B.B. King – I’ll Survive

This is a live performance by blues legend B.B. King playing the song “I’ll Survive” live with his full band which also features a horn section, I’m a big fan of the horn section sound.
The song originally appeared on King’s 1998 album “Blues on the Bayou”. The first time I heard the song it was on the 2003 compilation album “Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: B.B. King” which is a great introduction CD if you’re new to King’s music.
It’s a great song and it really has that sound of a B.B. King song. Just sounds sweet.

Enjoy ; )

B.B. King - Let the Good Times Roll

This is a live performance by B.B. King and his magnificent orchestra doing their version of the classic song "Let the Good Times Roll".
The song was originally recorded by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five in 1946. The song was written by "Lovin" Sam Theard and it was co-credited to Fleecie Moore who was Jordan's wife. Sometimes she would be credited even if she hadn't written the song, to get around music publishing restrictions. The song was a hit when it was recorded by Louis Jordan. (Original Jordan performance embeded below).

It has since been recorded by Ray Charles, Georgie Fame, and B.B. King obviously. I really love BB's version of this song. It's up tempo and it's got such a nice groove. King does an amazing solo, but his rhythm guitarist Leon Warren also does a great solo which King of course rightfully credits him for. BB a man with all the talent in the world and not even a hint of an ego. I also love how BB claps to the time signature, brings remembrance of the old days of the blues and how long King has been in the game. It's a great performance of this classic song.

Enjoy ; )

Louis Jordan - Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby

This is a clip from the 1944 film "Follow the Boys". In this film there's a performance sequence of the song "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby".
The song was originally released by Louis Jordan in 1944 as a b-side. It became a hit and reached high positions in various charts. The song was co-written by Billy Austin. The phrase "Is you is or is you ain't" dates back to the 1920's where it first appeared in a story by Octavus Roy Cohen who wrote humorous black dialect fiction, racist fiction basically.
The tune has over time become a jazz standard and it has been recorded by such artists as: B.B. King, Diana Krall,Bing Crosby,Nat King Cole, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

It also gained fame through being featured in a 1946 "Tom and Jerry" short titled "Solid Serenade". That is the clip above this text. It's a fun little clip. The title card of the cartoon is in the image below.

It's a great little jazz tune, sure to pick you up if you're feeling down, cause this is swingin'!

Enjoy ; )

B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Albert Collins, and Jeff Beck - Sweet Little Angel

This is a live performance by a monster ensemble of great blues guitarists playing the classic blues standard "Sweet Little Angel". On stage is: Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Albert Collins, and Jeff Beck being lead by none other than B.B. King who also does most of the singing on this one. (Guy also gets his turn at the microphone).
The song is also known under the titles: "Black Angel Blues", and "Sweet Black Angel". It was first recorded in 1930 by female singer Lucille Bogan.
B.B. King first did the song in 1956. And his version became a hit reaching #8 on the Billboard R&B Chart. The song was also re-recorded by King for his first album "Singin' the Blues" released in 1957.
It's a great song, and with an ensemble of guitarist like this, it's gotta be a good performance and it is.

Enjoy ; )

Eric Clapton - Five Long Years

This is a live performance by blues artist Eric Clapton playing his version of the classic blues song "Five Long Years".
The song is one of the most widely covered blues standards of all time. It was originally written and recorded by Eddie Boyd in 1952. It did very well in the USA R&B Chart. The song was also inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011.
I really love Clapton's energetic and up-tempo take on this great classic. This performance is from the unreleased Martin Scorsese film "Nothing But The Blues".
The song has been done by a number of legendary blues musicians, such as: Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker with Van Morrison, The Yardbirds, B.B. King, Ike & Tina Turner, Freddie King, Colin James, and Buddy Guy, and many more.
It's a great song and Clapton plays it flawlessly in this performance. Truly an amazing performance.

