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CD Reissue Tracklisting: | Crocodile Walk
Date Performance: 1965-02-26, Running Time: 2:15 | My Baby Is Sweeter
Date Performance: 1965-02-26, Running Time: 3:00 | Crawling Up A Hill
Date Performance: 1964-03-00, Running Time: 2:15
Comments: (Version One) | Mama, Talk To Your Daughter
Date Performance: 1966-10-19, Running Time: 2:37
Comments: Recorded during the "A Hard Road" sessions. | Alabama Blues
Date Performance: 1967-10-19, Running Time: 2:32
Comments: Often incorrectly billed on US vinyl pressings as "Alabama March" (which is a different song altogether). Recorded during the "A Hard Road" sessions. | Out Of Reach
Date Performance: 1966-10-11, Running Time: 4:42
Comments: Recorded during the "A Hard Road" sessions. | Greeny
Date Performance: 1967-02-16, Running Time: 3:54
Comments: Recorded at Decca's West Hampstead Studios. | Curly
Date Performance: 1967-02-16, Running Time: 4:49
Comments: Recorded at Decca's West Hampstead Studios. | Missing You
Date Performance: 1967-02-16, Running Time: 1:57
Comments: Recorded at Decca's West Hampstead Studios. | Please Don't Tell
Date Performance: 1967-03-08, Running Time: 2:26
Comments: Recorded at Decca's West Hampstead Studios. | Your Funeral And My Trial
Date Performance: 1967-03-08, Running Time: 3:54
Comments: Recorded at Decca's West Hampstead Studios. | Suspicions
Date Performance: 1967-09-14, Running Time: 2:48
Comments: (Part One) | Knockers Step Forward
Date Performance: 1968-04-24, Running Time: 3:12 | Hide And Seek
Date Performance: 1968-04-30, Running Time: 2:22 | |
Original Vinyl Issue Tracklisting - Side 1: | Knockers Step Forward
Date Performance: 1968-04-24, Running Time: 3:12 | Mama, Talk To Your Daughter
Date Performance: 1966-10-19, Running Time: 2:37
Comments: Recorded during the "A Hard Road" sessions. | Alabama Blues
Date Performance: 1967-10-19, Running Time: 2:32
Comments: Often incorrectly billed on US vinyl pressings as "Alabama March" (which is a different song altogether). Recorded during the "A Hard Road" sessions. | Out Of Reach
Date Performance: 1966-10-11, Running Time: 4:42
Comments: Recorded during the "A Hard Road" sessions. | Greeny
Date Performance: 1967-02-16, Running Time: 3:54
Comments: Recorded at Decca's West Hampstead Studios. | |
Original Vinyl Issue Tracklisting - Side 2: | Curly
Date Performance: 1967-02-16, Running Time: 4:49
Comments: Recorded at Decca's West Hampstead Studios. | Missing You
Date Performance: 1967-02-16, Running Time: 1:57
Comments: Recorded at Decca's West Hampstead Studios. | Please Don't Tell
Date Performance: 1967-03-08, Running Time: 2:26
Comments: Recorded at Decca's West Hampstead Studios. | Your Funeral And My Trial
Date Performance: 1967-03-08, Running Time: 3:54
Comments: Recorded at Decca's West Hampstead Studios. | Suspicions
Date Performance: 1967-09-14, Running Time: 2:48
Comments: (Part One) | Hide And Seek
Date Performance: 1968-04-30, Running Time: 2:22 | |
Original Vinyl Issue Tracklisting - Side 3: | Key To Love
Date Performance: 1966, Running Time: 2:05 | I'm A Stranger
Date Performance: 1968-04-00, Running Time: 5:14 | Stand Back Baby
Date Performance: 1967-07-00, Running Time: 1:50
Comments: Key performed in: B | Have You Heard
Date Performance: 1966, Running Time: 5:54 | No Reply
Date Performance: 1968-04-00, Running Time: 3:09 | |
Original Vinyl Issue Tracklisting - Side 4: | Sonny Boy Blow
Date Performance: 1967, Running Time: 3:49 | The Bear
Date Performance: 1968-08-00, Running Time: 4:40
Comments: Recorded between August 26-28,1968 at Decca's West Hampstead Studios. | Don't Kick Me
Date Performance: 1967-11-00, Running Time: 3:12 | The Super-Natural
Date Performance: 1966, Running Time: 2:57
Comments: Sometimes incorrectly billed as "The Supernatural" or "Supernatural".
