|
Region |
Artist or band |
What was their influence? |
Short Discography |
|
USA |
Robert Johnson. (1911- 1938) Recordings made in San Antonio and
Dallas. Also other US Blues artists. Muddy
Waters and Ellmore James were his contemporaries. |
Robert Johnson recorded 29 songs, with "Terraplane Blues"
his only hit. The music was aimed at black audiences in the South.
Jazz enthusiast John Hammond was planning a New York concert
in 1938, sadly just too late. An LP was released in 1962 and this
reached Cream (Crossroads) and the Rolling Stones (Love
In Vain). Eric Clapton too was influenced. Ellmore James, Muddy
Waters, and Robert Lockwood took his songs and style to
help mould Electric Blues. |
|
 |
The CD is on Indigo Records
and includes tracks recorded on 78 rpm waxes in Texas in 1936 and
1937. There are 24 tracks in all. |
|
This compilation CD covers artists from BB King and Mike
Bloomfield back to Muddy Waters and Ellmore James. |
 |
|
|
USA |
Mississippi Delta Blues Compilation |
 |
CHARLEY PATTON 1, Mississippi Boweevil Blues.
2, Pony Blues. 3, Pea Vine Blues. TOMMY JOHNSON 4, Cool Drink
of Water Blues. 5, Big Road Blues. 6, Big Fat Mama Blues. ISHMAN BRACEY
7, Trouble Hearted Blues. WILLIAM HARRIS 8, Bull Frog Blues. SON
HOUSE 9, My Black Mama Pt1. 10, Preachin' The Blues Pt1. 11,
Walking Blues. WILLIE BROWN 12,Future Blues. BUKKA WHITE
14, The Panama Ltd. SKIP JAMES 14, Devil Got My Woman. BIG
JOE WILLIAMS 15, Baby Please Don't Go. ROBERT JOHNSON 16,
I Believe I'll Dust My Broom. BUKKA WHITE 17, Shake 'Em On
Down. TOMMY McCLENNAN 18, Bottle It Up And Go. ROBERT PETWAY
19, Catfish Blues. TONY HOLLINS 20, Crawlin' King Snake MUDDY
WATERS 21, Country Blues. ROBERT LOCKWOOD 22, Take A
Little Walk With Me. |
|
USA |
Bessie Smith
Began her career as a dancer in a touring company
which included Ma Rainey, known as "The Mother of the
Blues". Ma was closer to the rural blues with Bessie nearer the
Jazz area.She worked with Fletcher Henderson and Louis Armstrong and others. |
 |
1, Do Your Duty. 2, Gimmie A Pigfoot. 3,
Take Me For A Buggy Ride. 4, After you've Gone. 5,
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out. 6, St Louis Blues. 7,
Reckless Blues. 8, Cold In Hand Blues. 9, Careless
Love Blues. 10, Nashville Woman's Blues. 11, Ain't
Gonna Play No Second Fiddle. 12, Back Water Blues. 13,
Sinful Blues. 14, Sam Jones Blues. 15, 'Taint Nobody's
Bizness If I Do. 16, J.C. Holmes Blues. 17, Kitchen
Man. 18, Weeping Willow Blues. 19, Empty Bed Blues
(Part 1). 20, Empty Bed Blues (Part 2). 21 Down Hearted
Blues. 22, Jail House Blues. |
|
USA |
Woody Guthrie |
One of the earliest "Urban Folk" song writers who was a
strong influence on Bob Dylan and others. |
Much "covered" and quoted. His work can be found on many
albums and many covers, both literal and style wise. |
|
USA |
John Lee Hooker |
An early blues exponent, who was a big influence on UK bands. Also
saw a late revival in influence. |
Rolling Stones, Yardbirds and many others owed a lot to John Lee Hooker. |
|
USA |
Carl
Perkins |
|
He recorded the original "Blue Suede Shoes" which
Elvis covered as his second single. Carls version even outsold Elvis.
He is named as the first "Crossover White Artist" see the weblink. |
|
USA |
Sun Records.
