled "Boogie Chillen" which
has several Modern tracks stacked together with the undubbed Texas Slim tracks. Especially enjoy the first
true Joe Von Battle pirate recordings of August, 1949 and the two Idessa
Malone productions of "Thinking Blues" and "Don´t You Remember Me"
- by the way the title of the UK Charly issue of this album - reissued
recently on King Masters 6009. "Don´t ..." and "Late..." have the
dubbed drums most later CDs. No liner notes on the Pulse CD. Note:
If you can´´t find any of the above - then try: "I'm The Boogie Man"
on Collectables COL-CD-2877 which has 15 of the 16 tracks and the dubbed
drums! (see Anthologies below).
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Boogie Awhile E
KrazyKat KK CD05 (UK) (2000)
Very rare Battle, Barbee et all in Detroit, (originally issued on several
odd Detroit labels) - a treat for collectors, although 13 of the tracks are
missing from the double vinyl issue of 1990, which had 33 tracks - the CD has 20
(missing are a.o."Bumble Bee Blues" and "Prison Bound" and several very odd
early titles - although you may find all of those and the whole of this CD
on the Body & Soul CD series). The Krazy Kat CD covers 1948-1953 - including
Barbee productions (sold to Battle, but never issued on singles) and lots of
Barbee originals (a.o. the demo recording of "Cotton Pickin´Boogie"). "Low
Down Boogie", where Hooker calls himself "Poor Tony" is missing on the CD. A
great job done by Dave Sax (who compiled and wrote liner notes to this set
and owns the rights to the Battle tracks). Some of the most interesting cuts
here are Elmer Barbee productions sold to Battle - "Boogie Awhile" and "Miss
Rosie Mae", but you will miss a couple of Barbee´s original demo recordings
done prior to "Boogie Chillen´" if you settle for the CD on don´t get the
LP, although as for all other vinyl issues the tracks up to 1954 are
re-released on the Body & Soul 2-set CD-series.
|
Tracks (Jarlvik's site) |
|
 |
Savoy
Blues Legends - Detroit 1948-1949
Savoy Jazz-Atlantic CD 92910-2 (1999);
reissued on Savoy 17078 (2002)
Hooker´s fine - very early (and hard-to-find CD) Elmer Barbee recordings -
most of them sold to Joe Von Battle, who re-sold them to Savoy (with some
singles issued on Regent, Acorn and Chance - where he used his several
pseudonyms, including Birmingham Sam, Delta John, The Boogie Man, and John
Lee Booker). The CD comprises 20 tracks previously issued on KrazyKat and
Savoy LPs - plus a couple of bootlegs, including "Low Down Midnite Boogie",
"Goin´Mad Blues", his The Boogie Man single "Do The Boogie" and the
by-then-unissued "Boogie Woogie" and "Grievin´ Blues". Hooker capitalizing
on his "Boogie Chillen´" new-found fame. This CD is a must if you want his
very early "pirate" recordings, where John calls himself "Alabama Slim",
"Poor Slim" or just "Slim" on several titles.
Note: All of the
tracks issued on the 2CD-set METRDCD532 ("Early Years - The Classic Savoy
Sessions", which also features the c:a 1961 Savoy tracks - see below).
Tracks on Blues Legends:
Low Down Midnite Boogie - Grievin´ Blues - Twister Blues - Like A Woman -
Landing Blues - Goin´ Home Blues - Shady Grove Blues - Boogie Woogie - Good
Business - Mercy Blues - Helpless Blues - Goin´ Mad Blues - Morning Blues -
Boogie Awhile - Tuesday Evening Blues - Miss Pearl Boogie - Road Trouble -
609 Boogie - Christmas Time Blues - Do The Boogie.
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Jack O' Diamonds - 1949 recordings
(note: actually 1951)
Eagle EAGCD
279 (US CD 20024-2) (April, 2004), reissued on
Universal 10014 (2008)
aka: The Unknown John Lee
Hooker
Flyright FLY CD 57 (UK) (2000)
20 never-before-issued and completely unknown private recordings, vocals
and acoustic guitar, for Gene Deutch in Detroit from August 1951,
recorded at Gene's home in Pleasent Ridge
- but waited to be issued first in the year of 2000. The last four
tracks of a total of 20 come from an alternate session and
have a complete different sound. One of the two sessions filed as August
16, 1951. Both issues have same track order.
Get it!
Eagle Records issue |
(tracks list Flyright) | tracks at Yahoo | |
 |
|

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Gotham Golden Classics - The Rare Recordings
Collectables CD COL 5151 (1998)
Hooker´s eleven recordings for Gotham 1950-51 (Detroit - prob. Joe Von
Battle productions), including Idessa Malone´s two superb productions for
Staff ("Wandering Blues" and "House Rent Boogie") plus his "John Lee" &
"Johnny Williams" pseudonyms directly for Gotham. I personally am not that
impressed by the things he did directly for Gotham, so this is a CD for the
"fanatic" collector. If you want bonus tracks by Eddie Burns and Baby Boy
Warren - then get the Krazy Kat CFLY CD 23 "Detroit Blues"
or the Hooker/Burns Collectables CD 5316 "Detroit Blues, 1950-51".
Check
it
|
The Danceland Years |
The Danceland Years
Pointblank CD40116-2 (1995)
A various artists album, which Includes five rare Elmer Barbee recordings of
1949. Hooker tracks: Wayne county ramblin´ blues - Cotton pickin´ boogie -
1949 Grievin´ blues Pt.1 - Six o´nine boogie (take1) - Six o´nine boogie
(take2) - tjhe two version actually the same take and issued on Chance 1122
as "609 Boogie".
|
The Anthologies / Compilations
- including early
pseudonym recordings

Pre-review
Order from amazon.com
Shout!Factory

32 tracks on
50 Years:
John Lee Hooker Anthology
Shout!Factory 2CD
30 tracks from "HOOKER"
plus "Jealous" and "Boogie at Russian Hill"
CD 826663-1128
issued February 2009 |
HOOKER
E - The best JLH collection
- 4cd BOX-SET on Shout!
Factory (US)
out on October 31, 2006
Catalog #: 826663-10198

- Blue Label/SPV SPV 95940 (Europe 2009 -
standard format 4CD-set - 32 page inlay)
The truly ultimate Hooker Box,
covering his whole career! Just get it!
The ones who produced this set (including daughter Zakyia) simply knew what
to include (seems they have checked this site). Great work - and congrats!!!!
The inlay booklet of 60 pages is simply terriric - with lots of new rare
photos and a great presentation of Hooker's life and music - very good, Ted
Drozdowski. From the Shout! pre-view:
"The set
was compiled by Shawn Amos and Patrick Milligan with invaluable assistance
from Zakiya Hooker, Executor-Trustee and Eugene Skuratowicz, Estate Manager
of the John Lee Hooker Estate. Music journalist Ted Drozdowski wrote
comprehensive liner notes, which delve into Hooker’s Mississippi and African
influences, and follow his career through its many achievements and
accolades up to his death in 2001." The discographical information of
the cuts is a very sincere try to get the dates correct. At the end of the
booklet you'll find a nice "Select Album Discography" listing Hooker's
original albums - just one comment here: the album on Crown 5353 is titled
"The Great" (not "The Original"; the "Original Folk
Blues" was a Kent LP 5055 issued in 1964) - the Savoy LP
"Southern Blues" from ca 1979, wich features one side of early Hooker
recordings, is missing; and the Tomato CD from 1989 is a live recording from
Chicago with Albert
King (featuring five Hooker tracks).
Well - a really well-planned issue - a dream come true - with almost the identical
tracks to my "Anniversary - phantasy" set!
The Gene Deitch recordings done in 1951. "Don't You Remember Me" is the
original undubbed version. "Baby You Ain't No Good" is from Crown's LP "Folk
Blues" (not "The Great", and "Notoriety Woman" is the original single
- never
issued on a regular CD. "I Cover The Waterfront" on CD2 is the brassdubbed
version. "Bluebird" from 1974 has the horns recorded with the rhtyhm (not
later dubbed). From amazon reviews:
There's perfect symmetry in the way this
four-disc anthology opens with a raw, solo acoustic 1948 rendition of John
Lee Hooker's signature tune, "Boogie Chillen'," and then closes a
half-century later with Eric Clapton teaming with Hooker on the same tune.
Though the Mississippi bluesman who relocated to Detroit has been justly
celebrated for his spellbinding repetitions and primal incantations, this
comprehensive set shows just how much more range and depth there was to
Hooker's music than basic boogie. Beyond the influential hits--"Dimples,"
"Boom Boom," and "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" among them--the set
shows his music touching on everything from religion ("Moses Smote the
Water," "We're All God's Chillen") to sociopolitical commentary ("Democrat
Man," "King of the World"). Even so, sensual pleasure remained his prime
inspiration, and few bluesmen have made sex and liquor sound as sexy and
intoxicating as Hooker did. Included are selections from his career revivals
spurred by disciples (1970's teaming with Canned Heat, 1989's Grammy-winning
collaborations with Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Van Morrison, and others),
but the most powerful Hooker is the earlier stuff that cuts closest to the
bone. It may be surprising that it has taken Hooker this long to be
memorialized with a comprehensive box set, but when you consider how many
labels he recorded for (almost all of which he outlived) and under how many
different names (Texas Slim, Johnny Williams, et al.), it’s quite an
achievement that this set even exists. --Don McLeese
HOOKER -
4cd-BOX-SET on Shout! Factory (US)
- issued October 31, 2006
Catalog #: 826663-10198
Note: (revised recording dates)
Disc One - Detroit: 1. Boogie
Chillen' (9/48) 2. Sally Mae (9/48)
3. Black Man Blues - Texas Slim (11/48)
4. Hobo Blues (9/48) 5. Hoogie Boogie
(2/49) 6. Weeping Willow Boogie (7/49)
7. Crawlin' King Snake (9/48) 8. Driftin' From Door To Door (9/48) 9.
Catfish Blues (1951) 10. Moses Smote The
Water (1951) 11. Huckle Up Baby
(12/49) 12. Wandering Blues - Texas
Slim (8/49) 13. Don't You Remember Me
- Texas Slim (3/50) 14. Notoriety
Woman (4/50) 15. Let Your Daddy Ride
(2/50) 16. John L's House Rent Boogie
(11/50) 17. Bumble Bee Blues - Johnny
Williams (1950) 18. Leave My Wife
Alone - John Lee Booker (4/51) 19.
Just Me And My Telephone (4/51) 20. I'm In
The Mood (8/51) 21. Blues For Big Town
(1952) 22. Stuttering Blues - John Lee
Booker (7/53) 23. Down Child (1953)
24. Boogie Rambler (5/54) 25. Baby You
Ain't No Good (1954) 26. I'm Ready
(1955)
Disc Two - Chicago: 1. Dimples (3/56)
2. Every Night (3/56) 3. I'm So
Excited (3/57) 4. I Love You Honey
(6/58) 5. Tupelo Blues (4/59) 6.
I Need Some Money (2/60) 7. Democrat
Man (2/60) 8. No More Doggin' (2/60)
9. Gonna Use My Rod (2/60) 10. Whiskey
And Wimmen (3/60) 11. No Shoes (3/60)
12. We're All God's Chillun - Sir John Lee
Hooker (7/60) 13.
I'm Goin' Upstairs (1/61) 14. Teachin'
The Blues (7/61) 15. You Lost A Good
Man (7/61) 16. Don't Turn Me From Your
Door (7/61) 17. When My First Wife
Quit Me (c. 1961) 18. Boom Boom (12/61)
19. She's Mine (12/61) 20. Frisco Blues
(1962) 21. Birmingham Blues (1963)
22. Big Legs Tight Skirt (1964) 23. It
Serves Me Right To Suffer (1964) 24. I'm Losin' You (11/64) 25. I Cover The
Waterfront (11/64)
Disc Three - Coast to Coast:
1. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
(5/66) 2. Let's Go Out Tonight (5/66)
3. Bottle Up And Go (11/65) 4. Let's
Make It - Live (10/62) 5. King Of
The World (10/65) 6. I'm Bad Like
Jesse James - Live (8/66) 7. Think Twice Before You Go (11/67)
8. Mean Mean Woman (9/68) 9. Burning Hell
- John Lee Hooker & Canned Heat (5/70)
10. Peavine - John Lee Hooker & Canned Heat
(5/70) 11. I Got My Eyes On You - John
Lee Hooker & Canned Heat (5/70) 12. Doin' The Shout (11/70) 13. Bluebird
(5/74) 14. Early One Morning (1982)
15. We'll Meet Again (1986) 16. Loving
People (1991)
Disc Four - Frisco: 1. Baby Lee - John
Lee Hooker & Robert Cray (10/87) 2.
I'm In The Mood - John Lee Hooker & Bonnie
Raitt (4/88) 3. The Healer - John Lee
Hooker & Carlos Santana (4/88) 4. Mr.
Lucky - John Lee Hooker & Robert Cray (1991)
5. I Cover The Waterfront - John Lee Hooker
& Van Morrison (4/90) 6. This Is Hip -
John Lee Hooker & Ry Cooder (5/91) 7.
Bottle Up And Go - John Lee Hooker & John
Hammond (1990) 8. Same Old Blues Again
- John Lee Hooker & Robert Cray (1991)
9. Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker & Jimmie
Vaughan (8/92) 10. Chill Out (Things
Gonna Change) - John Lee Hooker & Carlos
Santana (4/91) 11. Tupelo (7/93)
12. Kiddio - John Lee Hooker & Charles Brown
(1994) 13. Dimples - John Lee Hooker &
Los Lobos (9/96) 14. Don't Look Back - John
Lee Hooker & Van Morrison (4/96) 15.
Up And Down - John Lee Hooker & Johnnie
Johnson (5/91) 16. Mean Mean World -
John Lee Hooker & Zakiya Hooker (1991)
17. Boogie Chillen' - John Lee Hooker & Eric
Clapton (6/98)
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|

