Long John Baldry - Remembering Leadbelly

Album: Remembering Leadbelly
Size: 141,7 MB
Time: 61:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Blues/Roots
Art: Full

1. Lining Track (1:51)
2. Gallows Pole (2:44)
3. Midnight Special (3:31)
4. Take This Hammer (3:32)
5. Rock Island Line (2:52)
6. Good Morning Blues (3:47)
7. Go Down Old Hannah (0:55)
8. Birmingham Jail (2:54)
9. Here Rattler (2:15)
10. Easy Rider Blues (3:11)
11. We're In The Same Boat Brother (3:34)
12. John Hardy (2:31)
13. Digging My Potatoes (3:13)
14. On A Christmas Day (2:52)
15. Oh Mary Don't You Weep (2:36)
16. We Shall Walk Through The Valley (5:42)
17. Alan Lomax Interview (Bonus) (6:26)
18. Long John Baldry Interview (Bonus) (6:36)

Long John Baldry came of age as a singer during the British blues boom, and it's obvious that his love of the music hasn't left him. As he explains in the interview track at the end, Leadbelly was his first musical inspiration, and here he has his chance to pay homage to the man. In his sixties at the time of this recording, Baldry's voice has improved with age, deepening a little and sounding more gravelly - just perfect for the grittiness of Leadbelly's songs, which ran the gamut from blues to folk, gospel, and beyond.

It's an intelligent selection, ignoring the obvious "Goodnight Irene" and "In the Pines," while keeping defining moments like "Rock Island Line" (the tune that launched skiffle in England), "Birmingham Jail," and "We're in the Same Boat Brother" - it's remarkable just how familiar so much of the material is. The version of "Gallows Pole" (much better known for its subsequent incarnation as a Led Zeppelin piece) roars with power and urgency, "Lining Track" and "John Hardy" (whose unusual arrangement centers around pump organ) are definitive railroad songs, while the hymns "Mary Don't You Weep" and "We Shall Walk Through the Valley," though springing from an older well, were very much a part of the Huddie Leadbetter repertoire.

There's even a children's song, "On a Christmas Day," showing yet another facet of the big man. Add in an interview with Alan Lomax, the folklorist who discovered Leadbelly and helped his career, and you have something that stands as more than a tribute, but a full portrait of a seminal American artist. /Chris Nickson, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

Remembering Leadbelly mc
Remembering Leadbelly zippy

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Long John Baldry - It Ain't Easy

Album: It Ain't Easy
Size: 161,1 MB
Time: 69:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1971/2005
Styles: Blues/Roots/Rock mix
Art: Full

1. Conditional Discharge (3:16)
2. Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock & Roll (3:25)
3. Black Girl (2:51)
4. It Ain't Easy (4:54)
5. Morning Morning (2:37)
6. I'm Ready (4:14)
7. Let's Burn Down The Cornfield (4:16)
8. Mr. Rubin (4:06)
9. Rock Me When He's Gone (4:08)
10. Flying (7:00)
11. Going Down Slowly (Bonus) (3:11)
12. Blues (Cornbread, Meat And Molasses) (Bonus) (3:00)
13. Love In Vain (Bonus) (4:22)
14. Midnight Hour Blues (Bonus) (4:10)
15. Black Girl (Bonus) (3:35)
16. It' Ain't Easy (Bonus) (5:10)
17. I'm Ready (Bonus) (4:17)
18. Radio Spot (Bonus) (0:29)

It Ain't Easy features a British blues/rock lineup befitting the man behind the Long John Baldry moniker. This album returns Baldry to a decidedly edgier and hipper audience, with a literal cast of all-stars on some of the more adventurous material he had covered to date. This is no doubt due, at least in part, to the involvement of rock superstars Rod Stewart and Elton John. (In fact, John confesses to have taken the last name in his stage moniker from Baldry's first.) Among their contributions to the project, Stewart and Elton divided the production tasks - each taking a side of the original album. Immediately, Baldry sheds the MOR blue-eyed pop soul image.

The backing band on Stewart's side include fellow Face and future Rolling Stone, Ron Wood, on electric guitar and acoustic guitarist Sam Mitchell, who appeared on many of Stewart's early-'70s solo albums. His contributions to this side are numerous, including an especially potent solo on Leadbelly's "Black Girl." This authentic duet featuring Maggie Bell on co-lead vocals is a definite return to the Mississippi Delta for the song which is also known as the bluegrass standard "In the Pines."

