Various Artists - Popcorn Blues Party Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

Album: Popcorn Blues Party Vol. 1 (KMCD28)
Size: 137,8 MB
Time: 57:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Blues, R&B
Art: Front & Back

01 B.B. King - Sixteen Tons (2:34)
02 Johnny Copeland - Just One More Time (2:55)
03 Jody Williams - Lucky Lou (3:48)
04 John Lee Hooker - You Gotta Shake It Up And Go (2:17)
05 Memphis Slim - Steppin' Out (2:00)
06 Bo Diddley - She's Fine, She's Mine (2:42)
07 Roy Gaines - Black Gal (2:22)
08 Tabby Thomas - My Baby Got It (2:33)
09 Dennis Roberts - I Don't Care (2:43)
10 Jerry McCain - Jet Stream (2:30)
11 Sugar Boy Williams - Little Girl (2:33)
12 Jimmie Lee Robinson - Lonely Traveling (2:25)
13 Howlin' Wolf - Going Back Home (2:41)
14 Ricky Allen - Cut You A-Loose (2:48)
15 Johnny Guitar Watson - Wait A Minute Baby (2:06)
16 Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown - The Cricket (2:47)
17 Jimmy Rogers - What Have I Done (2:43)
18 Sonny Boy Williamson - Help Me (3:10)
19 Freddie King - The Bossa Nova Watusi Twist (2:53)
20 Rose Mitchell - Baby Please Don't Go (2:25)
21 Otis Rush - Keep On Loving Me Baby (2:23)
22 Shakey Jake - Jake's Cha Cha (2:07)

Album: Popcorn Blues Party Vol. 2 (KMCD29)
Size: 153,1 MB
Time: 64:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Blues, R&B
Art: Front & Back

01 Albert King - Had You Told It Like It Was (3:09)
02 Bobby 'Blue' Bland - 36-22-36 (2:51)
03 Miss Lavelle White - Stop These Teardrops (2:22)
04 Ike Turner & His Orchestra - She Made My Blood Run Cold (2:21)
05 Little Joe Washington - Bossa Nova And Grits (2:12)
06 Sir Arthur Coleman - Stop Cheating On Me (2:52)
07 Albert Collins - Icy Blue (3:02)
08 Big Jack Reynolds - Made It Up In Your Mind (2:26)
09 Piney Brown - Sugar In My Tea (Cream In My Coffee) (2:30)
10 Bo Diddley - Down Home Special (3:12)
11 Louisiana Red - Sugar Hips (4:30)
12 Charles Sheffield - Its Your Voodoo Working (1:47)
13 Charles Clark - Hidden Charms (2:34)
14 Doug Johnson & The Outlaws - Quick Sand (2:40)
15 Blind Johnny Davis - Magic Carpet (2:14)
16 Nappy Brown - My Baby (2:31)
17 Otis Rush & His Band - All Your Love (2:38)
18 Willie Cobbs - You Don't Love Me (6:06)
19 Tommy Brown - Southern Women (2:29)
20 Bo Diddley - I Can Tell (4:34)
21 Peppermint Harris - Need Your Lovin' (2:50)
22 Little Walter (Marion Walter Jacobs) - Up The Line (2:07)

The Popcorn genre is a style of music and dancing first established in Belgium (the Land of Beers) in the late 1960s and it got its name from a discotheque called the Popcorn. This style includes a pretty eclectic and wide range of American R&B and pop songs mostly recorded in the 1950s and mid-1960s in a slow or medium tempo and often in a minor key. Popcorn can be recognized by its tempo just as much as its sound. In an article for The Guardian titled ''Belgium's 'Popcorn: the last underground music scene in Europe'' musician and writer Bob Stanley wrote ''the purity of Belgian Popcorn is its very impurity. R&B, Broadway numbers, tangos, Phil Spector-Esque girl groups, and loungey instrumentals, they are all constituent parts of a rare, and still largely undiscovered scene. It won't stay that way forever.

