Tag Archives: Phil Chess

Etta James: The Second Time Around

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On December 14, 1961, “Argo” label released “The Second Time Around”, the second Etta James studio album. It was recorded 1960 – 1961, and was produced by Phil Chess and Leonard Chess.

Personnel:

  • Etta Jemes – vocals
  • Riley Hampton – arrangements, conductor
  • Johnny Magnus – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Don’t Cry Baby – Saul Bernie, James P. Johnson, Stella Unger
  2. Fool That I Am – Floyd Hunt
  3. One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  4. In My Diary – Michael Angelo Graham, Mark Silverman
  5. Saven Day Fool – Billy Davis, Berry Gordy, Sonny Woods
  6. It’s Too Soon to Know – Deborah Chessler, E.H. Morris
  7. Dream – Johnny Mercer
  8. I’ll Dry My Tears – Etta James, Clyde Walker
  9. Plum Nuts – Robert Plummer
  10. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore – Duke Ellington, Bob Russell

Etta James: At Last!

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On November 15, 1960, “Argo” label released “At Last!”, the debut Etta James studio album. It was recorded January – October 1960, and was produced by Phil Chess and Leonard Chess. Magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked “At Last!” at number 191 on its list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Etta James – vocals
  • Harvey Fuqua – vocals
  • Riley Hampton – arrangements, conductor
  • Don Bronstein – cover
  • Don Kamerer – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Anything to Say You’re Mine – Sonny Thompson
  2. My Dearest Darling – Edwin “Eddie Bo” Bocage, Paul Gayten
  3. Trust in Me – Milton Ager, Jean Schwartz, Ned Wever
  4. A Sunday Kind of Love – Louis Prima, Barbara Belle, Anita Leonard, Stan Rhodes
  5. Tough Mary – Etta James, Joe Josea
  6. I Just Want to Make Love to You – Willie Dixon
  7. At Last – Mack Gordon, Harry Warren
  8. All I Could Do Was Cry – Billy Davis, Gwen Fuqua, Berry Gordy
  9. Stormy Weather – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  10. Girl of My Dreams – Charles “Sunny” Clapp

Etta James: Etta James Sings For Lovers

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On August 24, 1962, “Argo” label released “Etta James Sings for Lovers”, the fourth Etta James studio album. It was recorded in June 1962, and was produced by Leonard Chess and Phil Chess.

Personnel:

  • Etta James – vocal
  • Riley Hampton – arrangements
  • Al Poskonka – arrangements
  • Ron Malo – engineer
  • Don Bronstein – cover
  • Ralph Bass – supervision

Track listing:

  1. Don’t Take Your Love from Me – Henry Nemo
  2. How Do You Speak to an Angel – Bob Hilliard, Jule Styne
  3. Fools Rush In – Johnny Mercer, Rube Bloom
  4. Don’t Blame Me – Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields
  5. Someone to Watch Over Me – Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
  6. Again – Dorcas Cochran, Lionel Newman
  7. I Want to Be Loved – Savannah Churchill
  8. It Could Happen to You – Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke
  9. These Foolish Things – Eric Maschwitz, Harry Link, Jack Strachey
  10. Prisoner of Love – Clarence Gaskill, Leo Robin, Russ Columbo

Bo Diddley: Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger

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In December 1960, “Checker Records” label released “Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger”, the fifth Bo Diddley studio album. It was recorded October 1959 – February 1960, and was produced by Leonard Chess, Phil Chess and Bo Diddley.

Personnel:

  • Bo Diddley (Ellas McDaniel) – lead vocals, lead guitar
  • Peggy Jones – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Lafayette Leake, Otis Spann, Billy Stewart– piano
  • Jerome Green – maracas, backing vocals
  • Willie Dixon, Bobby Baskerville – bass
  • Jesse James Johnson – electric bass
  • Billy Downing, Clifton James – drums
  • Gene Barge– tenor saxophone
  • Johnny Carter, Harvey Fuqua, Lily “Bee Bee” Jamieson, Gloria Morgan, Nate Nelson – backing vocals
  • Vartan – art direction

Track listing:

All tracks by Ellas McDaniel, except where noted.

  1. Gunslinger
  2. Ride on Josephine
  3. Doing the Craw-Daddy
  4. Cadillac
  5. Somewhere
  6. Cheyenne
  7. Sixteen Tons – Merle Travis, arranged byEllas McDaniel
  8. Whoa Mule (Shine)
  9. No More Lovin’
  10. Diddling

Chuck Berry: Chuck Berry Is on Top

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In July 1959, “Chess” label released “Chuck Berry Is on Top”, the third Chuck Berry studio album. It was recorded 1955–1959, in Chicago, Illinois, and was produced by Leonard Chess and Phil Chess.

Personnel:

  • Chuck Berry– vocals, guitars
  • Bo Diddley– electric guitar
  • Johnnie Johnson, Lafayette Leake– piano
  • Willie Dixon– double bass
  • George Smith – bass
  • Fred Below, Ebbie Hardy, Jaspar Thomas – drums
  • Jerome Green – maracas
  • The Moonglows– backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Chuck Berry.