| Me And My Woman
Date Performance: 1967-07-00, Running Time: 4:05
Comments: Key performed in: Db |
| Guest Appearances » |
Colin Allen, John(ny) Almond, Dennis Healey, Al(l)an Skidmore, Mick Taylor, Stephen/Steve Thompson
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| Released » |
1971-10-29
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| Format » |
Domestic Vinyl/CD Album
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| Other Appearances » |
Gene Barge (Songwriter), Willie Dixon (Songwriter), Peter Green (Songwriter), Peter Green (Songwriter), J.B. Lenoir (Songwriter), John Mayall (Songwriter), John Mayall (Songwriter), Mick Taylor (Songwriter), Mick Taylor (Songwriter), Sonny Boy (Aleck Ford Rice) Williamson (Willie) (Miller) (Songwriter), Mike Vernon (Produced By), John Tracy (CD Reissue Liner Notes) |
| Record Label » |
Decca Records/London Records/Deram Records |
| Catalogue Number » |
SKL 5086 (UK Decca LP) 2PS-600 (US London LP) 844028-2 (Deram CD Reissue)
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| Running Time » |
42:43/72:08
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| Liner Notes » |
For 1990 CD reissue:
Second, and last, of the 'legitimate' Decca U.K/London Records U.S.A. compilations issued with Mayall's blessing after his contract with the organization ceased, although budget-priced assemblies had begun to line the shelves in 1970, THRU THE YEARS, like its predecessor LOOKING BACK, again contained a mixture of previously unissued tracks and items formerly unveiled in mono only via singles.
Released in Britain on 291h October 1971 as Decca SKL 50B6, this one failed to find accommodation in our album charts, but America's identical London 2PS 600 made a welcome indentation on the Billboard Top 200 come 13th November, whence it dallied for 7 weeks and peaked at 164
Recording dates, personnels and original artist billing are given elsewhere within our packaging, having been annotated by Mayall's producer and compiler, Mike Vernon, back in 71, but a few additional details should please the out-and-out discophiles among our readers.
Taped on 26th February 1965 this second version of CROCODILE WALK - the first having been the live work-out heard on JOHN MAYALL PLAYS JOHN MAYALL ILK 4680, Rel. March 1965, Mono & U.K. Only) - was released as the 'A' side of single F 12120 upon this sceptred isle on April 2nd that year. Its lower face, BLUES CITY SHAKEOOWN, turned up on LOOKING BACK ILK (Mono)/SKL (Stereo) 5010) in August '69
On that same date an identical personnel committed Willie Dixon's MY BABY IS SWEETER, which remained unheard until THRU THE YEARS, while completing the quartet of numbers etched that day was ANOTHER MAN DONE GONE. Never issued since the tape 'disappeared', it has latterly been discovered in Germany and will hopefully appear on a new future 'tidying up' collocation designed to present the entire balance of works at our disposal, thus ensuring everything John recorded is ultimately transferred to CD. But back to the business in hand...
Sunny side of the Macclesfield marvel's inaugural waxing for us, CRAWLING UP A HILL - VERSION ONE is the only mono track within this collection, having been cut at an outside studio where, presumably, channel-dividing equipment had yet to be installed. Issued in Britain only as F 11900 on May 8th '64, both this and its reverse later graced the localized multi-artist LP RHYTHM AND BLUES ILK 4616, August 1964, while that other item in the frame, MR. JAMES, was belatedly elevated again to twelve inch status by the aforementioned LOOKING BACK.
