Slim Harpo - Sings Raining In My Heart

Album: Sings Raining In My Heart
Size: 93,5 MB
Time: 40:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1961/1998
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Full

1. Rainin' In My Heart (2:32)
2. Blues Hangover (3:06)
3. Bobby Sox Baby (1:56)
4. I Got Love If You Want It (2:46)
5. Snoopin' Around (2:15)
6. Buzz Me, Baby (2:14)
7. I'm A King Bee (3:02)
8. What A Dream (3:06)
9. Don't Start Crying Now (2:12)
10. Moody Blues (2:56)
11. My Home Is A Prison (2:56)
12. Dream Girl (3:22)
13. My Little Queen Bee (Got A Brand New King) (Bonus Track) (2:36)
14. Late Last Night (Bonus Track) (2:39)
15. Tip On In, Pt. 2 (Bonus Track) (2:36)

In the large stable of blues talent that Crowley, Louisiana producer Jay Miller recorded for the Nashville-based Excello label, no one enjoyed more mainstream success than Slim Harpo. Just a shade behind Lightnin' Slim in local popularity, Harpo played both guitar and neck-rack harmonica in a more down-home approximation of Jimmy Reed, with a few discernible, and distinctive, differences. Harpo's music was certainly more laid-back than Reed's, if such a notion was possible. But the rhythm was insistent and, overall, Harpo was more adaptable than Reed or most other bluesmen. His material not only made the national charts, but also proved to be quite adaptable for white artists on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Kinks, Dave Edmunds with Love Sculpture, Van Morrison with Them, Sun rockabilly singer Warren Smith, Hank Williams, Jr., and the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Harpo's first record became a double-sided R&B hit, spawning numerous follow-ups on the "King Bee" theme, but even bigger was "Rainin' in My Heart," which made the Billboard Top 40 pop charts in the summer of 1961. It was another perfect distillation of Harpo's across-the-board appeal, and was immediately adapted by country, Cajun, and rock & roll musicians; anybody could play it and sound good doing it. In the wake of the Rolling Stones covering "I'm a King Bee" on their first album, Slim had the biggest hit of his career in 1966 with "Baby, Scratch My Back." Harpo described it "as an attempt at rock & roll for me," and its appearance in Billboard's Top 20 pop charts prompted the dance-oriented follow-ups "Tip on In" and "Tee-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu," both R&B charters. For the first time in his career, Harpo appeared in such far-flung locales as Los Angeles and New York City.

Flush with success, he contacted Lightnin' Slim, who was then residing outside of Detroit, Michigan. The two reunited and formed a band, touring together as a sort of blues mini-package to appreciative white rock audiences until the end of the decade. The new year beckoned with a tour of Europe (his first ever) all firmed up, and a recording session scheduled when he arrived in London. Unexplainably, Harpo - who had never been plagued with any ailments stronger than a common cold - suddenly succumbed to a heart attack on January 31, 1970. /Excerpts from biography by Cub Koda, AllMusic

(For personnel and recording details, see artwork included.)

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Slim Harpo - Live In Concert

Album: Live In Concert
Size: 162,0 MB
Time: 69:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Front, tray

1. Star-Time Announcement (0:24)
2. I'm A King Bee (1:18)
3. Buzzin' (5:58)
4. I Got Love If You Want It (2:51)
5. You Know I Love You (4:40)
6. Lottie Mo (3:48)
7. Everybody Needs Somebody (4:54)
8. Big Boss Man (3:23)
9. Hold Me Tenderly (1:58)
10. I'll Take Care Of You (4:05)
11. Boogie Chillun (4:46)
12. Moody Blues (9:16)
13. Sugar-Coated Love (6:37)
14. Star-Time Theme (1:37)
15. I'm A King Bee (2:59)
16. I Don't Play (2:15)
17. I Got Love If You Want It (2:27)
18. Little Liza Jane (2:45)
19. When The Saints Go Marching In (1:35)
20. Rainin' In My Heart (2:05)

This CD is one of the most flukey and important live-blues documents you can find, rating right up there with B.B. King's Live at the Regal and the live Piano Red material from 1955. Recorded off the P.A. system at a 1961 show at the Sage Armory in Mobile, Alabama, it captures Slim Harpo in his only live concert document. Harpo's vocals are a little pushed back in the resulting recording, but his harmonica is caught really well (check out the playing and the clarity on the slow blues "You Know I Love You"), as are the guitars of Rudolph Richard and James Johnson, Willie "Tomcat" Parker's sax, and Sammy K. Brown's drums.

Luckily, there's not much audience noise, so what we get is a close-up look at how the blues legend sounded on stage, doing classics like "I'm a King Bee," "Got Love if You Want It," "Rainin' in My Heart" (his then-current hit), and songs like "Big Boss Man" and "Boogie Chillun," made famous by others. If the sound were slightly better, this would rate even higher, but any real fan should own this. (Note: 11 of the 20 tracks have appeared previously in the United States, spread among two Slim Harpo compilations devoted to his work). /Bruce Eder, AllMusic

(Note: This concert was released by Ace Records in 1997 under the title "Sting It Then!", credited to Slim Harpo & His King Bees. The AMG review above is also for that release which has previously been posted here. Just wanted to post this release as well in case anyone would be interested. The post comes with a compliment to a friend.)