The Ultimate Collection
(2CD)

The Very Best of
|
The Ultimate Collection 1948-1990
- Nice sample for beginner
Rhino CD R2 70572 (2-set) (1991)
or
The Very Best of John Lee Hooker
Rhino CD R2 71915
(1995)
A very
fine anthology, covering 1948-1990; 31 tracks - but still too few samples for
a fare, essential Hooker collection - although it is a perfect
album for the Hooker "beginner" or the casual buyer. It also has a nice
booklet with several fine photos and an interesting Hooker essay by Greg
Drust. All the tracks on "The Very Best of JLH" of 1995 (
Rhino R2 71915 - image right)
are included in this 2CD-set. "Sally Mae" is the original Modern single
version of "Sally May".
| Ultimate Collection
tracks |
Get it at Collectables (oldies.com) |
|

Gold (2CD)

The Definitive Collection |
Gold
-
Nice chronology for the beginner
Hip-O (Universal) CD 85900-2 (2-set) (April
2007)
or
The Definitive Collection
Hip-O (Universal) CD 6127-02 (May 2006)
A very interesting "best-of", 35-track chronological
collection, covering the whole of Hooker's career. The "Definitive.." has 5 Modern, 3 Chess, 2 Vee-Jay, 1 Impulse, 2 later Chess, 4 BluesWay, 1 Liberty/EMI, and 2
Chameleon. Only one thing: I would have preferred some more Vee-Jays
instead of one early Chess and two of the BluesWays. Otherwise a perfect
issue for one, who wants to start a Hooker collection."Burning Hell"
from 1970 has an one-minute-and-a-half studio chat introduction. The inley
booklet has several wonderful photos and an essay by Colin Escott. CD
produced by Andy McKaie. Discographical information based on Fancourt's
discography (some session dates incorrect).
The 2-set CD-set, "Gold", issued a year later (in April 2007) has 15 more tracks,
all i
chronological order (see tracks list below), and includes several of
Hooker's absolute best , although almost all of them also are on the
"Hooker" 4CD box-set. McKaie producer here too, but Bill
Dahll does the essay. Great photos here too (and same discographical errors).
CD
000859002
1. |
|
CD 1
Boogie Chillen |
11. |
|
Walkin' The Boogie - (alternate) |
2. |
|
Sally Mae |
12. |
|
Sugar Mama |
3. |
|
Hobo Blues |
13. |
|
Bluebird Blues |
4. |
|
Crawlin' King Snake |
14. |
|
It's My Own Fault |
5. |
|
Huckle Up Baby |
15. |
|
Baby Lee |
6. |
|
John L's House Rent Boogie |
16. |
|
Dimples |
7. |
|
Louise |
17. |
|
I Love You Honey |
8. |
|
Leave My Wife Alone |
18. |
|
I Need Some Money |
9. |
|
I'm In The Mood |
19. |
|
No Shoes |
10. |
|
Baby, Please Don't Go |
20. |
|
Boom Boom |
1. |
|
CD 2
Big Legs, Tight Skirt |
9. |
|
Back Biters And Syndicators |
2. |
|
It Serves You Right To Suffer |
10. |
|
Burning Hell - (featuring Canned
Heat) |
3. |
|
Shake It Baby |
11. |
|
Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive
(71) |
4. |
|
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer |
12. |
|
Red House |
5. |
|
Waterfront, The |
13. |
|
Healer, The - (featuring Carlos
Santana) |
6. |
|
I'm Bad Like Jesse James |
14. |
|
I'm In The Mood - (featuring Bonnie
Raitt) |
7. |
|
Motor City Is Burning, The |
15. |
|
Tupelo (1993) |
8. |
|
Think Twice Before You Go |
Tracks on "The Definitive Collection":
1.Boogie Chillen 2.Hobo Blues 3.Crawlin' King Snake 4.John L's House Rent Boogie 5.Leave My
Wife Alone 6.I'm in the Mood 7.Walkin' the Boogie 8.Sugar Mama 9.Dimples 10.Boom Boom 11.It Serves You Right to Suffer 12.One Bourbon, One
Scotch, One Beer 13.The Waterfront 14.I'm Bad Like Jesse James 15.The Motor City Is Burning 16.Think Twice Before You Go 17.Backbiters and Syndicaters 18.Burning Hell 19.The Healer 20.I'm in the
Mood.
|

|
Early
Years -The Classic Savoy Sessions E
Metro Double METRDCD532 (2CD UK) (April 2004)
Two interesting albums in one! The first CD covers Hooker´s fine -
very early (and hard-to-find) Elmer Barbee recordings - most of them sold to
Joe Von Battle, who re-sold them to Savoy (with some singles issued on
Regent, Acorn and Chance - where he used his several pseudonyms, including
Birmingham Sam, Delta John, The Boogie Man, and John Lee Booker). The CD
comprises 20 tracks previously issued on KrazyKat and Savoy LPs - plus on a
couple of bootlegs, including "Low Down Midnite Boogie", "Goin´Mad Blues",
his The Boogie Man single "Do The Boogie" and the by-then-unissued "Boogie
Woogie" and "Grievin´ Blues". Hooker capitalizing on his "Boogie Chillen´"
new-found fame. Identical to Savoy Jazz/Atlantic 20 tracks CD "Savoy
Blues Legends". The second CD is identical to "Sittin' Here
Thinkin'" on 32Blues and Muse with twelve rare recordings from a
Savoy session with rhythm accomp. produced by Fred Mendelsohn of circa 1961
(also issued on French Vogue and Muse as "Sad And Lonesome"
although the latter are harder to find). These recordings were long due
before the original LP came in the late 1970s, but here you´ll also find his
Eddie Kirkland accompanied "When My Wife Quit Me" together with the original
album tracks like "Teasin´ Me" and "I Bought You A Brand New Home".
Information on the recording dates not fully correct - but still a try on
it. If you find this 2CD-set you dont need the Savoy/Atlantic CD and not the
32Blues (Muse) CD.
14 of the tracks issued on a Savoy Jazz CD of 2004, titled Low Down Midnite
Boogie (Savoy 17356), with nine from the 1961 session.
| Check details | at UnionSquare Music
|

|
The
Boogie Man
Charly CD DIG 5 (4-set UK)
(1994)
Compiled by Les Fancourt (and produced by Fancourt and Charly boss Joop
Visser). Simply great! - although mostly familiar Vee-Jay and Chess, but
also several very rare ones - spanning his prime period 1948-1966. A super
CD "book/box" digipac with several nice photos . Total number of tracks: 80
- handpicked!. Deleted in catalogue nowadysm, but it´s a gem for a true
Hooker fan - and has the full-instrumental accompanied version of "Mama You
Got A Daughter" of 1958 as an interesting rare feature plus the live bootleg
Muddy Waters accompanied 1960 Newport recordings and several 1960s Fortune
tracks (which truly are rare), plus a.o. his German 1962 "American Folk
Blues Festival" recordings (by the way very fine ones - wonder why they
didn't include "King of the World" from the 1965 Festival?).
The four CDs in the book-digipac are titled "House Rent Boogie" (from the
Staff recording 1950), "Walkin' The Boogie" (from the Chess 1954 single),
"Boogie Chillun" (from the Vee-Jay recording of 1959), and "This Is Hip"
(from the originally unissued Vee-Jay recording of 1963)
| track listings |
|

|
Rare
Hooker
Charly CDGR 176 (1996)
A very interesting compilation of 20 tracks, featuring 1948-1950 rare Barbee
and other pirate Detroit recordings of 1948-1950 - including the rare
"Prison Bound" and "Bumble Bee Blues" and Chance singles of the early ´50s.
It also has three alternate early VeeJay recordings (56-443, 57-635 and
58-929) missing on the Charly "Vee-Jay Years"-box set (two of them later
featured on "Testament"), rare 1960 Fortunes; plus the live bootleg
recordings with Muddy Waters´ band of that year. The CD is also issued as
the first of three on "Trilogy" Hearts of Darkness /
Dressed to Kill DTKBOX90 (3-set) (1998), which is and
anthology of 64 tracks 1948-1964. The other two discs comprise the tracks of
Charly CD 62 "House Rent Boogie" and the tracks feeatured on the Charly CD "Dimples"
(issued on SNAP 022 - both featuring Vee-Jay
classics issued several times before. Get it for CD One if you cant find
"The Rare.."!
| check the tracks! |
|