Other highlights from Stewart's sector include the humorous and self-biographical leadoff track "Conditional Discharge," which is paired with the full-tilt boogie of "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock & Roll." Arguably the oddest cover version on this album is also among the best; "Morning Morning" from head Fug Tuli Kupferberg is given new and surprisingly fresh life by Baldry. Highlights from Elton John's side include Randy Newman's "Let's Burn Down the Cornfield," which would have fit perfectly on John's Tumbleweed Connection album. Additionally, "Rock Me When He's Gone" was actually recorded by John, although his version remained unissued until the 1992 odds and sods compilation Rare Masters. /Lindsay Planer, AllMusic

It Ain't Easy mc
It Ain't Easy zippy

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Long John Baldry - Looking At Long John Baldry (The UA Years 1964-1966) (2 CD)

Album: Looking At Long John Baldry (The UA Years 1964-1966)
Size: 171,6 + 171,2 MB
Time: 74:10 + 73:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Blues/R&B/Soul/Pop
Art: Front, tray

CD 1:
1. Got My Mojo Working (3:12)
2. Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You (3:57)
3. Roll 'Em Pete (3:31)
4. You're Breaking My Heart (4:35)
5. Hoochie Coochie (3:49)
6. Everyday (I Have The Blues) (3:04)
7. Dimples (2:22)
8. Five Long Years (5:10)
9. My Babe (2:36)
10. Times Are Getting Tougher Than Tough (2:27)
11. Goin' Down Slow (3:57)
12. Rock The Joint (3:52)
13. You'll Be Mine (2:34)
14. Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air (w. Rod Stewart) (2:52)
15. I'm On To You Baby (2:54)
16. Goodbye Baby (2:39)
17. Someday Baby (2:36)
18. Getting Ready For The Heartbreak (2:34)
19. Alright OK You Win (2:16)
20. I'm On To You Baby (Stereo) (2:46)
21. Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air (Take 3) (w. Ottilie Patterson & Rod Stewart) (2:46)
22. Hoochie Coochie Man (w. Ottilie Patterson) (4:25)
23. Got My Mojo Working (w. Ottilie Patterson & Rod Stewart) (3:04)

Tracks 1-12 from the album "Long John's Blues" (1964). Tracks 13-23 bonus tracks.

CD 2:
1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (3:24)
2. Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart (2:43)
3. Make It Easy On Yourself (2:58)
4. Let Him Go (And Let Me Love You) (2:12)
5. The Drifter (3:06)
6. Cry Me A River (2:58)
7. Stop Her On Sight (S.O.S.) (1:56)
8. Turn On Your Love Light (2:10)
9. I Love Paris (2:13)
10. Keep On Running (2:19)
11. Ain't Nothing You Can Do (2:34)
12. Bad Luck Soul (2:22)
13. How Long Will It Last (Mono) (1:48)
14. House Next Door (Mono) (2:42)
15. Unseen Hands (Mono) (3:24)
16. Turn On Your Lovelight (Mono) (2:27)
17. The Drifter (Mono) (2:59)
18. Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart (Mono) (2:41)
19. Cuckoo (Mono) (2:33)
20. Bring Back My Baby To Me (Mono) (3:21)
21. Let Him Go (And Let Me Love You) (Mono) (2:10)
22. What's New (5:31)
23. Cuckoo (Stereo Mix) (2:34)
24. Bring Back My Baby To Me (Stereo Mix) (3:26)
25. House Next Door (Stereo) (2:43)
26. How Long, How Long Blues (4:29)

Tracks 1-12 from the album "Looking At Long John" (1966). Tracks 13-26 bonus tracks.

Long John's Blues (AMG Review): One of the unsung jewels of the British R&B scene, Long John's Blues is, astonishingly, the sole surviving document of what was, at one point, among the most exciting live acts on the entire circuit. Baldry himself was dynamite, with a grasp of blues singing that left his contemporaries foundering.

His takes on "Got My Mojo Working," "Dimples," and "Hoochie Coochie Man" alone are worth the price of admission, no matter how many other versions you may own, while "My Times Are Getting Tougher Than Tough" and, best of all, "Everyday I Have the Blues" pack a punch that reminds us just what great musicians Baldry surrounded himself with, former Cyril Davies All-Stars veterans Jeff Bradford and Cliff Barton among them. An excellent sleeve photo, stylishly mod as only Long John could be, completed the original vinyl package, but even in the record's later incarnation, as part of a two-fer CD with the sleeve barely visible, Long John's Blues stands proud among the most essential British blues albums of them all. /Dave Thompson, AllMusic

Looking At Long John (AMG Review): Baldry's move from blues into pop/soul for his second album may have been viewed as something of a loss in integrity, given his purist blues stance on his debut. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea, though, given that the debut LP wasn't very good, and the British blues-rock field was crowded with many greater talents in the mid-'60s. Looking at Long John, with a sub-Righteous Brothers sort of approach, is certainly a change in style, but the result really isn't any better. Baldry's vocal limitations are a big handicap whether applied to white-boy blues or blue-eyed soul, and the production is thin in comparison with the American soul/pop it's clearly trying to emulate.