Enjoy ; )

Jimi Hendrix - Lover Man

This is a live performance by Jimi Hendrix playing his classic song "Lover Man". The performance is from The Royal Albert Hall in 1969.
The song "Lover Man", also known under the titles: "Here He Comes" and "Here He Comes Your Lover Man", is unique in that a studio version wasn't released until 2010. It has been performed live on numerous occasions and performed as early as 1968. The structure of the song is the same they'd use when covering B.B. King's tune "Rock Me Baby".
It's a great song and Hendrix really adds that unique touch and sound to this tune. My favourite version is a rare take that I haven't really identified. It's from youtube and all I know is that it's rare. Embeded below:

There's no video, just pictures. The audio quality is really good though and to me it sounds like a deposited studio take. It's a slower version of the song which I really dig. The slow tempo really adds to the psychedelia factor. Also the extended wah wah solo at the end of the song.
I love this take and any version of this song. It's so good and one of Hendrix's best in my opinion.

Enjoy ; )

B.B. King – You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now

This is a live performance by blues legend B.B. King playing his version of the song “You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now”.
The song was released by King as a single in 1960. And the song is credited to King and Joe Josea. King has stated in later interviews that he wrote all of the songs that had the second name added to them. He stated that it was the record company’s way of getting the rights to half of the song thus taking royalties from the artists.
It is a very well renowned song and it appeared on King’s famous live album “Live at the Regal” which is considered one of the most influential live blues albums of all time. And artists such as Eric Clapton and John Mayer have admitted to using the album as a primer before their own performances.
The song has also been done by artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. I really love SRV’s version of this song, it’s longer, but still sticks close to the original by King. Click here for a link of this awesome performance.
But this is a great performance by the King, and he always does a good job on stage.

Enjoy ;-)

Ray Charles - Merry Christmas Baby

This is a performance from Ray Charles performing the R & B Christmas standard "Merry Christmas Baby", originally composed and written by Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore in 1947. It has been covered by many different artists, including; Chuck Berry, B.B. King, Otis Redding, Elvis Presley, Bonnie Raitt and Bruce Springsteen.
It's a nice little soulful tune for the Holiday season.
Below is a version by Christina Aguilera and B.B. King. It's a very good version, but a bit short, and not as soulful as Ray's version.


Enjoy, and Happy Holidays

Repost: B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone

I posted this once before, but the version I posted was taken down from youtube. I don't mind that however, because this is a better version in my opinion. (Click here to read the text from the old post, and a little background on the song).
This version is from BB's performance at the 1993 Montreux Jazz Festival, and it's just a smokin' version of the song. It starts out a little slower than the first version I posted, with BB playing at a very low volume level, with a lot of emotion. Then towards the end it picks up speed, BB turns up the volume, stands up and gives us the grand finale of his playing, and this concert. It's a great performance and a great show. (Can be purchased at Amazon.com, and is published by Eagle Rock, click here for product information).
It's a great performance, and the whole band is into it. The string section from the original recording is imitated beautifully on a keyboard, and the horn section do a fine job.
This is a great performance, and if not the best, then definitely one of the best versions of this song.

Enjoy ; )

Repost: B.B. King - How Blue Can You Get

This is the same case as yesterday's post, where I posted the clip, and then it got taken down by youtube. The original post featured a video, where BB played with Paul Shaffer and The CBS Orchestra which made it an all around awesome performance.
This new video is from the rock DVD producers and distributors Eagle Rock. It's a DVD of several blues and rock 'n' roll artists coming together for a great performance. Click here for more info on the DVD.
This is a good performance of this song too, but I really fell in love with the one from The Late Show. I just really loved the big set-up, with the horn section, and the big orchestra, I really though it sounded awesome. But now it's been taken down.
This performance is very good as well, but a completely different set-up. There's no set-up, and in a way you could say that in that way you really get to see BB's raw talent which is true. But I also really think that BB's talent shines through no matter what set-up he's in. This is a good performance, but not as good as the one in the original post. (Click here to read the old post, there's no video, hence it's been removed, but still go check it out)