|
I'm The Boogie
Man - The Very Best of
Collectables COL-CD-2877 (June 2004)
23 interesting King/Federal/DeLuxe tracks (15 of the 16 Texas Slim tracks, 3
rare Battle tracks of 1953 plus 5 Henry Stone produced records issued on
Atco) in a wonderful package.
If you dont have any of the "Dont You Remember Me" tracks
from Battle's King-recordings and not the Atco "Don't Turn Me From Your
Door" CD - then
GET THIS! "Black Man Blues" (here though titled "Black Man's Blues"), "I'm
Gonna Kill That Woman", *Real, Real Gone" and "Stutterin' Blues" are among
the recordings on this album. There are also three hard-to-find late DeLuxe
recordings with a big surprise - Never issued before: "My
Baby Left Me" - from Battle's Detroit recording session of September, 1953
(with Eddie Kirkland, second guitar). So for the really deep Hooker fan -
this is a MUST! Of Hooker´s 16 Texas Slim tracks only "Wandering Blues" is
missing. "Don' t You Remember Me" has the dubbed drums. |
check it |
Tracks: I'm The Boogie Man (originally
titled I'm A Boogie Man - see Varese CD above) - Lovin' Guitar Man - Real,
Real Gone - Stutterin' Blues - My Baby Don't Love Me - Don't You Remember Me
- Slim's Stomp (wrongly co-credited: aka Stomp Boogie) - My Baby
Left Me (previously unissued) - The Numbers - Don't Go Baby - Late
Last Night - I Came To See You Baby - Who's Been Jivin' You - Black Man's
Blues - I'm Gonna Kill That Woman - I Ain't Got Nobody (aka Blue
Monday) - Thinking Blues - Poor Joe - Nightmare Blues - Heart Trouble Blues
- Moaning Blues - Devil's Jump - Unissued, Untitled Instrumental (actually
Stomp Boogie).
Tracks 1 & 12: Johnny Lee - Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5 & 16: John
Lee Booker - Tracks 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22 & 23: Texas
Slim - Track 8 previously unissued - Tracks 13 & 18 were first
released on King LP.
Note. Collectables issued a 3CD-set in September, 2008,
titled "Only the Best of JLH", featuring their CDs "Don't Turn Me
From Your Door", "Gotham Golden Classics" and the above.
|
 |
No
Friend Around
Red Lightnin´ CD RL 0093 (UK) (1993)
14 rare tracks originally issued on a bootleg Advent LP and reissued on the
half-bootleg Red Lightnin´ R.L.003 LP in 1969. The CD is also issued as "Black
Man Blues" on another CD (which has an alternate cover - whith the
image from the original LP). The album has 8 Barbee productions, 2 Idessa
Malone tracks, and 4 Besman-Modern rare waxings. Tracks: Stomp Boogie, Black
Man Blues, Helpless Blues, Goin´ Mad Blues, Morning Blues, Roll N´ Roll, No
Friend Around, Low Down-Midnite Boogie, House Rent Boogie, Wandering Blues,
Landing Blues, My Baby´s Got Somethin´, Decoration Day Blues, Do The Boogie.
|


|
A PROPER Introduction to John Lee Hooker - I m In The Mood
Proper INTROCD 2038 (UK) (May,
2004)
25 early classics including most of the famous Modern tracks (and also some
King and other pirate tracks).Includes 8-page booklet and a very suitable
price. Tracks: 1, WAR IS OVER 2, BOOGIE CHILLEN 3, STOMP BOOGIE 4,
BLACK MAN BLUES 5, GOIN' MAD BLUES 6, DRIFTING FROM DOOR TO DOOR 7, HOBO
BLUES 8, HOWLIN' WOLF 9, CRAWLING KING SNAKE 10, WHISTLIN' AND MOANING BLUES
11, HOOGIE BOOGIE 12, NIGHTMARE BLUES 13, DON'T GO BABY 14, I'M GONNA KILL
THAT WOMAN 15, WEEPING WILLOW BOOGIE 16, MORNING BLUES 17, NO FRIEND AROUND
18, HUCKLE UP BABY 19, QUEEN BEE 20, HOUSE RENT BOOGIE 21, WANDERING BLUES
22, WOMEN IN MY LIFE 23, I'M IN THE MOOD 24, TURN OVER A NEW LEAF 25, ROCK
HOUSE BOOGIE.
The Boogie Man E
Proper PROPERBOX111 (4CD box, UK), (July, 2006)
A full
98 tracks box, with recordings picked from the 1948-1955 period (including
most of
the above) - although concentrating on the
very early ones - with Modern and pirate pseudonym
recordings including most of the early singles. The package is very handsome
- with a 40-page booklet
and notes by Joop Visser. If you have the Body & Soul Series' 2-CD sets you don't need this. During later years several
similar issues are to be found in stores, but if you just have started to
get really interested in Hooker's early recordings, this is a good way to
find quality sound on Hooker's first classic years. The tracks are listed
chronologically - but notice: it does not include all recordings from the
period - and the discography is based on Les Fancourt's original - although slightly
edited (but with the same incorrect details). The CDs included in the box
are titled "Boogie Chillen", "Huckle Up Baby", "Queen Bee" and "Blues For
Big Town". I really like it and this CD gives me as much pleasure as the
four Charly CDs comprising the first four Vee-Jay LPs.
Tracks!
|
|
The following 37 recordings
are the "absolute musts" in your Hooker Detroit collection (1948-1955)
[tracks marked * included in "HOOKER" box set]
1948: Drifting From Door To Door*
- Sally May* - Boogie Chillen´ *- Black Man Blues*
(King)
- Low Down Midnite Boogie (Savoy)
1949: Hoogie Boogie* - Hobo Blues* - Moaning Blues (King) -
Crawlin' King Snake*
1950: Don´t You Remember Me* (King) - Mad Man Blues (Gone)
- Wandering Blues (Staff/Gotham)
1950: Decoration Day Blues (Sensation) - Bumble Bee Blues*
(Staff)
- Notoriety Woman* (Regal)
1951: John L´s House Rent Boogie* - Talkin´ Boogie (Chance) -
(Four) Women In My Life
1951: Leave My Wife Alone* (Chess) - Just Me And My Telephone* (Chess)
- I´m In The Mood*
1952: Anybody Seen My Baby - The Journey (Chess) - Blues For Big
Town* (Fortune) - It's My Own Fault (Besman/Fortune)
1953: Too Much Boogie - Down Child* - Bad Boy - Stuttering Blues*
(DeLuxe)
- Wobblin´ Baby (Chart)
1954: Baby You Ain´t No Good* - Boogie Rambler* (Specialty) - Half A
Stranger
1955: You Receive Me - Hug And Squeeze - The Syndicator - I´m Ready* |
|

|
Blues Greats
100YearsofBlues 34675 (June
2011)
20 tracks from 1950-1968 originally issued on Chess, and
ABC-BluesWay-Impulse in Geffen's "Blues Greats" series.
Tracks list
|
The Chronological "public domain" 1948 - 1959
|
The Complete John Lee Hooker
- The Complete Recordings of John Lee Hooker In Chronological Order - (E for collectors)

 |
THE
COMPLETE JOHN LEE HOOKER (2CD-series on Body & Soul)
Vol. 1 - Detroit 1948-49 Body & Soul 3057012, 2-set
(2000)
Vol. 2 - Detroit 1949 Body & Soul 3063142, 2-set
(2000)
Vol. 3 - Detroit 1949-1950 Body & Soul
3067872, 2-set (2001)
Vol. 4 - Detroit 1950-51 Body & Soul
3074242, 2-set (2002)
Vol. 5 - Detroit 1951-53 Body & Soul
BS2500, 2-set (2004)
Vol. 6 - Detroit - Miami 1953-54 Body & Soul
BS2653, 2-set (January 2005) |
Almost all of
John Lee Hooker´s early recordings were issued in one form or another during
the years of 2000-2004 (due to copyright endings), but this great series is
the most worthwhile - the double-CDs come from France (they are the best
buys although the price is somewhat high). This series is produced by Gilles
Pétard (founder of the great public domain reissue label Classics) in France
with liner notes by Neil Slaven in 16 page booklets (including discography)
for each 2-set CD box. The series has a chronological order of recording
dates and includes all of the alternates (issued on several LPs during the
1970s - see Modern and Besman issues above). Vol. 1 contains the first 46
JLH recordings (Barbee, Besman, Battle - with a total of at least nine or
more different sessions) from "Rocks" and "Leavin´ Chicago" to "Crawling
King Snake" and "She Ain´t Good For Nothin´" - all in an attempt of
chronological order (based on the Neil Slaven discography - not the later
published by Les Fancourt). Vol. 2 contains the next 46 recordings (as Neil
Slaven sees it - again spannning at least eight sessions), with mostly
Battle recordings (including all King titles) but also recordings made by
Besman, Malone, Barbee and Fortune´s Jack Brown. Vol. 3 covers the rest of
Hooker´s 1949 recordings for Besman/Modern (although the Slaven
discographical details say early 1950) - at least six-seven sessions and all
Hooker titles from 1950 up to "John L´s House Rent Boogie", "Queen Bee" and
"Don´t You Remember Me" - again a total of 46 recordings. Vol. 4 - issued in
February of 2002 - contains all his recordings starting with "You´ve Got
Another Man" of November, 1950 up to the end of 1951 - again exactly 46
tracks (around six or seven sessions) including the first Chess recordings
and the "I´m In The Mood" session. Vol. 5 - issued on January 12th, 2004
since there are no 46 tracks for 1952 - includes Hooker´s transition from a
genuine country blues singer to a creative more "citylike" blues innovator
(with the last Besman-produced Modern titles, the second Chess session, and
several Bihari-produced rarities - spanning a total of around seven to eight
sessions). That 2-set starts with Hooker´s duet with Eddie Burns in circa
1951, continues with the strange "I Got Drunk"-session of early 1952 and
ends with JVB 30 and Modern 908 (the last track being "Please Take Me Back"
of June, 1953). Distribution: Night&Day. The sixth volume, covering the rest
of Hooker´s Detroit period (with several great Hooker moods), issued on
January 31, 2005 (including 45 tracks with the two Atco instrumentals), has
the four Fortune recordings of ca 1954 missing (available on the Chess
complete 50s CD). The twelve Henry Stone DeLuxe tracks are isted in the set
as recorded in Miami. The original "Boogie Chillen'" appears instead of the
listed "Shake Holler And Run" by mistake.
In order to find the next 22 recordings Johnnie made (except for the above
mentioned Fortunes) you just have to find the album "John Lee
Hoooker on Vee-Jay 1955-1958" issued in 1993 (see Vee-Jay
recordings below).
Please Note: Sound quality is not the same as on several
new regular CDs on Ace, MCA/Chess, Virgin, Capitol etc, since the tracks on
this "public domain" series are remastered from vinyl records and not based
on original studio master - but still high quality!!!
You simply got to get these if you´re a true Hooker Fan!
| Frank Scott´s reviews - tracks
- and how to order the CDs |
| Track details of all the
volumes
| with a chronological presentation of
THE DEFINITIVE JOHN LEE HOOKER
(with all recordings from his early and most formative Detroit Years)
| French fnac site for Hooker CDs | French amazon.com
|
alapage.com
|
|

|
Blues In Transition 1955 - 1959
Jasmine CD 562 2-set CD
(UK) (2010)
25 of the first 28 Vee-Jay recordings 1955-59 plus all the 25 first
Riverside recordings 1959 (from his two Riverside LPs "The Country Blues of
John Lee Hooker" and "Burning Hell". Missing from the Vee-Jay chronology are
"Unfriendly Woman", "Wheel and Deal", plus "You Can Lead Me Baby". Note that
all 25 of the original 1959 Riverside tracks are included. Nice layout and a
nice inside presentation by annotater Bob Fisher.
Tracks:
John Lee Hooker 1955 - 1959 on the new Jasmine 2CD-set
|
The VeeJay recordings 1955 - 1964