Popcorn Blues Party Vol. 1
Popcorn Blues Party Vol. 2

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B.B. King, Bobby Bland - Best Of B.B. King & Bobby Bland

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:23
Size: 131.4 MB
Styles: Soul-blues, Memphis blues
Year: 1992/2013
Art: Front

[3:25] 1. Three O'clock Blues
[4:13] 2. It's My Own Fault
[3:51] 3. That's The Way Love Is
[9:55] 4. I'm Sorry
[2:33] 5. Don't Cry No More
[3:48] 6. Don't Answer The Door
[5:06] 7. Driftin' Blues
[3:54] 8. I'll Take Care Of You
[6:19] 9. Why I Sing The Blues
[4:41] 10. Goin' Down Slow
[5:30] 11. Let The Good Times Roll
[4:01] 12. Everyday (I Have The Blues)

Good friends B.B. King and Bobby "Blue" Bland toured together frequently in the 1970s and '80s, King's elegant call-and-response guitar style and Bland's R&B-fused blues singing fit well together. The pair recorded two live albums together, Together for the First Time in 1974 and Together for the First Time…Live, the latter recorded at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles in 1976, and this set draws select tracks from those two releases. ~Steve Leggett

Best Of B.B. King & Bobby Bland mc
Best Of B.B. King & Bobby Bland zippy

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Various - Mississippi's Music

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:22
Size: 154.2 MB
Styles: Delta blues, Gospel blues, Electric blues
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:16] 1. Z.Z. Hill - Down Home Blues
[3:00] 2. King Floyd - Groove Me
[5:14] 3. The Sensational Nightingales - Saints Hold On
[4:07] 4. Bobby Blue Bland - Members Only
[3:40] 5. Dorothy Moore - Misty Blue
[4:32] 6. Grady Champion - White Boy With The Blues
[3:41] 7. Keri Leigh - Here's Your Mop Mr. Johnson
[4:10] 8. The Canton Spirituals - All Of My Burdens
[4:14] 9. Little Milton - The Blues Is Alright
[4:26] 10. Bobby Rush - Scootchin
[5:28] 11. Mississippi Mass Choir - Your Grace And Mercy
[3:37] 12. Mckinley Mitchell - The End Of The Rainbow
[3:39] 13. The Jackson Southernaires - I Need You To Hold My Hand
[4:38] 14. Johnnie Taylor - I Found A Love
[4:38] 15. Denise Lasalle - Your Husband Is Cheating On Us
[2:56] 16. The Beat Daddys - Mississippi

The blues and Mississippi are synonymous to music lovers. The repertoire of any blues or rock band is full of songs, guitar licks, and vocal inflections borrowed from Mississippi bluesmen – from Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Tommy Johnson, and Son House to Skip James, Mississippi John Hurt, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Joe Williams, Bukka White, and Furry Lewis – just to mention some.

As far as historians can tell, the blues were born in the Mississippi Delta, an elaboration on work chants, “sorrow” slave songs, and the lyrical and haunting “field hollers.” As early as the American Civil War, white soldiers noted a different music created by black soldiers – songs about marching and other toils of war in which they “extemporized a half-dissonant middle part.” These songs were direct precursors to the blues, if not the real thing already.

Mississippi's Music mc
Mississippi's Music zippy

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Albert King, B.B. King, Bobby 'Blue' Bland - Live At The Memphis Blues Festival 1975, Tn 8 Nov '75

Size: 117,1+112,1 MB
Time: 49:57+48:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Chicago Blues, Blues Soul
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. Intro - Why Are You So Mean To Me (Albert King) (4:49)
02. Laundromat Blues (Albert King) (5:45)
03. I'll Play The Blues For You (Albert King) (6:27)
04. You Don't Love Me (Albert King) (7:34)
05. Intro - In The Beginning (Bobby 'Blue' Bland) (3:10)
06. I’ll Take Care Of You (Bobby 'Blue' Bland) (5:35)
07. Your Friends (Bobby 'Blue' Bland) (2:59)
08. I Wouldn't Treat A Dog (The Way You Treated Me) (Bobby 'Blue' Bland) (3:56)
09. The Feeling Is Gone - Stormy Monday (Bobby 'Blue' Bland) (9:37)