U2 & B.B. King - When Love Comes to Town

This is a collaboration between the band U2 and B.B. King. The song was released in 1988 U2's album "Rattle and Hum", and it was released as the album's third single in 1989.
The song has been played live many times, all of them featuring B.B. King and his band. On the "Lovetown Tour" in 1989 the song was played as an encore on almost all nights of the tour. It was played at 46 out of the 47 shows, and was the main encore for the tour. This clip is also from the Lovetown Tour.
It's a great song with a nice and up beat rhythm. The Edge sticks to playing the rhythm parts on the song, and B.B. plays all the lead parts. The singing is shared between Bono and B.B., but it's B.B. rocking the house and getting the crowd in a good mood. He does a spoken word in the song, and really gets the audience going.
This version is on a very grand scale. B.B. was touring with a big band, featuring both choir girls and a horn section. It all helps build up the scale of the song and the performance, but it's still B.B. at the centre, giving the performance it's heart.
This is so uplifting, you can't be in a bad mood after listening to this.

Enjoy ; )

B.B. King - When It All Comes Down

This is a live performance from guitarist B.B. King at the prime of his career. He plays the song "When It All Comes Down" and we get two great soulful guitar solos in that style that can only be played by the King himself. It's a big set up with horn section, drums, bass and piano/organ. King's voice is also a big part of what really makes this performance, he sings the song so well, it's astonishing.
The song also features an amazing piano solo by pianist Eugene Carrier, he's not a very famous pianist, but from this performance you can tell that he had mad skills, an amazing talent.
This is just a great performance, B.B. sings fantastically, plays soulfully and amazingly, the band plays well and the pianist is out of this world. A truly great performance!

Enjoy ; )

Buddy Guy & Eric Clapton - Worried Life Blues

This is a performance by Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy. They perform one of the most covered blues standards ever made. It was first recorded in 1941by Big Maceo as a mid-tempo 8-bar blues. Since then it's become one of the most covered songs in history, the list is almost endless.
What a list (source Wikipedia).  I like this version though, Clapton singing and Buddy and Clapton doing solos and a nice piano solo as well. A really nice performance.

Enjoy ; )

• 1941 Bill Gaither
• 1942 Sonny Boy Williams
• 1942 Honeyboy Edwards
• 1945 Big Maceo as "Things Have Changed" (reached #4 in Billboard R&B chart^[2])
• 1946 Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
• 1949 Charles Brown as "Trouble Blues" (spent 15 weeks at #1 in Billboard R&B chart)
• 1950 Lightnin' Hopkins (also recorded "New Worried Life Blues" and "Someday Baby")
• 1952 Sonny Parker
• 1954 John Lee Hooker (also recorded later version)
• 1955 Muddy Waters as "Trouble No More" (reached #7 in Billboard R&B chart)
• 1957 Big Bill Broonzy
• 1958 Ray Charles as "Someday Baby" (a very faithful version of "WLB" except for the title) from The Genius Sings the Blues (also recorded later version)
• 1959 Little Walter from Essential Little Walter
• 1960 Otis Spann from Otis Spann Is the Blues
• 1960 Chuck Berry from Rockin' at the Hops
• 1963 Johnny Jones with Billy Boy Arnold (also recorded later version)
• 1963 Jimmy Reed (also recorded "Someday Baby")
• 1964 Mississippi Fred McDowell as "Fred's Worried Life Blues" from Fred McDowell: Mississippi Delta Blues^[5]
• 1965 The Animals from Animal Tracks, The Animals On Tour
• 1966 Big Joe Williams (also recorded "Someday Baby" in 1941)
• 1966 Blues Magoos from Psychedelic Lollipop
• 1968 Junior Wells from Coming At You
• 1968 Lowell Fulson from The Complete Kent Recordings 1964-1968 (also recorded 1984 version as "Worried About The Blues" on One More Blues)
• 1969 Johnny Shines with Big Walter Horton from Johnny Shines with Big Walter Horton
• 1969 Junior Parker (aka Little Jr. Parker) Charting 45 rpm single (Minit 32080 1969) (R&B # 34)
• 1970 B.B. King as "Ain't Gonna Worry My Life Anymore" from Indianola Mississippi Seeds (also recorded 1960 version as "Someday Baby," which his former record label released in 1970 as "Worried Life Blues," which reached #48; also recorded 2000 version with Eric Clapton on Riding with the King)
• 1971 Freddie King from Getting Ready
• 1971 Mississippi Fred McDowell from Live in New York
• 1973 Canned Heat with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown from Live at Montreaux
• 1974 Robert Jr. Lockwood with The Aces from Blues Live in Japan
• 1980 Eric Clapton from Just One Night
• 1991 Louis Myers from Tell My Story Movin'
• 1992 Pinetop Perkins from On Top
• 1993 Robben Ford from Mystic Mile
• 1993 Luther Tucker & The Ford Blues Band from Luther Tucker & The Ford Blues Band
• 1996 James Cotton from Deep In the Blues
• 1999 Jimmy Rogers from Blues Blues Blues
• 2003 Pearlene as "You Done Told Everybody" from Murder Blues & Prayer
• 2006 Bob Dylan as "Someday Baby" from Modern Times
• 2007 Clutch as "Electric Worry" from From Beale Street to Oblivion (the band have stated that inspiration for this song came from the McDowell version)^[6]
• 2007 Procol Harum from One Eye to the Future
• 2010 Night Horse from Perdition Hymns

