Tag Archives: Smokestack Lightnin’

The Yardbirds: Five Live Yardbirds

On December 4, 1964, “Columbia” label released “Five Live Yardbirds”, the debut Yardbirds (The) album. It was recorded in March 1964, at “Marquee Club” in London, and was produced by Giorgio Gomelsky.

Personnel:

  • Keith Relf – lead vocals, harmonica, maracas
  • Eric “Slowhand” Clapton – co-led vocals, lead guitar
  • Chris Dreja – rhythm guitar
  • Paul “Sam” Samwell-Smith – co-lead vocals, bass guitar
  • Jim McCarty – drums
  • Phillip Wood – engineer, sound effects engineer
  • Richard Rosser – photography
  • Giorgio Gomelsky – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Too Much Monkey Business – Chuck Berry
  2. I Got Love If You Want It – James Moore (a.k.a. Slim Harpo)
  3. Smokestack Lightnin’ – Howlin’ Wolf
  4. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl – Don Level, Bob Love
  5. Respectable – O’Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley
  6. Five Long Years – Eddie Boyd
  7. Pretty Girl – Ellas McDaniel (a.k.a. Bo Didley)
  8. Louise – John Lee Hooker
  9. I’m a Man – Ellas McDaniel
  10. Here ‘Tis – Ellas McDaniel

Howlin’ Wolf

On January 1976, Chester Arthur Burnett aka Howlin’ Wolf died aged 65. He was musician (guitar, harmonica), singer, and songwriter, one of best known Chicago blues artists. Some of his songs have like “Spoonful”, “Smokestack Lightnin’”, and “Killing Floor”, become standards, and have been recorded and performed by many blues and rock musicians. In 2011, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked Wolf at number 54 on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. As a leader he released 22 albums.