What springs to mind when you hear the term “British blues movement”? Is it covers of Slim Harpo, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker songs by the early Rolling Stones, Manfred Mann, Yardbirds, and others? Or is it the blues-rock Big Bang of Eric Clapton’s work on John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, a.k.a. “Beano,” album?
Of course, there’s a lot more to it, which perhaps only Brits of a certain age were exposed to. With 73 cuts across three CDs and a 30-page booklet, Shake That Thing! The Blues In Britain, 1963-1973 offers an overview that’ll enlighten even hardcore bluesniks.
As with wider exposure afforded rural and urban blues artists in America, the British blues movement grew out of folk and jazz circles. This collection kicks off with Cyril Davies (accompanied by his Rhythm and Blues All Stars) blowing harmonica on “Country Line Special” a la Sonny Terry. When Muddy Waters did a short U.K. tour in ’58, two years before he would play the Newport Jazz Festival back home, he was atypically backed by “trad” (Dixieland jazz) trombonist Chris Barber, but also jammed with Davies and guitarist Alexis Korner. Years before John Mayall was dubbed the “Godfather of British Blues,” Korner was called the same, and for good reason, considering Charlie Watts, Jack Bruce, Graham Bond, Ginger Baker, and Dick Heckstall-Smith served time in his Blues Incorporated, and he and Davies opened the London Blues and Barrelhouse Club.
The program jumps to Long John Baldry dueting with American gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, an early Rod Stewart single featuring session guitarist Jimmy Page, and acoustic innovator Davy Graham doing “Goin’ Down Slow.” Page and John Renbourn team to back Beverley Martyn’s rendition of Bessie Smith’s “Me & My Gin.”
Because the format is chronologicalrather than ganged stylistically, the Panama Limited Jug Band commingles with the Animals’ hit version of “See See Rider,” featuring Hilton Valentine’s gnarly bending of a note 20 times in a row. Animals singer Eric Burdon was always naturally soulful and authentic, but others’ delivery can be quite affected – none more than Alex Harvey’s over-the-top vocal on “Honey Bee,” unintentionally resembling a parody.
One of the most-original cuts is Korner laying slide on an instrumental arrangement of Robert Johnson’s “Preachin’ Blues,” backed by droning horns and tom-toms. Johnson gets another nod via Clapton’s understated “Ramblin’ On My Mind,” from the aforementioned “Beano.” Rather than simply cover an old blues tune, Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled debut featured Peter Green solo on “The World Keep On Turning,” sounding uncannily like a long lost Hooker tune.
The Kellys – Dave and sister Jo-Ann – are especially strong, vocally and on guitar, covering Fred McDowell and Charley Patton, respectively. Dave was a member of the John Dummer Blues Band and later worked with Manfred Mann’s Paul Jones, both as a duo and in the Blues Band, which called it quits in 2022, after two dozen sterling albums. Jo-Ann was courted by Canned Heat and released an album on Epic. She possessed a deep, convincing voice, and her guitar work was equally impressive. Brother and sister were members of the ad hoc all-star Tramp (Danny Kirwan, Mick Fleetwood, Bob Hall, Bob Brunning), also featured here. She passed away from a brain tumor in 1990, just 46 years old.
Additional slide comes courtesy of Pete Haycock of the Climax Chicago Blues Band, as Climax was known in ’70. Haycock was a bit of a wunderkind, forming the predecessor to the band at 16. Sam Mitchell’s sparse “Leaf Without A Tree” is the most haunting track in the box. Aqualung fans might be surprised to discover that Jethro Tull was originally a blues band, and a good one, while Ralph McTell, famous for the folk-pop hit “Streets Of London,” struts some intricate Piedmont ragtime picking.
The heaviest rock interpretation of the blues is Humble Pie’s 1971 version of Muddy’s “Rollin’ Stone,” spotlighting the dual guitars of Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton. Irish blues-rocker Rory Gallagher’s command is featured twice, with Taste and under his own name, but both are solo pieces.
There are a lot of gems here, but in this case the whole truly is greater than the sum of its parts. Hopefully, it will entice listeners to dig deeper into what was a fruitful scene. My only complaint is about the booklet and its teensy typeface; it’s a shame the label didn’t make it 60 pages with legible lettering. The set’s closer is “Last Of The Good Time Guys” by Dave Peabody, an accomplished journalist, photographer, and (as demonstrated here) fingerpicker – also represented with his band Tight Like That. I had the good fortune to hook up with Dave in London in ’89, and he took it upon himself to be my one-man blues chamber of commerce. Next month, I’ll share an interview with Dave, a true renaissance man of the blues.
This article originally appeared in VG’s February 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.