Mayall idolized blues man J.B. Lenoir, and paid the sincerest tribute to him by taping a brace of his jottings on October 191h 1966. Both MAMA, TALK TO YOUR DAUGHTER and ALABAMA BLUES then lay dormant until this project freed them from the vaults, but U.S. admirers should rest assured that the latter of these two titles is identical to that initially registered on Stateside vinyl as ALABAMA MARCH
Four in a row from ace guitarist Peter Green continued the programme, only the first of which, OUT OF REACH, actually featured Mayall. 'B' side of the Britain-only single, SITTING IN THE RAIN - another LOOKING BACK incumbent - this premiered as F 12545 on 13th January 1967
The Bluesbreakers' GREENY and MISSING YOU were two more fresh library escapees, but CURLY had wriggled free to become the plug deck of F 12588 on March 24th '67 (U.K. Only), though its partner, RUBBER DUCK, was ignored by album annotators way-back-when. Its time will come.
The guv'nor was back in the driving seat for his own PLEASE DON'T TELL and Sonny 8oy Williamson's famous YOUR FUNERAL AND MY TRIAL - both debuting - but SUSPICIONS - PART ONE held the honour of being the only model in the showroom to have been previously pressed up for consumption either side of the Atlantic. Paired, naturally enough, with PART TWO here as F 12684 on 20th October '67, in the land of Abraham Lincoln and the New York Giants 45-20035 took an alternative accomplice, PRETTY WOMAN.
Both our final examples were seeing light of day for the first time, the delightfully appellated KNOCKERS STEP FORWARD, penned by John in collaboration with future Rolling Stones' axeman, Mick Taylor, which includes both brass and reed intrusions, and bringing up the rear, HIDE AND SEEK, performed by a simple quartet of drums, bass, guitar and our subject punctuating his vocals with blows on the harmonica.
So there we have it; featuring just some of the multitude of accompanists John Mayall employed between 1964 and '68, let's once more re-trace his steps, THRU THE YEARS...
JOHN TRACY London, 1990
Printed in U.S.A.
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| Reviews » |
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Add your review here.
Good Mayall, a must for Peter Green Fans
Review written by Richard J. Orlando, June 2nd, 2005 Trying to piece together a comprehesive overview of Peter Green's pre-Mac days can be a daunting and frustrating task. His work with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers consists of one full album, an EP and assorted singles scattered across multiple anthologies. This 1971 release complied unreleased tracks from Green's tenure with Mayall and B-sides not before on LP. The center piece for Green fans will be the little known "Out of Reach" - the B-side of a 1967 U.K. only single, released prior to the Hard Road LP. This devastating track finds Green staring out into the abyss and faithfully recording all he sees - the haunting solo is certainly one of the finest he's ever commited to tape. This is the seed from which, "The Supernatural", "Albatross", "Man of the World", "Before the Beginning" and "Closing My Eyes" would flower. That he was able to wrestle this demon to a draw, and resist it's siren call for even a few years more, is a testament to his inner strength. Unreleased from the Hard Road sessions are two J. B. Lenoir songs, one of which, "Alabama Blues", Green tackles solo - though the playing is fine, he never seems quite comfortable with the song's Civil Rights era protest message. Three tracks find Peter fronting a power trio with John McVie and Aynsley Dunbar - shades of things to come! Two are instrumentals, with the smooth "Greeny" finding it's namesake indulging his penchant for B.B. King inspired single string playing while you would have to go to "The Green Manalishi" for a track as heavy as "Curly". "Missing You" is an harmonica showcase for Green built on a "Messin' With The Kid" riff that is finally too short to fully develop. Peter Green's work with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers is a Rosetta Stone for insights into his later work and all these tracks offer insight and great listening pleasure. Although the purchase of this collection and it's companion piece, John Mayall London Blues 1964-1969 will cover almost all the studio tracks from this key era, you'll still be missing a few stray tracks. Jigsaw Puzzle Blues indeed!
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| Last Modified » |
2011-08-02 |
| Tracklisting » |
Discography entry submitted by Anders Linnartsson & Jeff Kenney. |
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