Long John Baldry - Looking At Long John (1966)

Long John Baldry was an English blues singer.

In the mid 60s Long John Baldry became a well-liked figure in the London club circuit, befriending among others The Beatles. He actually performed as a guest on one of The Beatles' TV shows in 1964, an impressive feat for a singer who was pretty much unknown to the record buying public. He also discovered a young Rod Stewart and recruited him as a second vocalist in his group, The Hoochie Coochie Men, before they disbanded. He then formed a new group known as The Steampacket with Stewart, female vocalist Julie Driscoll, organist Brian Auger, guitarist Vic Briggs, bassist Richard Brown and drummer Micky Waller. This short-lived band has often retrospectively been labelled a 'supergroup', but unfortunately they never made any proper recordings together.

At the same time as he was singing R&B in the London clubs, he worked on a second album which presented a different side of him. Looking At Long John came out in 1966, and saw him singing songs in more of an orchestrated pop / blue-eyed soul style. The songs themselves were mostly familiar numbers - "You've Lost That Loving Feeling", "Cry Me A River", "Make It Easy On Yourself", "Keep On Running", "I Love Paris", "Turn On Your Love Light" and others. Baldry's voice turned out to be just as suited to this style as it did to blues, and with some fantastic big arrangements it made for a really great sounding record. However it didn't give him any hits, and he continued to work with The Steampacket until they disbanded that same year.

Long John's Blues (1964) <|> Let The Heartaches Begin (1967)
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Long John Baldry - Long John's Blues (1964)

Long John Baldry was an English blues singer.
  

Long John Baldry emerged in the early 60s as part of the British blues boom, singing in various London clubs where he made a name for himself with his growling voice and distinctive appearance (he was 6ft 7in). His recording debut came in 1962, when he was the featured singer on three tracks from Blues Incorporated's R&B From The Marquee, one of the first British blues albums. He was associated with many of the other soon-to-be-famous musicians who hanged out with Blues Incorporated, including future members of the Rolling Stones.

When harmonica player Cyril Davies left Blues Incorporated to form his own group, Baldry went with him to become a member of Cyril Davies' R&B All Stars. When Davies died in 1964, the group became Long John Baldry & His Hoochie Coochie Men, and he recorded his first album with them. Long John's Blues was a great collection of jazz-flavoured R&B numbers, including such classics as Muddy Waters' "I Got My Mojo Working", Willie Dixon's "My Babe" and "Hoochie Coochie Man", Eddie Boyd's "Five Long Years" and John Lee Hooker's "Dimples". A great find for fans of early 60s British blues.

The Hoochie Coochie Men later recruited a young Rod Stewart as a second vocalist, and then became The Steampacket in 1965, with Brian Auger on organ and Julie Driscol as a third vocalist.

|> Looking At Long John (1966)
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