John Lee Hooker – The Real Blues (1970/2020) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

“John Lee Hooker was truly a seminal blues artist. Many of his songs are part of America’s blues music treasury,” said blues historian and Founding Executive Director of the GRAMMY Museum Bob Santelli. “In addition to impacting blues history, Hooker’s music influenced great rock bands like the Rolling Stones, the Animals, the Yardbirds and ZZ Top. We’re thrilled to honor the King of the Boogie’s legacy and tell the story of his incredible career in his own home state.”

With a prolific career that spanned over five decades, legendary bluesman John Lee Hooker remains a foundational figure in the development of modern music, having influenced countless artists around the globe with his simple, yet deeply effective style. Known to music fans around the world as the “King of the Boogie,” Hooker endures as one of the true superstars of the blues: the ultimate beholder of cool. His work is widely recognized for its impact on modern music—his simple, yet deeply effective songs transcend borders and languages around the globe.

Born near Clarksdale, Mississippi on August 22, 1917 to a sharecropping family, Hooker’s earliest musical influence came from his stepfather, William Moore—a blues musician who taught his young stepson to play guitar, and whom Hooker later credited for his unique style on the instrument. By the early ‘40s, Hooker had moved north to Detroit by way of Memphis and Cincinnati. By day, he was a janitor in the auto factories, but by night, like many other transplants from the rural Delta, he entertained friends and neighbors by playing at house parties. “The Hook” gained fans around town from these shows, including local record store owner Elmer Barbee. Barbee was so impressed by the young musician that he introduced him to Bernard Besman—a producer, record distributor and the owner of Sensation Records. By 1948, Hooker—now honing his style on an electric guitar—had recorded several songs for Besman, who, in turn, leased the tracks to nationally distributed Modern Records. Among these first recordings was “Boogie Chillun,” (soon after appearing as “Boogie Chillen”) which became a #1 jukebox hit, selling over a million copies. This success was soon followed by a string of hits, including “I’m in the Mood,” “Crawling Kingsnake” and “Hobo Blues.” Over the next 15 years, Hooker signed to a new label, Vee-Jay Records, and maintained a prolific recording schedule, releasing over 100 songs on the imprint.

When the young bohemian artists of the ‘60s “discovered” Hooker, among other notable blues originators, he found his career taking on a new direction. With the folk movement in high gear, Hooker returned to his solo, acoustic roots, and was in strong demand to perform at colleges and folk festivals around the country. Across the Atlantic, emerging British bands were idolizing Hooker’s work. Artists like the Rolling Stones, the Animals and the Yardbirds introduced Hooker’s sound to new and eager audiences, whose admiration and influence helped build Hooker up to superstar status. By 1970, Hooker had relocated to California and was busy collaborating on several projects with rock acts. One such collaboration was with rock band Canned Heat, which resulted in 1971’s hit record Hooker ‘n’ Heat. The double LP became Hooker’s first charting album.

Tracklist

1. John Lee Hooker – Boogie Chillun
2. John Lee Hooker – Tupelo
3. John Lee Hooker – Whiskey and Wimmen
4. John Lee Hooker – I Love Ya Honey
5. John Lee Hooker – Every Night
6. John Lee Hooker – Frisco
7. John Lee Hooker – Take a Look at Yourself
8. John Lee Hooker – She Shot Me Down
9. John Lee Hooker – No One Told Me
10. John Lee Hooker – Mighty Fire

Download:

mqs.link_J0hnLeeH00kerTheRealBlues197020202496.rar

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