|
Testament - Charly / Snapper SNAJ705CD
- 3-set CD Box (2001)
E
Wonderful British Vee-Jay compilation (issued in September 2001),
featuring 60 of Hooker´s great Vee-Jay titles - including all the tracks
of Hooker's first LP, "I'm John Lee Hooker", and "the
best of the rest". This is the definitive Vee-Jay collection to get -
with a perfect - often even stereo - sound! The three CDs included cover
Hooker´s three different VJ moods: "Trouble Blues" (the famous R&B
sounds); "One Way Ticket" (the folk blues period); and "Don´t Look Back"
(the urban soul sounds). Booklet and inlay discography compiled by Les
Fancourt. |

|
Tracks:
Disc 1 Trouble Blues: 1. Dimples 2. Unfriendly woman 3. Time is marchin'
4. I'm so worried 5. Every night 6. Road is so rough 7. Trouble blues 8.
Baby Lee 9. Everybody rockin' 10. I'm so excited 11. Crawlin' black spider
12. Little wheel 13. Little fine woman 14. Rosie Mae 15. You can lead me
baby 16. I love you honey 17. You've taken my woman 18. Mama you got a
daughter 19. Maudie 20. I'm in the mood. Disc 2 One Way
Ticket:
1. Boogie chillun 2. Hobo blues 3. Crawlin' kingsnake 4. Nightmare
5. House rent boogie 6. Drive me away 7. Sally Mae 8. Moanin' blues 9.
Tupelo (live) 10. Wednesday evening blues 11. Dirty ground hog 12. Five long
years 13. My first wife left me 14. I can't believe 15. Solid sender 16.
Sunny land 17. I'm a stranger 18. No shoes 19. One way ticket 20. Half a
stranger. Disc 3 Don´t Look Back: 1. Boom boom 2.
Whiskey and women 3. Dusty road 4. I'm mad again 5. Want ad blues 6. I'm
going upstairs 7. Process 8. Let's make it 9. Blues before sunrise 10. I've
got a letter 11. Drugstore woman 12. Send me your pillow 13. Take a look at
yourself 14. This is hip 15. I'm leaving baby 16. Birmingham blues 17. Don't
look back 18. Your baby ain't sweet like mine 19. It serves me right to
suffer 20. Big legs tight skirt.
Note: Issued with alternate "covers" - see images left; and sometimes
listed with 61 tracks ("Serves me right" listed as track 61 - I haven´t seen
any box with that extra title). Simply get this if you want any kind of
Vee-Jay sample.
|

|
The
chronological:
JLH on Vee-Jay 1955-1958
- Vee-Jay NVD2-713 (July, 1993)
E
Very interesting chrono album directly on the resurrected Vee-Jay label,
with all of Hooker's recordings from "Unfriendly Woman" in 1955 to "You've
Taken My Woman" in 1958 plus the never-before-issued 58-928 "Mama You Got A
Daughter" (from the last 1958 session) with rhythm accomp. 22 great tracks!
Only missing are the alternate takes of "I'm So Worried Baby" and "I See You
When You're Weak". Fine liner notes by Billy Vera, who supervised the
reactivated Vee-Jay vintage series. Get it (if you find it -
it's hard to come by)!
|
Listen to samples of the tracks | (ctsy
Vee-Jay Records Official
Website)
| More on this great CD (incl
track listing and full length audios)
|
|
 |
The Vee-Jay Years 1955-1964
Charly CD RED BOX 6 (6-set
CD Box UK) (1992)
Complete Vee-Jay chronoligical discography (almost - with a total of
126 tracks
- only a couple of his entire Vee-Jay recordings are missing)! Nice booklet
by Les Fancourt with discography. The CD includes all the tracks from the
original albums, but in chronological order and with all the nonLP-issued
tracks included.
The original Vee-Jay
albums were:
"I´m John Lee Hooker" (his first
Vee-Jay LP),
"Travelin´" (his best),
"The Folk Lore of JLH"
(an interesting LP covering "folk"- and "rhythm&blues"),
"Burnin´"
(the great reeds thing with "Boom Boom"),
"The Big Soul of JLH" (with "Frisco"),
"Concert At Newport" (with "Tupelo" live)
"On Campus" (with brass, "I´m Leaving" and some
"folk-stuff")
"In Person" (with his last Vee-Jay session of 1964) |

Japanese issue.
Find it at amazon.com |
But in this
box (which doesn't have the titles from the original albums) there are also
lots and lots of tracks not on the original Vee-Jays albums. Hard to get
these days. There is a Japanese issue on Imprint CD5448-53 (6-set, which by
the way even has some alternates - later issued on "Rare Hooker"). The
Japanse set
(titled "The Vee-Jay Box-Set" also features a Limited
Edition Seven Inch Vinyl. If
you find the Charly box - you actually don´t need any other CD containing
Vee-Jay tracks - out of print today though - unless you want the next bunch
of interesting "collectables" and a couple of alternates.
|
Comprehensive Details |
CD by CD-list
| John Lee Hooker´s
complete Vee-Jay sessions |
|
 
 
The first for Vee-Jay albums
reissued on Collectables CDs; and
with bonus tracks on Charly CDs...

 
 
...and the five extra Vee-Jay albums
on Collectables CDs.
(click on images for
full-length audios
ctsy Vee-Jay)

|
Alternate Vee-Jay collection:
Vee-Jay´s original albums reissued on Collectables CDs
- and 4 Charly CDs with bonus tracks
(Collectables Records) (2000-2001), Charly (2000, 2003), also on: Shout!Factory (November, 2007)
All of Hookers original Vee-Jay albums (except "The Best Of.." which
included titles previously issued on other LPs) are re-issued (with tracks
as on original LPs) on nine Collectables CDs (2000-2001) - Catalogue nos.
COL 7100 (I' m JLH), 7101 (Travelin'), 7102 (The Big Soul), 7103 (On
Campus), 7104 (In Person), 7105 (Newport), 7106 (Burnin'), 7107 (Is He The
World´s Greatest Blues Singer) and 7129 (The Folk Lore) . They include
original liner notes. They are nowadays deleted in the Collectables
catalogue but may still be found at dealers. "I'm
John Lee Hooker" was reissed on Shout!Factory in late 2007.
| (more information on all Vee-Jay albums) |
Four of the original
Vee-Jay LPs are also reissued on Charly CDs with original album sleeves and
containing several bonus tracks (the CDGR issues are from 2000, and the
SNAP-releases are from 2003).
I´m John Lee Hooker
COL 7100 E
also on Charly SNAP 130 CD /
CDGR 281 (ELECTRONIC STEREO) and Shout!Factory
8266631064
(including some high-quality re-makes of early Modern hits) - covering
1955-1959:
DIMPLES - HOBO BLUES - I´M SO EXCITED - I LOVE YOU HONEY - BOOGIE CHILLUN -
LITTLE WHEEL - I´M IN THE MOOD - MAUDIE - CRAWLIN´ KING SNAKE - EVERY NIGHT
- TIME IS MARCHING - BABY LEE.
Bonus tracks on Charly: Unfriendly Woman - I'm So Worried Baby (alt.take) -
Trouble Blues - You Can Lead Me Baby.
Travelin´
COL 7101 E
also on Charly SNAP 145 CD /
CDGR 284 (STEREO) - Hooker´s great album session of 1960:
NO SHOES - I WANNA WALK - CANAL STREET BLUES - RUN ON - I ´M A STRANGER -
WHISKEY AND WOMMEN - SOLID SENDER - SUNNY LAND - GOIN´ TO CALIFORNIA - I
CAN´T BELIEVE - I´LL KNOW TONIGHT - DUSTY ROAD.
Note: the Charly issue (available at
blue storm music store) has four bonus tracks: Nightmare - Drive Me Away
- Love Me All The Time - Bundle Up And Go (all from the "rehearsal" session
circa 1959).
Burnin'
- Charly SNAP 041 CD / CDGR 298 (STEREO) E
BOOM BOOM - PROCESS - LOST A GOOD GIRL - A NEWLEAF - BLUES BEFORE SUNRISE -
LET'SMAKE IT - I GOT A LETTER - THELMA - DRUG STORE WOMAN - KEPP YOUR HANDS
TO YOURSELF (She's Mine) - WHAT DO YOU SAY. The 5 bonus tracks on Charly are
all from the "Big Soul" LP: Old Time Shimmy - Onions - You Know I Love You -
Send Me Your Pillow - Take A Look At Yourself.
The Folk Lore of
...
- Charly SNAP 073 CD / CDGR 300
TUPELO (live) - I'M MAD AGAIN - I'M GOING UPSTARIS - WANT AD BLUES -
FIVELONG YEARS - I LIKE TO SEE YOU WALK - THE HOBO (live) - HARD-HEADED
WOMAN - WEDNESDAY EVENING BLUES - TAKE ME AS I AM - MY FIRST WIFE LEFT ME -
YOU'RE LOOKING GOOD TONIGHT. Bonus tracks on Charly: Maudie (live) - You're
Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone - Dirty Ground Hog - Moanin' Blues (the last
three from the Prestige session in New York 1960, purchased by Vee-Jay in
1961 - from where six of the original LP tracks also came).
Note: The 4 Charly CDs
are issued twice (the CDGR catalogue numbers are the German issues of 2000,
and the 2003 SNAP issues are from the UK of 2003 - the two releases are
identical).
Try
this CD Box Set on Collectables:
The Legend,
The Man
Collectables 10-set CD Box COL O108 (2001)
In September 2001 Collectables issued a 10CD-Box, which compiles nine original Vee-Jay albums (no bonus tracks)
including the previously CD-unreleased Dynasty album "In Person"
(nowadays also available on a single CD COL 7104) and GOTHAM GOLDEN
CLASSICS - THE RARE RECORDINGS. Note that although it comprises ten CDs
some recordings turn up again on the "World´s Greatest..." volume and
that the CDs only contain a maximum of 12 tracks each. You can't get the records at Collectables
(oldies.com) anymore.
| The Legend-The Man | |

Vee-Jay Records
Official Web Site
blues section
Dont miss this link!
Listen to all of Hooker´s tracks
on the John Lee Hooker
Vee-Jay Collectables albums
and check all the information! |
|
 |
Last Vee-Jay session plus the London session:
The Complete 1964 Recordings
E
RPM Shout! CD RPMSH 208
(UK) (2000)
Features
all ten tracks from Hooker´s last Vee-Jay session (originally on
Dynasty´s "In Person" of mid 1964), including "It
Serves Me Right" and "Big Legs, Tight Skirt", plus all the tracks from
his London, England session "... And Seven Nights"
(originally listed as 1965 recordings) "with
the Groundhogs" - done in mid November
1964: "Mai Lee" (also issued as "Mary Lee" in the early days), the very
nice "I´m Losing You", "Little Girl Go Back To School" ("Go Back To
School, Little Girl"), "Little Dreamer", "Don´t Be Messin´ With My
Bread", "Back Luck & Trouble" ("Lost Everything"), "Waterfront" ("I
Cover The Waterfront"), "Noone Pleases Me Like You" ("I Don´t Want
Nobody Else"), It´s Raining Here" ("Storming On The Deap Blue Sea"),
"It´s A Crazy Mixed Up World" ("Crazy Mixed-Up World"), and "Seven Days
And Seven Nights" ("Seven Days"). Interesting liner notes on RPM CD by
Neil Slaven.
Note: The "In Person" CD on
Collectables (shown right) has 8 of the 10 VJ 1964 recordings
(listen
to audios).
Alternate issue: Try
UK´s Sequel NEBCD 657 "The 1965 London Sessions"
(1993). That CD is identical to the "On The Waterfront"
Wand version with dubbed brass/horns - done in the US circa 1969 (and
same re-titlings as shown above) - and I have to say: not bad either -
the brass I mean! The only bad thing with that issue is that it does not
cover his last Vee-Jay session.
|
tracks on ... And Seven Nights |
The recordings from London recently issued on a DVD Silverline 288136
titled "with The Groundhogs".
|


|
|

|
The
Newport sessions:
Live at Newport
Vanguard VCD 79703 (2002)
17 tracks issued in 2002 (including 4 speech intros). This is the Vee-Jay "Concert
At Newport" from 1963 plus two of the three Newport
Vanguard/Vee-Jay cuts of 1960 (missing is the 1960 live version of "Tupelo"
- but the 1963 version is there). Several of the titles have been renamed
(and there is an extra alternate version of "Boom Boom" plus a previously
unreleased version of "Hobo Blues" listed, which in fact is
Vee-Jay's "Freight Train Be My Friend"). "You´re Gonna Need Another Favor"
was originallay the title of VJ's ""You've Got To Walk Yourself" on the
Dynasty LP, so in fact only one previously unissued track - not three. If you´re a fan of Hooker live without
(or with spare accomp. - in this case an acoustic bass) this may be your
bag.
|
Tracks
|
Note: The original VJ CD "Concert At Newport" (shown right) has the 1963
tracks (listen to full-length tracks)
|

|
Rare and unissued and some famous:
The Hook - 20
Years of Hits &
Hot Boogie -
Chameleon 74794 (LP and CD) (1989)
Covering VeeJay recordings (16 of them ). A lincensed album (first on LP but
also on CD), issued just before the Chameleon "Healer" album. Some of the
hits and some very rare recordings (only issued on Charly LPs earlier). The
album features "Mama You Got A Daughter" is the previously unissued version
with full rhythm section - here for the first time.
|
tracks |
|
Recent Public domain and Vee-Jay
licensed issues.
 |
From Detroit to Chicago 1954 - 1958
SagaBlues 46 record 532 122-3 (France 2009)
22 tracks - "public domain" - featuring six from Detroit
and the rest from Vee-Jay. A-sides of the last four Modern
singles, both sides of the JVB single, and both sides of the
first eight singles for Vee-Jay.
|
|
1. Shake,
holler and run |
13. Every
night |
2. Taxi
driver |
14. The road
is so rough |
3. I'm ready
|
15. Trouble
blues |
4. Hug and
squeeze you |
16. I'm so
excited |
5. Boogie
rambler |
17. I see you
when you're weak |
6. No more
doggin' |
18. Little
wheel |
7. Unfriendly
woman |
19. Rosie mae
|
8. Mambo
chillun |
20. You can
lead me baby |
9. Time is
marching |
21. I love
you, honey |
10. I'm so
worried baby |
22. You've
taken my woman |
11. Baby lee
|
|
12. Dimples
|
|
|



|
The Very Best of the King of Blues Guitar
Intro (3CD) INTROTCD01
(2008)
45 tracks covering Hookers years in Detroit and Chicago - UnionSquare
sampler (UK) and please note that the famous Detroit Modern titles here are
reprsented by the Vee-Jay re-recordings. This means the tracks on the set
are licensed from Vee-Jay and from Savoy. Nice packaging, "Hooker in the
beginning", "Hooker Boogies" and "Hooker Plays the Blues" with short
presentations of each track by Joe Cushley.
tracks list at AMG
At His Very Best
(MetroDoubles 2CD METRDCD644) (2010)
46 great Vee-Jay tracks, plus four live recordings from 1977. Licensed from
Vee-Jay to UnionSquare with fine liner notes by John Crosby.
Tracks
The Essential Collection
Later in 2010 UnionSquare issued a 3CD TIN-box (METRTN014) featuring 60
tracks (with liner notes by Michael Heatley) including the live "Feel Good",
previously issued on the Charly "Cream" 2CD.
Tracks. |





 |
Alternate
Vee-Jay compilations:
Don' t Look Back
Snapper SBLUE CD020 (2004)
20 great Vee-Jay tracks - new package.
Tracks: Dimples - Unfriendly Woman - Everybody Rockin' - I' m So Excited -
Crawlin' Black Spider - Little Wheel - I Love You Honey - Boogie
Chillun - Hobo Blues - Moanin' Blues - Dirty Ground Hog - My First
Wife Left Me - Boom Boom - Whiskey And Wimmen - Process - Blues Before
Sunrise - This Is Hip - Birmingham Blues - Big Legs Tight Skirt - Don' t
Look Back.
The Early Years
Tomato/ Rhino CD R2 71659
(2-set) (1994/2005)
30 wonderful Vee-Jay titles plus a live version of "1 Bourbon, 1
Scotch, 1 Beer" (recorded in Chicago - and also issued on Albert King's
"I'll Play The Blues For You" - Tomato CD 96142). Album is deleted from catalogue but
reissued on 1CD albums (for download) with 16/15 tracks.
Disc 1: You Ain't No Big Thing - Big Legs Tight Skirts - My
Grinding Mill - Whisky And Women - No Shoes - I'm So Excited - 1 Bourbon, 1
Scotch, 1 Beer - Bottle Up & Go - One Way Ticket - Half A Stranger - Lost A
Good Girl - I Wanna Walk - Dimples - Lets Make It - House Rent Boogie - Baby
Lee - Disc 2: Boom Boom - Old Time Shimmy - I Want To Hug
You - I'm Leavin' - Good Rockin' Mamma - Dusty Road - Hard Hearted Woman -
Thelma - Onions - Keep Your Hands To Yourself - I Want To Shout - Time Is
Marching On - Send Me The Pillow - I Want To Ramble - I'm Going Upstairs. A
third Tomato issue with 14 from the tracks above is titled "The Best of".
The Best of John Lee Hooker
GNP-Crescendo CD GNPD-10007 (1989)
20 of the best of the Vee-Jay years (although restricted to 1956-1962).
Tracks.
This is Hip
(the best of)
Recall 2CD 187 (2-set) (2000)
36 classic, mostly the best - VeeJay titles covering his whole Chicago
period. This double-CD is a perfect complement to the above (only 12 of the
tracks of Rhino´s are also on this one).
Tracks CD1: Dimples - Unfriendly Woman - Wheel And Deal - Time Is Marching -
Baby Lee - Every Night - Stop Talking - Everybody Rockin´ - I See You When
You´re Weak - I´m So Excited - Little Fine Woman - You Can Lead Me Baby - I
Love You Honey - Mam, You Got A Daughter - House Rent Boogie - Maudie - I´m
In The Mood - Boogie Chillun. CD2: Boom Boom - I Wanna Walk - Solid Sender -
Dusty Road - No Shoes - Want Ad Blues - I´m Going Upstairs - Hard Headed
Woman - I´m Mad Again - She´s Mine - Drug Store Woman - You Know I Love You
- Half A Stranger - Sadie Mae - This Is Hip - I´m Leaving - It Serves Me
Right To Suffer - Big Legs, Tight Skirt.
The Very Best of John Lee Hooker
Charly CPCD 82422 (2-set) (1996)
40 of the best Vee-Jay on a 2-set CD.
Tracks: 1. Mambo chillun 2. Time is
marchin' 3. Dimples 4. Every night 5. Baby Lee 6. Crawlin' black spider 7.
I'm so excited 8. Mama you got a daughter 9. I love you honey 10. House rent
boogie 11. Trying to find a woman 12. Maudie 13. I'm in the mood 14. Boogie
chillun 15. Hobo blues 16. Crawlin' kingsnake 17. Dusty road 18. No shoes
19. My first wife left me 20. Moanin' blues 21. Dirty groundhog 22. Hobo
blues (2) (aka The Hobo) 23. Tupelo (live) 24. I'm goin' upstairs 25. I'm
mad again 26. Want ad blues 27. What do you say 28. Boom boom 29. She's mine
30. Drugstore woman 31. You know I love you 32. Send me your pillow 33.
Don't look back 34. One way ticket 35. Bottle up and go 36. This is hip 37.
Half a stranger 38. Birmingham blues 39. It serves me right to suffer 40.
Big legs tight skirt.
Whiskey & Wimmen
Charly R&B Masters Vol. 10 CD 081 (ca 1998)
20 great tracks.
1.Dimples 2.I Love You Honey 3.I'm So Excited 4.Whiskey And Wimmen
5.Solid Sender 6.No Shoes 7.My First Wife Left Me 8.Dirty Ground Hog 9.I'm
Going Upstairs 10.I'm Mad Again 11.What Do You Say 12.Boom Boom 13.She's
Mine 14.Drug Store Woman 15.Send Me Your Pillow 16.Don't Look Back 17.One
Way Ticket 18.Bottle Up And Go 19.This Is Hip 20.Big Legs,Tight Skirt.
More:
20 Greatest Hits - BlueCity/Mainline CD 2652212* (ca
1991)
VeeJay hits and classics of 1955-1962.
There are also several double- and triple-CDs with VeeJay material plus
uncountable bootlegs. |
|
|

|
An
interesting Vee-Jay sampler:
Giant of Blues - FruitTree CD 821(2CD-set) (Europe 2002)
Vee-Jay recordings packed in chronology from "Time Is Marchin'" 1955 to "It
Serves Me Right To Suffer" from 1964. (40 tracks), not exactly the same as on "The Very Best of"
(but almost). This box is a late issue with tracks from the "Testament" box
(Charly). Nice inlay booklet with an essay by Les Fancourt. The
Italian´label FruitTree is licensed from Charly.
Green image of 2CD-pack |
Track listings |
|
The following 35 recordings
are the "absolute musts" in your Vee-Jay collection [tracks marked
* included in "HOOKER" box set]
(all tracks - except the
three followed by parentheses with repr. CD title - included in the
"Testament 3CD box):
1955:
Unfriendly Woman
1956: Every Night* - Dimples* - Baby Lee - I'm So
Worried Baby - Stop Talking (JLH on
Vee-Jay 1955-1958)
1957: I´m So Excited* - I See You When You're Weak (JLH on
Vee-Jay 1955-1958) - Rosie Mae
1958: I Love You Honey*
1959: Maudie - I´m In The Mood - Crawlin´ Kingsnake - Hobo Blues -
Boogie Chillun
1960: Solid Sender - No Shoes* - Whiskey And Wimmen* - Sunny Land
- Canal Street Blues (Travelin´)
1961: I´m Going Upstairs* - Want Ad Blues - I´m Mad Again
1961: Process - Boom Boom* - Drug Store Woman - Blues Before Sunrise
1962: Send Me Your Pillow - Frisco Blues* (The Big Soul of JLH)
1963: This Is Hip - I´m Leaving - Birmingham Blues* - Don´t Look Back
1964: Ain´t No Big Thing
Baby (In Person)
-
It Serves Me Right To Suffer* |
|
The Folk Period 1959 - 1962

