King Biscuit Boy - Mouth Of Steel

Year: 1984
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:34
Size: 91,8 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: LP front & back

1. Georgia Slop (2:49)
2. Done Everything I Can (3:15)
3. Mama Luchie (4:08)
4. Neighbour Neighbour (3:17)
5. Down The Line (3:24)
6. Hoodoo Party (2:52)
7. Route 90 (3:22)
8. Terraplane Blues (2:40)
9. It's My Soul (3:31)
10. Necromonica (3:45)
11. Get It Right (2:48)
12. Look Out Mabel (3:36)

Richard Newell grew up in Canada listening to the blues. He learned to play the harmonica as a teenager and joined the Barons in 1961, releasing a single called "Bottleneck." In 1966, Newell left the band (then renamed Son Richard & the Chessmen) to join the Midknights, but then began playing with Ronnie Hawkins, who nicknamed him King Biscuit Boy. After playing with Hawkins for two years, he joined Crowbar and released Official Music (as King Biscuit Boy & Crowbar) in 1970.

He recorded solo material sporadically throughout the '70s and '80s (including 1982's Mouth of Steel and Richard Newell A.K.A. King Biscuit Boy in 1988). Poor health due to alcoholism stunted his career throughout the '90s and on January 5, 2003 Newell succumbed to the disease at his home in Hamilton, Ontario. /Biography by John Bush, AllMusic

Note: This album has been re-released with different titles. The releases I know of are "Down The Line" (1996) and "Hoodoo In My Soul" (2012). Both releases contain an additional track - "Step Back Baby".

(For personnel details, see artwork included).

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King Biscuit Boy & Sonny Del-Rio - Two Hound Blues

Year: 2003
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:22
Size: 100,1 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. Two Hound Blues (6:35)
2. Bad Luck Soul (2:20)
3. 7th Avenue Blues (4:51)
4. Let The Good Times Roll (3:14)
5. Treat Your Baby Right (5:56)
6. Play The Honky Tonk (2:35)
7. Hard Times (2:59)
8. I'm In Love (2:28)
9. Blue Light Boogie (4:45)
10. Jailhouse Blues (7:33)

Richard Newell released his last album in early 2003 on Race Records, an independent record label in Hamilton, Ontario. It was a collaboration with saxophonist Sonny Del-Rio (a former Crowbar bandmate and long-standing friend), entitled Two Hound Blues. The album was a combination of six lost tracks from the 1981 King Biscuit Boy album, Biscuits 'n' Gravy, and the 2000 Sonny Del-Rio effort, 40 Years of Rock & Roll and All I Got's the Blues. For 2005, this work received the Hamilton Music Awards nomination for Best Blues Album.

King Biscuit Boy: Richard Newell grew up in Canada listening to the blues. He learned to play the harmonica as a teenager and joined the Barons in 1961, releasing a single called "Bottleneck." In 1966, Newell left the band (then renamed Son Richard & the Chessmen) to join the Midknights, but then began playing with Ronnie Hawkins, who nicknamed him King Biscuit Boy. After playing with Hawkins for two years, he joined Crowbar and released Official Music (as King Biscuit Boy & Crowbar) in 1970. He recorded solo material sporadically throughout the '70s and '80s (including 1982's Mouth of Steel and Richard Newell A.K.A. King Biscuit Boy in 1988). Poor health due to alcoholism stunted his career throughout the '90s and on January 5, 2003 Newell succumbed to the disease at his home in Hamilton, Ontario. /Bio by John Bush, AllMusic

Sonny Del-Rio: Born Nov. 23, 1943 in Hamilton, Canada, the legendary saxman began his storied career playing blues clubs in and around the Toronto area where he formed his life-long collaboration with the great Richard Newell (King Biscuit Boy) and eventually into the Juno-nominated rock band, Crowbar (best known for their hit record, Oh What a Feeling). A five-year stint with Arista recording artist, Ray Materick, followed. Afterwards, Sonny cut his first solo CD, 40 Years of Rock & Roll and all I got's the Blues. Voted Canada's Best Blues Sax Player in 1997 and 2003 by Real Blues Magazine, and with three solo CDs under his belt and a fourth on the way, the powerhouse vocalist/saxman continues to produce and impress.

