The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker
The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker is an album by blues musician John Lee Hooker recorded in New York and Chicago, with two tracks recorded live at the Newport Folk Festival in 1960, and released by the Vee-Jay label in August or September 1961.[1][2][3]
The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker | ||||
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Studio album / live album by | ||||
Released | August or September 1961[1][2] | |||
Recorded | 1960–1961 | |||
Venue | Newport Folk Festival, Newport, Rhode Island | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Blues | |||
Length | 36:56 | |||
Label | Vee-Jay | |||
Producer | Esmond Edwards | |||
John Lee Hooker chronology | ||||
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Reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
The Virgin Encyclopedia of The Blues | [5] |
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [6] |
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings said "Vee-Jay were reaching for Hooker's perceived new audience among folkniks, yet only "Tupelo" and "The Hobo" from his set with acoustic guitar at the 1960 Newport Folk Festival, represent the 'folk blues' angle Hooker had begun to develop a year earlier; the rest is typical of his Vee-Jay work, especially the four tracks with a band".[6]
AllMusic reviewer Al Campbell stated: "The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker was released in 1961, combining 12 tracks of both acoustic and electric tunes ... recommended".[4]
Track listing
All compositions credited to John Lee Hooker
- "Tupelo" – 3:22
- "I'm Mad Again" – 2:39
- "I'm Going Upstairs" – 2:56
- "Want Ad Blues" – 2:16
- "Five Long Years" – 3:38
- "I Like to See You Walk" – 2:52
- "The Hobo" – 3:01
- "Hard-Headed Woman" – 2:31
- "Wednesday Evening Blues" – 3:59
- "Take Me As I Am" – 3:02
- "My First Wife Left Me" – 3:35
- "You're Looking Good Tonight" – 3:00
Recorded in New York City on April 29, 1960 (tracks 5, 6 & 9-12), at the Newport Folk Festival on June 25, 1960 (tracks 1 & 7) and at Universal Recording Studio in Chicago on January 4, 1961 (tracks 2-4 & 8)
Personnel
- John Lee Hooker – guitar, vocals
- William "Lefty" Bates – harmonica, guitar (tracks 2-4 & 8)
- Bill Lee (tracks 1 & 7), Quinn Wilson (tracks 2-4 & 8) – bass
- Earl Phillips – drums (tracks 2-4 & 8)
- ?Pops Staples – guitar (tracks 2-4 & 8)
References
- Editorial Staff, Billboard (28 August 1961). "New LP Releases". Billboard Music Week. The Billboard Publishing Co. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- Editorial Staff, Cash Box (October 7, 1961). "The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker" (PDF). The Cash Box. The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc., NY. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
- "The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker". johnleehooker.com. Retrieved August 14, 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Campbell, Al. John Lee Hooker: The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
- Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of The Blues. London: Random House. p. 280. ISBN 9781448132744.
- Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. London: Penguin. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.