Singin' the Blues
Singin' the Blues is a compilation album by American bluesman B.B. King released in 1957. All of the songs had been issued between 1951 and 1956 on singles by RPM Records and most had reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Race/R&B singles charts.[2] The Bihari brothers released it as King's first album on their Crown Records budget label.[1]
| Singin' the Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | February 1957[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1951–1956 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Crown | |||
| B.B. King chronology | ||||
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In an overview for AllMusic, critic Bill Dahl rated the album four and a half out of five stars and called it "Absolutely seminal material; his classic hits."[3] King continued to perform and record several of the songs throughout his career, such as "Every Day I Have the Blues", "Woke Up This Morning", and "Sweet Little Angel".
Singin' the Blues has been reissued and repackaged several times, including by P-Vine Records (Japan), Ace Records (UK),[4] and Flair Records/Virgin Records (US).[5]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
Track listing
Details are taken from the 1991 Flair Records/Virgin Records CD reissue (the original Crown LP does not list running times) and may differ from other sources.[5]
All tracks are written by B.B. King and Jules Taub (a pseudonym of label co-owner Jules Bihari), although several are derived from earlier recordings by other blues artists as noted.
| No. | Title | Notes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Please Love Me" | 2:47 | |
| 2. | "You Upset Me Baby" | 3:00 | |
| 3. | "Every Day I Have the Blues" | Recorded by Peter Chapman a.k.a. Memphis Slim in 1948[6] | 2:46 |
| 4. | "Bad Luck" | Derived from "Bad Luck Blues" by Ivory Joe Hunter in 1946[6] | 2:51 |
| 5. | "3 O'Clock Blues" | Recorded by Lowell Fulson in 1948[7] | 2:59 |
| 6. | "Blind Love" | Derived from "Standing at My Window" by Arthur Crudup (1942)[8] | 2:54 |
| No. | Title | Notes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Woke Up This Morning" | 2:55 | |
| 2. | "You Know I Love You" | 3:03 | |
| 3. | "Sweet Little Angel" | Recorded by Lucille Bogan in 1930 and Tampa Red in 1934 as "Black Angel Blues"[6] | 2:58 |
| 4. | "Ten Long Years" | Eddie Boyd recorded a similar "Five Long Years" in 1952 | 2:46 |
| 5. | "Did You Ever Love a Woman" | Recorded by Gatemouth Moore in 1945[6] | 2:31 |
| 6. | "Crying Won't Help You" | Recorded by Tampa Red in 1946[6] | 2:56 |
References
- Escott 2002, p. 67.
- Whitburn 1988, pp. 238–239.
- Dahl, Bill. "B.B King: Singin' the Blues – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- "B.B. King: Singin' the Blues [Ace] – Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2020.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Schneider 1991, p. 3.
- Escott 2002, p. 42.
- Escott 2002, p. 40.
- Escott 2002, p. 41.
Sources
- Escott, Colin (2002). B.B. King: The Vintage Years (Box set booklet). B.B. King. Ace Records. Ace ABOXCD 8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Schneider, Cy (1991). Singin' the Blues/The Blues (Reissue album notes). B.B. King. Beverly Hills, California: Virgin Records. V2-86296.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Whitburn, Joel (1988). "B.B. King". Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)