Tag Archives: John Mayall

John Mayall: USA Union

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In October 1970, “Polydor” label released “USA Union”, the ninth John Mayall album. It was recorded in July 1970 at “Larrabee Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by John Mayall.

Personnel:

  • John Mayall – vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica
  • Harvey Mandel – guitar
  • Larry Taylor – bass
  • Don “Sugarcane” Harris – violin
  • John Judnich – engineer
  • Bob Gordon – photography
  • Tapani Tapanainen – photography
  • Nancy Throckmorton – photography
  • Leonard Feather – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by John Mayall

  1. Nature’s Disappearing
  2. You Must Be Crazy
  3. Night Flyer
  4. Off the Road
  5. Possessive Emotions
  6. Where Did My Legs Go
  7. Took the Car
  8. Crying
  9. My Pretty Girl
  10. Deep Blue Sea

John Mayall: A Special Life

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On May 30, 2014, “Forty Below” label released “A Special Life”, the 33rd John Mayall album. It was recorded in November 2013, and was produced by John Mayall and Eric Corne.

Personnel:

  • John Mayall – vocals, guitars, harmonica, organ, piano
  • Rocky Athas – guitars
  • C. J. Chenier – vocals, accordion
  • Greg Rzab – bass guitar, percussions
  • Jay Davenport – drums

Track listing:

  1. Why Did You Go Last Night – Clifton Chenier
  2. Speak of the Devil – Sonny Landreth
  3. That’s All Right – James Lane
  4. World Gone Crazy – John Mayall
  5. Floodin’ in California – Albert King
  6. Big Town Playboy – Eddie Taylor
  7. A Special Life – John Mayall
  8. I Just Got to Know – Jimmy McCracklin
  9. Heartache – John Mayall
  10. Like a Fool – Greg Rzab, Rocky Athas
  11. Just a Memory – John Mayall

John Mayall: Empty Rooms

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In March 1970, “Polydor” label released “Empty Rooms”, the eight John Mayall studio album. It was recorded in 1969, at “De Lane Lea Studios” and “Advision Studios” in London, “Broadway Recordings” in New York, “Larrabee Sound Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by John Mayall.

Personnel:

  • John Mayall – vocals, harmonica, lead and 12-string guitars, bass Moog synthesizer
  • Jon Mark – finger-style and 12-string guitar
  • Johnny Almond – saxophone, flute
  • Larry Taylor – bass
  • Steve Thompson – bass
  • Barry Ainsworth, Eddie Kramer, Eddy Offord, John Judnich – engineer
  • Bob Gordon, Kevin McCarthy – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by John Mayall, except where noted.

  1. Don’t Waste My Time – Steve Thompson, John Mayall
  2. Plan Your Revolution
  3. Don’t Pick a Flower – Jon Mark, John Mayall
  4. Something New – Jon Mark, John Mayall
  5. People Cling Together
  6. Waiting for the Right Time – Jon Mark, John Mayall
  7. Thinking of My Woman
  8. Counting the Days
  9. When I Go
  10. Many Miles Apart
  11. To a Princess
  12. Lying in My Bed

John Mayall: The Sun Is Shining Down

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On January 28, 2022, “Forty Below Records” label released “The Sun Is Shining Down”, the final John Mayall studio album. It was recorded in 2021, at “Horse Latitudes” in Glendale, California, “Strawhorse Studios” and “Forty Bellow Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by John Mayall and Eric Corne.

Personnel:

  • John Mayall – vocals, guitar, Hammond B3, piano, electric piano, harmonica
  • Buddy Miller – vocal
  • Carolyn Wonderland – lead and rhythm guitar
  • Melvin Taylor – guitar
  • Mike Campbell – guitar
  • Billy Watts – rhythm guitar
  • Eric Corne – rhythm guitar, engineer, mixing
  • Jake Shimabukuro – ukulele
  • Greg Rzab – electric bass
  • Jay Davenport – drums
  • Ron Dziubla – saxophone
  • Mark Pender – trumpet
  • Richard A. Rosenberg – trombone
  • Scarlet Rivera (Donna Shea) – violin
  • Michael Dumas – engineer
  • Thomas Ross Johansen – engineer
  • Mark Chalecki – mastering
  • Anthony Wolch – artwork, creative director
  • Inaiah Lujan – design, layout
  • Shye Ronen – digital art
  • Cristina Arrigoni – back cover photography
  • Brad Silverberg – fine art photography
  • David Gomez – inside cover photography

Track listing:

All tracks by John Mayall, except where noted.

  1. Hungry and Ready
  2. Can’t Take No More
  3. I’m as Good as Gone – Bobby Rush
  4. Got to Find a Better Way
  5. Chills and Thrills – Bernard Allison
  6. One Special Lady
  7. A Quitter Never Wins – Tinsley Ellis, Margaret Sampson
  8. Deep Blue Sea
  9. Driving Wheel
  10. The Sun Is Shining Down

John Mayall: Tough

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On September 15, 2009, “Eagle” label released “Tough”, the 34th John Mayall album. It was recorded in March 2009, at “LAFX” in Hollywood, and was produced by Michael Aarvold, John Mayall and Maggie Mayall.

