60s & Further

60s & 70s Music Store

Rock Blues I

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Michael Bloomfield, Elvin Bishop

Welcome to 60s & 70s Music Store!
Rock Blues I

"The world's got enough drunks; it doesn't have enough good guitar players." -George Thorogood-

If I just had the albums in this store and nothing else, I would be a happy Lion! There are many more great blues artists and bands out there but these are my personal favorites, I will be carrying more in other stores, such as Carlos Santana, J. Geils Band and more. There's just so much room on each store. I have also included 80s, 90s, and 2000s recording of many of these bands and artists not just 60s and 70s..they are just too HOT not to include them.

I will be carrying the black blues artists, such as B.B. King, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Albert King, and many others in their own store, as they are totally in a class of their own and the mentors of most 60s & 70s blues rock musicians.

What is Blues-Rock?

"Blues-rock, or Blues Rock, is a hybrid musical genre combining elements of the blues with rock and roll. It began to develop as a particular style in the mid-1960s through the work of bands such as The Rolling Stones, who experimented with music from the old bluesmen like Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Champion Jack Dupree. (The Rolling Stones later abandoned the style and went on to more classic Chuck Berry-style rock.)

Blues-rock's best-known artist is probably Eric Clapton, whose work in the mid sixties, with The Yardbirds and with 60s supergroup Cream, as well as his work with Derek and the Dominos beginning in 1970, and his extensive solo career, have all been seminal in bringing of blues-rock into the mainstream (though, blues-rock was just one of the styles those bands played).

In the late 60s Jeff Beck, also a former member of The Yardbirds, revolutionised the blues rock into a sort of Heavy Rock, taking the UK and the USA by storm with his band, The Jeff Beck Group which had among its members a young Rod Stewart on vocals and an even younger Ronnie Wood on bass. Jimmy Page, yet another former member of The Yardbirds, went out to form 'The New Yardbirds' which would soon become known as Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin was a huge force in the early 70s 'blues-rock' scene but their music turned soon towards hard rock or heavy metal.

Blues-rock has since been a smouldering fire that still has its influence – The Black Crowes being one contemporary example.
While rock and blues have always been historically closely linked, blues-rock as a distinct genre did not arise until the late 1960s. The genre was originally British, with artists like Alexis Korner and John Mayall forming groups that acted as a training ground for the future stars of the genre, while American bands like Canned Heat and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band were also pioneers. Blues-rock was characterized by bluesy improvisation and long jams.

A classic example of blues-rock is Cream's "Crossroads", adapted from Robert Johnson's "Cross Road Blues"; it fuses some of the lyrical and musical styles of blues with rock-styled tempo and guitar solos. Less heard but great examples nonetheless are almost all that Clapton played with The Yardbirds, particularly "Smokestack Lightnin'."

(Excerpt from Wiki)

LionHeart
December 2005

**Click Clapton above to go to his Music Store**

The Yardbirds Years - CD
These seminal 60's British blues-rockers released less than a half-dozen proper studio albums during their existence, but still seem to get reissued and remastered about once a month! Although I personally prefer the Jeff Beck period, collectors/completists should note that this is the best-sounding remaster of the Eric Clapton era (circa '63-'65) that I've heard to date. The band displayed its most "bluesy" sound with Clapton aboard (in fact, it was Clapton's "blues purist" sensibilities that led to his departure when he began to perceive the psychedelic pop influences creeping into the group). All the worthwhile studio cuts with Clapton are here ("Ain't Got You", "For Your Love", "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl") along with some well-chosen trademark live "rave-ups" ( rollicking jams like "Smokestack Lightning" and "Here 'Tis" feature Clapton solos that sound like Cream sans the fuzzbox). There's really nothing new here for devoted fans, but if your collection is missing pre-Jeff Beck/Jimmy Page Yardbirds material, this one disc should be all you need.

Eric Clapton/Jimmy Page/Jeff Beck (Rare-60s)CD

A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan (1996)DVD
Starring: Jimmie Vaughan, B.B. King
Director: Gary Menotti
Already a legend among musicians, Stevie Ray Vaughan was bringing new relevance and popularity to the blues when his career was cut short in a fatal helicopter accident following a 1990 concert appearance. His music offered the drama and sheer firepower of rock, and his flamboyant live shows likewise proved well suited to arena-sized crowds, yet there was little argument that Vaughan's fealty to the blues remained at the core of his style.

This 1996 concert tribute underscores that common denominator through muscular performances from contemporary blues masters who readily (and appropriately) confirm the Texas guitarist as a true peer--it's no small matter that bona fide influences Buddy Guy and B.B. King cite the honoree on an equal plane with Vaughan's most obvious rock forebear, Jimi Hendrix.

The 80-minute concert also intersperses brief interviews with the principals, with the music building toward a satisfying climax in three high-octane jams featuring the headliners in lively exchanges. The DVD optimizes the full-frame visuals of the original videotaped special, and the 5.1 audio mix likewise fine-tunes the straightforward stereo mix with some added ambience.

John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers - 70th Birthday Concert (2003) DVD
Not all that many blues musicians (or any other kind, for that matter) live to 70, so British bandleader John Mayall had good reason to celebrate when he reached that milestone in 2003--and celebrate he did, with the admirable, 137-minute John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers: 70th Birthday Concert to show for it. Mayall, a capable if not exactly stellar singer and multi-instrumentalist, is best known for the many fine players who passed through his band over the years, and Eric Clapton, the most renowned of the lot, is on hand here, as is former Mayall/Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor.

Clapton sings several tunes in addition to playing his trademark stinging solos on "Hideaway" and "All Your Love" (two of the tunes most responsible for the "Clapton is God" graffiti seen around London in the '60s), while Taylor is mostly impressive as well. But arguably the best guitarist on the Liverpool stage this night is current Bluesbreaker Buddy Whittington, who more than holds his own in the company of his more esteemed predecessors (check out Whittington's superb solos, informed by both Buddy Guy and jazz, on "Blues for the Lost Days" and the 17-minute "Have You Heard"). Indeed, this may well be Mayall's best and most versatile band ever--no mean feat for a guy now in his fifth decade on the scene.

Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Butterfield Blues Band

Paul Butterfield (December 17, 1942 – May 4, 1987) was an American blues musician, and one of the most innovative harmonica players of the Chicago-originated electric blues style.

Born in Chicago, Butterfield began performing in the Chicago area as a teen, and he soon formed a band with Jerome Arnold and Sam Lay (both of Howlin' Wolf's band), and Elvin Bishop. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band was signed to Elektra Records after adding Michael Bloomfield as lead guitarist. Their original debut album was scrapped and re-recorded after adding organist Mark Naftalin, Finally, their self-titled debut, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band was released in 1965 (1965 in music). It had an immediate impact serving as a wakeup call for a generation of musicians. Soon after the first album, Lay became sick and was replaced by Billy Davenport on drums. The Butterfield Band's second album, East-West (1966 in music) reflected the music scene's interest in sitar great Ravi Shankar and other eastern musicians. It was also a critically acclaimed hit.

The dramatic impact on the course of rock & roll by the Butterfield Blues Band with the release of their first album, “The Paul Butterfield Blues Band,” and the song “Born In Chicago,” in particular, cannot be overstated. They introduced young white America to the blues, influenced 100s of bands from the Grateful Dead to the Allman Brothers, and launched the reign of Michael Bloomfield as America’s most influential rock guitarist until the arrival of Eric Clapton.

It is hard to imagine today, but prior to the summer of 1965, the Beatles’ music (and the rest of the British Invasion) was the stuff of screaming kids. Serious musical aficionados viewed it as “bubblegum.” The music of the “hip,” “in,” college crowd, along with the trend-setting musical elite, was folk music and acoustic protest songs headed up by folk’s king and queen, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. And folk music’s Mecca was the annual Newport Folk Festival.

The release of the album “The Paul Butterfield Blues Band” was a revelation, along with their second album “East-West,” it taught America the blues, became the genesis of folk rock, psychedelic/acid rock, and anything that rejected 1960’s teen idol pop. Along the way, listening to Michael Bloomfield taught Americans including Duane Allman, Jerry Garcia, Steve Miller, and Carlos Santana how to play the electric guitar. The influence of the Butterfield Band continues to this day. Though obscured by time, they are uniquely responsible for making the blues something other than a forgotten musical footnote, and Michael Bloomfield stands along with Jimi Hendrix, Duane Allman, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Brian Setzer as some of America’s greatest blues influenced rock guitarists.

For listen samples and reviews, click on CD cover photo. In new window,
click on CD photo again and scroll down.

An Anthology -- The Elektra Years An Offer You Can't Refuse (1963) The Original Lost Elektra Sessions The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1966) East West (1966)

East-West Live (1966 -1967) Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw (1967) Strawberry Jam (1966-1968) In My Own Dream (1968) Keep on Moving (1969)

Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin' (1971) Live at Winterland '73 Better Days (1973) The Legendary Paul Butterfield Rides Again Bearsville Anthology

Michael Bloomfield
Mike Bloomfield Website

Mike Bloomfield (July 28, 1943 – February 15, 1981) was an American musician, guitarist and composer. Born in Chicago, Illinois.He was a session musician who became famous through his work with Bob Dylan during his first explorations into the "electric Dylan" phase. Bloomfield's sound was a major part of Dylan's sound, as featured especially on Highway 61 Revisited. His guitar style bridged blues influence with rock and folk.

