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Elmore James discography

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Elmore James discography
Compilation albums9+[a]
Singles41
Singles as accompanist5

Elmore James was an American blues slide guitarist and singer who recorded from 1951 until 1963. His most famous song, "Dust My Broom", an electrified adaptation of a Robert Johnson tune, was his first hit and features one of the most identifiable slide guitar figures in blues.[2] James' composition "The Sky Is Crying" (which became a blues standard) and his rendition of Tampa Red's "It Hurts Me Too" were among his most successful singles on the record charts.[3] Other popular James songs, such as "I Can't Hold Out", ""Madison Blues", "Shake Your Moneymaker", "Bleeding Heart", and "One Way Out", have been recorded by several other artists, including Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix, and the Allman Brothers Band.[4][5]

As with most blues artists in the 1950s and early 1960s, James' recordings were originally issued on two-song record singles.[6][7] "Dust My Broom" was first issued by the small Trumpet Records label in 1951.[2] Shortly thereafter, James began recording for several larger companies.[8] From 1952 to 1956, he recorded for the Bihari brothers, who issued singles on their Meteor, Flair, and Modern labels.[9] In 1957, he recorded for Mel London's Chief Records,[10] and from 1959 to 1963, for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records.[7] In 1953 and again in 1960, James also recorded some songs that appeared on Checker/Chess Records.[11] He also played guitar on several recordings by other artists, including J. T. Brown, Big Joe Turner, Little Johnny Jones, and Junior Wells.[12][13][14]

In 1960, the Biharis released the compilation, Blues After Hours, on their budget Crown label, which was the only album released during James' career.[15] After his death in 1963, his former record companies began re-issuing a number of his singles on subsidiaries and leasing them out to other companies.[16] These various labels also began releasing numerous compilation albums, often with significant overlap in song selection.[1] With the advent of compact discs, this trend continued.[1] However, some box sets have appeared that collect most or all of James' recordings for a particular label or time period.[17] The Chess,[18] Capricorn,[19] and Virgin America/Flair[20] collections also include some previously unreleased material and alternate takes.

Releases 1951–1963

[edit]

On record releases, Elmore James is sometimes listed as "Elmo James", "Elmore James and the Broomdusters", and "Elmore James and His Broomdusters".[21]

Singles

[edit]
List of singles with year, notes, label, and reference(s)
Year
  • Title
  • A-side / B-side
 Notes
  • Label
  • (Cat. no.)
 Ref(s)
1951 "Dust My Broom" / "Catfish Blues" Bobo Thomas performs on B-side without James; re-released in 1966 by Jewel (764) Trumpet (146) [6]
1952 "I Believe" / "I Held My Baby Last Night" Meteor (5000) [6]
1953 "Baby, What's Wrong" / "Sinful Women" Meteor (5003) [6]
"Early in the Morning" / "Hawaiian Boogie" Flair (1011) [6]
"Country Boogie" / "She Just Won't Do Right" Checker (777) [22]
"Can't Stop Lovin" / "Make a Little Love" Flair (1014) [6]
"Please Find My Baby" / "Strange Kinda Feeling" Flair (1022) [6]
1954 "Hand in Hand" / "Make My Dreams Come True" Flair (1031) [6]
"Sho' Nuff I Do" / "1839 Blues" Flair (1039) [6]
"Dark and Dreary" / "Rock My Baby Right" Flair (1048) [6]
"Standing at the Crossroads" / "Sunny Land" Re-released in 1964 by Kent (433) Flair (1057) [6]
1955 "Late Hours at Midnight" / "The Way You Treat Me" Flair (1062) [6]
"Happy Home" / "No Love in My Heart" Flair (1069) [6]
"Dust My Blues" / "I Was a Fool" Flair (1074) [6]
"I Believe My Time Ain't Long" / "I Wish I Was a Catfish" Re-titled re-release of Trumpet (146) Ace (508) [6]
"Blues Before Sunrise" / "Goodbye Baby" Flair (1079) [6]
1956 "Wild About You" / "Long Tall Woman" Modern (983) [6]
1957 "Coming Home" / "The 12 Year Old Boy" Also released by Vee-Jay (249) Chief (7001) [23]
"It Hurts Me Too" / "Elmore's Contribution to Jazz" (instrumental) Also released by Vee-Jay (259) Chief (7004) [23]
"Cry for Me Baby" / "Take Me Where You Go" Also released by Vee-Jay (269), USA (815), and S&M (101) Chief (7006) [23]
1959 "Bobby's Rock" (instrumental) / "Make My Dreams Come True" Re-release of Flair (1031 B-side) Fire (1011) [24]
1960 "Dust My Blues"/ "Happy Home" Re-release of Flair (1074 A-side) with Flair (1069 A-side); re-released in 1963 by Kent (394) and Sue UK (WI–335) Kent (331) [6]
"The Sky Is Crying" / "Held My Baby Last Night" Fire (1016) [24]
"I Can't Hold Out" / "The Sun Is Shining" Chess (1756) [22]
"Rollin' and Tumblin'" / "I'm Worried" Fire (1026) [24]
"Knocking at Your Door" / "Calling All Blues" Earl Hooker performs on B-side without James; also released by Sue UK (WI-392) Chief (7020) [23]
"Done Somebody Wrong" / "Fine Little Mama" Fire (1031) [24]
1961 "Shake Your Moneymaker" / "Look on Yonder Wall" Also released by Enjoy (2022) Fire (504) [24]
1962 "Stranger Blues" / "Anna Lee" Also released by Bell (719) Fire (1503) [24]

