The Real Ellen McIlwaine

The Real Ellen McIlwaine, recorded in Montreal and released on the independent Canadian label Kot'ai, was McIlwaine's third solo album, the first after the end of her contract with Polydor Records, for whom she had recorded her first two solo albums, and the first on which she had significant artistic control over recording and choice of material. It mixed band and solo performances of both original songs and blues/rock covers, showcasing McIlwaine's dynamic slide guitar work and powerful voice, and it featured several songs which became closely associated with her, including her iconic slide guitar version of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground", and the fan favourite "The Secret In This Lady's Heart", which was reputedly written about her meeting with Jimi Hendrix. McIlwaine's distinctive version of the gospel medley "Up In Heaven Shouting/I Am So Glad" featured the singer performing the vocal in 'normal' fashion in the first half of the song, followed by a section which sounds as if the tape of the vocal has been reversed, but was in fact achieved by McIlwaine listening to a reversed tape of the song and learning to sing the lyrics 'backwards'.

The album also continued McIlwaine's interest in the music of Jack Bruce and featured the Jack Bruce/Pete Brown song "He The Richmond", originally recorded on Bruce's debut solo album Songs for a Tailor, and the blues standard Born Under A Bad Sign, which Bruce had performed with Cream.

Side One
1. Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder) 3:39
2. Lazy Day 3:06
3. He The Richmond (Jack Bruce - Pete Brown) 5:12
4. Up In Heaven Shouting / I Am So Glad 1:52
5. Blueberry Hill (Vincent Rose) 2:52
6. The Secret In This Lady's Heart 3:43
7. Virginia Creeper 2:58

Side Two
1. Thirty-Piece Band 2:05
2. Tennessee Ridgerunner 2:08
3. Crawling Kingsnake 2:08
4. Down So Low (Tracy Nelson) 3:57
5. Let's Go Down To The Ocean 2:28
6. Born Under A Bad Sign (Albert King - Steve Cropper) 3:21
7. Let Me Be 3:00

• Ellen McIlwaine - vocals, guitar, piano
• Christian St-Roch - drums, flute
• Bill Gagnon - bass, vocals
• Marcel Huot - drums
• Lance Nagle - tuba
• Michel Seguin - percussion, drums, vocals

Engineer - Chuck Gray
Producer: Bill Gangon