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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King Biscuit Boy With Crowbar - Official Music

Year: 1970
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:10
Size: 98,2 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. Highway 61 (2:54)
2. Don't Go No Further (3:46)
3. Unseen Eye (3:00)
4. I'm Just A Lonely Guy (2:34)
5. Key To The Highway (3:16)
6. Corrina, Corrina (4:26)
7. Biscuit's Boogie (9:38)
8. Hoy Hoy Hoy (5:18)
9. Badly Bent (2:10)
10. Cookin' Little Baby (2:38)
11. Shout Bama Lama (2:27)

Born in Hamilton Ontario, Richard Newell's musical career began in the early 60's as a teenager playing the harmonica in teen bands, the Barons in 1961 (later renamed Son Richard and the Chessmen) and then with the blues styled Mid-Knights in the mid 60's. He became noticed while playing with Ronnie Hawkins as one of the Hawks, who nicknamed him King Biscuit Boy. After playing with Hawkins for two years, he left to go for it alone but joined Crowbar (a band made up of ex Hawks) and recorded his debut album entitled Official Music (as King Biscuit Boy & Crowbar) in 1970.

Official Music was released on the Daffodil Records label in Canada and Paramount in the U.S.A. to critical acclaim. Of the eleven songs on the album, eight are standard blues covers of songs by such greats as Willie Dixon, Bill Broonzy, Otis Redding, Sonny Boy Williamson, given a unique treatment by Newells' harmonica playing. There are also original compositions written by Newell and performed in a classic blues style. Official Music charted in both the US and Canada and a single taken from the album, "Corinna Corrina" was a minor hit in Canada for King Biscuit Boy and Crowbar in 1970. After the release of Official Music, King Biscuit Boy and Crowbar parted ways. /Keith Pettipas, AllMusic

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King Biscuit Boy - Urban Blues Re: Newell

Year: 1995
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:38
Size: 115,4 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. Now I'm Good (3:34)
2. Mighty Crazy (3:36)
3. (Before We) Think (4:21)
4. Cracked Up Over You (4:06)
5. Glide 'N Slide (3:53)
6. Comin' Around The Corner (3:20)
7. Too Poor To Die (3:26)
8. Down On The Farm (2:17)
9. That's No Lie (3:17)
10. Chills & Fever (3:26)
11. Fire (2:55)
12. My Love Lies Bleeding (7:39)
13. Achin' Head (3:43)

King Biscuit Boy is considered by many to be the premier practitioner of blues harmonica in Canada. He has jammed with many great musicians, such as Muddy Waters, Allen Touissant, Dr. John, and John Lee Hooker. Although he has a number of critically acclaimed CDs, this is his first recording in 13 years. His given name is Richard Newell; hence, the CD's title, Urban Blues Re: Newell, both alludes to his own name and his re-emergence on the recording scene.

There's little doubt that King Biscuit Boy is a more colorful name for a bluesman than the one his mom and dad gave him. This nickname was given to him by Ronnie Hawkins, with whom the blues harpist played for years. It has served him well in his native Canada, where he is much better known than in the United States. This CD, released in 1995, has garnered a lot of attention and praise.

The award-winning recording contains both original material and some blues classics, all done in Biscuit's inimitable style on vocals and harmonica. The album opens with a Newell composition, "Now I'm Good," which sets the tone for the entire CD. The blues are played gritty and intense throughout. Standouts include "Cracked Up Over You," "Too Poor to Die," and "My Love Lies Bleeding." King Biscuit Boy is back. /Rose of Sharon Witmer

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King Biscuit Boy - Gooduns

Year: 1971
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s (from Flac)
Time: 34:15
Size: 79,6 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. You Done Tore Your Playhouse Down Again (5:45)
2. Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) (2:46)
3. Georgia Rag (1:37)
4. Barefoot Rock (3:34)
5. The Boogie Walk (4:03)
6. Ranky Tanky (3:59)
7. Twenty Nine Ways (2:41)
8. Bald-Headed Rhumba Boogie (4:09)
9. Lord Pity Us All (5:38)

Originally released on LP format in 1971 with a cloth burlap cover, Gooduns is the second album by Richard "King Biscuit Boy" Newell. After the success Official Music the year before, Gooduns was more of the same style with a few left over songs from the previous albums' sessions with Crowbar (although by this time they had officially parted company) and backing from some new musicians that included members of Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band, Seatrain and Canada's Dr. Music.

For this album, Newell recorded on a couple of cover songs written by Dr. John, Little Walter and Willie Dixon but the album contained mainly original compositions by Newell. With a harder blues guitar sound and tighter band edge than the debut, "Gooduns" was supported by a successful tour of England in 1971 where King Biscuit Boy and The Real Gooduns Band were backed up by the British band The Idle Race.