Compilation albums

[edit]

Only one album by Elmore James was released during his lifetime. The compilation album, titled Blues After Hours, was issued by the Bihari budget Crown label in 1960.[15] In 1960, Fire Records planned a second compilation album featuring 1959–1960 singles, but did not issue it.[24] A compilation with a similar track listing was released in 1965, titled The Sky Is Crying (see below).

List of compilation albums with year, notes, label, and reference(s)
Year Title Notes
  • Label
  • (Cat. no.)
 Ref(s)
1960 Blues After Hours 10 Flair tracks released as singles in 1954 and 1955; re-released as The Blues in My Heart – The Rhythm in My Soul (Custom CS 1054) and The Late Fantastically Great (Ember UK 3397) Crown (5168) [15][25]

Posthumous releases (after 1963)

[edit]

Singles

[edit]
List of posthumous singles with year, notes, label, and reference(s)
Year
  • Title
  • A-side / B-side
 Notes
  • Label
  • (Cat. no.)
 Ref(s)
1965 "It Hurts Me Too" / "Bleeding Heart" The Enjoy release of "It Hurts Me Too" was recorded in 1962–1963; also released by Sue UK WI–383 Enjoy (2015 1st. pressing) [26]
"It Hurts Me Too"/ "Pickin' the Blues" (instrumental) Re-released by Fire in 1969 (2020) and 1976 (5000) Enjoy (2015 2nd. pressing) [26]
"Bleeding Heart" / "Mean Mistreatin' Mama" Enjoy (2020) [26]
"Everyday I Have the Blues" / "Dust My Broom" The Enjoy release of "Dust My Broom" was recorded in 1959 Enjoy (2027) [26]
"My Bleeding Heart"/ "One Way Out" Re-release of Enjoy 2020 A-side with new B-side Sphere Sound (702) [26]
1966 "Shake Your Moneymaker"/ "I Need You" Re-release of Fire 504 A-side with new B-side Sphere Sound (708) [26]
"Sunny Land" / "Goodbye Baby" Re-release of Flair 1057 B-side with re-release of Flair 1079 B-side Kent (465) [6]
"Dust My Broom"/ "Rollin' and Tumblin'" Re-release of Enjoy 2027 B-side with re-release of Fire 1024 A-side Sphere Sound (712) [26]
"Something Inside of Me" / "She Done Move" (instrumental) Sphere Sound (713) [26]
1968 "I Believe"/ "1839 Blues" Re-release of Meteor (5000 A-side) with re-release of Flair (1039 B-side) Kent (508) [6]
1972 "Everyday I Have the Blues"/ "Up Jumped Elmore" (instrumental) Re-release of Enjoy 2027 A-side with new B-side Fury (2000) [24]
"Something Inside of Me"/"Fine Little Mama" Re-release of Sphere Sound (713 A-side) with re-release of Fire (1031 B-side) Fire (5001) [24]

Selected compilation albums

[edit]

Numerous Elmore James compilation albums issued by a number of record companies have been released over the years.[1] The following lists some of the more notable and current releases, including box sets:[8]

List of compilation albums with year, notes, label, and reference(s)
Year Title Notes
  • Label
  • (Cat. no.)
 Ref(s)
1965 The Sky Is Crying 12 Fire/Fury/Enjoy tracks Sphere Sound (SSR 7002) [27]
1969 Whose Muddy Shoes All Checker/Chess recordings; also includes songs by John Brim Chess/MCA (9114) [28]
1975 Street Talkin' All Chief recordings; also includes songs by Eddie Taylor Muse (5087) [29]
1992 Elmore James: King of the Slide Guitar [2-CD box set] 50 Fire/Fury/Enjoy recordings Capricorn (9 42006–2) [30]
1993 Elmore James: The Classic Early Records 1951–1956 [3-CD box set] 71 Meteor/Flair/Modern recordings Virgin/Flair (72438 39632 25) [31]
The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James 21 tracks from various labels Rhino (R2 71190) [17]
1995 The Best of Elmore James: The Early Years 28 Meteor/Flair/Modern tracks Ace (CDCHD 583) [17]
2001 Shake Your Money Maker: The Best of the Fire Sessions 16 Fire/Fury/Enjoy tracks Buddha/BMG (99781) [32]