In 1964, Bloomfield was discovered through his session work by the legendary John Hammond, who signed him to CBS; however, several recordings from 1964 went unreleased as the label wasn't sure how to market a white American blues guitarist. In early 1965, Bloomfield joined several associates in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, a racially integrated outfit with a storming, rock-tinged take on Chicago's urban electric blues sound. The group's self-titled debut for Elektra, released later that year, made them a sensation in the blues community and helped introduce white audiences to a less watered-down version of the blues. He played with Paul Butterfield from 1964 to 1966, then formed Electric Flag in 1967 with longtime Chicago cohort Nick Gravenites on vocals.

Bloomfield's most famous work, East-West (1966), performed with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, was one of the first experiments in fusing blues and indian-style raga music, and his preoccupation exerted a major influence on the next Butterfield album, 1966's East-West. Driven by Bloomfield's jaw-dropping extended solos on his instrumental title cut, East-West merged blues, jazz, world music, and psychedelic rock in an unprecedented fashion. It helped to create the signature sound of late-60s Californian rock acts. According to fellow band member Mark Naftalin, Bloomfield brought the piece to the band following an LSD trip. The piece's use of drones and modal scales was a marked difference to conventional blues improvising.

On the February 15, 1981 Bloomfield was found dead in San Francisco. The cause of death was ruled an accidental drug overdose.

He used Fender guitars, but is most commonly associated with the Gibson Les Paul. His use of the Les Paul influenced many others to use it in much the same way, using the front pickup and making judicious use of the guitar's inherent long sustain. He was also well-renowned for his vibrato.

Michael is considered by many to be one of the most influental and pioneering white American blues guitarists.

For listen samples and reviews, click on CD cover photo. In new window,
click on CD photo again and scroll down.

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965) Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan (1965) East-West - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1966) Live Adventures Of Michael Bloomfield & Al Kooper (1968) A Long Time Comin' - The Electric Flag (1968)

The Trip: Electric Flag (1968) Super Session - Bloomfield, Kooper and Stills (1968) Fillmore East: The Lost Concert Tapes (1968) My Labors and More (1969) Old Glory - The Best of The Electric Flag (HOT 60s)

Red Hot & Blues The Band Kept Playing (1974) If You Love These Blues, Play 'Em As You Please (1976) The Best of Michael Bloomfield In Memory of Michael Bloomfield

Elvin Bishop
More Elvin Bishop

Funky Chicago blues - both the hard, driving kind and the soft, mellow kind - have found a San Francisco home with the arrival of the Elvin Bishop Band. Bishop, former guitarist with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965-1968), formed his new group in January, 1969, auditioned for Fillmore West in March and joined Bill Graham's Millard Agency the following month. The group's four members, with widely varied backgrounds in blues, jazz, R&B, and rock, combine these styles in their own music - basically blues, but also original compositions which they say are "unclassifiable" and "indefinable".

After two years of college, he just dropped out and was into music full time. Howlin' Wolf guitarist Smokey Smothers befriended Bishop and taught him the basics of blues guitar. In the early '60s he met and teamed up with Paul Butterfield to become the core of the Butterfield Blues Band. Although only playing guitar for a few years, he practiced day and night on the blues music that he loved. He and Butterfield played together in just about every place possible -- campuses, houses, parks, and clubs. They began to become well known in 1963 when they took a job at Big John's on Chicago's North Side and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band was born. Bishop helped to create and played on the first several Butterfield albums. (The Pigboy Crabshaw is Bishop's countrified persona referred to in the title of the third Butterfield album.)

When he left the Butterfield band after the In My Own Dream album (1968), Bishop relocated to and settled in the San Francisco area where he appeared often at the Filmore with artists like Eric Clapton, B. B. King, and Jimi Hendrix. He recorded for Epic (four albums) and later signed with Capricorn in 1974. His recording of "Traveling Shoes" (from the album Let It Flow) hit the charts, but he scored big with the lovely tune "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" (from his album Struttin' My Stuff) in 1976. He was (and is) famous for having fun on stage (putting on a great show) and letting the good times roll. Over the next few years the Elvin Bishop Group dissolved. He released his album Best Of in 1979, and was not heard from much until he signed with Alligator in 1988.

For listen samples and reviews, click on CD cover photo. In new window,
click on CD photo again and scroll down.

The Elvin Bishop Group Feel It! Raisin' Hell Party Till the Cows Come Home Juke Joint Jump

Gettin' My Groove Back

Rock My Soul Let It Flow Struttin My Stuff Best of Elvin Bishop 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection

T-Shirt Galleries	Poster Galleries	Women's T's	Art Prints Stores

60s & Further Store