CD 2:
01. Intro - Let The Good Times Roll (B.B. King) ( 6:32)
02. How Blue Can You Get (B.B. King) ( 3:56)
03. Why I Sing The Blues (B.B. King) ( 5:02)
04. Three O’ Clock Blues - It’s My Own Fault - I’m Sorry (Albert King, B.B. King, Bobby 'Blue' Bland) (13:47)
05. I Like To Live The Love (Albert King, B.B. King, Bobby 'Blue' Bland) (18:58)

Albert King, BB King and Bobby Blue Bland, live together, at the Memphis Blues Festival, TN on 8th November 1975. With the recent acclaim of BB King and Bobby Blue Blands joint double album venture Together For The First Time… Live, the addition of another King could only double the impact. The performance at the Memphis Blues Festival, TN on 8th November 1975, was set to be an explosive encounter between artist and audience, dipping into the darker reaches of their combined catalogues whilst flirting with new material. Bland was still relatively young next to the Kings who were now in their 50s, but the spirit of the blues is a force of nature that never lets up, no matter what age. Professionally re-mastered original FM broadcast.

Live At The Memphis Blues Festival 1975 CD 1
Live At The Memphis Blues Festival 1975 CD 2

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Bobby Bland - Here's The Man!!! (Bonus Tracks)

Size: 131,4 MB
Time: 54:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1962/2017
Styles: Blues Soul, R&B
Art: Full

01. 36-22-36 (2:27)
02. You Are The One (That I Adore) (2:32)
03. Turn On Your Love Light (2:34)
04. Who Will The Next Fool Be? (2:26)
05. You're Worth It All (2:22)
06. Blues In The Night (3:33)
07. Your Friends (2:30)
08. Ain't That Loving You (2:32)
09. Jelly Jelly Jelly (3:22)
10. Twistin' Up The Road (2:29)
11. Stormy Monday Blues (4:01)
12. Is It Real (2:27)
13. Someday (2:11)
14. That's Why (1:52)
15. Close To You (2:04)
16. Blue Moon (2:14)
17. How Does A Cheatin' Woman Feel (2:36)
18. Hold Me Tenderly (2:18)
19. Thats The Way Love Is (2:36)
20. Call On Me (2:30)
21. Yield Not To Temptation (2:34)

This collector's release contains Bobby Bland's magnificent second album for Duke Records, Here's the Man… (1962). It has the same intensity and variety of his breakthrough debut LP, Two Steps from the Blues. Here Bland displays his vocal power on fabulous songs using his volcanic, guttural delivery to easily work through Joe Scott's galvanizing arrangements. In addition, we have included 10 bonus tracks (gathering a variety of those great, hard to find sides issued by Duke between 1959 and 1962), which together with this remastered gem constitute the definitive edition of this southern giant.

Personnel::
Bobby 'Blue' Bland, vocals on all tracks, plus:

Probably Wayne Benett (guitar), Hamp Simmons (bass), Teddy Reynolds (piano), John “Jabo” Starks (drums), Robert Skinner, L.A. Hill (tenor saxophone), Rayfield Devers (baritone saxophone), Joe Scott (lead trumpet), Melvin Jackson (trumpet), and Pluma Davis (trombone), among others.

Recorded between 1960 and 1962.

Here's The Man!!!

