50 years

It is 50 years ago that this amazing stuff was recorded.

Someone decided to invite some blues people over from the USA and record them in the rain on deserted station platform somewhere near Manchester...   I know and these people were the establishment at the time!

Anyway - I know that this was a big thing.  The Stones had rekindled public interest in the blues and the Animals, Fleetwood Mac and the Bluesbreakers were all just about to blow the whole 60s music scene with stuff that no doubt directly led to most of what we call rock, metal etc. today.

Feast your eyes and ears on these two great clips.



Loving Sister Rosetta's SG Les Paul Custom with sideways vibrato - classy guitar for a classy lady!

Comments

  1. Incredible - I was reading about this in the latest edition of the Blues Magaazine. Chris Barber deserves a bigger shout for his contribution to British blues. If you've got a copy keep an eye out for me reviewing the Dave Higgs Memorial gig in the back pages.

    On a similar riff the reissued and expanded Free Form Patterns from Lightnin' Hopkins is a must grab...

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    1. I heard someone talking about it the other day - I remember seeing some clips on the BBC over the years so thought I'd try and see some. I agree with you about Chris Barber - bizarre how a guy with a trombone could be largely responsible for much of modern rock music sounding how it now does. I mean at this time Muddy Waters couldn't get booked in the USA to play to a white audience - and here was the BBC filming and broadcasting him

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  2. Kind of funny you posted some older stuff here, as I was just looking up some old rockabilly stuff from the 50s yesterday, and ran across some Les Paul clips. Wow. I think most people think of Les Paul as a guy who designed an iconic guitar, and are completely oblivious to his absolute mastery of the instrument. This is a live clip of him playing How High the Moon in 1951 (63 years ago!!!) with his wife Mary Ford singing. His tone, clarity, precision, feel, and effortless mastery is breathtaking. His dexterity otherworldly (forget the solo, his playing the melody at about the 1:30 mark is what impresses me), and he's also a 5th degree black-belt rhythm player. As if that weren't enough, he's playing along with himself with his prerecorded overdubs, and you get to see it (the tape reels), because, oh yeah, he was the pioneer of multi-tracking and effects. Badass (and Mary was a helluva singer too). The thing is, as tricky as the playing is on this, you can see he's not even pushing himself. He's barely out of neutral...much less breaking a sweat. Most guys would love to be able to play this to show off, and he's barely paying attention to what he's doing. Makes me feel like a charlatan in comparison. http://youtu.be/UOzB7I2y7Ic

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    1. Yes I found Les in my teens/twenties when I researched a bit about the history of the guitar. My Mum/Dad had a couple of his on 78s which we duly ruined the delicate stylus on the stereogram by playing again. I was knocked sideways, I thought Hendrix invented the guitar solo! Les was undeniably an utter genius

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  3. This just is fantastic! Thanks for sharing

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  4. Replies
    1. Isn't she!! We need a campaign to get her the recognition she deserves.

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