Elmore James as an accompanist

[edit]

Although it is documented that Elmore James performed with Sonny Boy Williamson II, it is unclear which, if any, of Williamson's early recordings include James as a sideman.[33] It is unknown if James performed on additional recordings by Big Joe Turner[34] and Junior Wells.[14]

Singles

[edit]
List of singles as an accompanist with year, notes, label, and reference(s)
Year
  • Title
  • A-side / B-side
 Notes
  • Label
  • (Cat. no.)
 Ref(s)
1952 "Round House Boogie" / "Kickin' the Blues Around" with J. T. Brown as Bep Brown Orchestra Meteor (5001) [12]
"Sax-ony Boogie" / "Dumb Woman Blues" with J. T. Brown as Saxman Brown (A-side) and J. T. (Big Boy) Brown (B-side) Meteor (5016) [12]
1953 "TV Mama" / "Oke-She-Moke-She-Pop" with Big Joe Turner as Joe Turner and His Blues Kings Atlantic (1016) [13]
"Sweet Little Woman" / "I May Be Wrong" with Little Johnny Jones as Little Johnny Jones and the Chicago Hound Dogs Flair (1010) [12]
"Somebody Done Hoodooed the Hoodoo Man"[b] with Junior Wells as Junior Wells and His Eagle Rockers; Wells performs "Junior's Wail" without James States (134) [14]

Record charts

[edit]
List of charting singles with year, title, label, peak chart position, and reference(s)
Year
  • Title
  • A-side / B-side
  • Label
  • (Cat. no.)
Ref(s)
1951 "Dust My Broom" Trumpet (146) 9 [3]
1952 "I Believe" Meteor (5000) 9 [3]
1953 "TV Mama" (with Big Joe Turner) Atlantic (1016) 6 [35]
1960 "The Sky Is Crying" Fire (1016) 15 [3]
1965 "It Hurts Me Too" Enjoy (2015 1st. pressing) 25[c] [3]

Notes

[edit]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Over 100 James compilation albums have been released;[1] eight of the more notable and current releases are included in this discography
  2. ^ Sometimes titled "Hodo Man" on States Records singles; for album releases it was retitled "Hoodoo Man"
  3. ^ "It Hurts Me Too" also reached number 106 on Billboard magazine's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d "Elmore James: Discography – compilations". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Koda 1996, p. 132.
  3. ^ a b c d e Whitburn 1988, p. 216.
  4. ^ Unterberger 1996, p. 86.
  5. ^ Haig & Morris 1992, p. 1.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Topping 1993, p. 33.
  7. ^ a b Haig & Morris 1992, pp. 12–13.
  8. ^ a b Koda 1996, pp. 132–133.
  9. ^ Topping 1993, pp. 12–15.
  10. ^ Topping 1993, p. 17.
  11. ^ Snowden & Welding 1991, pp. 1, 5–6.
  12. ^ a b c d Topping 1993, p. 30.
  13. ^ a b Shurman 1986, pp. 2–3.
  14. ^ a b c Koester 1998, p. 2.
  15. ^ a b c Leggett, Steve. "Elmore James and the Broom Dusters: Blues After Hours". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  16. ^ Topping 1993, pp. 16–17.
  17. ^ a b c Koda 1996, p. 133.
  18. ^ Koda, Cub. "Elmore James/John Brim: Whose Muddy Shoes". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  19. ^ Koda, Cub. "Elmore James: King of the Slide Guitar: The Fire/Fury/Enjoy Recordings". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 31, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  20. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Elmore James: The Classic Early Recordings: 51–56 [Box]". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  21. ^ Topping 1993, pp. 29–32.
  22. ^ a b Snowden & Welding 1991, pp. 5–6.
  23. ^ a b c d Hoppula, Pete (October 8, 2014). "Chief Records – Discography". Wangdangdula. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hoppula, Pete (July 5, 2011). "Fury Records/Fire Records – Discography". Wangdangdula. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  25. ^ Topping 1993, p. 36.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h Hoppula, Pete (June 7, 2008). "Bobby & Danny Robinson Labels – Discography". Wangdangdula. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  27. ^ "2019 Hall of Fame Inductees: The Sky Is Crying – Elmore James (Sphere Sound, 1965)". The Blues Foundation. March 1, 2019. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  28. ^ Koda 1996, p. 133; Snowden & Welding 1991, pp. 1–2
  29. ^ Welding 1975, pp. 1–2.
  30. ^ Koda 1996, p. 133; Haig & Morris 1992, pp. 5
  31. ^ Koda 1996, p. 133; Topping 1993, pp. 26–28
  32. ^ Yanow, Scott. "Elmore James: Shake Your Money Maker: The Best of the Fire Sessions". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  33. ^ Topping 1993, p. 11.
  34. ^ Shurman 1986, pp. 5–6.
  35. ^ Shurman 1986, pp. 2–3; Whitburn 1988, p. 419

References

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