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Bobby Bland - Two Steps From The Blues (Remaster)

Year: 1961/2012
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:03
Size: 144,4 MB
Styles: Soul-blues
Scans: Full

1. Two Steps From The Blues (2:38)
2. Cry, Cry, Cry (2:44)
3. I'm Not Ashamed (2:37)
4. Don't Cry No More (2:28)
5. Lead Me On (2:06)
6. I Pity The Fool (2:43)
7. I've Just Got To Forget You (2:35)
8. Little Boy Blue (2:40)
9. St. James Infirmary (2:26)
10. I'll Take Care Of You (2:26)
11. I Don't Want No Woman (2:41)
12. I've Been Wrong So Long (2:21)
13. Close To You (Bonus) (2:05)
14. How Does A Cheatin' Woman Feel? (Bonus) (2:39)
15. You Did Me Wrong (Bonus) (2:36)
16. I Lost Sight On The World (Bonus) (2:36)
17. Wishing Well (Bonus) (2:36)
18. I Don't Believe (Bonus) (2:39)
19. I Learned My Lesson (Bonus) (2:47)
20. I Can't Put You Down Baby (Bonus) (2:39)
21. Farther Up The Road (Bonus) (3:00)
22. Loan A Helping Hand (Bonus) (2:27)
23. Last Night (Bonus) (2:53)
24. You've Got Bad Intentions (Bonus) (2:32)

Without a doubt, "Two Steps from the Blues" is the definitive Bobby "Blue" Bland album and one of the great records in electric blues and soul-blues. In fact, it's one of the key albums in modern blues, marking a turning point when juke joint blues were seamlessly blended with gospel and Southern soul, creating a distinctly Southern sound where all of these styles blended so thoroughly it was impossible to tell where one began and one ended. Given his Memphis background, Bobby "Blue" Bland was perfectly suited for this kind of amalgam as envisioned by producer/arranger Joe Scott, who crafted these wailing horn arrangements that sounded as impassioned as Bland's full-throated, anguished vocals.

It helped, of course, that the songs were uniformly brilliant. Primarily from the pen of Deadric Malone, along with Duke head Don Robey and Scott (among others), these are the tunes that form the core of Bobby "Blue" Bland's legend and the foundation of soul-blues: "Two Steps from the Blues," "I Don't Want No Woman," "Cry, Cry, Cry," "I'm Not Ashamed," "Lead Me On," "Little Boy Blue" - songs so good they overshadow standards like "St. James Infirmary".

These are songs that blur the division between Ray Charles soul and Chess blues, opening the doors for numerous soul and blues sounds, from Muscle Shoals and Stax through the modern-day soul-bluesman. Since this, like many blues albums from the late '50s/early '60s, was a collection of singles, it's possible to find the key tracks, even the entire album, on the numerous Bobby "Blue" Bland collections released over the years, but this remains an excellent, essential blues album on its own terms - one of the greatest ever released. /Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic

Two Steps From The Blues mc
Two Steps From The Blues zippy

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Bobby Bland - That's The Way Love Is

Size: 173,9 MB
Time: 73:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Blues, Soul, R&B
Art: Front & Back

01. Two Steps From The Blues (2:35)
02. Cry, Cry, Cry (2:40)
03. I'm Not Ashamed (2:33)
04. Don't Cry No More (2:25)
05. Lead Me On (2:02)
06. I Pity The Fool (2:39)
07. I've Just Got To Forget You (2:32)
08. Little Boy Blue (2:36)
09. St. James Infirmary (2:26)
10. I'll Take Care Of You (2:18)
11. Don't Want No Woman (2:37)
12. I've Been Wrong So Long (2:18)
13. 36-22-36 (2:49)
14. You're The One (That I Adore) (2:31)
15. Turn On Your Lovelight (2:35)
16. Who Will The Next Fool Be (2:24)
17. You're Worth It All (2:22)
18. Blues In The Night (3:35)
19. Your Friends (2:31)
20. Ain't That Loving You (2:33)
21. Jelly, Jelly, Jelly (3:23)
22. Twistin' Up The Road (2:30)
23. Stormy Monday Blues (4:09)
24. How Does A Cheating Woman Feel (Bonus Track) (2:38)
25. Blue Moon (Bonus Track) (2:14)
26. Yield Not To Temptation (Bonus Track) (2:34)
27. That's The Way Love Is (Bonus Track) (2:35)
28. Call On Me (Bonus Track) (2:32)

Following on from the success of Jasmine's first volume (It's My Life Baby) comes this superb new collection consisting of two albums that were hot property during Britain's Mod movement during the 1960s. Along with 'Two Steps From The Blues' and 'Here's The Man!!!', there are 5 bonus tracks which include Bobby's biggest pop hit, the double sided "Call On Me" / "That's The Way Love Is". With the ability to glide his incredible voice from croon to scream in seconds, Bobby Bland was the epitome of the modern blues singer second only to the great B.B. King. This is a must have for any fans of early R&B and blues music.

