"Laundromat Blues" (1966) is Albert King's first Stax recording. He did it the same day as the classic instrumental "Overall Junction". This track was recorded live in the studio (which was an old Cinema) in one take. Albert, who was illiterate at the time had to memorize the lyrics and it caused troubles but gave his music an honest edge. In this tune we get the first dose of his incredible guitar style. Here he does fantastic double stop bends and string harmonics. This is the only studio recording he ever does this in too. OK, in the single version, which peaked at #29 in the R&B charts, the editors cut out the last part of his solo, where he goes up to the 5 chord (this tune is in Bb) and does several wild bends. This was to cut the time of the tune down a few seconds for the radio. It is interesting and this version has never been heard anywhere since 1966 on the radio. This tune was written by Indiana based writer Sandy Jones and it was the first pure blues tune for Stax. Sandy also wrote the deeply moving "Walking The Back Streets and Crying" that was a hit for Little Milton and covered by Albert on "I Wanna Get Funky" (1973).
Last year Stax released "Stax Profiles" which gave us a couple of rare offerings such as the "In Session" complete version of "Born Under A Bad Sign" with SRV. In this CD we get the extremely rare remix version of "Oh Pretty Woman" (1966). This is not the album version. Albert does a similar solo and all new fills. It's great, especially at the end. It is fantastic, very rare and something again not heard before in all other releases-even in Japan and Europe. This tune is one of Albert's most famous but never hit the hot 100.
"Crosscut Saw" (1966), another cut from the "Bad Sign" LP, got up to #34 in the R&B charts. This is the original tune, but in the original the tape was damaged and they wanted it to get out quickly to be sold. The vocal always was buried in the mix due to the poor tape. This version has been enhanced and remixed and sounds awesome.
"Born Under A Bad Sign" (1967) perhaps Albert's most famous tune was done with Booker T and the MGs. They recorded the backing track and it was so good Albert merely plugged in and played along. This is the original but remixed. It hit #49 on the R&B hot 100. This tune was meant to be a trendy contemporary tune linking astrology with the blues according to the Jones/Bell Stax writing team (like the "Age of Aquarius" at the time) but nobody really got it. They just loved Albert!
The next tune "Cold Feet"(1967) is a great example of Albert King's Talking Blues (the original Rap) ability and he was one of the best. This tune is from Atlantic Records issue of "King Of The Blues Guitar". This was Atlantic's clever distribution deal to share recording and royalties with Stax. Well this was the thing that lead to Stax's demise in the 1970s. This tune did very well peaking at #20 on the R&B and was one of Albert's few crossover hits (#67 Pop). The tune was written by Albert and the great drummer Al Jackson Jr.
(I Love) Lucy (1968)is a humourous blues written by the Bell/Jones Stax house writing team about his guitar "Lucy" (yes Albert tried to copy BB a bit, but never in playing). This song is fun; "all the fellas wanted to rub the back of her neck" and with the MGs backing it is fabulous. The very end of the tune when King exclaims "That's why I love Lucy" is some of his best and most influential playing. Listen to those micro-tone bends, they are classic!
"Blues Power"(1968)is from the album of the same name. It is the most curious single of them all. The original, with its dictionary of AK licks, was ten minutes long. Here it is cut to three minutes. Enough said. So it becomes a rap at the Fillmore West. This version was until now only available in Europe.
"Drowning On Dry Land"(1969) where Albert cries "My nose are in the sand" is from the LP "Years Gone By", Albert's first intentional LP ever (others were singles compilations). This is Part 1 of the tune. On the LP Part 2 is the instrumental. This single did not chart. Many people have done it including soul singer O.V. Wright and Buddy Guy.
"Tupelo (Part1)" and "Water" are two rare singles from the Jammed Together LP(1969) with Albert, Roebuck "Pop" Staples and guitar hero Steve Cropper. This album was probably a response to the highly successful "Super Session" LP which was out at the time. However, neither of these singles charted but they are interesting. "Tupelo" was written by John Lee Hooker has Pop singing and AK playing lead. Albert's solo is where they fade out! "Water" is a pop song written by Steve Cropper and Eddie "Knock on Wood" Floyd and sung by Steve. Very rare.
"Wrapped Up In Love Again" (1969) is a VERY rare single (Stax 0058). It is featured as the opening track of the Years Gone By LP but this is a different version, not a remix. It is very cool but did not chart. I believe someone had a copy of this single in England and transferred it to digital in the mid 1990s (the UK Stax issue of "Blues For You" has photos in it of this 45RPM record and the "Blues Power" one as well and said that they were from "the producer's collection").
"Can't You See What You're Doing To Me" (1970) is an Albert penned and produced number with the Bar-Kays. The bass line is fantastic. This tune was only ever a single and peaked at #50 in the R&B charts. Albert's solos are very well played and he uses many overbends, which he did not do a lot. Great control, tension and release.
"Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven" (1971) was written by Don Nix who also wrote Freddie King's and The Eagles "I'm Goin Down". This is from the very underrated "Lovejoy" LP in the middle of King's Stax period. This tune has great playing and lyrics "everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die!" However, the great ending to this tune is cut off in the fade out. It was recorded in Alabama under some more of Atlantic Records shifty work.
"Angel Of Mercy" (1972), "I'll Play The Blues For You" (1972)and "Breaking Up Somebody's Home" (1972) are all from King's most creative LP "I'll Play The Blues For You". "Mercy", one of the finest minor key blues ever written (and composer Homer Banks recently died) has some of King's finest string bending, he even opens the tune with pre-bends (ghost bends), a first in blues. However, the tune did not chart. "I'll Play The Blues For You" written by Jerry Beach, features great changes and playing, but the single is, like "Drowning", only Part One of the tune. It hit #31 on the R&B chart and also became a favourite on American FM radio. "Breaking Up" is a cover of an Ann Peebles tune. This song was also written by the talented Al Jackson Jr. This tune peaked at #35 on the R&B chart. This version is VERY rare and again from a copy in Europe.
"Playing On Me" (1973), "That's What The Blues Is All About" (1973) and "Flat Tire" (1974) are from the last Stax Album King did (the rest were off cuts and singles and so on) entitled "I Wanna Get Funky" (1973)."Playing" is a Mack Rice tune. Rice was in the Falcons with Wilson Pickett and wrote the classic "Mustang Sally". In the single version a louder Tambourine is added in the second half of the tune-maybe for danceablity. It is also a different version from the LP. It did not chart. "Blues Is All About" is Albert's most successful single (next to his first for King Records "Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong") peaking at # 15 in the R&B charts. It's a cool almost pop-soul blues and I always wondered...