  1. Almost Grown
  2. Carol
  3. Maybellene
  4. Sweet Little Rock & Roller
  5. Anthony Boy
  6. Johnny B. Goode
  7. Little Queenie
  8. Jo Jo Gunne
  9. Roll Over Beethoven
  10. Around and Around
  11. Hey Pedro
  12. Blues for Hawaiians

Bo Diddley: Go Bo Diddley

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In July 1959, “Checker Records” label released “Go Bo Diddley”, the second Bo Diddley album. It was recorded on March 2, 1955, and in September 1958, and was produced by Leonard Chess, Phil Chess and Bo Diddley. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked it at number 214 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

 Personnel:

  • Bo Diddley (Ellas McDaniel) – vocals, guitar, violin
  • Peggy Jones– guitar, backing vocals
  • Billy Boy Arnold– harmonica
  • Lafayette Leake– piano
  • Otis Spann– piano
  • Jerome Green – co-lead vocals, maracas
  • Willie Dixon– bass
  • Clifton James – drums
  • Frank Kirkland – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley), except where noted.

  1. Crackin’ Up
  2. I’m Sorry – Ellas McDaniel, Alan Freed, Harvey Fuqua
  3. Bo’s Guitar
  4. Willie and Lillie
  5. You Don’t Love Me (You Don’t Care)
  6. Say Man
  7. The Great Grandfather
  8. Oh Yea
  9. Don’t Let It Go
  10. Little Girl
  11. Dearest Darling
  12. The Clock Strikes Twelve

Chuck Berry: One Dozen Berrys

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In March 1958, “Chess” label released “One Dozen Berrys”, the second Chuck Berry studio album. It was recorded in 1957, at “Sheldon Recording Studios” in Chicago, Illinois, and was produced by Leonard Chess and Phil Chess.

Personnel:

  • Chuck Berry– vocals, guitars
  • Hubert Sumlin– electric guitar
  • Johnnie Johnson, Lafayette Leake– piano
  • Willie Dixon– bass
  • Fred Below, Ebbie Hardy – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Chuck Berry.

  1. Sweet Little Sixteen
  2. Blue Feeling
  3. La Juanda (Espanola)
  4. Rockin’ at the Philharmonic
  5. Oh Baby Doll
  6. Guitar Boogie
  7. Reelin’ and Rockin’
  8. In-Go
  9. Rock and Roll Music
  10. How You’ve Changed
  11. Low Feeling
  12. It Don’t Take but a Few Minutes

Bo Didley: Have Guitar Will Travel

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In January 1960, “Checker” label released “Have Guitar Will Travel”, the third Bo Diddley studio album. It was recorded July 1955 – September 1959, in Chicago, Illinois, and was produced by Leonard Chess, Phil Chess and Bo Diddley.

Personnel:

  • Bo Diddley– vocals, guitar
  • Jerome Green – co-lead and backing vocals, maracas
  • Peggy Jones– guitar, backing vocals
  • Jody Williams– guitar
  • Lafayette Leake– piano
  • Lester Davenport– harmonica
  • Willie Dixon– bass
  • Clifton James – drums
  • Frank Kirkland – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley), except where noted.

  1. She’s Alright
  2. Cops and Robbers – Kent Harris
  3. Run Diddley Daddy
  4. Mumblin’ Guitar
  5. I Need You Baby
  6. Say Man, Back Again
  7. Nursery Rhyme
  8. I Love You So
  9. Spanish Guitar
  10. Dancing Girl
  11. Come On Baby

Chuck Berry: Fresh Berry’s

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In November 1965, “Chess” label released “Fresh Berry’s”, the ninth Chuck Berry studio album. It was recorded in September 1965, at “Ter Mar Recording Studios”  Chicago,  Illinois, and was produced by Leonard Chess and Phil Chess.

Personnel:

  • Chuck Berry – vocals, guitar
  • Mike Bloomfield– guitar
  • Paul Butterfield– harmonica
  • Johnnie Johnson– piano
  • Chuck Bernhard – bass
  • Jaspar Thomas – drums
  • Ron Malo– engineer
  • Don S. Bronstein– cover art

Track listing:

All tracks by Chuck Berry except where noted.

  1. It Wasn’t Me
  2. Run Joe – Louis Jordan, Walter Merrick, Joe Willoughby
  3. Everyday We Rock & Roll
  4. One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  5. Welcome Back Pretty Baby
  6. It’s My Own Business
  7. Right Off Rampart Street
  8. Vaya Con Dios – Buddy Pepper, Carl Hoff, Inez James, Larry Russell
  9. Merrily We Rock & Roll
  10. My Mustang Ford
  11. Ain’t That Just Like a Woman – Claude Demetrius, Fleecie Moore
  12. Wee Hour Blues

Chuck Berry: St. Louis to Liverpool

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In November 1964, “Chess” label released “St. Louis to Liverpool”, the seventh  Chuck Berry studio album. It was recorded December 1957 – August 1964, at “Chess Studios” in Chicago, and was produced by Leonard Chess and  Phil Chess.

Personnel:

  • Chuck Berry – vocals, guitars
  • Matt “Guitar” Murphy– electric guitar
  • Johnnie Johnson, Lafayette Leake, Paul Williams – piano
  • Willie Dixon– bass
  • Odie Payne, Fred Below– drums
  • Ebby Hardy or Jaspar Thomas – drums
  • Leroy C. Davis – tenor saxophone
  • James Robinson – tenor saxophone

Track listing:

All tracks by Chuck Berry except where noted.

  1. Little Marie
  2. Our Little Rendezvous
  3. No Particular Place to Go
  4. You Two
  5. Promised Land
  6. You Never Can Tell
  7. Go Bobby Soxer
  8. Things I Used to Do – Eddie Jones
  9. Liverpool Drive
  10. Night Beat
  11. Merry Christmas Baby – Lou Baxter, Johnny Moore
  12. Brenda Lee