Personnel:

  • John Mayall – vocals, guitar, 12 String guitar, harmonica, organ, piano
  • Rocky Athas – guitar
  • Tom Canning – organ, piano, backing vocals
  • Greg Rzab – bass guitar
  • Maggie Mayall – backing vocals, photography, track notes
  • Michael Aarvold – engineer, mastering
  • Stuart Green – design
  • Fabrice Demessence – photography
  • Jeremy Olsen – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by John Mayall, except where noted.

  1. Nothing to Do with Love – Jerry Lynn Williams, John F. Miller
  2. Just What You’re Looking For – Peter Harper
  3. Playing with a Losing Hand – Walter Trout
  4. An Eye for An Eye – Jeffrey Pitchell
  5. How Far Down – Gary Nicolson, Kenneth Greenberg
  6. Train to My Heart – David Fields
  7. Slow Train to Nowhere
  8. Numbers Down – Andrew Winton
  9. That Good Old Rockin’ Blues
  10. Tough Times Ahead
  11. The Sum of Something – Curtis Salgado

John Mayall

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On July 22, 2024, John Mayall died aged 90. He was musician (keyboards, harmonica, guitar), singer, songwriter and producer. In the 1960s, he formed John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band that has counted among its members some of the most famous blues and blues rock musicians, including Sammy Prosser, Davey Graham, John Gilbey, Ricky Brown, Pete Burford, Sam Stone, Brian Myall, Keith Robertson, Bernie Watson, John McVie, Peter Ward, Martin Hart, Roger Dean, Hughie Flint, Eric Clapton, John Weider, John Slaughter, Geoff Krivit, Peter Green, Jack Bruce, Mick Taylor, Aynsley Dunbar, Micky Waller, Mick Fleetwood, Terry Edmonds, Keef Hartley, Chris Mercer, Rip Kant, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Paul Williams, Keith Tillman, Henry Lowther,  Andy Fraser, Tony Reeves and Jon Hiseman. John Mayall was referred to as the “Godfather of the British Blues”, and the “Pioneer of the British Blues”, with career that spanned nearly seven decades, remaining an active musician until his death. He released seventy albums (studio and live).

Paul Williams

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On March 1, 2019, Paul Nigel Vincent Yarlett aka Paul Williams died aged 78. He was musician (bass, keyboards, harmonica, percussion), singer and songwriter, worked with Zoot Money, Aynsley Dunbar, Juicy Lucy, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Allam Holdsworth, Micky Moody, John Mayall and Blue Thunder, but was best known as member of Tempest.

Allen Toussaint

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On November 10, 2015, Allen Toussaint died aged 77. He was musician (vocal, piano), songwriter, arranger, and record producer, an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century. His compositions were recorded by many musicians, and he was producer of hundreds of recordings. Toussaint recorded and performed with many musicians including Irma Thomas, Lee Dorsey, The Meters, Ernie K Doe, Rosemary Butler, Merry Clayton, Elvis Costello, Dr. John, Venetta Fields, Etta James, Labelle, John Mayall, Paul McCartney, The Meters, Bonnie Raitt, and The Band. As leader Toussaint released eleven studio albums.

John Mayall: The Blues Alone

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In November 1967, “Ace of Clubs” label released “The Blues Alone”, the fourth John Mayall album. It was recorded in May 1967, at “Decca Studios” in London, and was produced by Mike Vernon and John Mayall.

Personnel:

  • John Mayall – vocals, guitars, harmonica, piano, organ, celeste, drums, design
  • Keef Hartley – drums 
  • Gus Dudgeon – engineer
  • David Grinstead – engineer
  • Rob Bosboom – photography
  • John Peeil – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by John Mayall

  1. Brand New Start
  2. Please Don’t Tell
  3. Down the Line
  4. Sonny Boy Blow
  5. Marsha’s Mood
  6. No More Tears
  7. Catch That Train
  8. Cancelling Out
  9. Harp Man
  10. Brown Sugar
  11. Broken Wings
  12. Don’t Kick Me

Larry Taylor

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On August 19, 2019, Samuel Lawrence Taylor aka Larry Taylor died aged 77. He was musician (bass), best known as a member of Canned Heat. He recorded and performed with a big number of musicians and bands, including The Gamblers, The Monkees, Jerry Lee Lewis, Boyce & Hart, Sunnyland Slim, Don “Sugarcane” Harris, Albert King, Leo Kotke, The Ventures, Shakey Jake Harris, Free Creek, Louis Myers, Mike “Hollywood Fats” Mann, The Grandmothers, Colin Winski, Chuck E. Weiss, John Lee Hooker, John Hammond Jr., Ry Cooder, Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, Sam Phillips, Terry Evans, JJ Cale, Randy Resnick, Al Blake, Dale Hawkins, Kelly Joe Phelps, Tracy Chapman, Wanda Jackson, Buddy Guy, Chris Murphy, Solomon Burke, Harvey Mandel, John Mayall, and Tom Waits.