12-string..... anybody remember Long John Baldry?

[G u e s t]

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He could play the 12's, but singing, oh boy, he could sing the blues.

Missed, but not forgotten.

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[TWilson]

Yep! Don't try to play no boogie woogie on the king of rock and roll!!

[Gilliangirl]

Yes, I moved into a house of bohemian party animals in the late 1970's and that's all we played..... LJB records! Boy, those were fun days! It was only a 2 bedroom townhouse so not everyone living there had their own room. I did not have my own room, as I moved in late, so I slept in a sleeping bag under the stairs in the basement. You never knew what you would find when you came home every day, but usually there was some sort of party going on. The stairs had no backs on them and so it was not uncommon to go to bed and have beer bottles rolling down the stairs and bonking me on the head. I didn't get much sleep when I lived there, but I'll NEVER forget that place. Whenever I hear LJB, I remember those days.

[zombywoof]

I remember him but to be honest I was not a fan. When it came to a 12 string and the straight and natch'el blues LJB was not even in the ballpark of a Howlin' Wolf, Barbecue Bob, Curley Weaver or Blind Willie McTell.

[jaxson50]

He is underrated here in the US for his impact on the British music scene, but he had as much influence if not more then John Mayall.

The English Bluesman John Baldry gave Elton John and Rod Stewart thier starts, interesting back ground. John was a gentle giant, 6'7" which is how he got his name "long". He got his start playing with Blues Incorporated, some other members were a kid named Mick Jagger, Jack Bruce and Charlie Watts. A few guy's who liked to set in on gigs were Keith Richards and Brain Jones. We know what happened after that!

When the Stones made "Got Live if You Want It!" in 66' John was the announcer.

But that is just the start, in 63 he joined Cyril Davies and Jimmy Page and Nicky Hopkins to form the R&B All-stars, after Davis died they renamed the band Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men, featuring Rod Stewart! By this time Jimmy Page had moved on and Geoff Bradford took over guitar. Nicky Hopkins also left the band and was replaced by a very young piano player named Reg Dwight and Elton Dean & Caleb Quaye on guitar.

Dwight later changed his name by taking Deans first name (Elton) and Baldry's first name (John) and well you know the rest, of the story.

It was Baldry that introduced Elton John to Bernie Taupin. In 1965 he formed Steampacket, Baldry and Stewart on vocals with Julie Driscoll as female vocals and Brian Auger on Hammod Organ. The band broke up in 66' and reformed as Bluesology. Bluesology lasted till 68. His hit "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll" came off his 1971 album and was produced by Rod Stewart, by then the band included Micky Waller, Ian Armitt, Pete Sears and Sammy Mitchell. In 72' he worked with Dave Ball guitarist from Procal Harum to record Everything Stops for Tea.

John had many mental breakdowns and was institutionalised right after that record was released, in 79' he released "Baldry's Out".

[zombywoof]

It was Baldry that introduced Elton John to Bernie Taupin.

 

Hasn't he been forgiven for that yet?

[jaxson50]

Maybe a reprieve is in order?

[jaxson50]

When I was a young buck fresh out of the barn, I played with a guitarist who had ventured to England in the early 60's and returned to the US in 69. Billy was present for much of the 60's British Blues scene. He had played with Graham Bond and was at ground zero for much of the events that created the British Invasion.

man I wish I could have seen some of those shows.

[Geoffrey Lawton]

Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock and Roll

 

One of my faves of that period.