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Slim Harpo - The Scratch: Rare & Unissued Vol. 1

Album: The Scratch: Rare & Unissued Vol. 1
Size: 165,3 MB
Time: 71:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1996
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Full

1. I'm A King Bee (3:05)
2. This Ain't No Place For Me (4:24)
3. That Ain't Your Business (2:11)
4. Strange Love (2:26)
5. Late Last Night (2:30)
6. Wonderin' & Worryin' (2:05)
7. What's Going On (2:49)
8. One More Day (2:12)
9. One Of These Days (2:50)
10. Things Gonna Change (2:54)
11. Got Love If You Want It (3:04)
12. Moody Blues (2:38)
13. Wonderin' & Worryin' (2:25)
14. Buzz Me Babe (2:17)
15. Late Last Night (2:53)
16. Rainin' In My Heart (2:41)
17. The Scratch aka Baby Scratch My Back (2:35)
18. I Don't Want No One (To Take You Away From Me) (2:52)
19. Startime Theme/I'm A King Bee (5:35)
20. Hold Me Tenderly (1:55)
21. Everybody Needs Somebody (4:48)
22. Big Boss Man (3:22)
23. Little Liza Jane (2:42)
24. When The Saints Go Marching In (1:39)
25. Rainin' In My Heart (2:03)

A 25-track single-disc compilation loaded with previously unissued sides and alternate takes (the title track is an interesting variant of his hit, "Baby, Scratch My Back"), making it the perfect companion volume to Hip Shakin'. This also has the added bonus of more (and even wilder) live recordings from the infamous 1961 frat party dance in Alabama. Dodgy sound on the live sides, but performances too great to leave in the can either way. /Rovi Staff, AllMusic

(For personnel details and recording info, see artwork included.)

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Slim Harpo - The Excello Singles Anthology (2 CD)

Album: The Excello Singles Anthology
Size: 133,0 + 142,0 MB
Time: 57:39 + 61:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Art: Front

CD 1:
1. I'm A King Bee (3:03)
2. I Got Love If You Want It (2:48)
3. Wondering And Worryin' (2:08)
4. Strange Love (2:10)
5. You'll Be Sorry One Day (2:18)
6. One More Day (2:26)
7. Buzz Me Babe (2:17)
8. Late Last Night (2:38)
9. Blues Hang-Over (3:06)
10. What A Dream (3:02)
11. Don't Start Cryin' Now (2:13)
12. Rainin' In My Heart (2:33)
13. I Love The Life I'm Living (2:32)
14. Buzzin' (2:08)
15. I Need Money (Keep Your Alibis) (2:22)
16. Little Queen Bee (Got A Brand New King) (2:38)
17. Still Rainin' In My Heart (3:00)
18. We're Two Of A Kind (2:49)
19. Sittin' Here Wondering (3:21)
20. What's Goin' On Baby (2:47)
21. Harpo's Blues (2:14)
22. Please Don't Turn Me Down (2:56)

CD 2:
1. Baby Scratch My Back (2:53)
2. I'm Gonna Miss You (Like The Devil) (2:20)
3. Shake Your Hips (2:29)
4. Midnight Blues (2:08)
5. I'm Your Bread Maker, Baby (2:33)
6. Loving You (The Way I Do) (2:57)
7. Tip On In (Part 1) (2:52)
8. Tip On In (Part 2) (2:38)
9. I'm Gonna Keep What I've Got (2:21)
10. I've Got To Be With You Tonight (2:59)
11. Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu (2:05)
12. Mailbox Blues (2:44)
13. Mohair Sam (2:32)
14. I Just Can't Leave You (3:16)
15. That's Why I Love You (3:04)
16. Just For You (3:26)
17. Folsom Prison Blues (3:56)
18. Mutual Friend (3:50)
19. I've Got My Finger On Your Trigger (1:55)
20. The Price Is Too High (2:04)
21. Rainin' In My Heart (Overdubbed Version) (2:34)
22. Jody Man (3:46)

Slim Harpo brought a good bit of the Louisiana swamp vibe with him when he recorded these immortal singles for Jay Miller's Nashville-based Excello Records in the early '60s, and the rustic, laconic way these recordings unfold, aided and abetted by Miller's trademark echo-laden production, makes them singular even inside the Excello stable.

This two-disc set has everything essential that Harpo released, including his biggest songs "I'm a King Bee" (and its many variations like "Buzzin'"), the gorgeous "Rainin' in My Heart," "Baby Scratch My Back," the two-part "Tip on In," and "Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu," as well as various B-sides and other ephemera that all add up to a complete look at this unique musician. By rolling country and swamp blues together up into a completely new place, then sprinkling in just a touch of Jimmy Reed, Harpo created a body of work that has been as impossible to re-create as it has been influential. All the proof is here. /Steve Leggett, AllMusic

(For personnel and recording details, see artwork included.)

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Slim Harpo - Shake Your Hips

Year: 1995
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:51
Size: 164,7 MB
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. Shake Your Hips (2:31)
2. Little Queen Bee (Got A Brand New King) (2:38)
3. Still Rainin' In My Heart (3:02)
4. I Need Money (Keep Your Alibis) (2:23)
5. What's Goin' On Baby (2:47)
6. Harpo's Blues (2:14)
7. Sittin' Here Wonderin' (Wondering Blues) (3:22)
8. We're Two Of A Kind (2:52)
9. I'm Gonna Miss You (Like The Devil) (2:23)
10. Baby Scratch My Back (2:34)
11. I Don't Want No One (To Take Me Away From You) (2:51)
12. Midnight Blues (2:09)
13. Lovin' You (3:00)
14. Baby You Got What I Want (3:23)
15. Your Love For Me Is Gone (3:05)
16. I'm Your Bread Maker, Baby (2:34)
17. Stop Working Blues (3:21)
18. I'm Waiting On You Baby (2:29)
19. You'll Never Find A Love (As True As Mine) (2:50)
20. Little Sally Walker (2:38)
21. I Gotta Stop Lovin' You (2:44)
22. Blueberry Hill (2:45)
23. Something Inside Me (2:08)
24. Tonite I'm Lonely (2:34)
25. A Man Is Crying (2:42)
26. Still Rainin' In My Heart (2:38)

The second installment in Ace's overview of Harpo's swamp blues career, spanning 1962-1966 and including all four of the harpist's rare 1962 sides for Imperial (cut during a brief rift with his producer J.D. Miller). More rarities and unissued gems, including a few tracks that exhibit slight soul tendencies (a genre that Harpo took to surprisingly well). /Bill Dahl, AllMusic

(For personnel details and additional info, see artwork included.)

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Various - The Excello Story Vols. 1 & 2

Album: The Excello Story Vol. 1 1952-1955
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:07
Size: 121.6 MB
Styles: R&B, Louisiana blues
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[2:43] 1. Arthur Gunter - Baby Let's Play House
[1:51] 2. The Boyer Brothers - Step By Step
[3:04] 3. Kid King's Combo - Banana Split
[2:23] 4. Charlie Dowell Orchestra - Wail Daddy
[2:20] 5. Jack Cooley - Dyna-Flow
[2:43] 6. Del Thorne & Her Trio - Down South In Birmingham
[2:52] 7. The Silvertone Singers Of Cincinnati - I Got A Home In That Rock
[2:46] 8. The Leap Frogs - Dirty Britches
[2:58] 9. Little Maxie Bailey - Drive Soldiers Drive
[2:34] 10. Bernie Hardison - Love Me Baby
[2:39] 11. The Blue Flamers - Driving Down The Highway
[2:40] 12. The Dixie Doodlers - Best Of Friends
[2:46] 13. Shy Guy Douglas - I'm Your Country Man
[2:46] 14. Louis Campbell - Gotta Have You Baby
[2:31] 15. Louis Brooks & His Pinetoppers - Bus Station Blues
[2:50] 16. Jack Toombs - You're The Only Good Thing
[2:35] 17. Ray Batts - Stealin' Sugar
[2:50] 18. The Peacheroos - Be Bop Baby
[2:32] 19. Sons Of The South - God Is Alright
[2:34] 20. The Blue Rockers - Calling All Cows

Twenty sides from the earliest years of Excello, the Nashville-based label best known for Southern-style blues and R&B, though it also recorded some country and gospel. All of these styles are present on this compilation, which may make it an uneven listen for those whose interests don't encompass each of the genres. The quality, however, is good, including a number of rarities that don't make it onto many anthologies. Arthur Gunter's original version of "Baby Let's Play House," an R&B hit before it was covered by Elvis Presley the following year, is the most famous cut by far; the only other one to be a big hit was Kid King's Combo's "Banana Split," a New Orleans-styled instrumental that made the R&B Top Ten in 1953. A number of the other blues/R&B crossovers here are delights, including the Charlie Dowell Orchestra's jump blues "Wail Daddy"; Del Thorne's jiving "Down South in Birmingham," which sounds familiar enough to be a hit, although it wasn't; the Blues Rockers' "Calling All Cows," which sounds like a bluesier variation of the famous New Orleans tune "Iko Iko," and the Leap Frogs' "Dirty Britches," with Arthur Gunter on guitar, and which, like Gunter's "Baby Let's Play House," sounds pretty close to rock & roll. Beyond the blues/R&B realm, there's updated jugband-style blues from the Dixie Doodlers, pretty hot honky tonk by Ray Batts on "Stealin' Sugar," and early uptempo doo wop on the Peacheroos' "Be Bop Baby." ~Richie Unterberger

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Album: The Excello Story Vol. 2 1955-1957
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:09
Size: 121.7 MB
Styles: R&B, Louisiana blues
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. The Marigolds - Rollin' Stone
[2:36] 2. Louis Brooks & His Hi-Toppers - It's Love Baby (24 Hours A Day)
[2:34] 3. Good Rockin' Sam - Now Listen Baby
[2:49] 4. The Solotones - Pork And Beans
[2:55] 5. Lightnin' Slim - Lightnin's Blues
[2:10] 6. Jerry McCain And His Upstarts - Courtin' In A Cadillac
[2:20] 7. Rudy Green - My Mumblin' Baby
[2:31] 8. Larry Birdsong - Pleadin' For Love
[2:23] 9. Guitar Gable - Congo Mombo
[2:58] 10. Guitar Gable - Irene
[2:18] 11. Jack Toombs - Kiss-A Me Quick
[1:55] 12. Johnny Jano - Havin' A Whole Lot Of Fun
[2:26] 13. Al Ferrier - Hey Baby
[3:13] 14. Little Al - No Jive
[2:01] 15. Little Al - Little Lean Woman
[2:37] 16. Clarence Samuels - Chicken Hearted Woman
[3:08] 17. Lonesome Sundown - My Home Is A Prison
[3:14] 18. Lightnin' Slim - Mean Ol' Lonesome Train
[2:57] 19. Lazy Lester - They Call Me Lazy
[3:03] 20. Slim Harpo - I'm A King Bee

The end of the period covered on the second installment of this Excello retrospective saw the label start to record the Louisiana swamp blues artists for whom it is most famed: Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Lightnin' Slim, Lonesome Sundown. While each of those artists is represented here by a cut or two (including Harpo's classic "I'm a King Bee"), much of it's devoted to more urban, mid-'50s blues/R&B crossover, most of it recorded in Nashville. A couple of these were big hits: the Marigolds' "Rollin' Stone" made the R&B Top Ten in 1955 (and was covered for a pop hit by the Fontane Sisters), while Louis Brooks made number two R&B that same year with "It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day)" (covered with success by Ruth Brown). Jerry McCain does raw, early electric blues with "Courtin' in a Cadillac; " Guitar Gable does blues with a Mardi Gras rhythm on "Congo Mambo"; a young Johnny Copeland plays "chicken licking" guitar on Clarence Samuels' "Chicken Hearted Woman," and there are a couple of lowdown blues by Little Al (Arthur Gunter's brother). There's also some rockabilly by Johnny Jano, whose "Havin' a Whole Lot of Fun" is attractively over the top, and Al Ferrier, whose "Hey! Baby" is a transparent derivation of "Baby Let's Play House." Like volume one of this fine series, it's a good collection of a variety of sounds on the cusp of becoming rock & roll, though by this point the line was sometimes being crossed into bona fide early rock. ~Richie Unterberger

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Slim Harpo - I'm A King Bee: The Early Swamp-Blues Classics

Year: 1993/2011
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:09
Size: 144,1 MB
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. I'm A King Bee (3:05)
2. I Got Love If You Want It (2:50)
3. Wonderin' And Worryin' (Alt. Take) (2:12)
4. Strange Love (2:11)
5. You'll Be Sorry One Day (2:20)
6. One More Day (2:27)
7. Bobby Sox Baby (Alt. Take) (1:58)
8. Late Last Night (2:41)
9. Buzz Me Babe (Alt. Take) (2:18)
10. Dream Girl (3:19)
11. Yeah Yeah Baby (Prev. Unissued) (2:10)
12. What A Dream (3:04)
13. Don't Start Crying Now (2:15)
14. Blues Hangover (3:09)
15. Moody Blues (3:00)
16. My Home Is A Prison (2:54)
17. Please Don't Turn Me Down (2:59)
18. Snoopin' Around (2:18)
19. Rainin' In My Heart (Alt. Take) (2:35)
20. That's Alright Baby (Prev. Unissued) (2:18)
21. Lover's Confession (Prev. Unissued) (2:20)
22. Buzzin' (2:09)
23. I Love The Life I'm Living (Alt. Take) (2:32)
24. Boogie Chillun (Prev. Unissued) (2:55)

Slim Harpo brought a good bit of the Louisiana swamp vibe with him when he recorded these immortal sides for Jay Miller's Nashville-based Excello Records in the early '60s, and the rustic, laconic way these recordings unfold, aided and abetted by Miller's trademark echo-laden production, makes them singular even inside the Excello stable.

This set sticks to Harpo's earliest Excello material, and therefore lacks some of his best-known tracks like "Baby Scratch My Back," the two-part "Tip on In," and "Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu," but it does have his signature tune, "I'm a King Bee" (and its many variations, like "Buzzin'"), as well as the gorgeous "Rainin' in My Heart." Also included are a rare Harpo cover of John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen" and some wonderfully ragged gems like "Bobby Sox Baby". /Steve Leggett, AllMusic

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Various Artists - The Original Blue & Lonesome

Year: 2017
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:32
Size: 165,8 MB
Styles: Blues/R&B
Scans: Full

1. Little Walter - Just Your Fool (2:23)
2. Otis Rush - I Can't Quit You Baby (3:07)
3. Little Walter - Blue And Lonesome (2:55)
4. Magic Sam - All Of Your Love (2:54)
5. Little Walter - I Gotta Go (2:41)
6. Jimmy Reed - Little Rain (3:08)
7. Eddie Taylor - Ride 'Em On Down (2:57)
8. Little Walter - Hate To See You Go (3:05)
9. Lightnin' Slim - Hoo Doo Blues (2:20)
10. Howlin' Wolf - Just Like I Treat You (2:58)
11. Dale Hawkins - Susie Q (Bonus) (2:14)
12. Chuck Berry - Around And Around (Bonus) (2:39)
13. Arthur Alexander - You Better Move On (Bonus) (2:44)
14. Muddy Waters - Look What You've Done (Bonus) (2:23)
15. Howlin' Wolf - The Red Rooster (Bonus) (2:26)
16. Benny Spellman - Fortune Teller (Bonus) (2:14)
17. Slim Harpo - I'm A King Bee (Bonus) (3:01)
18. Gene Allison - You Can Make It If You Try (Bonus) (2:08)
19. Chuck Berry - Carol (Bonus) (2:48)
20. Bob & Earl - Harlem Shuffle (Bonus) (2:48)
21. Larry Williams - She Said Yeah (Bonus) (1:50)
22. Solomon Burke - Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (Bonus) (2:50)
23. Buddy Holly & The Crickets - Not Fade Away (Bonus) (2:20)
24. Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy (Bonus) (2:56)
25. Jimmy Reed - Honest I Do (Bonus) (2:45)
26. Bo Diddley - Mona (Bonus) (2:22)
27. Robert Johnson - Love In Vain Blues (Bonus) (2:22)

When the Rolling Stones' first new release in 11 years turned out to be an all vintage blues album some fans were a bit dismayed, but it was a natural, almost inevitable, move.

After all, the Stones began life as a blues band and they have supported its originators - sharing stages with Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Etta James - and up held the blues as a key inspiration throughout their career.