That's The Way Love Is

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VA - Atlanta Blues Festival: Got 'Em Live

Size: 126,4 MB
Time: 54:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. Albert King - Stormy Monday Blues (Live) (9:25)
02. Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - Hootin' The Blues (Live) (2:44)
03. Bobby 'Blue' Bland - I'll Take Care Of You (Live) (4:29)
04. Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown - Pressure Cooker (Live) (4:14)
05. Albert King - I'll Play The Blues For You (Live) (4:20)
06. Muddy Waters - Baby Please Don't Go (Live) (4:27)
07. King, Brown & Bland - Blues Jam (Live) (6:09)
08. Bobby 'Blue' Bland - Soul Of A Man (Live) (3:41)
09. Bobby 'Blue' Bland - Ain't That Lovin' You (Live) (3:28)
10. Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown - Frosty (Live) (6:04)
11. Albert King - Born Under A Bad Sign (Live) (5:28)

Atlanta Blues Festival

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Bobby Bland - Dreamer

Year: 1974
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:13
Size: 83,6 MB
Styles: Soul-blues
Scans: Full

1. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City (3:53)
2. I Wouldn't Treat A Dog (The Way You Treated Me) (3:17)
3. Lovin' On Borrowed Time (3:20)
4. When You Come To The End Of Your Road (3:09)
5. I Ain't Gonna Be The First To Cry (3:40)
6. Dreamer (4:10)
7. Yolanda (3:42)
8. Twenty-Four Hour Blues (3:55)
9. Cold Day In Hell (2:45)
10. Who's Foolin' Who? (4:17)

Bobby Bland entered the '70s with the blues in his heart and two women on each arm. Having established himself as one the nation's top bluesmen decades before as a gritty crooner with a disarming effect on the ladies, Bland fully embraced his amorous side on "Dreamer". There is a noted hedonistic edge to his blues here and a more relaxed sense of passion. Gone are the dark nights and the uptown sophistication. They are replaced with sultry grooves that seem to bubble with the excess and indulgence so often associated with the '70s.

The album's strongest tracks, "Ain't no Love in the Heart of the City", "I Wouldn't Treat a Dog (The Way You Treated Me)" and "Yolanda" revolve around love gone wrong, each featuring a dynamic performance from Bland. However, no matter how much heartbreak Bobby Bland conveys on "Dreamer", there is the sense that the next girl is not far behind.

Dreamer mc
Dreamer zippy

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Bobby Bland - The Singles Collection 1951-62 (2 CD)

Bobby Bland, often known as Bobby 'Blue' Bland, was one of the best blues, R&B and soul singers of the post-war era, recognized as one of the finest interpreters of blues-influenced songs, comparable within his genre to the likes of Frank Sinatra in the broader popular spectrum. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame described him as second in stature only to B.B. King as a product of Memphis's Beale Street blues scene. He enjoyed chart success right through until the 1980s, but this extensive collection of his formative decade and more includes all his R&B No. 1s plus other landmark recordings. He recorded initially with Roscoe Gordon for both Modern and Chess before joining the Duke label, and this great-value 56-track 2 CD set comprises the A and B sides of all his Duke singles through 1951 until 1962, plus selected sides from his early releases with Roscoe Gordon.

