Jimmy McCracklin
A full half-century from when he started out in the blues business, Jimmy McCracklin was still touring, recording, and acting like a much younger man. In fact, he vehemently disputed his commonly accepted birth date, but since he began recording back in 1945, it seemed reasonable. McCracklin grew up in Missouri, his main influence on piano being Walter Davis (little Jimmy's dad introduced him to the veteran pianist). McCracklin was also a promising pugilist, but the blues eventually emerged victorious. After a stint in the Navy during World War II, he bid St. Louis adieu and moved to the West Coast, making his recorded debut for the Globe logo with "Miss Mattie Left Me" in 1945. On that platter, J.D. Nicholson played piano; most of McCracklin's output found him handling his own 88s.
McCracklin recorded for a daunting array of tiny labels in Los Angeles and Oakland prior to touching down with Modern in 1949-1950, Swing Time the next year, and Peacock in 1952-1954. Early in his recording career, McCracklin had Robert Kelton on guitar, but by 1951, Lafayette "Thing" Thomas was installed as the searing guitarist with McCracklin's Blues Blasters and remained invaluable to the pianist into the early '60s.
By 1954, the pianist was back with the Bihari Brothers' Modern logo and really coming into his own with a sax-driven sound. "Couldn't Be a Dream" was hilariously surreal, McCracklin detailing his night out with a woman sent straight from hell, while a 1955 session found him doubling credibly on harp.
A series of sessions for Bay Area producer Bob Geddins' Irma label in 1956 (many of which later turned up on Imperial) preceded McCracklin's long-awaited first major hit. Seldom had he written a simpler song than "The Walk," a rudimentary dance number with a good groove that Checker Records put on the market in 1958. It went Top Ten on both the R&B and pop charts, and McCracklin was suddenly rubbing elbows with Dick Clark on network TV.
The nomadic pianist left Chess after a few more 45s, pausing at Mercury (where he cut a torrid "Georgia Slop" in 1959, later revived by Big Al Downing) before returning to the hit parade with the tough R&B workout "Just Got to Know" in 1961 for Art-Tone Records. A similar follow-up, "Shame, Shame, Shame," also did well for him the next year. Those sides eventually resurfaced on Imperial, where he hit twice in 1965 with "Every Night, Every Day" (later covered by Magic Sam) and the uncompromising "Think" and "My Answer" in 1966.
McCracklin's songwriting skills shouldn't be overlooked as an integral factor in his enduring success. He penned the funky "Tramp" for guitarist Lowell Fulson and watched his old pal take it to the rarefied end of the R&B lists in 1967, only to be eclipsed by a sassy duet cover by Stax stalwarts Otis Redding and Carla Thomas a scant few months later. McCracklin made a string of LPs for Imperial, even covering "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" in 1966, and segued into the soul era totally painlessly. Latter-day discs for Bullseye Blues proved that McCracklin still packed a knockout punch from behind his piano, no matter what his birth certificate said. Jimmy McCracklin died in San Pablo, California on December 20, 2012 at the age of 91.
© Bill Dahl /TiVo
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Take Care Of Yourself
Blues - Erschienen bei Reminisce Music am 17.03.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Just Got to Know
Jazz - Erschienen bei Stars and Stripes am 17.10.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Les Idoles Américaines Du Blues: Jimmy McCracklin, Vol. 2
Pop - Erschienen bei Mpm am 09.06.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Let´s Do It All
Soul - Erschienen bei MOJO WORKIN´ am 07.05.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Greatest Hits
Soul - Erschienen bei Vintage Jukebox am 19.07.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Platinum Selection
R&B - Erschienen bei Retro Music Box am 03.08.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Just Got to Know (Billboard Hot 100 - No 64)
Soul - Erschienen bei Music Manager am 05.11.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jimmy McCracklin - The Selection
Blues - Erschienen bei Vintage Jukebox am 17.06.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Blast off with Jimmy Mccracklin & His Blues Blasters
Jimmy McCracklin, The Blues Blasters
Blues - Erschienen bei Jasmine Records am 27.07.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
22 Masterpieces (1945-1948)
Blues - Erschienen bei Tsk Music am 24.06.2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Jimmy McCracklin - Vintage Sounds
Blues - Erschienen bei Retro Music Box am 26.10.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Twist with Jimmy Mccracklin (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 10.07.2019
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
I'm Gonna Have My Fun (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 10.07.2019
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San Francisco Blues (Hq Remastered 2023)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Vintage Recordings am 09.11.2023
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Sings (Remastered Version) (Doxy Collection)
Blues - Erschienen bei Doxy Records am 20.09.2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sings (HD Remastered)
Blues - Erschienen bei Reborn recordings am 01.11.2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jimmy Mccracklin Sings
R&B - Erschienen bei Milestones Records am 23.11.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo