Singin' the Blues
Singin' the Blues | ||||
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Compilation album by B.B. King | ||||
Released | June 1957 (1957-06)[1] | |||
Recorded | 1951–1956 | |||
Genre | Blues | |||
Label | Crown | |||
B.B. King chronology | ||||
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Singin' the Blues is the first LP album by American bluesman B.B. King, released in 1957 by the Bihari brothers on their Crown budget label.[1] It is a compilation album whose songs were issued between 1951 and 1956 on singles by RPM Records and most had reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Race/R&B singles charts.[2] King continued to perform and record several of the songs throughout his career, such as "Every Day I Have the Blues", "Woke Up This Morning", and "Sweet Little Angel".[3]
Critical reception
Billboard (June 10, 1957): "One of the better r.&b. artists, a goodly portion of B.B. King's hits have been put together in this set. B.B.'s country blues vocal style, together with his frenetic guitar method, is enough to sell the r.&b. market. Price here is the attraction, too."[1]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [5] |
In an overview for AllMusic, critic Bill Dahl rated the album four and a half out of five stars and called it "Absolutely seminal material; his classic hits."[4] The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings says that it is “self-evidently a near-faultless album.”[5]
Reissues
Singin' the Blues has been reissued and repackaged several times, including by P-Vine Records (Japan), Ace Records (UK),[6] and Flair Records/Virgin Records (US).[7]
Track listing
Details are taken from the 1991 Flair Records/Virgin Records CD reissue (the original Crown LP does not list running times) and may differ from other sources.[7]
All tracks are written by B.B. King and Jules Taub (a pseudonym of label co-owner Jules Bihari), although several are derived from earlier recordings by other blues artists as noted
No. | Title | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Please Love Me" | 2:47 | |
2. | "You Upset Me Baby" | 3:00 | |
3. | "Every Day I Have the Blues" | Recorded by Memphis Slim a.k.a. Peter Chatman in 1949[8] | 2:46 |
4. | "Bad Luck" | Derived from "Bad Luck Blues" by Ivory Joe Hunter in 1946[8] | 2:51 |
5. | "3 O'Clock Blues" | Recorded by Lowell Fulson in 1948[9] | 2:59 |
6. | "Blind Love" | Derived from "Standing at My Window" by Arthur Crudup (1942)[10] | 2:54 |
No. | Title | Notes | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Woke Up This Morning" | 2:55 | |
2. | "You Know I Love You" | 3:03 | |
3. | "Sweet Little Angel" | Recorded by Lucille Bogan in 1930 and Tampa Red in 1934 as "Black Angel Blues"[8] | 2:58 |
4. | "Ten Long Years" | 2:46 | |
5. | "Did You Ever Love a Woman" | Recorded by Gatemouth Moore in 1945[8] | 2:31 |
6. | "Crying Won't Help You" | Recorded by Tampa Red in 1946[8] | 2:56 |
References
- ^ a b c "Reviews and Ratings of New Popular Albums: Rhythm & Blues" (PDF). Billboard: 32. June 10, 1957.
- ^ Whitburn 1988, pp. 238–239.
- ^ Escott 2002, p. 67.
- ^ a b Dahl, Bill. "B.B King: Singin' the Blues – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ a b Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 354. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
- ^ "B.B. King: Singin' the Blues [Ace] – Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ a b Schneider 1991, p. 3.
- ^ a b c d e Escott 2002, p. 42.
- ^ Escott 2002, p. 40.
- ^ Escott 2002, p. 41.
Sources
- Escott, Colin (2002). B.B. King: The Vintage Years (Box set booklet). B.B. King. Ace Records. Ace ABOXCD 8.
- Schneider, Cy (1991). Singin' the Blues/The Blues (Reissue album notes). B.B. King. Beverly Hills, California: Virgin Records. V2-86296.
- Whitburn, Joel (1988). "B.B. King". Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.
- v
- t
- e
- 1960: My Kind of Blues
- 1968: Blues on Top of Blues
- Lucille
- 1969: Completely Well
- 1970: Indianola Mississippi Seeds
- 1971: B.B. King in London
- 1972: L.A. Midnight
- Guess Who
- 1973: To Know You Is to Love You
- 1974: Friends
- 1975: Lucille Talks Back
- 1977: King Size
- 1978: Midnight Believer
- 1979: Take It Home
- 1981: There Must Be a Better World Somewhere
- 1982: Love Me Tender
- 1983: Blues 'N' Jazz
- 1985: Six Silver Strings
- 1988: King of the Blues: 1989
- 1991: There Is Always One More Time
- 1993: Blues Summit
- 1994: Heart to Heart
- 1997: Deuces Wild
- 1998: Blues on the Bayou
- 1999: Let the Good Times Roll
- 2000: Riding with the King
- Makin' Love Is Good for You
- 2003: Reflections
- 2005: B. B. King & Friends: 80
- 2008: One Kind Favor
- 1965: Live at the Regal
- 1967: Blues Is King
- 1969: Live & Well
- 1971: Live in Cook County Jail
- 1974: Together for the First Time... Live
- 1976: Bobby Bland and B. B. King Together Again...Live
- 1980: Now Appearing at Ole Miss
- 1990: Live at San Quentin
- 1991: Live at the Apollo
- 1999: Live in Japan
compilations
- 1957: Singin' the Blues
- 1958: The Blues
- 1968: His Best – The Electric B. B. King
- 1983: Why I Sing the Blues
- 1992: King of the Blues
- 1995: Lucille & Friends
- 1999: His Definitive Greatest Hits
- 2005: The Ultimate Collection
- 2007: The Best of the Early Years
- 2012: Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. B.B. King
- 1951: "3 O'Clock Blues"
- 1952: "Shake It Up and Go"
- 1952: "You Know I Love You
- 1955: "Every Day I Have the Blues"
- 1956: "Sweet Little Angel"
- 1959: "Sugar Mama"
- 1961: "Someday Baby"
- 1962: "Goin' Down Slow"
- 1963: "Trouble in Mind"
- 1964: "How Blue Can You Get"
- "Rock Me Baby"
- "Please Send Me Someone to Love"
- 1965: "Blue Shadows"
- 1966: "Eyesight to the Blind"
- "Just Like a Woman"
- "Five Long Years"
- "Ain't Nobody's Business"
- 1970: "The Thrill Is Gone"
- "Worried Life"
- 1976: "Let the Good Times Roll"
- 1985: "Big Boss Man"
- 1988: "When Love Comes to Town"
- 1992: "Since I Met You Baby"
- 1961: "Driving Wheel
- 1974: "Black Night"
- 1977: "Don't You Lie to Me"
- 1985: "In the Midnight Hour"
- 1995: "You Shook Me"
- 1998: "Mean Ole' World"
- 1999: "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens"
- "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby"
- "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie"
- "Buzz Me"
- "Saturday Night Fish Fry"
- "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out"
- "Early in the Mornin'"
- 2000: "Hold On, I'm Comin'"
- "Come Rain or Come Shine"
- "Since I Fell for You"
- 2005: "Need Your Love So Bad"
- "Early in the Morning"
- 2008: "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"
- "Sitting on Top of the World"