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To suggest that B.B. King's ABC-Paramount debut LP Mr. Blues (1963) is stylistically diverse is an understatement. Granted, cohesion might not have been top priority to a label who actually sandwiched Mr. Blues between releases by Fats Domino and the New York Salvation Army Staff Band. Another rationale is that the album was filled with a dozen tracks cut during three disparate dates. These chronologically commence March 1, 1962 with the Maxwell Davis Orchestra. Then, nearly seven months later on September 19, 1962, King is backed by Belford Hendricks and ensemble. Finally on April 11, 1963, he joins Teacho Wilshire to collectively produce enough material to cobble together this compile. Fortunately, half of Mr. Blues is derived from the superior Davis-led recordings, highlighted by the Ahmet Ertegun-inked "Chains of Love" -- a hit for blues shouter Big Joe Turner. Ivory Joe Hunter's "Blues at Midnight" allows King to show off his own brand of blues testifyin'. Similarly enjoyable are the ebullient "I'm Gonna Sit in 'Til You Give In" and "My Baby's Comin' Home," as they bear the distinct presence of King's nimble guitar craft. Belford Hendricks took King through the decidedly sensitive "By Myself" and "A Mother's Love" with arrangements that bring King's intimate singing styles to the center of attention. Hendricks' uncertainty as exactly how to present King is evident on the garish orchestration of "Tomorrow Night" and the Jesse Belvin co-penned "Guess Who." Yet those missteps pale when compared to the overbearing vocalists who smother the Teacho Wilshire-led "On My Word of Honor" and the opener "Young Dreamers." Perhaps one initial direction for King was as a Johnny Mathis-type of crooner, as these scores indicate little more than over-the-top leads. While Mr. Blues is far from a total washout, there are much better examples of B.B. King's mastery as a singer and guitarist circa the early '60s. That said, interested parties are encouraged to locate Hip-O Select's 2006 CD reissue. It has the best-known transfer of the original analogue tapes, an exhaustively researched sessionography for each song, and full reproductions of the vintage LP jacket.
© Lindsay Planer /TiVo
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Sid Feller, Producer - Teacho Wiltshire, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - B.B. King, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - CLYDE OTIS, Producer - Teacho Wiltshire Orchestra, Orchestra - Maxwell Davis, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1963 Geffen Records
Belford Hendricks, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - B.B. King, MainArtist - Jimmy Mccracklin, ComposerLyricist - CLYDE OTIS, ComposerLyricist - Belford Hendricks' Orchestra, Orchestra
℗ 1963 Geffen Records
William Green, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Sid Feller, Producer - AHMET ERTEGUN, ComposerLyricist - B.B. King, MainArtist - CLYDE OTIS, Producer - Jesse Sailes, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ralph Hamilton, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lloyd Glenn, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Ahmet Nugetre, ComposerLyricist - Maxwell Davis, Tenor Saxophone, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Floyd Turnham, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Jewell Grant, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1963 Geffen Records
Belford Hendricks, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - B.B. King, MainArtist - CLYDE OTIS, ComposerLyricist - Belford Hendricks' Orchestra, Orchestra
℗ 1963 Geffen Records
William Green, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Sid Feller, Producer - B.B. King, MainArtist - Jesse Sailes, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ralph Hamilton, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lloyd Glenn, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Ivy Joe Hunter, ComposerLyricist - Maxwell Davis, Conductor, Tenor Saxophone, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Floyd Turnham, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Jewell Grant, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1962 Geffen Records
William Green, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Sid Feller, Producer - B.B. King, MainArtist - Jessie Mae Robinson, ComposerLyricist - Jesse Sailes, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ralph Hamilton, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lloyd Glenn, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Maxwell Davis, Conductor, Tenor Saxophone, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Floyd Turnham, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Jewell Grant, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1962 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Sid Feller, Producer - Teacho Wiltshire, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - B.B. King, MainArtist - CLYDE OTIS, Producer - Jean Miles, ComposerLyricist - Teacho Wiltshire Orchestra, Orchestra - Katherine Harrison, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1963 Geffen Records