|
That´s My Story - The Folk Blues of JLH
E
Ace CDCHD 927 (UK) (1990)
The two
classic Riverside LPs in one CD, "The Country Blues of"
(later aka "The Folk Blues of") and "That´s My Story"
(subtitled "Sings The Blues"). Total tracks are 21, which means that on
the Ace CD 4 tracks are missing from the LPs (three from "Country"
and one from "Story") and naturally all tracks of the original "Burning
Hell" Riverside LP are also missing. The Ace CD is compiled by Roger
Armstrong. The recordings are also available on single CDs on Original
Blues Classics and in other couplings. Tracks include the original
"Tupelo Blues", "I Need Some Money", and "Democrat Man". Hooker plays
acoustic guitar on all tracks, but is accompanied by bass and drums on
"Story" - which really is a gem - the whole session I mean! Note the
retitling of "country" to "folk blues".
tracks (at acerecords.uk)
or
That´s My
Story - JLH Sings The Blues
US Fantasy/Original Blues Classics OBCCD-538-2 US (1988)
That´s My Story
and
The Country
Blues of JLH US Fantasy/Original Blues
Classics OBCCD-542-2 (1989)
tracks
also
Burning Hell
Riverside/Original Blues Classics OBCCD-555-2 US (1992)
Hooker made three albums for Riverside - "Burning Hell" was released
only in Britain in 1964, but Fantasy of US distributes all th)ree albums on Original Blues
Classics CDs today. "Burning Hell" has the same linernotes as the
original British Riverside RLP 008.
Burning Hell
|



|
|

|
Sittin´ Here Thinkin´
32Blues CD 32134 (1999)
Twelve rare recordings from a Savoy session with rhythm accomp. produced by
Fred Mendelsohn of circa 1961 - although Fancourt lists them as 1959
recordings (also issued on French Vogue and Muse as "Sad
And Lonesome" although the latter are harder to find). These
recordings were long due before the original LP came in the late 1970s, but
here you´ll also find his Eddie Kirkland accompanied "When My Wife Quit Me"
(originally issued on a various artists LP on Savoy MG 16000 of 1964) together with the original album tracks like "Teasin´ Me" and "I Bought You
A Brand New Home". The "Sad And Lonesome" CDs have the original LP cover
image; 32Blues has that image in the inlay liner noted (by Tom Pomposello):
Note: All of the tracks issued on the 2CD-set METRDCD532 ("Early
Years - The Classic Savoy Sessions", which also features the 1948-49 Barbee
recordings sold to Battle for Savoy - see above).
|

|
That´s Where It´s At!
Stax (Fantasy) SCD 4134-2 (US), Stax CDSXE 064 (UK) (1990)
1961 Miami recordings, prod. by Henry Stone, same session as Atco´s 1961 -
but complete different tracks. This CD features the ten tracks from the Stax
LP (which means the Guest/Storyville alternate rendition "Talkin´ Bout My
Baby" is missing here too - although the other version is on Atlantic -
"Talk About Your Baby"). You´ll find "Teachin´ The Blues", "Two White
Horses", "My Love Comes Down For You", "The Grinder Man" (also issued on
Stax single), and the odd "Feel So Bad". Wonder if it is Earl Hooker with
his 12 string bass-guitar on all but "Feel So Bad"?
Note: There are still a couple of alternate recordings from this session
unissued (planned for an deleted Ace CDCHFD 585).
|
Comprehensive Details |
|

|
Live at Sugar Hill (Volumes 1 & 2 on
one CD)
Ace CDCHD 938 (UK) (1990) or
Boogie Chillun
(US Fantasy FCD-24706-2) (1989)
Two Frisco November, 1962 LPs on one CD containing av total of 19 tracks
- the original LPs had a total of 20 tracks, originally issued on Galaxy and
Fantasy. The track missing on Ace is "I Was Standing By The Wayside" from
volume 1. This CD is also issued as "Boogie Chillun" on
Fantasy CD 24706 - this time the track missing is "Matchbox" from volume 2
(which is a pity since it is agreat song). The Fantasy CD has some tracks
listed with titles named as on the original Galaxy LP issue (check tracks
links below). Some of the tracks: "TB Is Killing Me", "You Gonna Miss Me",
"Driftin' Blues" and "Boogie Chillun". Hooker is alone with his guitar on
this one.
|
Comprehensive Details |
|
 |
Live at Sugar Hill - Vol
2
Fantasy FCD-7714-2 (2002)
19 tracks, completely different recordings from above - recorded at the same
sessions in November, 1962 (as the above) never before issued!
Among the tracks: You Torture My Soul, Catfish Blues, The Things That I Used
To Do, Sinner´s Prayer, That´s All Right, What´d i Say, Five Long Years.
|
Tracks list and details |
The Fantasy/OBC catalog | |
The Coast to Coast Years 1965 - 1974

|
The Best of John Lee Hooker 1965 to 1974 E
MCA MCAD-10539 (1992)
Truly the best compilation from the ABC period, including Chess, Impulse,
Bluesway and ABC recordings - 16 titles. If you can´t find this one - choose
from the ABC/MCA CDs titled as the LPs.
Tracks: ONE BOURBON, ONE SCOTH ONE BEER (Chess), DECORATION DAY (Impulse),
BACK BITERS AND SYNDICATORS (BluesWay), DOIN´ THE SHOUT (ABC), NEVER GET OUT
OF THESE BLUES ALIVE (w. Van Morrison, ABC), I´M IN THE MOOD (Chess), MR.
LUCKY (BluesWay), I´M BAD LIKE JESSE JAMES (BluesWay), SHAKE IT BABY
(Impulse), BLUEBIRD (ABC), THE MOTOR CITY IS BURNING (BluesWay), IT SERVES
YOU RIGHT TO SUFFER (Impulse), THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU GO (BluesWay), HOUSE
RENT BOOGIE (ABC), THE WATERFRONT (Chess), BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG
(BluesWay).
|

|
The
Complete Chess Folk Blues Sessions
E
MCA MCD-18335 (1991); reissued in US as
The Real Folk
Bues - More Real Folk Blues
MCA/Chess 112 821-2 (2002)
|

|
All 18 tracks
from the Ralph Bass produced 1966 session, "The Real Folk Blues"
& "More Real Folk Blues - The Missing Album" in one - all
produced by the legendary Ralph Bass. Great - and if you can´t find it -
order the two MCA CDs named as the separate CDs. Images here with the the
original European issue left and the US issuea of 2002 and the US
issue of the "Missing Album" right. Listen to the "missing ones":
"Lead Me", "Nobody Knows", "Deep Blue Sea", "I Can´t Quit You
Baby", "Mustang And GTO", "Catfish Blues", "Want Ad Blues", "This Land Is
Nobody´s Land", and especially the great "House Rent Blues" (which Hooker
originally recorded in fast tempo versions for Idessa Malone and Bernie
Besman in late 1950 and as a "rehearsal" for Vee-Jay around 1958 and
reworked in slower tempo for Besman in California in 1961 as "I Lost My Job"
and re-recorded in a super-slow version for the ABC album "Endless Boogie"
in late 1970). And from the earlier issued LP there is a.o. "Peace Loving
Man", "Let´s Go Out Tonight" to remember. The US and UK
tracks dont run in the same order on the two issues.
|
The Real Folk Blues | tracks on Missing Album |
|

|
Live at the Café Au Go-Go
(and Soledad Prison) E
MCA Universal* MC 11537 (1996),
Two Bluesway live albums in one. 1966 (with Muddy Waters and His Chicago
Blues Band) produced by Bob Thiele; and 1972 produced by Ed Michel (with his
own Coast To Coast Blues Band) live performances. The CD includes the
original version of "I´ll Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive" and "I´m Bad
Like Jesse James", plus a.o. the two superb "Heartaches And Misery" and "I
Don´t Want No Trouble". The 1966 tracks from "Café Au Go-Go" are actually
studio recordings with audience present (recorded August 30) and they are
just wonderful - with Hooker in a true "blues mood". If you can´t find
this one - at least get the Café CD on Beat Goes On BGOCD 39 (titled "Live
at Cafe au Go Go"). The 1972 tracks do not include the vocals by John Lee
Hooker Jnr. (originally on the Soledad LP). Original liner notes by Stanley
Dance (1967) plus new ones by Chris Morris on the Universal issue.
|
Comprehensive Details |
|


|
Free
Beer And Chicken E
BeatGoesOn CD 123* (1991)
Johnnie´s last ABC album, recorded during May of 1974 - and Ed Michel´s last
"super-prduction" for ABC. This one is simply great - in my opniion the most
interesting of the ´70s albums. Listen to "Bluebird" and "Homework" (and to
Joe Cockers´ guesting). The brass is undubbed, meaning the musicians where
there when Hooker was there. I have not found a US release (MCA get it
out!). As with most BGO-issues - no liner notes.
Track listing and complete
discography
(compiled by producer Ed Michel).
|
album details from Rinn |
Endless Boogie E
MCA MCAD-10413 (US) (1991),
BGOCD 70 (UK) (1992)
The 2-set - November 1970 recorded - album on one CD issued as a
"competitive" after the Canned Heat & John Lee Hooker success in 1971. Four
tracks from the original eleven are missing on the BGO issue: "House Rent
Boogie" and "Doin' The Shout" (actually the two best tracks of the original
album) are to be found on "The Best of John Lee Hooker 1965 to 1974" - the
other two missing are "Standing At The Crossroads" and "A Sheep Out On The
Foam". The MCA CD
has all eleven of the original tracks.
(
track details )
|
 |
Urban Blues
E
BeatGoesOn BGOCD 122 (UK)
(1991) / MCA 10760 (US) (1993)
The original award-winning Bluesway 1967 LP, produced by Al Smith in Chicago
(the MCA issue has added three bonus tracks with Earl Hooker from 1969 -
previously unissued left-overs from the "If You Miss ´Im ..."-LP). Tracks:
Cry before you go, Boom boom, Back biters and syndicators, Mr. Lucky, My own
blues, I can´t stand to leavy you, Think twice before you go, I´m standing
in line, Hot spring water pt 1-2, The motor city is burning. Bonus: I gotta
go to Vietnam, Messin ´round with the blues, Hold on baby. The UK issue has
the eleven original LP tracks plus "Want Ad Blues" (from a BluesWay single
recorded together with the original September 26, 1967 session featuring
Wayne Bennet and/or
Buddy Guy guitar).
| Comprehensive Details |
|