If you wanted this kind of stuff, the Righteous Brothers did it many times better. Not only that, if you were British at the time and weren't aware of the Righteous Brothers, you weren't about to turn to John Baldry; the Walker Brothers (American, but based in Britain) also did this kind of stuff much better. The BGO CD reissue combines this and the 1964 LP Long John's Blues on one disc. /Richie Unterberger, AllMusic

Looking At Long John Baldry (The UA Years 1964-1966) (2 CD) mc
Looking At Long John Baldry (The UA Years 1964-1966) (2 CD) zippy

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Schuld & Stamer With Chris Nordquist & Long John Baldry - You Got The Bread ...We Got The Jam!

Size: 95,3 MB
Time: 40:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1998
Styles: Acoustic Blues Folk
Art: Front

01. Voodoo Music (3:00)
02. How Long (3:33)
03. Going Down Slow (4:08)
04. Backwater Blues (3:27)
05. This Train (3:03)
06. Here I Am (4:09)
07. Bourgeois Blues (3:18)
08. Down In Mississippi (3:06)
09. Trouble In Mind (3:08)
10. Easy Rider Blues (4:02)
11. Worried Man Blues (3:05)
12. Dark Was The Night (2:46)

Following their critically acclaimed debut "No Special Rider", recorded in 1996 with Edmonton's Bill Bourne. In 1998 the album received both a Juno nomination and a West Coast Music Award nomination in the Best Blues Album category.

This time blues legends Long John Baldry and Chris Nordquist were invited to join the party, and the result is a truly exciting spread of traditional and classic blues, performed with joyful spontaneity and passion. Again the jam was prepared live-off-the-floor, with "no sugar added"...

Long John Baldry, one of the fathers of British Blues and R&B, received a Juno Award in 1997 for his Stony Plain release "Right To Sing The Blues" (which also earned him a 1998 West Coast Music Award). In 1998 he also garnered a Grammy nomination for his reading of "Winnie the Pooh".

Considered by many of his peers to be one of the greatest drummers ever in the genre, Chris "The Wrist" Nordquist has performed with Pinetop Perkins, Lloyd Glenn, Lousianna Red, Sunnyland Slim, Colin James and Colin Linden ("National Steel"/Juno 1998), and countless others.

Andreas Schuld is one of the most recorded guitarists on the West Coast. He has played on hundreds of recording sessions and performed with many of Canada's top artists, be it Folk, Blues, Jazz, R&B, Pop or Country. (Raffi, Susan Crowe, Bourne & McLeod, One Horse Blue, Valdy, Big Miller, Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, etc.) He is also an award winning songwriter and producer.

Hans Stamer was the frontman of the legendary R&B Allstars for over 15 years. He has shared the stage with James Brown, Ike & Tina Turner and many others. Previous releases include two critically acclaimed albums for RCA with the Hans Stamer Band. Hans' legendary monthly Saturday afternoon performances at "Rossini's" in Vancouver are ‘standing-room’ only events.

You Got The Bread ...We Got The Jam!

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Long John Baldry Trio - Live

Year: 2000
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:35
Size: 154,2 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Good Morning Blues (5:29)
2. Who Back Buck (2:40)
3. Back Water Blues (7:47)
4. Morning Dew (4:14)
5. Black Girl (3:22)
6. It Ain't Easy (4:17)
7. Burn Down The Cornfield (5:58)
8. Moon Dance In Tajikstan (4:15)
9. Walk On (5:54)
10. Can't Keep From Crying Some Time (2:22)
11. Maggie Bell (3:34)
12. Blue Valentine (5:55)
13. Midnight In New Orleans (4:32)
14. Flying (6:07)

Brit blues legend Baldry recorded this live album during his 1999 European tour on a Hamburg stop. During the '60s blues resurgence, Baldry has musicians such as Charlie Watts, Rod Stewart, and Jack Bruce pass through his bands. His sound still echoes the tough, power blues that led to the development of such groups as Cream and Led Zeppelin. Baldry chooses to do much of his classic material while leading the group from his 12-string acoustic guitar.