With Blue & Lonesome, they celebrated the genre by taking on some key post-war blues classics and here we have compiled the original recordings by the artists who introduced the songs. /Excerpt from the liner notes by Jonny Whiteside

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Various Artists - Bluesin' By The Bayou: Ain't Broke, Ain't Hungry

Year: 2017
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:08
Size: 169,7 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Mercy Baby - Pleadin' (2:19)
2. Leroy Washington - I've Been In This Prison (2:29)
3. Lightnin' Slim - Little Girl Blues (2:59)
4. Ramblin' Hi Harris - I Haven't Got A Home (3:02)
5. 'Honey Boy' Allen Pierre - Better Start Doin' It (1:59)
6. Slim Harpo - Cigarettes (2:12)
7. Lightnin' Slim - Hoo Doo Blues (2:30)
8. Polka Dot Slim - Ain't Broke, Ain't Hungry (3:04)
9. Lazy Lester - I'm A Lover Not A Fighter (2:52)
10. Joe Richards - Dreaming, Dreaming (2:26)
11. Al Smith - Still In Love With You (2:40)
12. Cookie & The Cupcakes - In The Evening (2:50)
13. Polka Dot Slim - A Thing You Gotta Face (2:59)
14. Jake Jackson - Life Gets Hard (2:40)
15. Barbara Lynn - Sugar Coated Love (2:46)
16. Boozoo Chavis & His Zodico Accordian - Tee Black (2:08)
17. Jimmy Anderson & The Joy Jumpers - Angel Please (2:50)
18. Clarence Garlow - Make Me Cry (2:51)
19. Boozoo Chavis & His Zodico Accordian - Hamburgers & Popcorn (1:33)
20. Lightnin' Slim - I Hate To Leave You Baby (2:55)
21. Al Smith - If I Don't See You (2:28)
22. Ramblin' Hi Harris - Baby, Baby, Baby (2:45)
23. Lightnin' Slim - I Don't Know (2:07)
24. Big Walter - If The Blues Was Money (3:18)
25. Jake Jackson - Somebody Tell Me (3:00)
26. Al Smith - I Love Her So (2:09)
27. T.B. Fisher - Don't Change Your Mind (2:05)
28. Unknown Artist - I'm Gonna Find My Baby (3:01)

The “By The Bayou” series leaps to Volume 18 with a return to the blues of South Louisiana, bringing you rare or previously unissued tracks from stars of the genre such as Lightnin’ Slim, Lazy Lester and Slim Harpo, plus a host of little-known or completely unknown performers. We also have two artists who you would never think performed in the downhome style – Barbara Lynn and Cookie (aka Huey Thierry) – but who sound right at home, with an unknown harmonica player setting the tone on Barbara’s track whilst Cupcakes guitarist Marshall Laday supports Cookie with some mean blues pickin’. In fact there are several tracks here that will have air-guitar virtuosos reaching for their imaginary axes.

We reveal in the booklet that the much-reported birthplace of Lightnin’ Slim may be another creation of this enigmatic performer. Sorting out the different takes of his songs has proven complicated because he was inclined to sing subtle changes in the lyrics whilst performing identical guitar work. This time we have had the support of a dedicated fan who prefers to remain anonymous but provided detailed analysis. As for Slim Harpo, ‘Cigarettes’ is one of my favourites amongst his lesser-known titles.

As always there are a handful of mystery singers. Was there really a “Ramblin’ Hi Harris”, for example, or was his name created later by J.D. Miller? Another rarity is an artist whose record doesn’t appear in that veritable tome The Blues Discography 1943-1970. T.B. Fisher may have escaped notice there but he is proof of what a great ear Huey Meaux had for all manner of music. The man had a real knack for spotting talent and bringing out their best on vinyl, and I’ll wager there will be many a blues aficionado hunting for Fisher’s disc once it’s been heard.

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Slim Harpo - The Best Of Slim Harpo

Year: 1989/1991
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:23
Size: 110,2 MB
Styles: Electric blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. Baby Scratch My Back (2:55)
2. I Got Love If You Want It (2:49)
3. I'm A King Bee (3:05)
4. My Little Queen Bee (Got A Brand New King) (2:40)
5. Shake Your Hips (2:31)
6. Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu (2:06)
7. Buzz Me Babe (2:17)
8. Buzzin' (2:09)
9. Rainin' In My Heart (2:32)
10. Still Rainin' In My Heart (3:01)
11. Late Last Night (2:42)
12. Tip On In, Part 1 (2:53)
13. Bobby Sox Baby (1:41)
14. Don't Start Cryin' Now (2:15)
15. I Need Money (Keep Your Alibis) (2:25)
16. Strange Love (2:10)
17. Rock Me Baby (3:59)
18. Blues Hangover (3:07)

By rolling country and swamp blues together up into a completely new place, then sprinkling in just a touch of Jimmy Reed, Slim Harpo created a body of work for Jay Miller's Nashville-based Excello Records in the early '60s that has been as impossible to re-create as it has been influential. The rustic, laconic way that these recordings unfolded, aided and abetted by Miller's trademark, echo-laden production, makes them singular even inside the Excello stable.

This succinct set has the best known tracks that Harpo released, including the songs "I'm a King Bee" (and its many variations like "Buzzin'"), the gorgeous "Rainin' in My Heart" (and its maybe even more impressive sequel "Still Rainin' in My Heart"), "Baby Scratch My Back," and "Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu," Truthfully, Harpo was a bit of a one trick pony, but that trick was so absolutely wonderful that one can never get enough of it. /Steve Leggett, AllMusic

"What's the point in listening to us doing 'I'm A King Bee' when you can hear Slim Harpo doing it?" (Mick Jagger, 1968)

The Best Of Slim Harpo mc
The Best Of Slim Harpo zippy

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Various Artists - Lonesome & Blue: The Original Versions

Year: 2017
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:53
Size: 100,0 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full

