It is now just over two years since LJB passed away, I recently watched a great documentary about him on the Biography channel which covered in detail his influential days during the inital British Blues Boom in the 60's and provided me with new information on the re-surrected career he enjoyed after his move to Canada and the US.
The major inspiration on his own music was his love of Leadbelly and in 2001 he was given the opportunity of recording and releasing an album of Leadbelly music. You can listen to "Gallows Pole" below from the album, this song was as I'm sure you all know "adopted" by Led Zeppelin as their own.
Long John Baldry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Background information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Birth name | John William Baldry | |
| Born | January 12, 1941 East Haddon, Northamptonshire, England[1] | |
| Died | July 21, 2005 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
| Genre(s) | Blues, Blues-rock, Folk rock | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer | |
| Years active | 1962 - 2004 | |
| Label(s) | Warner | |
| Associated acts |
Blues Incorporated, R&B All Stars, Steampacket, Bluesology | |
| Website | JohnBaldry.com | |
John William Baldry, popularly known as Long John Baldry, (January 12, 1941 – July 21, 2005) was a pioneering blues singer from England. He sang with and influenced many notable British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry at various stages of the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where "Let The Heartaches Begin" reached No. 1 in 1967 and in Australia where his duet with Kathi McDonald "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" reached No. 2 in the charts in 1980. Baldry lived in Canada from the late 1970s until his death, where he continued to make records and do voiceover work. He is known and loved by a younger generation as the voice of Dr. Robotnik in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
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Blues bands of the 1960s
Born John William Baldry in England, he grew to a towering 2.01 m (6 ft.7 in.) that resulted in the nickname "Long" John. Blessed with a deep, rich voice, he was one of the first British vocalists to sing blues music in clubs.
In the early 1960s, he sang with Alexis Korner's band Blues Incorporated, with whom he recorded the first British blues album in 1962, R&B at the Marquee. At various stages, Mick Jagger, Jack Bruce and Charlie Watts were members of this band while Keith Richards and Brian Jones played on stage with them, although none of those musicians played on the R&B at the Marquee album.[2] The Rolling Stones supported Baldry in their first concert at the Marquee Club.
Eric Clapton has said that he was inspired to become a musician after seeing Baldry play live. Baldry became friends with Paul McCartney after playing a show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in the early 1960s, leading to an invitation to play on one of The Beatles 1964 TV specials.
In 1963, Baldry joined the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars with Jimmy Page on guitar and Nicky Hopkins playing piano. He took over the group in 1964 after the death of Cyril Davies, which became Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men featuring Rod Stewart on vocals and Geoff Bradford on guitar. Rod Stewart was recruited after Baldry heard him busking a Muddy Waters song at Twickenham railway station after Stewart had been to a gig at Eel Pie Island.[3] [4]
In 1965, the Hoochie Coochie Men became Steampacket with Baldry and Stewart as male vocalists, Julie Driscoll as the female vocalist and Brian Auger on Hammond organ. After Steampacket broke up in 1966, Baldry formed Bluesology featuring Reg Dwight on keyboards and Elton Dean, later of Soft Machine, as well as Caleb Quaye on guitar. Reg Dwight decided to adopt the name Elton John, taking his first name from Dean and his surname from Baldry's first name.[5]
Solo artist
In 1967, he recorded a pop song "Let the Heartaches Begin" that went to number one in Britain, followed by a 1968 top 20 hit titled "Mexico", which was the official theme of the UK Olympic team in that year. "Let the Heartaches Begin" made the lower reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
Bluesology broke up in 1968, with Baldry continuing his solo career and Elton John forming a songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. In 1969, Elton John tried to commit suicide after having relationship problems with a woman he was engaged to. Taupin and Baldry, who was openly gay,[6] found him, and Baldry talked him out of marrying the woman, helping to make John more comfortable with his sexuality. The hit song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" from Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was written about the experience. [7]
In 1971, John and Stewart jointly produced It Ain't Easy which became his most popular album and made the top 100 of the US album charts. The album featured the song "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll" which became his most successful song in the US. Stewart and John would again co-produce his 1972 album Everything Stops For Tea which made the lower reaches of the US album charts.