Home to both Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley. |
|
USA |
Chuck Berry |
Electrified and modified the early US blues. The term "electric
blues" began to be used. |
Very distinctive stage act! |
|
US |
Bill Haley and The Comets |
The lyric One, Two Three O'Clock Four O'Clock ROCK! Shattered
the cosy world of 1950's pop! Bill Haley and his band would seem
unlikely teen heroes today, but at the time they got the show well
and truly on the road! |
Originators, but not really copied all that much today, except for
the soundalikes that is. |
|
US |
Buddy Holly |
Buddy would appear to be THE most unlikely star. However he has a
huge influence. He had a backing group, The Crickets, one ot
the first such. |
1956 saw his first release, "Blue Days" then "Peggy
Sue" on Brunswick and Vogue labels. On 45 the former is rated at
£600.00 by the way! The style moved away from the blues based
music to a more original style. Fate cut his career short. |
|
US |
Elvis Presley |
|
Literally Shook Up the entire music industry. He was not
a songwriter, but had a stage persona which took the world by storm.
As with Buddy Holly he had a group, the Jordanaires. The
concept of the "teenager" probably dates back to Elvis and
the Rock era. |
|
Elvis
had a number of significant contemporaries notably Cliff Richard and
Billy Fury in the UK. He was the leading artist though, and has led
to a host of look and soundalikes. |
|
UK |
The Beatles (The Quarrymen)
|
Started a totally new group scene after a period dominated by the
solo artist. The music at first covered the electric blues style and
then became original as Lennon and McCartney set to as original
songwriters. George Martin the producer had a big input, as later did
the studio developments at Abbey Road. |
A Liverpool band, but with a strong presence in Hamburg of all
places. They too are cloned and copied today. The "group
image" began with the Beatles, as the marketing potential was
realised. A whole industry grew up to supply group based memorabilia.
The "Merseybeat" era was the first real regional surge in
pop music as such. Record labels all signed up "their"
version of The Beatles. |
|
RIP |
Nov 30th 2001. George Harrison loses the fight with cancer. |
|
Is It the real thing? |
Collecting The Beatles.
This band was the first to really be merchandise marketed. There are
also in some cases clear musical reasons for value differences. The
Beatles recorded in very primitive stereo at first. Voices one
channel, instruments the other. The Mono mixes often do come over
rather better. There are also label changes and a whole string of
detailed non musical differences. Finding a bargain today is
unlikely, but possible. Usually you will need a very thick wallet!
Compilation CDs abound, as do bootlegged recordings both on vinyl and
on CD. |
|
UK |
The Rolling Stones |
Continued the electric blues, following John Lee Hooker and others,
but in the writing duo of Jagger/Richards they soon earned critical praise. |
If The Beatles were the good guys, the Stones are the opposite. There
was some parallel group marketing, but Mick Jagger did NOT fit the
mould at all. His stage act was plainly even more agressive than
Elvis, and brought down parental wrath for the first time in the UK. |
|
(UK) |
Bob Marley (and the Wailers) |
Reggae. Rasta music. He brought the West Indes into the music scene.
A major reissue album is well worthy of a place in any collection. |
The Police were one early band to adopt some reggae style.
Bob's lyrics are similar to the rap or hip hop style today, but with
an important difference. Social comment yes, but parental advisory?