Long John is a potent, gravel-voiced blues man. His tough, exaggerated blues-rock is guaranteed to wow a crowd. Capturing this in a live setting makes for an excellent document of Long John's time-tested talent. An added bonus is a shining new star on the blues scene and new member to Baldry's trio, guitarist Matt Taylor. The liner notes include an overview of Baldry's entire career with photos going back to the '60s. /Tom Schulte, AllMusic

Personnel: Long John Baldry (vocals, 12-string guitar); Matt Taylor (vocals, electric & acoustic guitar); Butch Coulter (harmonica, acoustic guitar).

Live mc
Live zippy

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Chris Kramer - Blues 'N' Beyond Vol. I

Size: 106,0 MB
Time: 44:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Electric/Acoustic Blues, Harmonica Blues
Art: Front

01. I Ain't Got No Home (Feat. John Kirkbride) (3:38)
02. Backwater Blues (Feat. Long John Baldry) (4:31)
03. Maggie Bell (Feat. Long John Baldry) (3:33)
04. You Gotta Change Your Ways (Feat. Albie Donnelly) (5:12)
05. Been Your Dog (Feat. John Kirkbride) (3:54)
06. Mastercook (3:05)
07. Gangster Blues (3:36)
08. Messin' With The Kid (Feat. Bernhard Allison) (4:09)
09. The One You Love (Feat. Roger Sutcliffe) (3:39)
10. Train, Sweet Train (Feat. Frank Diez) (3:32)
11. Apetite Blues (Feat. Tom Shaka) (5:58)

Chris Kramer and the blues have been found - and have changed. Whoever thinks that the blues is only a low-pitched suicide, Kramer has never seen live. Because he lives the blues with a huge portion of self-irony and humor, Chris gives the genre a new own note. Apart from the high musical demands, this makes his concerts highly entertaining, entertaining, and sometimes drives the audience into the eye. He talks about how the beak has grown in the Ruhr area, he plays and sings with his own song material, which reflects the problems of everyday life, cariculates them and gives the amused listener often a new, casual and always entertaining view the things.

The "German Blues Award" is awarded in two-year-olds. The winner of the German Blues Award is Chris Kramer, who is a true songwriter, as well as a singer and a virtuoso instrumentalist on harmonica, guitar and dobro. Peter Maffay and his blues-harp were involved several times for CD recordings and concert tours. Chuck Leavell (pianist of the Rolling Stones) says about Chris: "Oh, what an amazing harp player!". Cream-bassist Jack Bruce called him a "master of the blues-harp.", "Simple Minds" -Drummer Mel Gaynor praised his versatility and he was a musical guest both at Jürgen von der Lippe and at Götz Alsmann.

In addition, the sympathetic Ruhrpottler has worked with countless national and international musicians, wrote harmonica books, given workshops and several television stations as musicians - on WDR television, even with his own "planet knowledge" broadcast on America, the blues And Chris Kramer ...

The Hohner instrument maker, world market leader in the production of tongues such as harmonicas and accordions, gave Kramer a special honor: Hohner produced a Chris-Kramer "Signature" harmonica, a personalized model according to its specifications. This recognition by Hohner was previously, for example, John Lennon and Bob Dylan, who also received their "Signature" performance, which highlights the importance of Kramers in the "Blues-Harp" division. ~google translation

Blues 'N' Beyond Vol. I

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Carlo Little All Stars - Never Stop Rockin' (Feat. Ron Wood, Long John Baldry & Art Wood)

Size: 77,1 MB
Time: 32:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Electric Blues, Rockin' Blues
Art: Front

01. It's All Over Now (3:44)
02. Mystery Train (5:01)
03. Born In The Country (3:34)
04. Midnight Special (3:16)
05. Mississippi (4:15)
06. Iko, Iko (3:04)
07. Country Line Special (3:24)
08. Chicago Calling (2:26)
09. Never Stop Rockin' (3:58)

2009 release of this previously unissued album from the British drumming legend. Loud exciting and always in step with what was going on, Carlo was the drummer the Rolling Stones wanted but couldn't afford! He was the driving force in Screaming Lord Sutch's Savages and he taught the young Keith Moon how to play! This album was recorded in 2000 shortly before Carlo fell ill (he died in 2005). Carlo recruited bassist (and sometime early Stone) Rick Brown, Art Wood, (The Art woods), Long John Baldry, Matthew Fisher (Procol Harum), squeezebox king Geraint Watkins and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, who teamed up with his brother Art on some of the tracks. Nine tracks. Angel Air.