 |
Hooker ´N Heat
EMI E2 97896/7 (2CD) (1991); reissued on Mobile
Fidelity (2CD) UDCD 67 (1996),
Magic Records (Fr 2CD) CD 3930232 (2002), and BeatGoesOn
BGOCD694 (2005, 2009)
The best seller recorded in May, 1970 - originally issued in January, 1971
(Liberty 2LP 35002 - later reissued on Rhino 71105; plus on Rhino CDbox
11676 in 1996). The EMI CD reissue has all original album tracks. See For
Miles CD SEE 232 "Hooker ´N´ Heat, Best of.. Plus" also is worthwhile and
there is one "Best of Hooker ´N´ Heat" on Mobile Fidelity (2CD) UDCD 67 with
all tracks. The French reissue - digitally remastered - has one
unissued extra bonus track from the session, titled "Its All Right" and has
a total of 19 tracks including two versions of "Whiskey And Wimmen", the
original album track and the edited 45 single version, and is the best buy
(it has a slightly different cover). There are several more reissues, but
not all including the original 17 tracks.
|
Comprehensive Details |
It Serves You
Right To Suffer
Beat Goes On CD 335 (UK) (1998) / MCA MCAD-12025 (1999)
Titled "It Serve You Right To Suffer" on original LP and on
BGO, also on original
MCA/Impulse CD 18186 (with subtitle including "Shake It Baby"). This is
Hooker´s first album for the ABC-labels and produced by Bob Thiele on
November 23, 1965 with a great rhythm accomp. including Barry Galbraith,
Milt Hinton and Panama Francis. Listen to "Money" (aka "Money, That´s What I
Want"), "Shake It Baby", "Bottle Up And Go" (in a great version) and
"Country Boy". The CD includes all eight long-running tracks from the
original LP (which had no ending "s" in Serves). The MCA 12025 issue has the
original liner notes by Stanley Dance plus new notes by Mark Humphrey.
|
It Serve You Right To Suffer | |
 |
Simply The Truth
Beat Goes on CD40 (UK) (1991), MCA One Way MCAD-22136
(US) (1994)
Reissue of the Bluesway album, recorded during September 17-18, 1968 (not in
October and not in May). Only eight tracks
(but long ones), featuring Hele Rosenthal, hca and famous jazz musicians.
The MCA issue has the original liner notes.
| Simply The Truth |
|
 |
Hooker made eleven albums for Impulse/BluesWay/ABC between 1965-1974. | check
Jarlvik´s ABC/BluesWay discography |
Here is some more worthwhile BluesWay-material (but there are even more).
Tantalizing With The Blues
MCA CD DMCL 1686
Cross-section of Bluesway 1965-1971, originally issued on
vinyl LP in 1982.
Never Get Out Of
These Blues Alive
MCA CD 31361 (US), SeeForMiles
CD SEE 89 (UK), Beat Goes On CD 897
The original ABC LP plus some bonus titles from 69-70. The BeatGoesOn CD
also includes the tracks of "Live at Soledad Prison".
(
track details
)
The issues on Beat Goes On
| If You Miss ´Im ... I Got `Im |
The album
Born In Mississippi - Raised
Up On Tennessee is not issued on CD.
|
|
The following 34 recordings
are the "absolute musts" in your Hooker Sixties´ collection (apart from the
Vee-Jay recordings)
[tracks marked * included
in "HOOKER" box set]
1959: Tupelo Blues*
1960: Democrat Man* - I Need Some Money* - Gonna Use My Rod* (Riverside)
- We´re All God´s Chillun* (Fortune)
1961: When My Wife Quit Me* (Savoy/Muse) - Mojo Hand (Louisiana Voo Doo) (Galaxy)
1961: Teachin´ The Blues* - My Love Comes Down For You (Stax)
1961: Don´t Turn Me From Your Door* - You Lost A Good Man* (Atco)
1962: Let´s Make It (Baby)* (Brunswick) - Matchbox (Fantasy)
1964: I´m Losin´ You* (Verve)
1965: King Of The World* (Fontana) - Country Boy - Bottle Up
And Go* - Shake It Baby (Impulse)
1966: Let´s Go Out Tonight* - One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer* - Lead
Me - House Rent Blues (Chess)
1967: I´m Bad Like Jesse James* - Heartaches And Misery - I´ll Never
Get Out Of These Blues Alive (Bluesway)
1967: Motor City Is Burning - Mr. Lucky - Hot Spring Water - My Own
Blues - Think
Twice Before You Go*
1968: I Don´t Wanna Go To Vietnam (Bluesway)
1969: I Wanna Be Your Puppy Baby (Bluesway)
1969: I Feel Good (Carson/Jewel) - Get Back Home In The USA (Black
and Blue) |
|

|
Kabuki Wuki (Live) + Born In Mississippi, Raised Up in
Tennessee
BGO 1129 (December 2013)
The two origingal Bluesway/ABC vinyl LPs 1972 and 1973 issued on one CD.
|
California - live plus the 1990s

|
The Best of Friends
E
Virgin/Pointblank VPBCD 49
(8-46424-2) (1998)
Reissued on Shout!Factory 2007
The best of the ´90s award winning new-recorded songs, plus three completely
new ones.
Tracks:
Boogie Chillen (6/98) - This Is Hip (5/91) - The Healer (4/88)- I Cover The
Waterfront (4/90) - Boom Boom (8/92) - I´m In The Mood (4/88) - Burnin´ Hell
(5/98) - Tupelo (7/93) - Baby Lee (10/87) - Dimples (9/96) - Chill Out
(Things Gonna Change) (4/91) - Big Legs Tight Skirt (5/98) - Don´t Look Back
(4/96), plus bonus track on Shout!Factory: Up And Down (5/91).
|

|
Alone
("Volumes I and 2" on one
CD) - Rhino R2 70387 (1991)
or Tomato CDs 2109 and 2110 (both issued 2003
and reissued
2005)
Johnnie Lee solo at Hunter College in New York in 1976, featuring all 17
tracks originally issued on two separate albums on Labor "Alone" (aka
"Solo") and the ´76 "Alone" on German MMG (also issued as "Alone Vol 2",
and later on Tomato CD 80387). German Tomato 269660-2 has the same
tracks. The tracks are OK at times, but not as a full evening´s
listening (that´s only my opinion). Among the tracks"When My First Wife
Left Me", "Baby Please Don´t Go".
Images right are the two Tomato volumes with the same 17 tracks.
|
Comprehensive Details | alternate issues |
|
|
|

|
The Cream
Charly (2CD) SNAD 542 CD (2004)
15 tracks, recorded in Palo Alto, California (live) in September, 1977 - as
on the original Tomato 2-set LP of 1977 - here on a 2-set CD with extended
playing time on "Boogie On"; plus five bonus tracks recorded in Chicago in
October that same year (found in 1989). Musicians: John Garcia Jr and Ron
Thompson, guitars; Mike Milwood, bsg; Larry Martin, dms; Pete Karnes, hca
plus guests Ken Swank, dms and Charlie Musselwhite, hca. This new Chalry CD
is the best buy of all the differing issues from this session (and the new
Charly 2-set has interesting liner notes by Clive Anderson. There are
several earlier issues of this one which do not include all tracks:
Varese/Fuel (2CD) 2000 061139 (2001); Rhino R2 70388
(US) (1991); Charly CD 106 (UK) (1988).
The Varesa issue has the fifteen original tracks. The Charly CD of 1988 has
13 tracks with original vinly track times. The Rhino/ Tomato CD has only 12
tracks. There is also one German issue (Tomato 269021) covering the whole
15-track-session, also with extended playing time, titled "The
Father of the Blues".
|
Comprehensive Details (Tomato) |
|

|
Don´t Look Back
Pointblank VPBCD 39 (8-42771-2)
(1997);
reissued on Shout!Factory 2007 with two Vee-Jay bonus tracks: "Send
Me Your Pillow" and "Blues Before Sunrise".
With Van Morrison, producer and guest vocals, in 1997.
The Healer Chameleon CD D2-74808 (US) (1989)
/ Silvertone CD 508 (UK)
The 1989 super album - with "Baby Lee" and "I´m In The Mood" a.o. |
Amazon's John Lee Hooker Store
The JLH CD results of the New
Rose Sessions 1982 - 2001








A Selective JLH Discography at Rosebud Agency
with especially his 1990s albums (including selected
collaborations)
JOHN LEE HOOKER Reissue Series on
Shout!Factory with bonus tracks

|
Face To Face E
Eagle ER 20023-2 (UK - EAGCD 265) - (US October, 2003;
UK November,
2003)
15 super tracks (can´t stop listening to "Loving People" - which is
completely different to the Zakiya duet of 1993, "Funky Mabel" and "Up And
Down")! Most of the songs are unissued tracks recorded during the last years
of Hooker´s life (from circa 1987 and up to his last months - several of the
best cuts are late-recordings). It includes all the different Hooker moods
and has all the great professionals accompanying. On a couple of tracks
daughter Zakiya joins. The album is produced by Ollan Christopher Bell with
assistance from Anthony Cook, and with Zakiya Hooker as executive (and Roy
Rogers and Mike Kappus the original session producers). This CD is simply
great! Vol 2 is due next year. This is a MUST-HAVE! Thanks Zakiya, John Lee
Hooker Estate Management, Eagle Records, Blue Storm Music and the John Lee
Hooker Foundation for this! Foundation or this! In my opinion THE BEST of
Hooker later CDs.
| The
Music Box Review |
Tracks list |
Get the CD from: www.bluestormmusic.com
|
Please
note that
there are several more CDs covering other recordings than the ones listed above
!
- but beware of the flood of Vee-Jay reissues on different labels - and lots of
bootlegs, which have surfaced in later years.
You may complete your collection with the several ABC-Bluesway albums: "If
You Miss ´Im I Got ´Im" (1969), "Live At Kabuki Wuki"
(1972), and "Born In Mississippi, Raised Up In Tennessee"
(1973) - although not all of them have been reissued on CD in original form.
There are also the French recordings of 1969 issued on several labels as "I
Feel Good" and "Get Back Home". During his
"wilderness" years in the late 1970s Hooker recorded several live albums and
from 1988 there are several Virgin/Pointblank CDs to complete
your collection. Below are shown some of the bootleg and other collection - see
more at Gallery.
Download John Lee Hooker Music from RealPlayer Music Store