It features the R&B No. 1s "Farther Up The Road", "I Pity The Fool" and "That's The Way Love Is", plus other Top 10 classics such as "I'll Take Care Of You", "Don't Cry No More", "Turn On Your Love Light" and the iconic "Stormy Monday Blues". It's a fine showcase for a unique and highly regarded talent. /Amazon

Album: The Singles Collection 1951-62 - CD 1
Year: 2016
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:55
Size: 171,0 MB
Styles: Blues, R&B, soul
Scans: Full

1. Love You Till The Day I Die (w. Roscoe Gordon) (3:17)
2. Crying All Night Long (w. Roscoe Gordon & His Orchestra) (3:04)
3. Dry Up Baby (w. Roscoe Gordon & His Orchestra) (2:02)
4. Good Lovin' (w. Roscoe Gordon & His Orchestra) (2:24)
5. Letter From A Trench In Korea (w. Roscoe Gordon & His Orchestra) (2:52)
6. Crying (w. Roscoe Gordon & His Orchestra) (3:00)
7. I.O.U. Blues (3:12)
8. Lovin' Blues (3:19)
9. Army Blues (2:42)
10. No Blow, No Show (3:01)
11. Time Out (w. The Bill Harvey Orchestra) (2:51)
12. It's My Life, Baby (w. The Bill Harvey Orchestra) (2:46)
13. Woke Up Screaming (w. The Bill Harvey Orchestra) (2:48)
14. You Or None (w. The Bill Harvey Orchestra) (2:54)
15. You've Got Bad Intentions (w. Bill Harvey's Band) (2:33)
16. I Can't Put You Down Baby (w. Bill Harvey's Band) (2:39)
17. I Learned My Lesson (w. Bill Harvey's Band) (2:48)
18. I Don't Believe (w. Bill Harvey's Band) (2:42)
19. Don't Want No Woman (w. Bill Harvey's Orchestra) (2:40)
20. I Smell Trouble (w. Bill Harvey's Orchestra) (2:33)
21. Farther Up The Road (w. The Bill Harvey Orchestra) (3:00)
22. Sometime Tomorrow (w. The Bill Harvey Orchestra & The Joe Scott Singers) (2:26)
23. Teach Me (How To Love You) (2:11)
24. Bobby's Blues (2:21)
25. You Got Me Where You Want Me (2:30)
26. Loan A Helping Hand (2:26)
27. Little Boy Blue (2:37)

The Singles Collection 1951-62 - CD 1 mc
The Singles Collection 1951-62 - CD 1 gofile

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Album: The Singles Collection 1951-62 - CD 2
Year: 2016
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:39
Size: 170,5 MB
Styles: Blues, R&B, soul
Scans: Full

1. Last Night (2:52)
2. You Did Me Wrong (2:35)
3. I Lost Sight Of The World (2:35)
4. Wishing Well (2:34)
5. I'm Not Ashamed (2:35)
6. Is It Real (2:27)
7. Someday (2:11)
8. I'll Take Care Of You (2:23)
9. That's Why (1:51)
10. Lead Me On (2:04)
11. Hold Me Tenderly (2:18)
12. Cry Cry Cry (2:42)
13. I've Been Wrong So Long (2:19)
14. I Pity The Fool (2:42)
15. Close Yo You (2:04)
16. Don't Cry No More (2:27)
17. How Does A Cheatin' Woman Feel (2:36)
18. Ain't That Lovin' You (2:31)
19. Jelly Jelly Jelly (3:22)
20. Saint James Infirmary (2:24)
21. Turn On Your Love Light (2:33)
22. You're The One (That I Need) (2:32)
23. Who Will The Next Fool Be (2:26)
24. Blue Moon (2:13)
25. Yield Not To Temptation (2:34)
26. Stormy Monday Blues (4:02)
27. Your Friends (2:29)
28. That's The Way Love Is (2:36)
29. Call On Me (2:29)

The Singles Collection 1951-62 - CD 2 mc
The Singles Collection 1951-62 - CD 2 gofile

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Various Artists - Original Memphis Blues Brothers

File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Source: LL (from CD)
Released: 2000
Styles: R&B
Time: 73:54
Size: 171,1 MB
Covers: Full

