On December 8, 1981, Walter Horton aka Big Walter Horton or Walter “Shakey” Horton died aged 60. He was musician (harmonica), regarded as one of the best harmonica players in the blues history. Willie Dixon said about Horton “the best harmonica player I ever heard”, and Robert Palmer named him as “one of the three great harmonica soloists of modern blues”. In 1982, Horton was posthumously inducted into the “Blues Hall of Fame”.
By Divine Right: Mutant Message
On December 8, 2009, “Hand Drawn Dracula” label released “Mutant Message”, the ninth By Divine Right album. It was recorded in 2009, at “Operation Northwoods” in Mono, Ontario, Canada, “Hallamusic” in Toronto, Canada, “The Barn” in Collingwood, Canada, and was produced by José Miguel Contreras.
Personnel:
- José Miguel Contreras – vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, noises, tumbling dices, recording, mixing
- Stewart Heyduk – vocals, guitar, bass, drums, recording
- Michael Milosh – bass
- Darcy Rego – drums
- Randy Lee – violin
- Alex McMaster – cello
- Jason Nunes – vocals
- Lily Frost – vocals
- Darryl Neudorf – cell phone
- Darryl Neudorf – recording
- Joao Carvalho – mastering
- James Mejia – artwork, design
Track listing:
All tracks by José Miguel Contreras.
- I Love a Girl
- Que Paso
- Wings too Big
- Cupid in Oilskins
- Figure Me Out
- Kiss My Chakras
- Pisco Sour
- 2002-2003
- Help Me Find a Place to Land
- I Will Hook You Up
James Brown: Bodyheat
In December 1976, “Polydor” label released “Bodyheat”, the 44th James Brown studio album. It was recorded in 1976, at “810 Seventh Avenue” in New Yorjk City, and was produced by James Brown.
Personnel:
- James Brown, vocals, arranger
- Virginia Team – cover art, design
Track listing:
- Bodyheat – Deanna Brown, Deidra Brown, Yamma Brown
- Woman – James Brown
- Kiss in 99’ – “Sweet” Charles Sgerrell
- I’m Satisfied – Deanna Brown, Deidra Brown, Yamma Brown
- What the World Needs Now Is Love – Burt Bacharach, Hal David
- Wake Up and Give Yourself a Chance – Deanna Brown, Deidra Brown, Yamma Brown
- Don’t Tell It – Deanna Brown, Deidra Brown, Yamma Brown
Eric Johnson: Up Close
On December 7, 2010, “Vortexan” and “EMI” labels released “Up Close”, the sixth Eric Johnson studio album. It was recorded in 2010, and was produced by Eric Johnson and Richard Mullen.
Personnel:
- Eric Johnson – vocals, guitar
- Sonny Landreth – guitar
- Jimmie Vaughan – guitar
- Jonny Lang – vocals, guitar
- Malford Milligan – vocals
- Steve Miller – vocals
- Roscoe Beck – bass guitar
- Kevin Hall – drums
- Barry “Frosty” Smith – drums
- Tommy Taylor – drums
- Kelly Donnelly – engineer
- Andy Johns – mixing
- Kelly Toombs – design
Track listing:
All tracks by Eric Johnson, except where noted.
- Awaken
- Fatdaddy
- Brilliant Room
- Texas – Mike Bloomfield, Buddy Miles
- Gem
- Traverse
- Austin
- Soul Surprise
- On the Way
- Arithmetic
- The Sea and the Mountain
- Vortexan
- A Change Has Come to Me
- Change (revisited)
- Your Book
Flora Purim: Butterfly Dreams
In December 1973, “Milestone” label released “Butterfly Dreams”, the second Flora Purim studio album. It was recorded in December 1973, at “fantasy Studios” in Berkeley, California, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews.
Personnel:
- Flora Purim – vocals, arrangements
- George Duke – electric piano, ARP synthesizer, clavinet, piano, arrangements
- David Amaro – acoustic and electric guitar
- Stanley Clarke – Fender electric bass, acoustic bass, arrangements
- Ernie Hood – zither
- Joe Henderson – flute, tenor saxophone
- Airto Moreira – drums, percussion
- Jim Stern – engineer
- Eddie Bill Harris – engineer
- David Turner – mastering
- Anthony Samuel Lane – art direction, design, photography
Track listing:
- Dr. Jive Pt. I – Stanley Clarke
- Butterfly Dreams – lyrics by Neville Potter, music by Stanley Clarke
- Dindi – lyrics by Aloisio de Oliveira, music by Antonio Carlos Jobim
- Summer Night – Harry Warren, Al Dubin
- Love Reborn – lyrics by Flora Purim, music by George Duke
- Moon Dreams – lyrics by Jay Livingston, Ray Evans, music by Egberto Gismonti
- Dr. Jive Pt. II – Stanley Clarke
- Light as a Feather – lyrics by Flora Purim, music by Stanley Clarke
Johnny Hammond: The Prophet
In December 1972, “Kudu” label released “The Prophet”, the 28th Johnny Hammond album. It was recorded in November 1972, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.