Baldry would then suffer from mental health problems resulting in his being institutionalised. The 1979 album Baldry's Out was recorded after his release.
Long John Baldry played his last live show in Columbus, Ohio, on July 19, 2004, at Barristers Hall with guitarist Bobby Cameron. The show was produced by Andrew Myers. On that occasion, John and Bobby played to a small intimate group of people. Some came from as far away as Texas to witness this blues legend. Two years previously the two had also completed a 10-venue sell-out tour of Canada together.
Canadian citizenship
After spending time in New York City and Los Angeles in 1978, Baldry chose to settle permanently in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he became a Canadian citizen. He regularly toured the Canadian west coast, as well as the U.S. Northwest.
In 1979, he teamed up with Seattle singer Kathi MacDonald to record a version of The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin", following which MacDonald became a permanent part of his touring group for the next two decades. The song made the lower reaches of the US Billboard charts but was a top 5 hit in Australia in 1980. He last recorded with the Stony Plain record label. His 1997 album Right To Sing The Blues won a Juno Award in the Juno Award for Blues Album of the Year category in the Juno Awards of 1997.
Long John Baldry died on July 21, 2005, in a Vancouver hospital of a severe chest infection.
Partial discography
- Long John's Blues (United Artists) (1964)
- Looking at Long John (United Artists) (1966)
- Let the Heartaches Begin (Pye) (1968)
- Let There Be Long John (Pye) (1968)
- Wait For Me (Pye) (1969)
- It Ain't Easy (Warner Brothers) (1971)
- Everything Stops for Tea (Warner Brothers) (1972)
- Mar Y Sol: The First International Puerto Rico Pop Festival (Atco) (1972)
- Good To Be Alive (Baldry album) (GM) (1973)
- Welcome To Club Casablanca (Casablanca) (1976)
- Baldry's Out! (EMI) (1979)
- Long John Baldry (album) (EMI) (1980)
- Rock With The Beat (EMI) (1982)
- 'Silent Treatment' (Musicline) (1986)
- A Touch Of Blues (Musicline) (1989)
- It Still Ain't Easy (Stony Plain) (1991)
- On Stage Tonight: Baldry's Out! (Hypertension) (1993)
- A Thrill's a Thrill: The Canadian Years (compilation) (1995)
- Right To Sing The Blues (Hypertension) (1997)
- Long John Baldry Trio-Live (Hypertension) (2000)
- Remembering Leadbelly (Stony Plain Records) (2002)
References and notes
- ^ Conflicting evidence exists Baldry's birthplace. Earlier editions of this article stated that he was born in the village of Haddon. VH1's profile of Baldry states he was born in the village of East Maddon, while Allmusic.com states he was born in London. The documentary Long John Baldry: In the Shadow of the Blues states that his mother escaped London during The Blitz to give birth in Northampton, making East Haddon his most likely birthplace.
- ^ Heckstall-Smith, Dick and Grant, Pete. Blowing the Blues: Fifty Years Playing The British Blues. Clear Press, 2004, page 241. ISBN 1-904555-04-7. (R&B From The Marquee lineup)
- ^ "The Making of a Legend" by Rod Stewart ~ LongJohnBaldry.com, originally published in Reader's Digest, December 2004.
- ^ In summer 2007, Rod Stewart will headline in front of 55,000 at Twickenham Stadium, less than a mile from the spot where he was discovered.
- ^ Who's Who in Contemporary Gay and Lesbian History: From World War II to the Present Day: Elton John. Routledge UK, 2002, Page 214. ISBN 0-415-29161-5.
- ^ Burnett, Richard (2005-08-04), "Sugar bear", Ottawa Express. Retrieved on 2007-08-22.