Never Stop Rockin'

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Long John Baldry - Right To Sing The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:30
Size: 159.1 MB
Styles: British blues
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[ 3:23] 1. They Raided The Joint
[ 3:48] 2. Easy Street
[ 3:49] 3. I'm Shakin'
[ 3:55] 4. Midnight Hour Blues
[ 4:24] 5. Right To Sing The Blues
[ 3:10] 6. It's Too Late Brother
[ 5:29] 7. East Virginia Blues
[ 2:44] 8. Whoa Back Buck
[ 3:29] 9. Morning Dew
[ 5:00] 10. You're The One
[ 3:17] 11. Work So Hard
[ 3:12] 12. Midnight In Berlin
[23:45] 13. Interview

One of the founding fathers of the '60s British blues scene, Long John Baldry owns one of the great white blues voices, a power that remains undiminished for Right to Sing the Blues. The disc forms another consistent Baldry primer visiting the rich diversity of blues styles, from the quiet folk-blues of "Whoa Back Buck" (longtime colleague Papa John King tearing up his slide guitar) to jump blues party tunes like opener "They Raided the Joint." Vocal sidekick Kathi McDonald also carries the torch, especially on an incendiary title track already highlighted by a scorching Colin James guitar riff. On occasion, the tall one is too much the mannered gentleman for the good of his muse. It would be nice to hear him bust loose more frequently, as he does on "I'm Shakin'," his pipes sounding like gargled nails with an Irish Cream chaser. It would also be nice to find him writing again. While mostly recognized as a judicious interpreter, Baldry has proven his capability over the years, and the complete absence of self-penned material strikes one as borderline laziness. He even dips back to a tune already covered on a previous release -- Bonnie Dobson's classic "Morning Dew" -- albeit giving it a fresh Cajun/Zydeco coat of paint. In case dependable, honorable music isn't enough incentive on its own, the disc earns bonus points by concluding with a 23-minute interview in which Baldry recounts his take on the British blues scene. Not exactly flashy multimedia, but a nice addition for fans of pop music history. ~Roch Parisien

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Dave Kelly - Family & Friends: We Had It All

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:08
Size: 156.0 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:30] 1. New Stockyard Blues (feat: Pete Emery, Marcus Cliffe, Sam Kelly)
[4:50] 2. Needed Time (feat: Eric Bibb)
[7:19] 3. Dust My Blues (feat: Howlin Wolf)
[2:39] 4. Good Riddance (feat: Homer Kelly - Tarrant, Christine Collister, Peter Filleul)
[3:57] 5. The River (feat: Chuck Leavell, Frank Collins, Paddie McHugh & Dyan Birch, Pick Withers
[3:34] 6. Ramblin Gal (feat: Jo - Anne Kelly)
[4:09] 7. Passing Through (feat: Keith Nelson, Cedric Thorose, Iain 'Thump' Thomson, Pete Miles)
[2:50] 8. Wasting Time (feat: Lily Kelly - Tarrant)
[4:22] 9. Love Is A Compromise (feat: Lou Stonebridge, Steve Donnelly, Gary Fletcher, Rob Townsend)
[3:13] 10. Gulf Coast Highway (feat: Maggie Bell, Keith Nelson, Julian Dawson, Homer Kelly - Tarrant)
[2:46] 11. Sugar Babe (feat: Keith Nelson)
[3:11] 12. Way Down In The Hole (feat: Christine Collister, Homer Kelly - Tarrant)
[3:59] 13. Mr Estes Said (feat: Chris Barber)
[4:02] 14. D-Day Blues (feat: Jona Lewie)
[3:06] 15. Too Young To Know (feat: Paul Jones)
[3:59] 16. Take This Hammer (feat: Long John Baldry)
[3:06] 17. Slide Guitar Rag (feat: Sonny Black)
[3:29] 18. We Had It All (feat: Julian Dawson, Keith Nelson, Homer Kelly - Tarrant)

If there is such a thing as a British 'blues pedigree', then Dave Kelly's sets the standard. Kelly is a blues craftsman - a journeyman who has served his time with the best.

In New York he jammed with Muddy Waters. He became a friend to Howlin' Wolf and John Lee Hooker, who both felt the benefit of Dave's playing in their touring bands. It was Dave's big sister, the late Jo-Ann Kelly, who first opened his ears to the blues, although his passion for rock and roll - and especially the work of Buddy Holly - remains intact. In 1967 he joined The John Dummer Blues Band. After three albums and a solo project he continued to polish his style and technique throughout an adventurous career with some of Britain's finest players. When The Blues Band was formed in 1979, the post of slide guitarist and joint vocalist was a foregone conclusion - and bringing his friend, the bassist Gary Fletcher, along to that first rehearsal, was a bonus. Dave Kelly's guitar and vocals form the very backbone of The Blues Band's distinctive sound. The Blues Band is still one of Britain´s best Blues Band and set up high standards. Today, after 35 years 'treading the boards' with the band, with his solo albums, duo tours with Paul Jones, and soundtrack work (for commercials and such projects as BBC TV's 'King of the Ghetto' and the Comic Strip's 'Strike!') Dave Kelly is firmly established as Europe's premier blues performer.