Personnel:
- Johnny Hammond Smith – organ
- John Eckert, Jon Faddis, Marvin Stamm – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Wayne Andre, Dick Griffin – trombone
- Tony Studd – bass trombone
- Jerry Dodgion, Maceo Parker – tenor saxophone
- Pepper Adams, Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone
- Eric Gale – guitar
- Ron Carter – bass
- Billy Cobham – drums
- Airto Moreira – percussion
- Andrew Primus – steel drum
- Pee Wee Ellis – arranger, conductor, electric piano, melodica
- Carl Carldwell, Lani Groves, Tasha Thomas – vocals
- Buddy Lucas – harmonica
- Hubert Laws – flute
- Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
Track listing:
All tracks by Johnny “Hammond” Smith except where noted
- Prophet – Alfred Ellis
- Tomorrow Belongs to the Children – Bob Gundry
- Witchy Woman – Bernie Leadon, Don Henley
- Thunder and Lightning – Chi Coltrane
- Stand Behind Me – Carole King
- Corner of the Sky – Stephen Schwartz
Lead Belly
On December 6, 1949, Huddie William Ledbetter aka Lead Belly died aged 61. He was musician (guitar, piano, mandolin, harmonica, violin, windjammer), regarded as one of the pioneers of the blues and folk music. His songs covered a wide range of genres including folk, blues, and gospel, some of them like “Goodnight, Irene”, “Midnight Special”, “Cotton Fields”, and “Boll Weevil” became standards, and influenced generations of musicians. In 1988, Lead Belly was posthumously inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, and in 2008 in the “Louisiana Music Hall of Fame”.
The Who: Who
On December 6, 2019, “Polydor” label released “Who”, the twelfth The Who studio album. It was recorded February – August 2019, at “British Grove” and “Metropolis Studios” in London, and was produced by Pete Townshend, Dave Sardy, Bob Pridden and Dave Eringa.
Personnel:
- Roger Daltrey – lead vocals
- Pete Townshend – lead and backing vocals, guitars, harmonicas, percussion, synthesizer tracks, violin, cello, hurdy-gurdy, effects, orchestration
- Andrew Synowiec – acoustic guitar
- Gordon Giltrap – acoustic guitar
- Pino Palladino – bass
- Gus Seyffert – bass
- Zak Starkey – drums
- Carla Azar – drums
- Matt Chamberlain – drums
- Joey Waronker – drums
- Simon Townshend – percussion
- Fergus Gerrand – percussion
- Dave Sardy – percussion, mellotron, synthesizer programming
- Benmont Tench – organ, mellotron
- Josh Tyrrell – handclaps
- Rowan McIntosh – handclaps
- Martin Batchelar – programming, orchestration, orchestra arrangement, orchestra conducting
- Rachel Fuller – orchestration
- Peter Rotter – orchestra fixer
- Bruce Dukov – orchestra leader
- Peter Blake – art direction, design
Track listing:
All tracks by Pete Townshend, except where noted.
- All This Music Must Fade
- Ball and Chain
- I Don’t Wanna Get Wise
- Detour
- Beads on One String – Pete Townshend, Josh Hunsaker
- Hero Ground Zero
- Street Song
- I’ll Be Back
- Break the News – Simon Townshend
- Rockin’ in rage
- She Rocked My World
James Brown: Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things
In December 1968, “King Records” released “Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things”, the 21st James Brown studio album. It was recorded in 1968, and was produced by James Brown. The album was tribute to Little Willie John, R&B singer from the mid-1950s to the 1960s, who died earlier same year.
Personnel:
- James Brown – vocals
- The Dapps
- New York Studio Orchestra
- Ron Lenhoff – engineer
- W. Hughes – design
- E. Speedy Brown – photography
- Bud Hobgood – production manager
Track listing:
- Talk to Me, Talk to Me – Joe Seneca
- Suffering With the Blues – Lloyd Pemberton, Teddy Conyers
- Cottage for Sale – Larry Conley, Willard Robison
- Billy Bailey – traditional
- Home at Least – Rudy Toombs
- Heart Break (It’s Hurtin’ Me) – Jon Thomas, Carlee Hoyle
- What Kind of Man – James Brown, Bud Hobgood, Eddie Setser, Troy Seals
- A Note or Two Pt. I – James Brown, Bud Hobgood
- I’ll lose My Mind – James Brown, Bud Hobgood, Bobby Byrd
- Fat Eddie – James Brown, Bud Hobgood, Ron Lenhoff
- You gave My Heart a Song to Sing – James Brown, Bud Hobgood, Bobby Byrd
- A Note Or Two Pt. II – James Brown, Bud Hobgood
Johnny Hallyday
On December 5, 2017, Jean-Philippe Léo Smet aka Johnny Hallyday died aged 74. He was musician (piano, guitar), singer and actor, the pioneer of the French rock and roll scene. He was called “The French Elvis”, and described as “The biggest rock star you’ve never heard of in English-speaking countries”. In 1997, he was made “Chevalier of the Legion of Honour”, and in 2001, Officer of the “Order of the Crown” in Belgium. In his more than four decades long career he worked with many famous musicians including Mick Jones, Jimmy Page, Tony Joe White, Dalida, Bon Jovi, Michael Bolton, Sylvie Vartan, Bono, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Tommy Brown, Connie Francis, and Laura Pausini. In his lifetime Hallyday released 81 studio and live albums.
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