Muddy Waters EP

Muddy Waters - Muddy Waters EP
PYE INTERNATIONAL - NEP 44010 - 1963

Side A
You Shook Me
Little Brown Bird

Side B
You Need Love
Muddy Waters Twist

This is a very influential EP. Recorded in 1962 and released in the UK in 1963 it features two tracks that would go on to shape rock music for generations to come. With the exception of 'Muddy Waters Twist', Muddy's voice was overdubbed on to instrumental tracks already recorded by Earl Hooker. The A-side contains two slow blues numbers while the B-side contains two upbeat numbers. It is the first track on each side that are the influential and most covered ones. Both of these songs were written by the bass player/producer/songwriter genius Willie Dixon.

'You Shook Me' was famously covered by both Led Zeppelin and the Jeff Beck Group. Jeff Beck recorded it in 1968 for the 'Truth' album and Led Zeppelin recorded it for their debut album in 1969. Both versions are very similar and have lead to accusations that Led Zeppelin 'stole' the idea from Jeff Beck. No one seems to worry about the similarity to the original though!

It is 'You Need Love' that is the most famous track here though. It was covered by the Small Faces on their debut album for Decca in 1966 as 'You Need Loving' and was (and still is!) credited to Marriott/Lane no mention of Willie Dixon at all. Then in 1969 Led Zeppelin recorded it as 'Whole Lotta Love', again with no mention of Willie Dixon in the credits. Admittedly the music on both covers, especially Zeppelin's, is quite different to Muddy's original but the lyrics aren't. Subsequently, in 1985, Led Zeppelin have settled out of court with Willie Dixon and he now appears in the credits. So far the Small Faces seem to have got away with it.

Here's all the tracks of the EP in their original running order. If they inspire you to 'borrow' them to create a rock anthem don't forget to give credit to the original authors......

Bo Diddley

Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley - CHESS Records - GCH 8026
Originally released 1958

Side A
Bo Diddley
I'm A Man
Bring It To Jerome
Before You Accuse Me
Hey! Bo Diddley
Dearest Darling

Side B
Hush Your Mouth
Say Boss Man
Diddley Daddy
Diddy Wah Diddy
Who Do You Love
Pretty Thing

Where would we be without Bo Diddley, it hardly bears thinking about. There are very few bands that do not owe a direct or indirect debt to him. Along with Chuck Berry his music influenced a generation of beat groups and British R&B groups who in turn influenced US garage bands, who all went on to influence psychedelia and rock in all its many forms on both sides of the Atlantic. It's safe to say the musical landscape of the last 60 years would have been very different without the 'Bo Diddley Beat'.

Bo signed to Chess in 1955 and his first release 'Bo Diddley/I'm A Man' was an instant success reaching No.1 in the US R&B charts. His third single 'Pretty Thing/Bring It To Jerome' was also released in the UK in 1963 and got to No.34 in the charts, giving a certain bunch of long haired musicians from London a name for their new band. This is Bo's first album, released by Chess Records in 1958 and is made up entirely from the A and B sides of singles released between 1955 and 1958. There's not a bad track on it, it's all top notch R&B and should live in everyone's record collection. If you don't already have it, get yourself to your nearest record dealer and buy a copy, it's essential listening!

Here are my two favourite tracks from the album, 'Dearest Darling' and 'Who Do You Love' and a live version of 'Bo Diddley' performed on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1955......

Tell Mama

Etta James - Tell Mama: The Complete Muscle Shoals Sessions
CHESS Records - 2001
Original Release CADET Records - 1968

Tracks:
Original Album:
01 - Tell Mama
02 - I'd Rather Go Blind
03 - Watch Dog
04 - The Love Of My Man
05 - I'm Gonna Take What He's Got
06 - The Same Rope
07 - Security
08 - Steal Away
09 - My Mother In Law
10 - Don't Lose Your Good Thing
11 - It Hurts So Much
12 - Just A Little Bit
Bonus Tracks:
13 - Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
14 - You Took It
15 - I Worship The Ground You Walk On
16 - I Got You Babe
17 - You Got It
18 - I've Gone Too Far
19 - Misty
20 - Almost Persuaded
21 - Fire
22 - Do Right Woman, Do Right Man (alternate)

Despite having a string of hits for Chess between 1960 and '63, by 1967 Etta James had not had a significant seller for four years. Leonard Chess always believed in his favourite female singer, so he sent Etta to Rick Hall's Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama to see if they could work the same magic for her that they had for Aretha Franklin. In August 1967 Leonard went with a pregnant Etta, her Boyfriend and two poodles to the first of four sessions at Fame. The results were some of the finest work she ever recorded. The first release from these sessions was the hard sockin' single 'Tell Mama' backed with the sublime 'I'd Rather Go Blind'. 'Tell Mama' a reworking of Clarence Carter's 'Tell Daddy' was a top ten R&B hit and 'I'd Rather Go Blind' became a blues/soul classic. The original Queen Of Soul was back. The album was released in January 1968, went to number 21 in the R&B chart and produced another single 'Security'. Her take on the Otis Redding classic got to 11 in the R&B charts. Subsequent singles from the sessions, 'You Got It' and 'Almost Persuaded' didn't do quite so well, in fact none of her future singles ever charted so high.

For me the songs Etta recorded at Fame Studios captured her at her best. From the upbeat, hard driving, gutsy dance tunes of 'Tell Mama', 'Watchdog' and 'Fire' to the heart wrenching soul of 'I'd Rather Go Blind', 'The Love Of My Man' and 'Steal Away' and all points in between she was rarely better.

Enjoy both sides of the single 'Tell Mama'/'I'd Rather Go Blind' and the downright funky 'Fire'.....