"9 Battles of Blues Legends"
Battle #1 - The True Blues Giants
Year
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
Bonus |
John Lee Hooker
Boogie Chillen´
Crawling King Snake
Wandering Blues
I´m In the Mood
The Journey
Down Child
Boogie Rambler
Hug And Squeeze
Dimples
Stop Talking
I Love You Honey
Hobo Blues
Whiskey And Wimmen
Want Ad Blues
Boom Boom
Birmingham Blues
It Serves Me Right To Suffer
Bottle Up And Go
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
I´ll Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive
Frisco Blues (´62) |
Ray
Charles
-
St. Pete Florida Blues
Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand
Kiss Me Baby
The Sun´s Gonna Shine Again
Mess Around
Don´t You Know
I´ve Got A Woman
Halleluja I Love Her So
Ain´t That Love
The Right Time
What´d I Say
Georgia On My Mind
Hit The Road Jack
You Are My Sunshine
Busted
Smack Dab In the Middle
Cry
Let´s Go Get Stoned
In The Heat Of The Night
I Chose To Sing The Blues (´66) |
B.
B. King
-
Take A Swing With Me
She´s Dynamite
Three O´Clock Blues
You Know I Love You
Please Love Me
When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer
You Upset Me Baby
Sweet Little Angel
You Don´t Know
Please Accept My Love
Sweet Thing
Sweet Sixteen
I´m King
Blues At Midnight
How Blue Can You Get
Rock Me Baby
Never Trust A Woman
Don´t Answer The Door
Paying The Cost To Be The Boss
Everyday I Have The Blues (´55) |
Battle #2 - Chicago Blues Heaven
Year
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
Bonus |
Muddy Waters
I Can't Be Satisfied
Rollin´ Stone
Long Distance Call
Still A Fool
Mad Love
I´m Your Hoochie Coochie Man
Mannish Boy
Forty Days And Forty Nights
Got My Mojo Working
She´s 19 Years Old
Take The Bitter With The Sweet
I Got My Brand On You
I Just Want To Make Love To You (´54)
You Shook Me
Five Long Years
The Same Thing
You Can´t Lose What You Ain´t Never Had
Black Night
- |
Little Walter
Muskadine Blues
Evan´s Shuffle
Juke
Blues With A Feeling
Last Night
My Babe
I Hate To See You Go
Everybody Needs Somebody
Key To The Highway
You´re Sweet
Blue Midnight
You Don´t Know
Quarter To Twelve (´54)
Boogie (´53)
Mean Old World (´52)
Sad Hours (´52)
-
- |
Jimmy Reed
-
-
Jimmie´s Boogie (´53)
High And Lonesome
You Don´t Have To Go
Ain´t That Lovin´ You Baby
You Got Me Dizzy
Honest I Do
I´m Gonna Get My Baby
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Big Boss Man
What´s Wrong Baby
Down In Mississippi
Shame Shame Shame
Wear Something Green
I´m The Man Down There
Crazy ´Bout Oklahoma
Take Out Some Insurance (´59) |
Battle #3 -
Delta Blues Heaven
Year
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965 |
The
Howlin´ Wolf
How Many More Years
Brownskin Woman
Bluebird
Evil (Is Going On)
I´ll Be Around
Smokestack Lightnin´
Sittin´ On Top Of The World
Howlin´ Blues
Howlin´ For My Darling
Spoonful
The Red Rooster
I Ain´t Superstitious
Tail Dragger
Killing Floor
I Walked From Dallas |
Sonny Boy Williamson
Eyesight To The Blind
West Memphis Blues
Mighty Long Time
No Nights By Myself
Don´t Start Me Talking
The Key To Your Door
I Don´t Know
Your Funural And My Trial
It´s Sad To Be Alone
Checkin´ Up On My Baby
Down Child
Nine Below Zero
Help Me
Close To Me
Bring It On Home |
Elmore James
Dust My Broom
I Believe
Whose Muddy Shoes
Make My Dreams Come True
Late Hours At Midnight
Happy Home
Long Tall Woman
The Twelve Year Old Boy
The Sky Is Crying
Stormy Monday Blues
Anna Lee
Shake Your Moneymaker
Look On Yonder Wall
Something Inside Me
It Hurts Me Too |
Battle #4 -
Cryin´ and Shoutin´ the Blues
Year
1941
1942
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970 |
T-Bone Walker
T-Bone Blues
Mean Old World
I´m Still In Love With You
T-Bone Boogie
I´m In An Awful Mood
Call It Stormy Monday
That´s Better For Me
T-Bone Shuffle
Travelin´ Blues
Cold Cold Feeling
Street Walkin´ Woman
My Baby Is Now On My Mind
Strugglin´ Blues
Papa Ain´t Salty
Blues For Marili
Evenin´
Two Bones And A Pick
Hypin´ Woman Blues (´47)
-
-
I Wanna See My Baby
-
Hey Hey Baby
Treat Your Daddy Well
It Takes A Lot Of Know-How
Flower Blues
Goin´ To Funky Town
Shake It Baby
That Evening Train |
Big
Joe Turner
Cherry Red
Blues On Central Avenue
Rebecca
Johnson & Turner Blues
My Gal´s A Jockey
Wee Baby Blues
Tell Me Pretty Baby
Blues Jump The Rabbit
Still In The Dark
Chains Of Love
Sweet Sixteen
Honey Hush
Shake, Rattle And Roll
Hide And Seek
Corrine Corrina
Feeling Happy
Jump For Joy
Tomorrow Night
You Know I Love You (´54)
-
-
-
I´m Packin´ Up
-
Night Time is The Right Time
Poor House
-
Plastic Man
Little Girl |
Lowell Fulson
-
-
-
-
San Francisco Blues
Television Blues
Three O´Clock Blues
Everyday I Have The Blues
Blue Shadows
Lonesome Christmas
Jue Box Shuffle
There Is A Time For Everything
Reconsider Baby
Trouble Trouble
Tollin´ Bells
Don´t Drive Me Baby
That´s All Right
-
I Want To Know
Hung Down Head
-
Blue Soul
Baby
Black Nights
Tramp
Tomorrow
Sleeper
Price For Love
The Ol´ Blues Singer |
Battle #5 -
Fathers of Blues & Rhythm
Year
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
Bonus |
Lionel Hampton
Flyin´ Home
Hamp´s Boogie Woogie
Bealuah´s Boogie
Hey Ba Ba Re Bop
Blow Top Blues
Red Top
Bealuah´s Sister´s Boogie
Rag Mop
Hamp´s Boogie Wooige #2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- |
Johnny Otis
-
-
Harlem Nocturne
Omaha Flash
Midnight InThe Barrelhouse
Alimony Boogie
I´m Not Falling In Love With You
Double Crossing Blues
Rockin´ Blues
Doggin´ Blues
Hound Dog (Thornton)
Little Richard´s Boogie
The Wallflower (Etta James)
The Midnight Creeper
Ma He´s Making Eyes At Me
Willie And The Hand Jive
Cupid´s Boogie |
Roy
Brown
-
-
-
Bye Bye Baby
Good Rockin´ Tonight
´Long About Midnight
Rockin´ At Midnight
Hard Luck Blues
Love Don´t Love Nobody
Good Rockin´ Man
Travelin´ Man
Black Diamond
Big Town (´51)
Miss Fanny Brown (´49)
Let The Four Winds Blow
Rocking All the Time (´60)
- |
Battle #6 -
Rock ´n´ Roll Pioneers
Year
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964 |
Fats Domino
The Fat Man
Every Night About This Time
Goin´ Home
Goin´ To The River
Please Don´t Leave Me
Ain´t It A Shame
Blueberry Hill
Blue Monday
Whole Lotta Loving
I Want To Walk You Home
Walking To New Orleans
Good Hearted Man
Jambalaya
One Night
Kansas City |
The
Clovers
Don´t You Know I Love You
Fool Fool Fool
One Mint Julep
Good Lovin´
Lovey Dovey
Blue Velvet
Devil Or Angel
Down In The Alley
There´s No Tomorrow
Love Potion No. 9
Stay Awhile
Crawlin´ (´53)
I Confess (´54)
My Mother´s Eyes (´58)
Your Cash Ain´t Nothin´ But Trash (´54) |
The
Robins - The Coasters
Our Romance Is Gone
That´s What The Good Book Says
Found Me A Sugar Daddy (´50)
Ten Days In Jail
Riot In Cell Block #9
Smokey Joe´s Café
Down In Mexico
Searchin´
Yakety Yak
Poison Ivy
Shoppin´ For Clothes
Little Egypt
The Climb
Young Blood (´57)
I Must Be Dreamin´ |
Battle #7 -
The Fifties´ Cryin´ Souls
Year
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
Bonus
Extra |
Clyde McPhatter
Do Something For Me
Heart To Heart
Have Mercy Baby
Money Honey
Such A Night
I Gotta Have You
Treasure Of Love
Without Love (There Is Nothing)
A Lover´s Question
Since You´ve Been Gone
Ta Ta
The Bells (re-rec)
Lover Please
ILet The Boogie Woogie Roll (53)
Long Lonely Nights (´57) |
LaVern Baker
Good Daddy
How Long
Must I Cry Again
Soul On Fire
I´m In A Crying Mood
Tweedle Dee
Tra-La-La
Jim Dandy
I Cried A Tear
Shake A Hand
You´re The Boss
Saved
See See Rider
Think Twice (´65)
Don Juan (´61) |
Little Richard
-
Every Hour
Thinkin´ ´Bout My Mother
Rice, Red Beans And Turnip Greens
Directly From My Heart To You
Tutti-Frutti
Long Tall Sally
Lucille
Good Golly, Miss Molly
Slippin´ And Slidin´ (´56)
Shake A Hand (´59)
Send Me Some Lovin´ (´57)
Travelin´ Shoes (´63)
Bama Lama, Bama Loo (´64)
Can´t Believe You Wanna Leave (´57) |
Battle #8 -
Pop, Rock & Soul
Year
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
Bonus
1966
1967
1968 |
The
Drifters
What´Cha Gonna Do
Someday
Ruby Baby
Fools Fall In Love
Drip Drop
There Goes My Baby
Save The Last Dance For Me
Some Kind Of Wonderful
Up On The Roof
On Broadway
Under The Boardwalk
At The Club
Sweets For My Sweet (´62)
Takes A Good Woman
When My Little Girls Is Smiling (´62)
- |
Chuck Berry
-
Maybellene
Roll Over Beethoven
School Day
Sweet Little Sixteen
Johnny B. Goode
Let It Rock
Back In The U.S.A. (´59)
Reelin´ And Rockin´ (´58)
Memphis, Tennessee
No Particular Place To Go
You Never Can Tell
Sweet Little Rock And Roller (´59)
Wee Hours Blues
Around And Around (´58)
- |
James Brown
-
Don´t Cry, Baby (1964)
Please Please Please
Just Won´t Do Right
Try Me
Good Good Lovin´
Think
Lost Someone
Night Train
Prisoner Of Love
Out Of Sight
Papa´s Got A Brand New Bag
I Got You (´65)
It´s A Man´s Man´s Man´s World
Cold Sweat
Say It Loud - I´m Black And I´m Proud |
Battle #9 - Soul Pioneers
Year
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
Extra |
Jackie Wilson
St. Therese of the Roses
Reet PetiteI
To Be Loved
Lonely Teardrops
Doggin´ Around
A Woman A Lover A Friend
The Tear Of The Year
Baby Workout
Danny Boy
Think Twice
Whispers (Gettin´ Louder)
Higher And Higher
Chain Gang
I Get The Sweetest Feeling
Stormy Weather |
Sam
Cooke
Loveable
You Send Me
I´ll Come Running Back To You
Only Sixteen
Wonderful World
Twistin´ The Nite Away
Nothing Can Change This Love
Another Saturday Night
Little Red Rooster
A Change is Gonna Come
Shake
Send Me Some Lovin´ (´63)
Chain Gang (´60)
Baby Won´t You Please... (´63)
Bring It On Home To Me (´62) |
Solomon Burke
You Can Run But You Can´t Hide
Walking In A Dream
-
Leave My Kitten Alone
Just Out Of Reach
Cry To Me
Home In Your Heart
If You Need Me
Everybody Needs Somebody...
Got To Get You Off My Mind
Tonight´s The Night
Keep A Light In The Window
Wish I Knew
It´s Just A Matter Of Time
You´re Good For Me |
Joe Tex
Another Woman´s Man
Mother´s Advice
Put Your Confidence In Me
Charlie Brown Got Expelled
All I Could Do Was Cry
Baby You´re Right
I´ll Never Break Your Heart
One Monkey Don´t Stop No Show
Hold What You´ve Got
I Want To Do Everthing For You
The Letter Song
Skinny Legs And All
I´ll Never Do You Wrong
Buying A Book
A Woman´s Hands (´67) |
|
Read
more about the Great R&B Pioneers
Wanna give the
editor a note? Please do! E-mail:
claus.rohnisch@telia.com