Despite the success of the album and tour, the Daffodil Records label fell on hard times financially and folded with no single or album promotion, leaving King Biscuit Boy to move to the Epic label for the next release. This budget priced reissue by Unidisc does not contain any bonus tracks but faithfully reproduces the original album graphics and liner notes. /Keith Pettipas, AllMusic

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King Biscuit Boy - Badly Bent: The Best Of King Biscuit Boy

Size: 106,7 MB
Time: 45:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1976/1996
Styles: Blues Rock, Modern Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. Twenty-Nine Ways (2:38)
02. I'm Just A Lonely Guy (2:35)
03. Hoy Hoy Hoy (5:18)
04. Corrina, Corrina (4:27)
05. Biscuit's Boogie (9:35)
06. Badly Bent (2:07)
07. You Done Tore Your Playhouse Down Again (5:43)
08. Steel Town Blues Wind & Rain (2:33)
09. Blues For Duffy's Tavern (3:41)
10. Caledonia River (2:40)
11. Gotta Be A Goodun (4:11)

King Biscuit Boy or Son Richard (9 March 1944-5 January 2003) was a Canadian blues and rhythm & blues singer, guitarist, harmonica player, and songwriter.

Born Richard Alfred Newell in Hamilton, Ontario, he first heard the blues on U.S. radio. At the age of seventeen he started playing the harmonica, playing with local blues and rock bands. In 1966 he joined the Toronto band, the Mid-Knights, leaving them to go on tour singing and playing harmonica from 1968 to 1970 with Ronnie Hawkins (who named him “King Biscuit Boy” after the Arkansas blues programme, King Biscuit Time).

“Biscuit”, who also played guitar, made his first LP, Official Music in 1970 with Hawkin’s old backing band, now called Crowbar. His first solo album was the 1974 King Biscuit Boy, followed by many others.

He continued to perform intermittently in Canada and the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s. He received two nominations for the Juno award, and in 1995 was presented with the Great Canadian Blues Award. He died in Hamilton at the age of fifty-eight.

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King Biscuit Boy - Hoodoo In My Soul

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 41:20
Size: 94.6 MB
Styles: Harmonica blues
Year: 1984/2012
Art: Front

[2:46] 1. Georgia Slop
[3:12] 2. Done Everything I Can
[4:06] 3. Mama Luchie
[3:16] 4. Neighbour, Neighbour
[3:21] 5. Down The Line
[2:49] 6. Hoodoo Party
[3:19] 7. Route 90
[2:37] 8. Terraplane Blues
[3:27] 9. Its My Soul
[3:42] 10. Necromonica
[2:47] 11. Get It Right
[3:36] 12. Look Out Mabel
[2:16] 13. Step Back Baby

A new reissue of King Biscuit Boy’s 1982 sessions, on the European label Music Avenue, reminds the blues world of his massive, timeless talent. Hamilton’s King Biscuit Boy (a.k.a. Richard Newell) is remembered as Canada’s best-known, international breakthrough blues artist of the ’70s. His talent as a harp player, slide guitar player and singer with a deep knowledge of the genre helped introduce the blues to a new generation. A graduate of Ronnie Hawkins’ band The Hawks, he went on to have Top 10 hit records and to receive huge respect from his peers.

After two best-selling albums on Canada’s Daffodil label, Official Music in 1971 (with Crowbar) and Gooduns in 1972, Biscuit signed with Sony Records in the U.S. His first release on the major label, in 1974, was a self-titled album recorded in New Orleans with members of the Meters and Dr. John, produced by Alan Toussaint. Times were changing, however, and the album didn’t do well. It would be 10 years before Biscuit returned to the studio to record the followup, Mouth of Steel, released in 1984 on Red Lightnin’ in Europe and Stony Plain in Canada. Now reissued as Hoodoo in My Soul, the Mouth of Steel sessions were recorded in Hamilton with Jack De Keyzer and John Lewis on guitars and the late Stan Szelest on keyboards. In the original liner notes, Dave “Daddy Cool” Booth, wrote: “I believe this is one of best modern blues records ever made. This is no copy cat record. Richard Newell knows the blues and as you listen to it you will realize this IS his music as he feels it.”

Thirty years after the original sessions, Hoodoo in My Soul is a welcome reissue. One bonus track, “Step Back Baby,” has been added. The fact it’s on a European label is testament to Richard Newell’s international legacy. King Biscuit Boy passed away in Hamilton on Jan. 5, 2003, at the age of 58.

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