B.B. King - Telephone Song

This song was originally recorded on the 1990 album "Family Style" by the Vaughan brothers. The album was recorded after Stevie's recovery from his alcohol and drug addiction. Stevie had always wanted to do something with his brother Jimmy, but due to success at the same time in different bands, they had never had the time to do it. Stevie took the initiative and the album happened.
This performance sadly is from the SRV memorial concert. A concert played in memory of Stevie shortly after his passing. B.B. plays a version of the song that is a little slower than on the album, but still brings his unique brand of guitar playing to the song. He also sings it very well, and Stevie would've loved B.B. performing one of his songs, as B.B. was one of Stevie's idols. Jimmy Vaughan joins B.B. on stage, but doesn't do much lead playing, he leaves most of that to King.

Enjoy ;

B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone

This is a performance from "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", it features B.B. King performing his classic "The Thrill Is Gone". The song was written by Rick Darnell and Roy Hawkins in 1951, but popularized by B.B. King in the 70's.
B.B. tells the story that he had been jamming on the tune for some time, and tried to work it out. When he finally recorded it he didn't know it would be one of the songs that helped to plunge him into mainstream music and cross over. The original studio recording from B.B. had an added string section that also helped with mainstream audiences.
A great tune!

Enjoy ; )

B.B. King - How Blue Can You Get

This is a performance from "The Late Show". It features B.B. King performing his classic song "How Blue Can You Get" with Paul Shaffer and the CBS orchestra. It's a great version of the song, and the CBS orchestra is great, it's such a joy to hear King performing with a horn section.
There is a mini interview after the performance, it's pretty entertaining, but the performance is the best part for sure. Prettye fun to see David trying to get King to sing with him.

Enjoy ; )

Jeff Beck & B.B. King - Key to The Highway

This is a performance by B.B. King and Jeff Beck, it's from 2003. They perform the song "Key to The Highway", a song that's been part of King's repertoire for a long time. It is considered a blues classic, originally recorded in 1940 by Charlie Segar, and since covered by a number of blues artists. It was originally a 12-bar blues, but when covered by Big Bill Broonzy, he changed it to an 8-bar blues that sounds similar to the one performed today.
I love this performance, and the playful attitude the players have. There's nothing but respect between them. King's got the feelin', but Beck's got some speed, and in the end they're both great, it's never a competition.

Enjoy ; )

Freddie King - Goin' Down

This is a clip of blues legend Freddie King performing Goin' Down live. Freddie is one of the '3 Kings of blues'. The three kings of blues are Albert, B.B. and Freddie King, all named 'King' as their last name. Freddie being inspired by both the raw Texas blues and the West side Chicago blues fused them into his recognizable tone and sound. Freddie has influenced a lot of players; Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Vaughan, Eric Clapton and Peter Green are all inspired by Freddie.
The song 'Goin' Down' has been covered on  occasion by artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan , Keith Richards and the G3 guys, but it isn't Freddie's most covered song.

Enjoy ; )