Singin' the Blues is the first LP album by American bluesman B.B. King, released in 1957 by the Bihari brothers on their Crown budget label.[1] It is a compilation album whose songs were issued between 1951 and 1956 on singles by RPM Records and most had reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Race/R&B singles charts.[2] King continued to perform and record several of the songs throughout his career, such as "Every Day I Have the Blues", "Woke Up This Morning", and "Sweet Little Angel".[3]
| Singin' the Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | June 1957[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1951–1956 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Crown | |||
| B.B. King chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception edit
Billboard (June 10, 1957): "One of the better r.&b. artists, a goodly portion of B.B. King's hits have been put together in this set. B.B.'s country blues vocal style, together with his frenetic guitar method, is enough to sell the r.&b. market. Price here is the attraction, too."[1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [5] |
In an overview for AllMusic, critic Bill Dahl rated the album four and a half out of five stars and called it "Absolutely seminal material; his classic hits."[4] The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings says that it is “self-evidently a near-faultless album.”[5]
Reissues edit
Singin' the Blues has been reissued and repackaged several times, including by P-Vine Records (Japan), Ace Records (UK),[6] and Flair Records/Virgin Records (US).[7]
Track listing edit
Details are taken from the 1991 Flair Records/Virgin Records CD reissue (the original Crown LP does not list running times) and may differ from other sources.[7]
All tracks are written by B.B. King and Jules Taub (a pseudonym of label co-owner Jules Bihari), although several are derived from earlier recordings by other blues artists as noted
| No. | Title | Notes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Please Love Me" | 2:47 | |
| 2. | "You Upset Me Baby" | 3:00 | |
| 3. | "Every Day I Have the Blues" | Recorded by Memphis Slim a.k.a. Peter Chatman in 1949[8] | 2:46 |
| 4. | "Bad Luck" | Derived from "Bad Luck Blues" by Ivory Joe Hunter in 1946[8] | 2:51 |
| 5. | "3 O'Clock Blues" | Recorded by Lowell Fulson in 1948[9] | 2:59 |
| 6. | "Blind Love" | Derived from "Standing at My Window" by Arthur Crudup (1942)[10] | 2:54 |
| No. | Title | Notes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Woke Up This Morning" | 2:55 | |
| 2. | "You Know I Love You" | 3:03 | |
| 3. | "Sweet Little Angel" | Recorded by Lucille Bogan in 1930 and Tampa Red in 1934 as "Black Angel Blues"[8] | 2:58 |
| 4. | "Ten Long Years" | 2:46 | |
| 5. | "Did You Ever Love a Woman" | Recorded by Gatemouth Moore in 1945[8] | 2:31 |
| 6. | "Crying Won't Help You" | Recorded by Tampa Red in 1946[8] | 2:56 |
References edit
- ^ a b c "Reviews and Ratings of New Popular Albums: Rhythm & Blues" (PDF). Billboard: 32. June 10, 1957.
- ^ Whitburn 1988, pp. 238–239.
- ^ Escott 2002, p. 67.
- ^ a b Dahl, Bill. "B.B King: Singin' the Blues – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ a b Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 354. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
- ^ "B.B. King: Singin' the Blues [Ace] – Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ a b Schneider 1991, p. 3.
- ^ a b c d e Escott 2002, p. 42.
- ^ Escott 2002, p. 40.
- ^ Escott 2002, p. 41.
Sources edit
- Escott, Colin (2002). B.B. King: The Vintage Years (Box set booklet). B.B. King. Ace Records. Ace ABOXCD 8.
- Schneider, Cy (1991). Singin' the Blues/The Blues (Reissue album notes). B.B. King. Beverly Hills, California: Virgin Records. V2-86296.
- Whitburn, Joel (1988). "B.B. King". Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.