Hoodoo Man Blues (Remastered) Junior Wells' Chicago Blues Band

• 1 Snatch It Back and Hold It 02:50
• 2 Ships on the Ocean 04:07
• 3 Good Morning Schoolgirl 03:53
• 4 Hound Dog 02:08
• 5 In the Wee Hours 03:43
• 6 Hey Lawdy Mama 03:12
• 7 Hoodoo Man Blues 02:04
• 8 Early in the Morning 04:46
• 9 We're Ready 03:39
• 10 You Don't Love Me Baby 02:22
• 11 Chitlin Con Carne 02:11
• 12 Yonder Wall 04:07
• 13 Hoodoo Man Blues (Alternate Take) 02:50
• 14 Chitlin Con Carne (Alternate Take) 03:10
• Total Runtime 45:02

Info for Hoodoo Man Blues (Remastered)

Hoodoo Man Blues is considered by most blues aficionados and fans to be one of the best blues albums of all time. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was chosen by the readers of Living Blues magazine as a top ten Desert Island Blues disc. Recorded on September 22 & 23, 1965 Hoodoo Man Blues was the first studio album to capture a working Chicago blues band doing essentially what they did on stage without time constraints to accommodate the singles market. Of course both Junior Wells & Buddy Guy went on to become international blues stars. This new digipak re-issue contains 17 performances: the 12 songs from the original LP, 3 alternates that have been available on CD plus 2 never-before-released performances. There's one completely unissued song, "I Ain't Stranded", and an alternate take to "Yonder Wall" in which Buddy Guy is playing through the Leslie speaker as he did on the title track, something guitar players are still copying to this day. The new four-panel digipak and 16 page booklet package contains nine never before seen photos from the recording session.

"Hoodoo Man Blues is one of the truly classic blues albums of the 1960s, and one of the first to fully document, in the superior acoustics of a recording studio, the smoky ambience of a night at a West Side nightspot. Junior Wells just set up with his usual cohorts -- guitarist Buddy Guy, bassist Jack Myers, and drummer Billy Warren -- and proceeded to blow up a storm, bringing an immediacy to "Snatch It Back and Hold It," "You Don't Love Me, Baby," "Chitlins con Carne," and the rest of the tracks that is absolutely mesmerizing. Widely regarded as one of Wells' finest achievements, it also became Delmark's best-selling release of all time. Producer Bob Koester vividly captures the type of grit that Wells brought to the stage. When Wells and his colleagues dig into "Good Morning, Schoolgirl," "Yonder Wall," or "We're Ready," they sound raw, gutsy, and uninhibited. And while Guy leaves the singing to Wells, he really shines on guitar. Guy, it should be noted, was listed as "Friendly Chap" on Delmark's original LP version of Hoodoo Man Blues; Delmark thought Guy was under contract to Chess, so they gave him a pseudonym. But by the early '70s, Guy's real name was being listed on pressings. This is essential listening for lovers of electric Chicago blues." (Bill Dahl, AMG)

Junior Wells, harmonica, vocals
Buddy Guy, guitar
Jack Myers, double bass
Billy Warren, drums

Digitally remastered

Junior Wells
created some of the toughest blues ever to come out of Chicago. Though a small man physically, his music was bold, cocky and aggressive, just like his personality. Junior Wells' blues career began when he was just a young teenager. Born in Memphis in 1934, Junior began playing harp while still a child. Moving to Chicago in 1946, he sought out the blues stars of the older generation including Tampa Red and Johnny Jones, who slipped young Junior into the blues clubs to sit in. "Little Junior" was a local star at the age of 15, leading a band that included the Myers Brothers, who later joined Little Walter in The Aces. Junior recorded as a sideman with Muddy Waters at 16, and began cutting singles under his own name at 19, including classics like “Hoodoo Man Blues” and “You Better Cut That Out.” When the great Little Walter, the harp player with Muddy's band, had his own hit with “Juke” and decided to start a solo career, Muddy called on young Junior to fill the place of the acknowledged master. Junior's tenure with Muddy was cut short by the draft but he went AWOL to cut “Standing Around Crying” with Muddy.

Beginning in 1957, Junior recorded a series of hit blues singles for Mel London’s Chief and Profile labels, including “Little By Little,” “Messin’ With The Kid” and “Come On In This House,” all of which stand as contemporary blues classics. These 45s made him a star in Chicago, the king of Theresa’s Lounge on the South Side, and a giant figure on the local scene.

Junior began making albums in 1966, beginning with the classic Delmark disc, Hoodoo Man Blues, backed by the guitar of his partner, Buddy Guy. Junior and Buddy quickly became the most famous team in the blues, touring worldwide and playing with major rock names like The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. They recorded both on their own and as a duo.

Junior's style was cleaner and less distorted than other Chicago harmonica players, reflecting the early influence of both John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson and Rice "Sonny Boy II" Miller. Beginning in the '60s, Junior developed a distinctive percussive, staccato style that brought a contemporary, funky feeling to his playing. His harmonica echoed his vocals, bringing together the Delta style of Muddy Waters with the syncopated phrasing and attack of James Brown.

Junior toured and recorded actively until he was diagnosed with cancer in 1997. He died on January 15,1998, hailed as one of the giants of the blues.

This album contains no booklet.