1. Little Walter - Just Your Fool (2:24)
2. Memphis Slim - Blue And Lonesome (2:56)
3. Magic Sam - All Your Love (aka All Of Your Love) (2:55)
4. Little Walter - I Got To Go (2:42)
5. Eddie Taylor - Ride 'Em On Down (2:55)
6. Little Walter - Hate To See You Go (2:18)
7. Lightnin' Slim - Hoo Doo Blues (2:21)
8. Jimmy Reed - Little Rain (3:10)
9. Howlin' Wolf - Just Like I Treat You (2:57)
10. Otis Rush - I Can't Quit You Baby (3:05)
11. Muddy Waters - I Just Want To Make Love To You (Bonus) (2:50)
12. Chuck Berry - Come On (Bonus) (1:49)
13. Slim Harpo - I'm A King Bee (Bonus) (3:02)
14. Dale Hawkins - Susie Q (Bonus) (2:20)
15. Marvin Gaye - Hitch Hike (Bonus) (2:35)
16. Howlin' Wolf - Little Red Rooster (Bonus) (2:25)

The original versions of songs that inspired the Rolling Stones on their latest album, Blue & Lonesome, along with six bonus tracks: originals covered by the band earlier in their catalog. The Stones' versions of Muddy Waters' "I Just Want To Make Love To You" and Slim Harpo's "I'm A King Bee" appeared on England's Newest Hit Makers, Chuck Berry's "Come On" on their debut single, Dale Hawkins' "Susie Q" on 12 X 5, Marvin Gaye's "Hitch Hike" on Out of Our Heads, and Howlin' Wolf's "Little Red Rooster" on their second no. 1 single.

Lonesome & Blue: The Original Versions mc
Lonesome & Blue: The Original Versions zippy

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Slim Harpo - The Blues

Year: 2013
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:21
Size: 152,4 MB
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. I Got Love If You Want It (2:50)
2. I'm A King Bee (3:06)
3. Wonderin' And Worryin' (2:08)
4. You'll Be Sorry One Day (2:17)
5. Strange Love (2:10)
6. One More Day (2:15)
7. My Home Is A Prison (2:58)
8. Late Last Night (2:40)
9. Harmonica Blues (2:01)
10. What A Dream (3:07)
11. Blues Hang-Over (3:07)
12. That Ain't Your Business (2:16)
13. Bobby-Sox Baby (1:38)
14. Rainin' In My Heart (2:56)
15. Snoopin' Around (2:16)
16. Dream Girl (3:23)
17. This Ain't No Place For Me (4:10)
18. I Got Love If You Want It (Alternate) (2:55)
19. Buzz Me Baby (2:16)
20. Talking Blues (2:13)
21. One Of These Days (2:42)
22. Moody Blues (2:57)
23. Dream Girl (Alternate) (3:10)
24. My Little Queen Bee (2:27)
25. Don't Start Cryin' Now (2:10)

Slim Harpo brought a good bit of the Louisiana swamp vibe with him when he recorded these immortal sides for Jay Miller's Nashville-based Excello Records in the early '60s, and the rustic, laconic way these recordings unfold, aided and abetted by Miller's trademark echo-laden production, makes them singular even inside the Excello stable. By rolling country and swamp blues together up into a completely new place, then sprinkling in just a touch of Jimmy Reed, Harpo created a body of work that has been as impossible to re-create as it has been influential. This set includes Harpo's signature song "I'm a King Bee" and the gorgeous "Rainin' in My Heart", among many others. /Steve Leggett, AllMusic

The Blues mc
The Blues zippy

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VA - Louisiana Sounds: 50 Classics Of Louisiana Music (1953-1960)

Size: 152,4+141,3 MB
Time: 64:21+59:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Blues, Rockabilly, R&B, Cajun
Art: Front

CD 1:
01 Clarence 'Bon Ton' Garlow - Bon Ton Roulet (2:53)
02 Sugar Boy Crawford - Jock-A-Mo (2:24)
03 Clifton Chenier - Louisiana Stomp (2:54)
04 Guitar Slim - The Things That I Used To Do (2:57)
05 Clifton Chenier - Country Bred (Nobody Loves Me) (2:25)
06 Boozoo Chavis - Paper In My Shoe (2:12)
07 Hawketts - Mardi Gras Mambo (2:11)
08 Bobby Charles - See You Later, Alligator (2:47)
09 Earl King - Those Lonely, Lonely Nights (2:22)
10 Smiley Lewis - I Hear You Knocking (2:30)
11 Clarence 'Frogman' Henry - Ain't Got No Home (2:22)
12 Bobby Charles - Take It Easy, Greasy (2:10)
13 Slim Harpo - I'm A King Bee (3:01)
14 Al Ferrier - Hey Baby (2:21)
15 Huey 'Piano' Smith - Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu Pt. 1 (2:13)
16 Lloyd Price - Just Because (2:44)
17 Jimmy C. Newman - A Falling Star (2:14)
18 Slim Harpo - I Got Love If You Want It (2:46)
19 The Big Bopper - Chantilly Lace (2:22)
20 Lightnin' Slim - My Starter Won't Work (2:48)
21 Cookie & The Cupcakes - Mathilda (3:09)
22 Lazy Lester - I'm A Lover Not A Fighter (2:42)
23 Lightnin' Slim - It's Mighty Crazy (2:33)
24 Warren Storm - Mama, Mama Look What Your Little Boy's Done (2:19)
25 Jimmy Clanton - A Letter To An Angel (2:51)