(2:24) 1. Bobby Bland - Good Lovin'
(3:02) 2. Bobby Bland - Drifting from Town to Town
(2:00) 3. Bobby Bland - Dry Up Baby
(3:03) 4. Bobby Bland - Crying All Night Long
(3:00) 5. Bobby Bland & Little Junior Parker - Love Me Baby
(3:01) 6. Bad Women, Bad Whiskey
(1:57) 7. Little Junior Parker - You're My Angel
(2:09) 8. Little Junior Parker - She Calls Me Daddy
(2:54) 9. Earl Forest - I Wronged a Woman
(2:29) 10. Earl Forest - I Can't Forget You
(2:42) 11. Earl Forest - Sad and Lonely
(2:12) 12. Earl Forest - Rumpus Romp
(3:00) 13. Earl Forest - Trouble and Me
(4:25) 14. Earl Forest - I Cried
(3:32) 15. Johnny Ace - Midnight Hours Journey
(3:21) 16. B.B. King - B.B. Boogie
(2:50) 17. B.B. King - Mistreated Woman
(2:52) 18. B.B. King - The Other Night Blues
(2:56) 19. B.B. King - Walkin' and Cryin'
(2:21) 20. Ike Turner - You're Driving Me Insane
(2:33) 21. Ike Turner - Trouble and Heartaches
(2:19) 22. Rosco Gordon - That Gal of Mine
(3:19) 23. Rosco Gordon - So Tired
(3:07) 24. Rosco Gordon - Run to Me Baby
(3:06) 25. Rosco Gordon - She Rocks Me
(3:09) 26. Rosco Gordon - Don't Have to Worry 'Bout You No More

This originally came out as a 1989 LP on Ace; look, however, for the expanded 2000 Ace CD, as it increases the number of tracks from 15 to 26 with the addition of material by B.B. King, Ike Turner, and Rosco Gordon. All of the songs were recorded in Memphis in the early '50s by the Bihari Brothers, and much of it was released on 45s on their Modern, RPM, and Meteor labels, though some of it wasn't issued for decades. This was two or three years before the ascendance of Memphis rockabilly, and blues/R&B crossover ruled the roost in the city. The CD is thus a rough snapshot of local electric blues just as it began to be recorded more often, with some of the earliest sides by Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, Johnny Ace, and the aforementioned King, Turner, and Gordon, as well as the nearly unknown Earl Forest. In comparison to the somewhat more famous early Memphis electric blues released in the early to mid-'50s on Sun, this is a little more sluggish, and more tilted toward barroom piano styles. The songwriting, too, is not as sharp and electric as the best Sun stuff. All that taken into consideration, this is still a noteworthy supplement to those Sun recordings, as a document of the sound of Memphis electric blues -- and, by extension, rock & roll -- in its infancy. The band plays some serious havoc with timekeeping on Parker's chaotic "You're My Angel," which sounds like a drunken after-hours jam; Bland is well on his way to establishing his foggy urban blues delivery on his two singles. Forest is a typical but unremarkable period bluesman; Ace is represented by just one performance, the 1953 ballad "Midnight Hours Journey"; and Turner turns in relatively rare (and competent) vocal performances on his 1952 single. B.B. King's catalog from this period is actually pretty well represented by reissues, so collectors will be interested to note that the four numbers here are alternate takes of his first two 78 singles for RPM, from 1950. -- Allmusic.

Original Memphis Blues Brothers
Original Memphis Blues Brothers artwork

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B.B. King & Bobby Bland - Together For The First Time ...Live

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:24
Size: 156.6 MB
Styles: Soul blues, Texas blues
Year: 1974/2012
Art: Front

[ 3:24] 1. Three O'clock Blues
[ 4:14] 2. It's My Own Fault
[ 5:09] 3. Driftin' Blues
[ 3:50] 4. That's The Way Love Is
[ 9:54] 5. I'm Sorry
[ 3:51] 6. I'll Take Care Of You
[ 2:34] 7. Don't Cry No More
[ 3:50] 8. Don't Answer The Door
[13:59] 9. Medley Good To Be Back Home Driving Wheel Rock Me Momma Black Night
[ 6:18] 10. Everybody Wants To Know Why I Sing The Blues
[ 5:13] 11. Goin' Down Slow
[ 6:02] 12. I Like To Live The Love