Belford Hendricks, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Sid Feller, Producer - B.B. King, MainArtist - Sam Coslow, ComposerLyricist - CLYDE OTIS, Producer - Belford Hendricks' Orchestra, Orchestra - Will Groz, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1963 Geffen Records
William Green, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Ferdinand Washington, ComposerLyricist - Sid Feller, Producer - B.B. King, MainArtist - Jesse Sailes, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ralph Hamilton, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lloyd Glenn, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Maxwell Davis, Tenor Saxophone, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Floyd Turnham, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Jewell Grant, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1963 Geffen Records
Belford Hendricks, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Sid Feller, Producer - B.B. King, MainArtist - CLYDE OTIS, Producer - Jesse Belvin, ComposerLyricist - Belford Hendricks' Orchestra, Orchestra - Jo Anne Belvin, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1963 Geffen Records
William Green, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Sid Feller, Producer - B.B. King, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - CLYDE OTIS, Producer - Jesse Sailes, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ralph Hamilton, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - M. Davis, ComposerLyricist - Lloyd Glenn, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - R. Rae, ComposerLyricist - A Knight, ComposerLyricist - Maxwell Davis, Tenor Saxophone, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Floyd Turnham, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Jewell Grant, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1963 UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Green, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Sid Feller, Producer - B.B. King, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Dave Clark, ComposerLyricist - Jesse Sailes, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ralph Hamilton, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lloyd Glenn, Piano, AssociatedPerformer - Maxwell Davis, Conductor, Tenor Saxophone, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Floyd Turnham, Baritone Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Jewell Grant, Alto Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1963 Geffen Records
Album review
To suggest that B.B. King's ABC-Paramount debut LP Mr. Blues (1963) is stylistically diverse is an understatement. Granted, cohesion might not have been top priority to a label who actually sandwiched Mr. Blues between releases by Fats Domino and the New York Salvation Army Staff Band. Another rationale is that the album was filled with a dozen tracks cut during three disparate dates. These chronologically commence March 1, 1962 with the Maxwell Davis Orchestra. Then, nearly seven months later on September 19, 1962, King is backed by Belford Hendricks and ensemble. Finally on April 11, 1963, he joins Teacho Wilshire to collectively produce enough material to cobble together this compile. Fortunately, half of Mr. Blues is derived from the superior Davis-led recordings, highlighted by the Ahmet Ertegun-inked "Chains of Love" -- a hit for blues shouter Big Joe Turner. Ivory Joe Hunter's "Blues at Midnight" allows King to show off his own brand of blues testifyin'. Similarly enjoyable are the ebullient "I'm Gonna Sit in 'Til You Give In" and "My Baby's Comin' Home," as they bear the distinct presence of King's nimble guitar craft. Belford Hendricks took King through the decidedly sensitive "By Myself" and "A Mother's Love" with arrangements that bring King's intimate singing styles to the center of attention. Hendricks' uncertainty as exactly how to present King is evident on the garish orchestration of "Tomorrow Night" and the Jesse Belvin co-penned "Guess Who." Yet those missteps pale when compared to the overbearing vocalists who smother the Teacho Wilshire-led "On My Word of Honor" and the opener "Young Dreamers." Perhaps one initial direction for King was as a Johnny Mathis-type of crooner, as these scores indicate little more than over-the-top leads. While Mr. Blues is far from a total washout, there are much better examples of B.B. King's mastery as a singer and guitarist circa the early '60s. That said, interested parties are encouraged to locate Hip-O Select's 2006 CD reissue. It has the best-known transfer of the original analogue tapes, an exhaustively researched sessionography for each song, and full reproductions of the vintage LP jacket.
© Lindsay Planer /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:29:09
- Main artists: B.B. King
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Hip-O Select
- Genre: Blues
© 2006 Geffen Records ℗ 2006 Geffen Records
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