CD 2:
01 Frankie Ford - Sea Cruise (2:42)
02 Lazy Lester - Sugar Coated Love (2:43)
03 Huey 'Piano' Smith & The Clowns - Don't You Just Know It (2:28)
04 Jimmy Clanton - Just A Dream (2:28)
05 Warren Storm - Prisoner Song (2:49)
06 Cookie & The Cupcakes - Until Then (2:29)
07 Rod Bernard - This Should Go On Forever (2:43)
08 Jivin' Gene - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (2:25)
09 John Fred & His Playboy Band - Shirley (1:50)
10 Rod Bernard - Pardon Mr. Gordon (2:05)
11 Lightnin' Slim - Rooster Blues (2:30)
12 Phil Phillips - Sea Of Love (2:20)
13 Al Terry - Watchdog (2:03)
14 Johnny Preston - Running Bear (2:35)
15 Joe Jones - You Talk Too Much (2:29)
16 Slim Harpo - Rainin' In My Heart (2:31)
17 Fats Domino - Walking To New Orleans (2:01)
18 Cleveland Crochet - Sugar Bee (2:29)
19 Johnny Preston - Cradle Of Love (2:18)
20 Big Boy Myles - New Orleans (2:24)
21 Jimmy Clanton - Another Sleepless Night (2:10)
22 Charles Sheffield - It's Your Voodoo Working (1:46)
23 Joe Barry - I'm A Fool To Care (2:17)
24 Clarence 'Frogman' Henry - (I Don't Know Why) But I Do (2:17)
25 Rusty Kershaw - Louisiana Man (2:31)

The leading sounds of New Orleans rub shoulders with the swamp blues of Baton Rouge to get the musical gumbo of blues, pop, Cajun and rockabilly you get recorded her on this superb 2CD set from Jasmine. Features such international stars as Slim Harpo, Fats Domino, Johnny Preston and many more. If you are a fan of diverse and influential music then look no further than the indigenous music that came from the great State of Louisiana.

Louisiana Sounds CD 1
Louisiana Sounds CD 2

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Various Artists - Bluesin' By The Bayou: I'm Not Jiving

Year: 2016
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:53
Size: 179,6 MB
Styles: Blues, Louisiana blues, zydeco
Scans: Full

1. Henry Gray - I'm A Lucky Man (2:14)
2. Juke Boy Bonner - I'm Not Jiving (2:39)
3. Lightnin' Slim - Miss Fannie Brown (2:53)
4. Slim Harpo - Things Gonna Change (2:25)
5. Boogie Jake - I Don't Know Why (2:20)
6. Lazy Lester - I Told My Little Woman (2:46)
7. Lonesome Sundown - I'm A Mojo Man (2:19)
8. Boozoo Chavis - Oh Yeah She's Gone (2:14)
9. Clifton Chenier - Everbody Calls Me Crazy (2:39)
10. Blue Charlie Morris - Don't Bring No Friend (2:48)
11. Lonesome Sundown - No Use To Worry (2:55)
12. Jimmy Anderson - Baby Let's Burn (2:06)
13. Slim Harpo - Wild About My Baby (1:59)
14. Silas Hogan - (Roaches In My Kitchen) Trouble At Home Blues (2:28)
15. Elton Anderson - I Want To Talk To You (Baby) (2:35)
16. Lazy Lester - Patrol Wagon (2:43)
17. Ramblin' Hi Harris - Early One Morning (2:09)
18. Schoolboy Cleve - She's Gone (2:11)
19. Chris Kenner - Don't Let Her Pin That Charge On Me (2:53)
20. Clarence Garlow - I Feel Like Calling You (3:21)
21. Boozoo Chavis - Bye Bye Catin (2:37)
22. Clifton Chenier - Night And Day My Love (2:40)
23. Henry Clement - Late Hour Blues (3:03)
24. Henry Gray - Cold Chills (4:48)
25. Elton Anderson - Prove Me Guilty (2:51)
26. Johnny Sonnier - Sitting Here All Alone (3:21)
27. Vince Monroe (Mr Calhoun) - Prisoner's Song (4:28)
28. Jimmy Anderson - Frankie And Johnny (3:13)

Raw blues gems trawled from the swamps of South Louisiana, plus a touch of zydeco. Ten tracks are previously unreleased or alternate takes, while the other 18 are extremely rare.

Baton Rouge was arguably the blues centre of Louisiana and just about all of the artists featured in this compilation spent part of their lives there. Long-time favourites Lightnin’ Slim, Lazy Lester, Slim Harpo and Silas Hogan certainly honed their skills in its clubs and bars, although they travelled some 70 miles west to record at J.D. Miller’s studio in Crowley. Everything here emanated from Miller’s studio or from his close rival Eddie Shuler’s facility in Lake Charles, except series newcomer Chris Kenner’s track, which was cut in New Orleans. Other artists new to the series are Henry Gray, Juke Boy Bonner, Elton Anderson, Ramblin’ Hi Harris and Schoolboy Cleve.

All of which means we have another feast of classic blues, led by guitar, piano or harmonica, plus a little zydeco from Clifton Chenier and Boozoo Chavis, whose tracks sit comfortably alongside the work of Lonesome Sundown, Jimmy Anderson and our other artists. During the 50s and 60s zydeco was the blues of the French-speaking black population of Louisiana, with the accordion replacing the harmonica as instrument of choice. Today the music is enjoying huge popularity, with thousands of aficionados from across the globe flooding to festivals in Lafayette, Breaux Bridge and other small towns across southwest Louisiana.