DAVE KELLY Family & Friends "We Had It All" are 18 unreleased tracks from his musical journey covers over 35 years in the business and feat. Names like ERIC BIBB, CHRIS BARBER, MAGGIE BELL, LONG JOHN BALDRY, CHRISTINE COLLISTER and many more.

Family & Friends: We Had It All mc
Family & Friends: We Had It All zippy

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Long John Baldry - Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (2-Disc Set)

This double pack, limited to 2500 copies, reissues Long John Baldry's long out of print -- at least in the States -- Warner Brothers albums from the early '70s, adding a handful of additional tracks (alternate versions, radio spots, unreleased songs) to each. Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings includes 1971's It Ain't Easy and 1972's Everything Stops for Tea, which were co-produced by Elton John and Rod Stewart -- neither whom had attained major popularity yet -- who worked on one album side per disc. Although Sid Griffin's generally insightful liner notes that describe these releases as "some of the best British blues rock to grace black vinyl" may be overstating their importance, there is a fair amount of genuinely solid music here. For the most part, Baldry covered American blues in his uniquely ornate British style, which not surprisingly didn't resonate with U.S. audiences the way say, the Rolling Stones did. His was a more studied albeit eclectic approach, dipping into New Orleans pop ("Iko Iko"), U.K. music hall ("Everything Stops for Tea"), traditional folk ("Mother Ain't Dead" with Rod Stewart on vocals and banjo!) and gospel along with some memorable Willie Dixon tunes ("Seventh Son," "I'm Ready," "You Can't Judge a Book"). It Ain't Easy's first five selections feature members of what would later be Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story band backing up Baldry, and is considered a stepping stone to that classic recording.

Baldry isn't the most magnetic performer, but his gruff voice has a certain charm, and even if the material is a bit erratic, he is obviously enjoying himself. A boisterous Baldry tears into the slow blues "Bring My Baby Back to Me" from 1972's Mar-Y-Sol Festival as one of disc two's extras. He also goes country, rather convincingly, for a lovely cover of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." The only clear classic here is the rollicking "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll," a terrific rocking underground hit that was Baldry's only stab on American radio. While that may not be worth the rather inflated price of this limited-edition reissue, these albums are both intermittently enjoyable and Rhino has done its usual classy job repackaging them with remastered sound and rare pictures. ~Hal Horowitz

Album: Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:48
Size: 155.2 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2005

[3:16] 1. Conditional Discharge
[3:23] 2. Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll
[2:49] 3. Black Girl
[4:48] 4. It Ain't Easy
[2:36] 5. Morning Morning
[4:08] 6. I'm Ready
[4:10] 7. Let's Burn Down The Cornfield
[3:59] 8. Mr. Rubin
[4:02] 9. Rock Me When He's Gone
[6:47] 10. Flying
[3:07] 11. Going Down Slow
[2:56] 12. Blues (Cornbread, Meat And Molasses)
[4:17] 13. Love In Vain
[4:07] 14. Midnight Hour Blues
[3:30] 15. Black Girl
[5:06] 16. It Ain't Easy
[4:11] 17. I'm Ready
[0:28] 18. Radio Spot

Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Disc 1) mc
Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Disc 1) zippy

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Album: Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:58
Size: 119.0 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:00] 1. Come Back Again
[3:04] 2. Seventh Son
[3:46] 3. Wild Mountain Thyme
[3:06] 4. Iko Iko
[4:12] 5. Jubilee Cloud
[3:04] 6. Everything Stops For Tea
[4:13] 7. You Can't Judge A Book
[2:48] 8. Mother Ain't Dead
[3:53] 9. Hambone
[4:01] 10. Lord Remember Me
[1:46] 11. Armit's Trousers
[1:01] 12. Radio Spot #1
[6:23] 13. Bring My Baby Back To Me Live]
[3:09] 14. Only Love Can Break Your Heart
[3:25] 15. I'm Just A Rake & Ramblin' Boy

Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Disc 2) mc
Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Disc 2) zippy

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Long John Baldry - On Stage Tonight: Baldry's Out

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 69:41
Size: 159.5 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 1993
Art: Full

