Howlin´ Wolf

• 180- gram VIRGIN VINYL LIMITED EDITION

• The Complete Album + 6 Bonus Tracks

• 4 1/2 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Howlin’ Wolf was the primal force of blues music spun out to its ultimate conclusion. He was an imposing presence, blessed with a thunderous voice and enormous physical strength. Like his friend and rival Muddy Waters, Wolf transformed Mississippi’s archaic country blues into the electric urban blues of Chicago, his adopted home. Presented here is his outstanding debut album for Chess Records, Moanin’ in the Moonlight (1959) – one of the alltime cornerstones of the genre.

PERSONNEL:

• HOWLIN’ WOLF - (vocals and harmonica), plus:
• A1-A2: Willie Johnson (g), probably Ike Turner (p on A2), Willie Steele (d).
• Memphis, July or August 1951.
• A3, B4: Hubert Sumlin, Jody Williams (g), Willie Dixon (b), Hosea Lee Kennard (p), Earl Phillips (d).
• Chicago, January & July 1956.
• A4, B1, B5: Hubert Sumlin, Jody Williams (g), Willie Dixon (b), Otis Spann (p), Earl Phillips (d).
• Chicago, May & October 1954.
• A5: Lee Cooper (g), Willie Dixon (b), Otis Spann (p), Earl Phillips (d).
• Chicago, March 18, 1954.
• A6: Willie Johnson (g), unidentified rhythm section.
• Memphis, late 1953.
• B2: Hubert Sumlin, L.D. McGhee (g), Hosea Lee Kennard (p), S. P. Leary (d).
• Chicago, September 1958.
• B3: Hubert Sumlin, L.D. McGhee (g), Alfred Elkins (b), Hosea Lee Kennard (p), Earl Phillips (d), Abb Locke (ts).
• Chicago, April 3, 1958.
• B6: Willie Johnson, Otis “Smokey” Smothers (g), Alfred Elkins (b), Hosea Lee Kennard (p), Earl Phillips (d), Adolf “Billy” Duncan (ts).
• Chicago, December 1956 & June 1957.

• (*) BONUS TRACKS:
• HOWLIN’ WOLF - (vocals and harmonica), plus:
• A7: J. T. Brown (ts), Johnny Jones (p), Hubert Sumlin (g), Jerome Arnold (b), Junior Blackmon (d).
• Chicago, September 28, 1962.
• A8: Hubert Sumlin (g), Alfred Elkins (b), Hosea Lee Kennard (p), Earl Phillips (d).
• Chicago, December 1957.
• A9: Hosea Lee Kennard (p), Jody Williams, Hubert Sumlin (g), Alfred Elkins (b), Earl Phillips (d).
• Chicago, April 3, 1958.
• B7: J. T. Brown (ts), Donald Hankins (bar), Lafayette Leake (p), Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy (g), Jerome Arnold (b), Sam Lay (d).
• Chicago, late 1962.
• B8: Hubert Sumlin, Jody Williams (g), Willie Dixon (b), Henry Gray (p), Earl Phillips (d).
• Chicago, March 1955.
• B9: Henry Gray (p), Hubert Sumlin (g), unknown (el-b), Willie Dixon (b), Sam Lay (d).
• Chicago, December 1961.

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1 MOANIN’ AT MIDNIGHT
• A2 HOW MANY MORE YEARS
• A3 SMOKESTACK LIGHTNIN’
• A4 BABY, HOW LONG
• A5 NO PLACE TO GO (YOU GONNA BREAK MY LIFE)
• A6 ALL NIGHT BOOGIE
• A7 MAMA’S BABY (*)
• A8 SITTIN’ ON TOP OF THE WORLD (*)
• A9 I BETTER GO NOW (*)

• SIDE B
• B1 EVIL (IS GOIN’ ON)
• B2 I’M LEAVIN’ YOU
• B3 MOANIN’ FOR MY BABY
• B4 I ASKED FOR WATER (SHE GAVE ME GASOLINE)
• B5 FORTY-FOUR
• B6 SOMEBODY IN MY HOMEV
• B7 HIDDEN CHARMS
• B8 DON’T MESS WITH MY BABY (*)
• B9 JUST LIKE I TREAT YOU (*)