Bluesin' By The Bayou: I'm Not Jiving mc
Bluesin' By The Bayou: I'm Not Jiving zippy

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Slim Harpo - Tip On In

Year: 1996
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:06
Size: 177,6 MB
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. Tip On In (Part 1) (2:56)
2. Tip On In (Part 2) (2:42)
3. I'm Gonna Keep What I've Got (2:25)
4. I've Got To Be With You Tonight (2:52)
5. Mailbox Blues (2:47)
6. Te-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu (2:06)
7. Mohair Sam (2:34)
8. I Just Can't Leave You (3:19)
9. That's Why I Love You (3:07)
10. Just For You (3:29)
11. My Baby She's Got It (2:23)
12. I've Been A Good Thing For You (3:36)
13. Hey Little Lee (2:55)
14. Stick Your Chest Out Baby (2:26)
15. Folsom Prison Blues (4:09)
16. Mutual Friend (3:53)
17. I've Got My Finger On Your Trigger (1:58)
18. The Price Is Too High (2:06)
19. Jody Man (3:47)
20. The Music's Hot (2:37)
21. You Can't Make It (3:51)
22. The Hippy Song (4:17)
23. Dynamite (3:07)
24. Rock Me Baby (3:58)
25. Baby Please Come Home (3:37)

The 1960s British blues boom's favourite Louisiana bluesman (his song "I'm A King Bee" was an early Rolling Stones' cover), Slim Harpo remains the state's seminal swamp bluesman. His lazily drawled, bluesy vocals, framed by fleet-of-note guitar, simple harmonica and grinding funky rhythm section, helped define a timeless form of modern blues that was rooted in Deep South tradition. Towards the end of his brief life, however, Slim was busy modifying his blues with elements drawn from the then-voguish soul and progressive rock genres. At the time of their first release, many blues purists were apt to dismiss these trends and recordings out of hand. With hindsight, though, the blues produced at the end of Slim's career sound as strong as anything he recorded earlier (and they benefit from the weight added to the musical fidelity by their improved studio sound and stereo recording).

These 25 sides include Slim's classic and truthful version of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues", a threatening, slow-grinding "Jody Man", a sly, boastful "Dynamite" ("I'm dynamite pretty baby/All you do is light my fuse"), a great version of (the much over-recorded) "Rock Me Baby", the southern-fried recipe of "Tee-Ni-Nee-Ni-Nu" and the classic 2-part "Tip On In". Guitarist Lynn Ourso, who played on Harpo's later Baton Rouge Sessions recalled: "It was a dream working with Slim Harpo because he was my hero.. We lost one of the greats when Slim died".

Tip On In mc
Tip On In zippy

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Slim Harpo & His King Bees - Sting It Then!

Year: 1997 (Rec. 1961)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:44
Size: 162,4 MB
Styles: Blues, harmonica blues
Scans: Full

1. Star-Time Announcement (0:24)
2. I'm A King Bee (1:18)
3. Buzzin' (5:57)
4. I Got Love If You Want It (2:51)
5. You Know I Love You (4:40)
6. Lottie Mo (3:48)
7. Everybody Needs Somebody (4:54)
8. Big Boss Man (3:23)
9. Hold Me Tenderly (1:58)
10. I'll Take Care Of You (4:04)
11. Boogie Chillun (4:46)
12. Moody Blues (9:16)
13. Sugar Coated Love (6:37)
14. Star-Time Theme (1:36)
15. I'm A King Bee (2:59)
16. I Don't Play (2:14)
17. I Got Love If You Want It (2:27)
18. Little Liza Jane (2:45)
19. When The Saints Go Marching In (1:35)
20. Rainin' In My Heart (2:04)

This CD is one of the most flukey and important live-blues documents you can find, rating right up there with B.B. King's "Live at the Regal" and the live Piano Red material from 1955. Recorded off the P.A. system at a 1961 show at the Sage Armory in Mobile, Alabama, it captures Slim Harpo in his only live concert document. Harpo's vocals are a little pushed back in the resulting recording, but his harmonica is caught really well (check out the playing and the clarity on the slow blues "You Know I Love You"), as are the guitars of Rudolph Richard and James Johnson, Willie "Tomcat" Parker's sax, and Sammy K. Brown's drums.

Luckily, there's not much audience noise, so what we get is a close-up look at how the blues legend sounded on stage, doing classics like "I'm a King Bee", "Got Love if You Wants It", "Rainin' in My Heart" (his then-current hit), and songs like "Big Boss Man" and "Boogie Chillun", made famous by others. If the sound were slightly better, this would rate even higher, but any real fan should own this. (Note: 11 of the 20 tracks have appeared previously in the United States, spread among two Slim Harpo compilations devoted to his work). /Bruce Eder, AllMusic

Sting It Then! mc
Sting It Then! zippy

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Slim Harpo - Best Of Slim Harpo

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:36
Size: 90.7 MB
Styles: Louisiana blues, Harmonica blues
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[2:59] 1. I'm A King Bee
[2:45] 2. I Got Love If You Want It
[2:08] 3. Wonderin' And Worryin'
[2:14] 4. You'll Be Sorry One Day
[2:06] 5. Strange Love
[1:54] 6. Bobby Sox Baby
[2:23] 7. One More Day
[2:32] 8. Rainin' In My Heart
[3:03] 9. Blues Hangover
[2:03] 10. Buzzin'
[2:59] 11. Still Rainin' In My Heart
[2:13] 12. Snoopin' Around
[2:03] 13. Te Ni Nee Ni Nu
[2:48] 14. Tip On In, Pt. 1
[2:27] 15. Shake Your Hips
[2:51] 16. Baby Scratch My Back

There have been many Slim Harpo best-ofs available over the years, some frustratingly incomplete. This one gets all the chart hits together with several of the obscure singles like "Wonderin' and Worryin'," "Strange Love," "One More Day," and "You'll Be Sorry One Day," along with album tracks like "Snoopin' Around" and "Blues Hangover." Transfers are clean and exemplary, and this makes as good an introduction into his music as any currently available. ~Cub Koda

Best Of Slim Harpo mc
Best Of Slim Harpo zippy

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