John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - Spinning Coin - 1995 - Silvertone

A great album from one of the elder British bluesmen (b.1933). The guy, despite his long career has never achieved the fame he deserves. He never sold out to commercialism, and remains devoted to the pure blues form. Check out his 1966 "Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton" album and buy his 1972 "Jazz Blues Fusion" album.

TRACKS / MUSICIANS

1.When The Devil Starts Crying (4:12)
Acoustic Guitar, Guitar [Lead] - Buddy Whittington
Harmonica - John Mayall
Saxophone [Baritone] - Joe Sublett
2.Spinning Coin (4:39)
Acoustic Guitar - Buddy Whittington
Guitar [12 Strings], Harmonica - John Mayall
Percussion - Joe Yuele
3 Ain't No Brakeman (4:03)
Guitar [Lead & Rhythm] - Buddy Whittington
Organ [Hammond], Electric Piano, Harmonica - John Mayall
Percussion - Dave McNair , R. S. Field
4. Double Life Feelings (5:05)
Guitar [Lead & Rhythm] - Buddy Whittington
Synthesizer, Piano - John Mayall
5.Run (4:12)
Guitar - Buddy Whittington
Performer [Tribal Drum Track] - Joe Yuele
Saxophone - Joe Sublett
Synthesizer, Piano, Organ [Hammond] - John Mayall
6.What Passes For Love (5:06)
Guitar [Lead & Rhythm] - Buddy Whittington
Organ [Hammond] - John Mayall
7.Fan The Flames (3:17)
Guitar [Lead & Rhythm] - Buddy Whittington
Harmonica [Electric] - Juke Logan*
Piano - John Mayall
Saxophone - Joe Sublett
8.Voodoo Music (3:31)
Guitar [Lead & Rhythm] - John Mayall
Guitar [Rhythm] - Buddy Whittington
Harmonica [Electric] - Juke Logan*
Saxophone - Joe Sublett
9.Long Story Short (4:17)
Guitar [Rhythm], Percussion - R. S. Field
Harmonica - John Mayall
Saxophone - Joe Sublett
10.No Big Hurry (3:10)
Acoustic Guitar [Lead] - Buddy Whittington
Performer [Washboard] - Joe Yuele
Piano - John Mayall
11.Remember This (6:58)
Guitar [Lead & Rhythm] - Buddy Whittington
Piano, Organ [Church] - John Mayall
Saxophone - Joe Sublett

Composers - David Grissom (tracks: 6) , Fontaine Brown (tracks: 3) , J.B. Lenoir (tracks: 8) , Jim Lauderdale (tracks: 1) , John "Juke" Logan* (tracks: 7) , John Mayall (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 10, 11) , Michael Henderson (tracks: 9) , R. S. Field (tracks: 9) , Willie Dixon (tracks: 8)

Principally recorded at The Clubhouse, Burbank, California in May, 1994.
MUSICIANS

John Mayall-vocals, organ, piano, guitar, harmonica, synthesizer
Rick Cortes-bass
R.S. Field-guitar,percussion
Juke Logan-harmonica
Dave McNair-percussion
Joe Sublett-saxophone
Buddy Whittington-guitar
Joe Yuele-drums, washboard, percussion

BIO (Wikipedia)

