Plays John Mayall

by John Mayall, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers

Overview

John Mayall's debut album, recorded live in December 1964, is a little unjustly overlooked, as it was recorded shortly before the first of the famous guitarists schooled in the Bluesbreakers (Eric Clapton) joined the band. With Roger Dean on guitar (and the rhythm section who'd play on the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton album, bassist John McVie and drummer Hughie Flint), it has more of a rock/R&B feel, rather like the early Rolling Stones, than the purer bluesier material Mayall would usually stick to in his subsequent recordings. The record doesn't suffer for this, however, moving along quite powerfully, and -- unusually for a British R&B/blues band of the time -- featuring almost nothing but original material, all penned by Mayall. Nigel Stanger's saxophone adds interesting touches to a few tracks, the songs are quite good, and while Dean's guitar and Mayall's vocals aren't on the same level as the best instrumentalists and singers in the British blues-rock movement, they're satisfactory. [The 2006 U.K. expanded CD edition added five enjoyable cuts that round up everything else recorded by the pre-Eric Clapton version of the Bluesbreakers, including the 1964 single "Crawling Up a Hill"/"Mr. James"; the early 1965 single "Crocodile Walk"/"Blues City Shakedown"; and the February 1965 outtake "My Baby Is Sweeter," which first showed up on the early-'70s British compilation Thru the Years. "Crawling Up a Hill" and "Crocodile Walk" also appear on the original John Mayall Plays John Mayall album in live performances, but the bonus track versions are entirely different studio recordings done for those non-LP singles, and are pretty good as well.] ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	06/09/2023
Label:	Proper Records / Proper Uk
UPC:	0805520240345
Rank:	79232

Album Credits

Performance Credits

John Mayall   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Harmonica,Keyboards
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers   Primary Artist
John McVie   Bass
Peter Ward   Drums
Nigel Stanger   Saxophone
Roger Dean   Guitar

Technical Credits

Steve Wolfe   Composer
Clarence Paul   Composer
Barney Ales   Composer
Frank Zappa   Composer
Walter Spriggs   Composer
Del Shannon   Composer
John Mayall   Composer
Max Crook   Composer
Ronnie Scott   Composer
Jimmy Forrest   Composer
Albert Collins   Composer
William "Mickey" Stevenson   Composer
Willie Spriggs   Composer
Ivan Ultz   Composer
Smokey Robinson   Composer
Lowell George   Composer
Willie Dixon   Composer
Richard Penniman   Composer
Lewis C. Simpkins   Composer
Oscar Washington   Composer