John Lee Hooker

180-gram VIRGIN VINYL

LIMITED EDITION

The Complete Album + 2 Bonus Tracks

This release presents one of Hooker’s most difficult to find albums, the eponymous JOHN LEE HOOKER, originally released in 1962 by the Fantasy Records subsidiary Galaxy label. It includes a selection of hardto- find recordings Hooker made with his electric guitar during different sessions in the 1950s.

All of the dates were produced by Bernard Besman, the man who helped define Hooker’s recorded sound, which often relied upon heavy walking beats, boogies, and an eerie atmosphere. Mostly, this long-play contains raw solo recordings like the opener “Might As Well Say We’re Through,” “Left My Wife and My Baby,” and “Fire at Natchez,” among others, combined with some full band performances such as “Lost My Job” and the great “Shake It Up and Go.”

PERSONNEL:

• ON SIDE A A1-A2, A4 - A6 / SIDE B B2-B6:
• Solo recordings by JOHN LEE HOOKER (vocals, electric guitar and foot stomping).
• Recorded in the early 1950s, probably in Detroit and Chicago.
• ON TRACK A3:
• JOHN LEE HOOKER (vocals, electric guitar) plus unidentified personnel.
• Recorded in the early 1950s, probably in Detroit.
• ON TRACK B1:
• JOHN LEE HOOKER (vocals, electric guitar) plus unidentified rhythm section and horns.
• Recorded in 1959, probably in Chicago.
• ON TRACK A7:
• JOHN LEE HOOKER (lead vocals, guitar) plus Eddie Kirkland (guitar and second vocals).
• Recorded by Joe Bihari and Joe Siracuse in Detroit, May 1954.
• ON TRACK B7:
• Solo recording by JOHN LEE HOOKER (vocals, guitar) plus Eddie Kirkland (guitar and second vocals).
• Recorded in Detroit, early 1950s.

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1. MIGHT AS WELL S AY WE’RE THROUGH
• A2. RISIN’ SUN (Louisiana Voo-Doo)
• A3. LOST MY JOB
• A4. LEFT MY WIFE AND MY B ABY
• A5. TRAVELIN’ DAY AND NIGHT
• A6. DEEP DOWN IN MY HEAR T
• A7. LET’S TALK IT OVER (BONUS TRACK)

• SIDE B
• B1. SHAKE IT UP AND GO
• B2. FIRE AT NATCHEZ
• B3. THE SWEETEST GIRL I KNOW
• B4. MAD WITH YOU BABY
• B5. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW MOVED IN
• B6. BALLAD TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN
• B7. BABY, YOU AIN’T NO GOOD (BONUS TRACK)