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers are a pioneering English blues band, led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall, OBE. Mayall used the band name between 1963 and '67 then dropped it for some fifteen years, but in 1982 a 'Return of the Bluesbreakers' was announced and it has been kept since then. The name has become generic without a clear distinction which recordings are to be credited just to the leader or to leader and his band. The Bluesbreakers have included luminaries such as Eric Clapton (April–August 1965, November 1965–July 1966) and Jack Bruce, who both left to form Cream, Peter Green, who had replaced Clapton, played until August 1967, when he departed with Mick Fleetwood and then also enticed Bluesbreaker John McVie a few weeks later to form Fleetwood Mac, Mick Taylor (August 1967–July 1969) when he joined The Rolling Stones, and reunion tours in 1982–83 and 2004. Harvey Mandel, Walter Trout, Larry Taylor (later in Canned Heat), Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Randy Resnick, Aynsley Dunbar, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Andy Fraser (Free), Chris Mercer, Henry Lowther, Johnny Almond and Jon Mark (later of Mark-Almond). The Bluesbreakers were formed in January 1963 and became an ever-evolving lineup of more than 100 different combinations of musicians performing under that name. Eric Clapton joined in 1965 just a few months after the release of their first album. Clapton brought the blues influences to the forefront of the group, as he had left The Yardbirds in order to play the blues. The group lost their record contract with Decca that year, which also saw the release of a single called "I'm Your Witchdoctor" (produced by Jimmy Page), followed by a return to Decca in 1966. The album Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (also known as The Beano Album because Clapton is shown on the cover photo reading a copy of the comic) was released later that year; it reached the Top Ten in the UK. Clapton and Jack Bruce left the group that year to form Cream. Clapton was replaced by Peter Green for A Hard Road, after which he left to form Fleetwood Mac. Finally, in 1969, the third Bluesbreaker-guitarist departed when Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones. By the time the 1960s were over, the Bluesbreakers had finally achieved some success in the United States. With some interruptions, the Bluesbreakers have continued to tour and release albums (over 50 to date), though they never achieved the critical or popular acclaim of their earlier material. In 2003, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Chris Barber reunited with the band for John Mayall's 70th Birthday Concert in Liverpool — the concert was later released on CD and DVD. In 2004, their line up included Buddy Whittington, Joe Yuele, Hank Van Sickle and Tom Canning, and the band toured the UK with Mick Taylor as a guest musician.