[ 5:57] 1. Everyday I Have The Blues/Times Are Getting Tougher Then Tough
[ 4:10] 2. Shake That Thing
[ 5:32] 3. Insane Asylum
[ 6:51] 4. I'm Ready
[ 6:20] 5. I'd Rather Go Blind
[ 4:14] 6. Baldry's Out
[ 6:05] 7. A Thrill's A Thrill
[ 5:52] 8. Backwater Blues
[ 3:55] 9. It Ain't Easy
[ 5:43] 10. Stormy Monday Blues
[10:15] 11. Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll
[ 4:42] 12. Midnight In New Orleans

On Stage Tonight: Baldry's Out! nicely rectifies a 30-year oversight: the gentleman has never previously released a live recording. Captured in Germany, the disc blends the strongest tracks from Baldry's It Still Ain't Easy comeback album with updated past greats. And it just wouldn't be Baldry (especially live) without the ferocious backing of longtime soulmate Kathi McDonald. While Baldry's blues can sometimes be a tad too "polite," On Stage Tonight captures that unique smoky growl in top form.

thank you mrwalker.
On Stage Tonight: Baldry's Out mc
On Stage Tonight: Baldry's Out zippy

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Long John Baldry - It Still Ain't Easy

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 54:37
Size: 125.0 MB
Styles: Urban blues
Year: 1991
Art: Full

[4:17] 1. It Still Ain't Easy
[3:32] 2. Midnight In New Orleans
[4:23] 3. One Step Ahead
[4:34] 4. I Never Loved Nobody
[4:24] 5. Get It While The Gettin's Good
[3:03] 6. What've I Been Drinking
[5:33] 7. Insane Asylum
[4:08] 8. You Wanna Dance
[3:58] 9. Shake That Thang
[4:37] 10. Like You Promised
[3:22] 11. Busker
[2:15] 12. Can't Keep From Crying
[3:22] 13. No More
[3:02] 14. Soft And Furry

It has been 20 years since he recorded It Ain't Easy, the Warner Brothers album which introduced him to North American audiences (and for which Rod Stewart produced one side, and Elton John the other). Since then, Long John Baldry has acquired new strengths, and this collection of songs builds on his considerable talents. For Starters, there are his ears for Spotting good talent, and his well-known willingness to share the stage and the Spotlight with fine musicians; the cast of players on this album is amazing.

Guest guitarists on this record, for instance, include Arnos Garrett, Colin James, Lucky Peterson, Gaye Delorme, David Raven, and "Papa" John King, who's been playing with Baldry for years — a six-string who's-who if ever there was one. On piano is Teddy Borowiecki, who's played with everyone from k.d. lang to the Shumka Dancers and Jane Siberry. Background singers include Bobby King and Terry Evans (best known for their work with Ry Cooder and their two superb solo albums) and the astonishing Kathi McDonald, who has graced the best of Baldry's Canadian-made albums in the past. Tony Coleman and Russell Jackson (the Silent Partners) from B.B. King's Band are here, so are members of Vancouver bands like Skywalk and Powder Blues. Read the rest of the small print; many of the other names will probably be familiar to you.

Baldry has always known how to choose producers, too, and this record indicates that Tom Lavin — founder of the Powder Blues Band and owner of Vancouver's Blue Wave Studios, where this record was made — is every bit the equal of those well-known English artists who produced It Ain't Easy so many years ago. Not only did he handle all the production chores, but he contributed guitar parts, backup vocals, plays the tambourine. and co-wrote (with David Raven) the title song and another reminiscence of Baldry's past, The Busker.

The fourteen songs on this album are primarily blues-based — far more so than on any of his recent records — but there is a wide variety of material; rockers and ballads, folk material like Can't Keep From Crying, basic blues from the likes of old friend Willie Dixon, and a host of original tunes written specifically with John in mind.

But best of all, this record indicates a new maturity in Baldry's work; a gritty reality that's tempered by his sense of humour.

Long John Baldry (vocals & guitar); Papa John King, Amos Garrett, Colin James, Lucky Peterson, Gaye Delorme, David Raven (guitar);Mike Kalanj (keyboards); Teddy Borowiecki (piano); Russell Jackson (bass); Tony Coleman (drums); Butch Coulter (harmonica); Bill Rogers (tenor sax); Kathi McDonald, Terry Evans, Bobby King (background vocals).

thank you mrwalker.
It Still Ain't Easy

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Long John Baldry - The Best Of The Stony Plain Years

Size: 102,3 MB
Time: 43:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Modern Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. Good Morning Blues - 1958 & 2001 (3:44)
02. I'm Shakin' (3:47)
03. Easy Street (3:46)
04. Midnight Special (3:22)
05. Gallows Pole (2:44)
06. Midnight Hour Blues (3:56)
07. Dimples (3:55)
08. Insane Asylum (5:23)
09. Midnight In New Orleans (3:23)
10. Black Girl (3:00)
11. Time's Gettin' Tougher Than Tough (6:49)

In 1971, Rod Stewart and Elton John each produced one side of Long John Baldry’s It Ain’t Easy, the album designed to make John William Baldry better known in the states. The album was long overdue. After all, Baldry was already an established legend in the U.K. For example, along with Alexis Korner—who shared a similar growling, graveling vocal style—Baldry appeared on R&B from the Marquee, the first ever amplified British blues album in 1962. The band was Blues Incorporated, a loose ensemble of revolving blues enthusiasts also including the likes of Mick Jagger, Jack Bruce, and Charlie Watts.

Long John Baldry - 'The Best of the Stony Plain Years'Then, in 1964, Baldry formed Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men, later named Steampacket, which featured an up-and-comer by the name of Rod Stewart. In 1966, Baldry formed Bluesology with a piano player called Reg Dwight. Dwight, of course, later adopted the stage name Elton John, the “John” taken from Baldry. It was Baldry’s intervention in John’s personal life that inspired the 1975 song, “Someone Saved My Life Tonight.”

In the late ’70s, Baldry emigrated to Vancouver, Canada, and began a long career there in both music and voice acting. After working with other labels, from 1991 to his death in 2005, Baldry recorded for Stony Plain Records, and it’s that era which is captured on the new The Best of the Stony Plain Years.

The good news is that the quality of the selections on The Best of the Stony Plain Years is top-notch from start to finish. By this point in his career, Baldry’s singing was honed to deep-bucket perfection with almost theatrical enunciations, perhaps an outgrowth of his audio acting. He swings so much, more than once there are obvious echoes of Louis Prima and Satchmo. Baldry’s guitar playing, especially on the 12-string, had become more precise and clean. Never a slouch as a bandleader, the various small ensembles he led from 1991 on provided rock solid support for the material. The bad news is that Stony Plain was far from generous with this package, giving us a mere 11 tracks on a single disc. That’s a skimpy representation of Baldry’s seven albums for the label.

Produced by Tom Lavin (Powder Blues), It Still Ain’t Easy (1991) was Baldry’s debut on Stony Plain, here represented by “Midnight in New Orleans” featuring longtime Baldry guitarist Papa John King and Butch Coulter on acoustic guitar and harmonica. We also get Willie Dixon’s scorching “Insane Asylum” which is one of many numbers produced over two decades that showcased Baldry with the belting voice of former Ikette (of Ike and Tina Turner) and latter-day member of Big Brother and the Holding Company, Kathi McDonald.

Deservedly, we get several choice cuts from Remembering Leadbelly (2001) like the upbeat opener, “Good Morning Blues,” the New Orleans-flavored “Midnight Special,” and a countrified “Gallows Pole,” the same song Led Zeppelin covered in 1970. (Don’t let the archival passage from an old Baldry tape fool you on “Good Morning Blues”—wait a verse, then the song kicks out the jams.) We also get three songs from Right to Sing the Blues (1997), namely the jazzy, percussive “I’m Shaking,” the very Louis Armstrong-inspired “Easy Street,” and the slow, low-down “Midnight Hour Blues.”

Albums not represented include Long John Baldry-On Stage Tonight (1993), Baldry’s first live album, his second being Live (2000), both recorded at gigs in Hamburg, Germany. Fans of Baldry will no doubt note the omission of “Don’t Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock n’ Roll,” Baldry’s signature song captured quite nicely on On Stage Tonight.

If you already own all the Stony Plain releases, there are several new songs to add to your collection. In particular, the closing number is a duet recorded live with Jimmy Witherspoon, “Time’s Gettin’ Tougher Than Tough” (1995), supported by the Duke Robillard band. Likewise, “Dimples” is a previously unreleased 1998 taste of John Lee Hooker from the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. While the folk song “Black Girl” (also featuring McDonald) is listed as appearing on Rock with the Best (1996), liner notes say the version used here was from a promo sampler issued the same year. Perhaps there were two takes from the same session?

In the end, The Best of the Stony Plain Years is itself a good promo sampler that’s ideal for introducing new listeners to Baldry or jump-starting interest for listeners who’ve not been paying attention since It Ain’t Easy (reissued by Stoney Plain in 2012). Down the road, perhaps, Stony Plain will issue an expanded, two-disc anthology that will really be a “best of.” ‘Till then, this release is mainly a very tasty hors d’oeuvre to whet our appetites. ~by Wesley Britton

The Best Of The Stony Plain Years

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