- ^ "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" ~ AllMusic.com
- Official website
- Musical Tree ~ JohnBaldry.com (Baldry band memberships)
- Long John Baldry ~ VH1 profile (UK chart references)
- Long John Baldry: Biography ~ AllMusic.com (Billboard US chart positions)
- Long John Baldry ~ Internet Movie Database
- "'Long John' Baldry Dies At 64" ~ Billboard.com
External links
Having recently had twins with her husband Declan McManus (Elvis Costello) the time is apparently right for the first "The Very Best Of" compilation of her catalogue.
There are no "new" tracks or unreleased jems for the collector but it does act as a good introduction to her music for the casual listener and included my favourite "Peel Me A Grape" which you can listen to below.
Below you watch her perform Joni Mitchell's classic "A Case Of You"
Two Who DVDs set for release
Thomas K. Arnold, Reuters
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Two feature-length DVDs on the Who will reach stores on November 6, one targeted at mainstream fans of the British rock veterans and the other at die-hard aficionados.
"Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who," the film for wide audiences, will receive its world premiere September 12 at the Toronto International Film Festival, 40 years after the group completed its first major North American tour.
The film chronicles the history of the band through fresh interviews with surviving band members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, rare concert footage, artist profiles and more.
The companion film, "Amazing Journey: Six Quick Ones" features four segments on the musical abilities of band members Townshend, Daltrey, bass player John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. A fifth part, "Who Art You," explores the Mod culture that spawned the band's visuals, while segment six, "Who's Back," chronicles the 2003 recording of "Real Good Looking Boy," the Who's first new studio recording in more than 20 years.
The two films will be released by Universal Studios Home Entertainment in one two-disc set that also includes a book and bonus content. Extras include a video scrapbook showcasing a dinner with Moon; the tragic 1979 Cincinnati concert in which 11 fans were crushed to death in a rush to get into the Riverfront Coliseum; and the celebrated 2000 Royal Albert Hall concert, in which the Who were joined by such guest musicians as Bryan Adams and Eddie Vedder in a benefit for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
As promised here is my look back on the game of Subbuteo which was my primary collectors passion until I discovered the joys of 12" of vinyl.
I can still remember buying my first set and was disappointed not to get one with floodlights, however, it didn't bother me too much at the time as the four pylon floodlights included with some sets didn't reflect the reality of my stadium of dreams Boghead Park which had several posts with three lights along each side of the park, this was upgraded at a later date to resemble something more akin to modern lighting. So basically the dining room light did it for me together with the clock on the cooker in the next door kitchen which acted as a timer for each half.
These were the sets available when I was given my first (and last) set:-
As anyone of my age who played the game knows, the set came with two teams in generic red and blue.
The makers soon recognised the large market that was there for replicas of the top professional clubs and so soon there was a colour chart from which you could choose to buy additional teams, many strip designs were allocated against several teams from both south and north of the border.
Numbers 1 and 2 on the chart were the generic red and blue with 3 and 4 a variation of the same theme this time all white with either a red or blue vertical strip, named as Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, I suspect it was the simplicity of the added stripes to the base figure which prompted this choice rather than the selling power of those two teams.
Below are the teams kits that were made available during my time, which in Subbuteo History is the "classic Heavyweights Era" 1967-1980, this being in reference to the type and manufacture of the players.
For many collectors, the classic heavyweight player of the 1970s is simply THE Subbuteo figure.
The first fifty or so teams in the list are inherited from the previous short sleeved player type. Most are standard footballing colours used by teams the world over. However, a few odd little kits had began to creep into the lists in the 1960s - e.g. Oldham at 37 and Grimsby at ref 38. Even by the time of the heavyweight figure, a couple of the stranger kits were not being used by anyone. However, this didn't stop Subbuteo from selling them, and they continue to turn up throughout the 1970s. As with most things Subbuteo, there is no real rhyme or reason to the process of replacing teams.
The slow and haphazard addition of teams continued until 1971 when the team chart had reached 81 with a mixture of national teams (e.g. Chile), international club sides (e.g. Ajax, River Plate), minor English sides (e.g. Darlington), equally small Scottish sides (e.g. Montrose), and even Irish ones (e.g. Cork), before finally adding some away kits to the mix (i.e. West Ham, Liverpool).