ABOUT JOHN MAYALL

John Mayall was born 29th of November 1933 in Macclesfield, a small English village near the industrial hub of Manchester--a far cry at that time from the black American blues culture we are familiar with today. The eldest of three from humble working class origins, and in the shadow of WWII, this skinny English lad grew up listening to his guitarist father’s extensive jazz record collection and felt drawn to the blues. Strongly influenced by such greats as Leadbelly, Albert Ammons, Pinetop Smith, and Eddie Lang, from the age of 13 he taught himself to play and develop his own style with the aid of a neighbor's piano, borrowed guitars, and secondhand harmonicas. John Mayall's first brush with fame, however, was not for his music. As a teenager, he decided to move out of the house, and, showing the signature eccentricities and artistic qualities that have added to his legendary status, he moved into his backyard treehouse. This gained him notoriety enough to receive newspaper attention. Even more so, since, upon returning from a stint in Korea, he brought his first wife Pamela to live with him there. From an art college training, to three years with the British Army in Korea, to a successful career in graphic design, his blues singing and playing took a back seat until he reached the age of 30. From 1956 until 1962, John was performing publicly on a part-time basis fronting The Powerhouse Four and, later on, The Blues Syndicate. It was then that Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated pioneered what was to become known as The British Blues Boom of the Late 60's. Alexis was quick to encourage and help John make his move to London where he soon secured enough club work to be able to turn professional under the name John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. After a couple of years and a constant turnover of musicians, he met his soulmate in Eric Clapton, who had quit the Yardbirds in favor of playing the blues. This historic union culminated in the first hit album for the Bluesbreakers and resulted in worldwide legendary status. After Clapton and Jack Bruce left the band to form Cream, a succession of great musicians defined their artistic roots under John's leadership, and he became as well known for discovering new talent as for his hard-hitting interpretations of the fierce Chicago-style blues he'd grown up listening to. As sidemen left to form their own groups, others took their places. Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood became Fleetwood Mac. Andy Fraser formed Free, and Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones. As Eric Clapton has stated, "John mayall has actually run an incredibly great school for musicians." In 1969, with his popularity blossoming in the USA, John caused somewhat of a stir with the release of a drummerless acoustic live album entitled "The Turning Point", from which his song "Room To Move" was destined to become a rock classic. He received a gold record for this album. Attracted by the West Coast climate and culture, John then made his permanent move from England to Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles and began forming bands with American musicians. Throughout the 70's, John became further revered for his many jazz/rock/blues innovations featuring such notable performers as Blue Mitchell , Red Holloway, Larry Taylor, and Harvey Mandel. He also backed blues greats John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, and Sonny Boy Williamson on their first English club tours. The year 1979 proved to be a pivotal, transitional, and climactic year for John Mayall, both personally and professionally. With the public climate being at an all-time low for blues music, Mayall struggled to keep his live and recording career afloat. Personally, however, he began the 20+year relationship with his current wife Maggie (Parker, née Mulacek), a singer/songwriter from Chicago who had been hired with Harvey Mandel’s band as Mayall’s backup. And extreme misfortune came his way when a brush fire destroyed his hand-crafted and legendary Laurel Canyon home, taking with it his scrupulously-kept diaries, his father's diaries, master recordings, extensive book & magazine collections, Mayall artwork, and much much more. Determined to rise from the ashes, Mayall persevered. Motivated by nostalgia and fond memories, in 1982, John (together with Mick Taylor and John McVie) decided to re-form the original Bluesbreakers for a couple of tours and a video concert film entitled Blues Alive, which featured Albert King, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Etta James, and Sippie Wallace and others. A whole new generation of followers could get a taste of how it all sounded live two decades before at the birth of the British Blues explosion. By the time Mick and John had returned to their respective careers, public reaction had convinced Mayall that he should return to his driving blues roots. As John McVie returned to Fleetwood Mac and Mick resumed his solo career, mayall returned to Los Angeles to select his choices for a new incarnation of the Bluesbreakers. Officially launched in 1984, it included future stars in their own right, guitarists Coco Montoya and Walter Trout, as well as drummer Joe Yuele, who is still john's rhythmic mainstay. With onstage popularity gaining each year, the 90's kicked in with the release of several John Mayall albums that have set new standards in rock blues: "Behind The Iron Curtain", "Chicago Line", "A Sense of Place", and the Grammy-nominated "Wake Up Call" that featured guest artists Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples, Albert Collins, Mick Taylor. In 1993, Texas guitarist Buddy Whittington joined the Bluesbreakers and during the last seven+ years he has energized the band with his unique and fiery ideas. Making his recording debut on Mayall's "Spinning Coin" album , he has proven to be more than equal to following in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessors. Since then, John released another two modern classics: "Blues For the Lost Days" and "Padlock On The Blues", (the latter co-produced by John and his wife Maggie, featuring a rare collaboration with the great blues legend John Lee Hooker,who has been Mayall's close friend since the early 60's). These albums have all garnered great reviews, critical and popular acclaim and represent Mayall's ongoing mastery of the blues and his continuing importance in contemporary music. In addition, he has released three CD's available on his new Web site. They are "Time Capsule" (containing historic 1957-62 live tapes-no longer available), "UK Tour 2K" (live recordings from the Bluesbreakers 2000 British tour), and a selection of solo performances from John entitled "Boogie Woogie Man". Mayall continues to strive to remain true to the timeless music that first inspired this skinny young British lad, living in the shadow of WWII, to teach himself the guitar, harmonica and piano so many years ago. On his 2001 release (under the banner "John Mayall and Friends"), "Along For The Ride", Mayall re-teamed with a number of his former mates, including Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, as well as ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Jonny Lang, Steve Miller, Billy Preston, Steve Cropper, Otis Rush, Gary Moore, Jeff Healey, Reese Wynans of Steve Ray Vaughan's band and Shannon Curfman for an amazing display of blues power at its finest. Produced by David Z, this album featured Mayall duets with soul great Billy Preston, blues legend Otis Rush and young blues/rock teen sensation Shannon Curfman. "Along For The Ride" also features the first appearance together in over 30 years by Bluesbreakers alumni Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, who last appeared together as members of the original Fleetwood Mac. Following the recording of this album, Mayall expanded the Bluesbreakers to 5 to include keyboardist Tom Canning, while Hank Van Sickle firmly anchors the band on bass guitar, with fellow veterans Joe Yuele and Buddy Whittington completing the powerful lineup. Barely back from touring in support of that album, Mayall returned to the studio in February 2002 with the Bluesbreakers. This time they recorded a BLUESBREAKERS album, without a string of guest artists, again produced by David Z. The outcome is the August 27, 2002 release "STORIES", which debuted the Billboard blues charts at #1. John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers continue yet another full year of touring in support of this incredible album and are making plans for exciting projects in 2003. As for the man himself, the father of six and grandfather of six, at 69 years young, John Mayall shows no signs of slowing down and plans to keep the blues alive for many years to come © www.johnmayall.com/history.html