No sign whatsoever. Eminem take note! |
|
(UK) |
John Mayall |
Classic Blues. The "Bluesbreakers" had a big following. |
A very important early influence, now with a website. He too played
electric blues and has a major following even today. |
|
UK |
The Yardbirds. Leading to Led Zeppelin. |
A very raw Blues band indeed. Again the early material was used, |
The classic "Five Live" Yardbirds is on the reissue
timetable. The singles are outstanding examples of the changing
approach to the blues as it was electrified. The Animals, with Eric
Burdon also worked at the time. "House of the Rising
Sun" was, perhaps the best example. |
|
UK |
Eric Clapton, Cream and other bands. Blind Faith
included Steve Winwood too. |
A very strong advocate of the guitar. He is a major influence even
today. The trio Cream were outstanding. |
Cream was a "supergroup" with three members only. The sound
was big and exciting, with the drums of Ginger Baker really to the
fore. They covered Muddy Waters songs as well. |
|
USA
UK |
Jimi Hendrix. |
Revolutionary guitarist. He invented new styles of playing and
sounds. How he would have developed as the technology did is anyone's guess. |
Moved to the UK to start his career. |
|
USA |
Bob Dylan |
A feeble singer in many opinions, but a voice with character and a
very respected songwriter indeed. Many artists recorded Dylan songs,
and recently The Charlatans
(UK) have shown strong influence.When he made the step to the
Electric Guitar it almost created a riot. He inspired the UK artist Donovan. |
Oft covered and quoted stylistically. The Free Trade Hall concert has
recently been reissued. |
|
USA |
The Byrds |
This band has links with Dylan, but also had its own
songwriting team. The guitar sound they created was evident in the UK
band RIDE and several others. |
"Mr Tambourine Man" (Dylan) is a well known track. |
|
USA |
Tim Buckley (1967-74) and Jeff Buckley. |
Tim on Elektra began as a folk type artist but his style
evolved very considerably. His later style became quite extreme. His
son, Jeff also had a similar style, but also died young.Tims' album
is "Happy Sad" a 1989 release, Jeffs "Grace". |
|
|
Tribute CD |
 |
This page, as I said is devoted to influential
Artists. Here is proof in a Jeff Buckley compilation tribute CD
produced using the Internet as a communication medium. Mostly
unsigned artists. Link to the site on the logo. |
|
UK |
Nick Drake |
A minor Island (Witchseason) artist at the time, but many
current artists have quoted him as an influence. A tribute CD was
released by other artists. |
Refer to the main groups section and many pages devoted to him.
Exactly when the revival began is hard to say, but he was in my LP
rack at the time of the first releases. |
|
UK |
David Bowie |
 |
Songwriter with a flair for stagecraft as well. His albums reflect
many of his original stage personae. Ziggy Stardust and Alladin Sane
being two. |
|
UK |
Pink Floyd |
Began the psychedelic era. In Syd Barrett they had an initial
creative spark which carried on after he left. |
The Dark Side of the Moon is an essential CD to have. It is short,
but hangs together as a "concept" album. Many Floyd albums
are in the "concept" format. |
|
UK |
The Smiths |
Morrissey is the original "Gloom" writer. |
Current band JJ72 show parallels. |
|
UK |
The Stone Roses |
Revived the group scene in the 1980s, as the Rave culture took hold. Madchester
became the new in vogue music. There was a stream of similar bands. |
The first album "The Stone Roses" is quoted by many when
asked to name favourites. The effect it had on other bands is STILL a
very important factor. As with a lot of classic first albums it was
very hard to follow up. |
|
USA |
Velvet Underground with Nico, Lou Reed John Cale and Andy Warhol |
Mentioned on UK teletext, in the late 60's with Nico and Lou Reed
they led the "Underground" progressive scene in the US.
Original albums (mono) are listed at £80.00 in the RC 2000
record guide! |
|
|
Europe |
Kraftwerke |
Electronic in style, when technology did not involve many computers.
Tape was the main medium as studios went from 4 or 8 tracks to rather
a lot more! They also used synthesisers to produce entirely new sounds. |
Autobahn was an early hit. All in GERMAN, in itself a novelty in the
UK charts! |
|
US |
Phil Spector. He is a producer, not an artist, but invented
the Wall Of Sound idea. He was unusual in that he preferred
MONO to stereo! Less splits in the "wall" I suppose! |
He assembled an entourage of Girl groups such as the Ronettes
and solo acts like the Righteous Brothers. The 60's was dominated by
the Spector sound for a time and had UK peers in The Walker Brothers.
The sleeve is a one off by the way! |
|
He discovered the phenomenon of TINA TURNER. With Ike,
she recorded the classic "River Deep, Mountain High". Tina
is still working today! |
 |
|