No6 was the early purchase for us Dumbarton fans as this was the nearest available equivalent to the real thing.
No20 was a purchase as this was my Dad's team Hamilton Accies
Whilst Rangers supporters could make do with the generic blue it wasn't until No25 became available that Celtic fans could buy their team. Whilst us Dumbarton fans finally received a mention on the colour chart courtesy of No30.
My Grandpa was finally able to buy me his team Motherwell as No46, Brazil was also a popular purcase following the World Cup of 1970.
Ajax being one of Europes top club sides was a big seller No56 and Plymouth Argyle No54 was purchased as it was the nearest replica to the Dumbarton Black and Gold version of the time. I am sure the local toy shop in Dumbarton sold a Dumbarton subbuteo team with the all white and three hoop strip, I had one, but from the history it looks like someone must have taken the standard all white Leeds Utd kit and painted on the hoops. An actual version of this strip did appear from subbuteo but not untll the 80's!!
Clydebank make an appearance via No73, I also owned No71 Cork City as I thought it would be a nifty second strip for Dumbarton!
First appearance for Clyde at No81 and I owned at No85
91-100 were all Italian sides as the game grew over there, but No101 was for some reason my favourite at the time, though I had no allegience to Birmingham City.
Nothing of interest in 111-120 but Clydebank made a second appearance at No129
I had No167 and 169 as DFC possibilities.
Some classic strips here, Partick Thistle at 181, a classic Motherwell strip at 185 and Paris Fc at 188 in what would be a future DFC kit.
We know move beyond my time of collecting for these next teams.
Between 1978 -1980 DFC were represented by No195, but I had forgotten the horreendous Dundee strip of the same time at No196!
More DFC at 356
And from the Premier League year of 1984-85 at No611.
Teams were bought in their own boxes as per the example below:-
There were plenty of accessories to buy as well, from diving goalkeepers, TV crews, Grandstands, fences, special balls and my favourite which I still remember purchasing the 1970 World Cup Goals with the coloured nets and new style goals.
I hope you enjoyed this brief run through my memory, for more information and a whole history of the game check out:-
http://www.peter-upton.co.uk/sub20.htm
Let's sign off with a tune and it has to be The Undertones and "My Perfect Cousin" cause he flicked to kick and I didn't know!
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This Glasgow band have their second album released this month and from what I've heard it joins a growing number of releases which reflect an 80's influence, from the track below you will hear the echoes of Joy Division, The Smiths plus a hint of the more "pop" orientated bands of the time, all together very pleasant if not greatly influential or original, but there sure is an awful lot worse around.
Mother And The Addicts are a cussedly independent bunch: by boldly sticking to their guns and appealing to their own musical sensibilities first, they have succeeded in making an album that is both effortlessly appealing and invigoratingly fresh. An emphatic lesson in how to take musical influences and create something vital, “Science Fiction Illustrated” barrels across decades of dance floors without ever losing sight of the here and now. Mother And The Addicts deal in delicious eccentricity and it’s their joyful lack of convention that should be lauded in a time of threadbare radio-fodder – just don’t confuse it with a lack of substance…
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As an only child it was inevitable that I would be spoilt to a degree, fortunately this was not excessive and only my Grandpa would treat me with a present on a regular basis.
We moved to Dumbarton when I was three in 1963 and my three living grandparents lived in Bellshill, as such it was a regular weekend excursion for the family back there though this changed to fortnightly when I became a supporter of Dumbarton (1966 onwards) as I would not miss any home games, even for a grandpa present.
We would arrive in Bellshill in time to pick up my grandpa from his Saturday morning shift at the Clydesdale Steelworks, the afternoon was always spent either in Motherwell or visiting the "new" Hamilton Shopping Centre, which was more successfull than the later Dumbarton one ever was.
The shopping excursion gave my grandpa every chance to spoil me with a present. The present over the years reflected my passion of the times, starting with additions for my Tri-ang train set (see forthcoming major post on this topic).
Next was Corgi cars (as was always a Corgi man rather than Dinky or Matchbox).