Although the duo of Bobby Blue Bland and B.B. King was one of the most popular touring acts of the '70s and '80s, their first duet album -- appropriately titled Together for the First Time ... Live -- doesn't quite live up to expectations. Both musicians are in fine form, but rarely do any sparks fly. Occasionally, King turns out a good solo and Bland sings with passion, but usually the vibe of the record is too relaxed to be truly engaging. It's a pleasant record, just not the essential listening that it should have been. ~Thom Owens

Together For The First Time ...Live

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Bobby Bland & B.B. King - I Like To Live The Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:02
Size: 112.3 MB
Styles: R&B, Texas blues
Year: 1990/2007
Art: Front

[3:25] 1. Three O'clock Blues
[4:13] 2. It's My Own Fault
[3:51] 3. That's The Way Love Is
[9:55] 4. I'm Sorry
[2:33] 5. Don't Cry No More
[3:47] 6. Don't Answer The Door
[4:40] 7. Goin' Down Slow
[6:00] 8. I Like To Live The Love
[5:05] 9. Driftin' Blues
[5:30] 10. Let The Good Times Roll

Bobby "Blue" Bland and B.B. King worked together repeatedly over the years, some of their band members regularly performing with both stars. This live set has a vividly spontaneous feel to it; King introduces the second song by saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, nothing is planned tonight, so what I'm thinkin' is we're just gonna pull somethin' out of the hat and get right into it."

While Bland and King doubtless had a game plan for the night's possible contents, the set benefits from the edginess of a band and two front men responding in the moment to each other. Both men have honed their skills by performing continually over the decades, and their ease and grace on the stage is inspiring. The accompanying players possess a rough and tumble vigor--one listen to the horns on "That's the Way Love Is" and you'll be hooked by the excitement of it all. The album is warmly recorded, retaining the feel of the live show with depth and clarity. ~AllMusic

I Like To Live The Love

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VA - Blues From The Montreux Jazz Festival

Size: 177,3 MB
Time: 75:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1991
Styles: Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. Bobby 'Blue' Bland - Intro & Stormy Monday (1:39)
02. Bobby 'Blue' Bland - That's The Way Love Is (3:17)
03. Bobby 'Blue' Bland - Farther Up The Road/I Pity The Fool (2:40)
04. Bobby 'Blue' Bland - Share Your Love With Me (2:53)
05. Bobby 'Blue' Bland - I've Got The Right To Know (4:03)
06. Bobby 'Blue' Bland - St. James Infirmary/I'll Take Care Of You (4:50)
07. Denise Lasalle - Lady In The Street/Down Home Blues/The Blues Is Alright (6:37)
08. Denise Lasalle - Make Me Yours - Precious Memories/Trapped By A Thing Called Love (5:43)
09. Denise Lasalle - Don't Mess With My Tu-Tu (3:27)
10. Denise Lasalle - Don't Cry No More (4:20)
11. Johnnie Taylor - Who's Making Love/Blue Bird (5:39)
12. Johnnie Taylor - Cheaper To Keep Her (4:20)
13. Johnnie Taylor - I Believe In You (You Believe In Me) (4:50)
14. Johnnie Taylor - I Found A Love (3:59)
15. Mostley & Johnson - Hold On I'm Coming/Knock On Wood (5:18)
16. Mostley & Johnson - Let's Fall In Love (4:06)
17. Mostley & Johnson - When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (3:52)
18. Mostley & Johnson - Soul Man (3:57)

Recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, during the Malaco Records European Tour in 1989, it features Bobby Bland, Denise LaSalle, Johnnie Taylor, and Mosley & Johnson. Anything LaSalle has done lately is worth listening to, and it's nice to have a snapshot of her in-concert style. ~ Niles J. Frantz

Blues From The Montreux Jazz Festival

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