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Corgi's famous model vehicles captured the imagination of millions of baby boomers and, what were once simply toys for boys, are highly sought-after in the expanding collectibles market. Some models, in mint condition and complete with box which originally sold for a few shillings are now fetching hundreds of pounds. |
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This next car was a 1966 christmas present for me and now fetches over £250.00 in good condition and boxed, I often wonder what sort of kid kept their toy cars in good condition and in their original box? Not me!
The Corgi brand was created by the Mettoy Company of Northampton which first started to produce colourful, pressed metal toys in the 1930s. The name Corgi (after the Welsh dog) was chosen for three reasons: first, because it was short and catchy; secondly because the models were to be produced in Swansea and thirdly because of its strong association with the Royal Family.
The first Corgi models appeared in 1956 and covered British-built saloon cars of the period. Names redolent with nostalgia including the Ford Consul, Austin Cambridge, Morris Cowley, Riley Pathfinder, Vauxhall Velox, Rover 90 and Hillman Husky were among the first to be produced. Each model sold for 3/- (15p).
Always at the forefront and to ensure a point of difference from other die-cast vehicles, Corgis were sold as “the ones with windows”. Other later innovations included Glidamatic spring suspension, opening bonnets and boots and diamond jewelled headlights.
Without doubt, Corgi's best known model is James Bond's gold painted Aston Martin DB5. First produced in 1965 and featuring ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns, it was an instant success earning the UK Toy of the Year Award. Priced at around 10/- (50p), by 1968 more than 3.9 million had been sold. At a recent auction, a rare gold-plated version given only to visiting VIPs to the Corgi factory made £1300.
Next in line was Subbuteo (see forthcoming major post on this topic) and a picture of my first set can be seen below:-
Finally my collecting instincts landed on records and music to this day has been my primary passion, it is therefore fitting that my grandpa bought me my first "pop" album, it may only have been a cheap compilation featuring non -original tracks but at the time it was heaven to me as a 10 year old, the lovely lady on the front was an added bonus!
For almost thirty years, Pickwick was the largest and most important name in the budget and mid-price music market in the UK. Originally launched in 1962 in London, it quickly established itself as the market leader, thanks to its innovative business practices. It was the first company to put in place exclusive licensing deals with the major record companies (for many years it was the official budget outlet for labels such as RCA and CBS), specifically targeting the children’s market with its Mr Pickwick character and issued a series of highly regarded classical releases.
In 1967 it launched the Hallmark label, a super budget label that made its mark with the release of the Top of the Pops series. Beginning in 1968 this series of sound alike cover versions of the hits of the day (and future hits, for each of the Top of the Pops albums was recorded on such a short time scale that the producers had to try and predict which forthcoming releases would become major hits – their hits ratio put them in the category of pop pundits without equal!) ran for nearly one hundred albums over the course of the next thirteen years. Two of the series, issues 18 and 20 actually topped the UK album charts, while a further two, issues 17 and 19, made the Top 20. So successful was the series, with total sales in excess of 3 million units, the album chart rules were changed to exclude budget albums from the main chart.
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And it was true; TOTP albums were starting to make the industry take notice, as people could buy a dozen potential hits for around 13s 11d. The cover girls also began to get a little more provocative as Hallmark gained confidence. So in 1970 the skirts got shorter (especially on Vol 9!) and the poses were certainly less inhibited than before. As 1971 came round, they risked all and went with the first glimpse of nudity initially with an open shirt and then a see-through top which, with the colours relected in the cover titles, was one of the best sleeves to date. | ||||||||||||
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CATALOGUE NUMBERS CHM 666 VOL. 9 January 1970 Click on the sleeves for a larger image.
Scans and text are copyright © 2002 Easy On The Eye. |
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As I said this wasn't my first album, that was with due embarressment as shown below!
My grandpa bought me my first Who album, other than a Christmas gift of Quadrophenia, in 1975 from Boots in Hamilton.
and my first Who solo album Roger Daltrey's "Ride A Rock Horse" from upstairs at the toy shop in B