George Thorogood and the Destroyers (album)
George Thorogood and the Destroyers is the self-titled debut studio album by American blues rock band George Thorogood and the Destroyers, released in 1977. Consisting mostly of covers of blues hits, it includes a medley of John Lee Hooker's "House Rent Boogie" and "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer",[1] the latter a song written by Rudy Toombs for Amos Milburn, and later covered by Hooker.
| George Thorogood and the Destroyers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 1, 1977 | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Studio | Dimension Sound Studios, Boston, Massachusetts | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 45:10 | |||
| Label | Rounder | |||
| Producer | Ken Irwin | |||
| George Thorogood and the Destroyers chronology | ||||
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| Singles from George Thorogood and the Destroyers | ||||
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In 2015 Rounder Records released a new remix of the original album was released under the name George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers.[2]
Release
editRounder Records released George Thorogood and the Destroyers on July 1, 1977. The album eventually sold more than 600,000 copies.[3] Three tracks from the album were released as singles.
2015 remix
editIn 2015 Rounder released George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers,[2] a new remix of the album featuring the three-piece band as originally recorded and mixed. It omits the bass overdubs by Billy Blough, which were added after the original recording sessions. It also adds the previously unreleased Elmore James track "Goodbye Baby".[2]
Critical reception
editGeorge Thorogood and the Destroyers received positive reviews from critics.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[5] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [6] |
| Daily Vault | B[7] |
| PopMatters | 6/10[8] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues | [9] |
A Cashbox reviewer wrote "Thorogood deals strongly in early '50s style rock and timeless blues and this album captures him at his slidin', pickin', wailin' best."[10] Billboard magazine wrote "Rocking rhythm and blues, accented by the slide guitar, gives the album a nostalgic '60s sound. Rhythm section backup is tight while the vocals, though somewhat strained, are distinctive enough to stand out."[11]
AllMusic`s Stephen Thomas Erlewine says "this album isn't about groove and it's certainly not about virtuosity -- it's about bashing out the blues at a punishing volume, and their lack of subtlety is why this 1977 debut still sounds powerful years after its release."[12] David Bowling of Daily Vault wrote "George Thorogood And The Destroyers did not change the course of American blues or rock ‘n’ roll but it made them a bit more enjoyable. It is an album for the beer hall or smoky night club."[13]
Track listing
editOriginal Release
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You Got to Lose" | Earl Hooker | 3:15 |
| 2. | "Madison Blues" | Elmore James | 4:24 |
| 3. | "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer^" | John Lee Hooker | 8:20 |
| 4. | "Kind Hearted Woman" | Robert Johnson | 4:21 |
| 5. | "Can't Stop Lovin'" | Elmore James | 3:04 |
^The song is titled "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer", but is a medley of that song preceded by "House Rent Boogie", also called "John L's House Rent Boogie". The songwriter is credited as John Lee Hooker, who was indeed the author of "House Rent Boogie". John Lee Hooker's version of the "One Bourbon" half of the medley was used by Thorogood and Rudy Toombs, the writer of the original "One Bourbon" was not credited on the album.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ride On Josephine" | Ellas McDaniel | 4:17 |
| 2. | "Homesick Boy" | George Thorogood | 3:02 |
| 3. | "John Hardy" | Traditional | 3:18 |
| 4. | "I'll Change My Style" | William Parker, Manuel Villa | 3:57 |
| 5. | "Delaware Slide" | George Thorogood | 7:45 |
| Total length: | 45:10 | ||
George Thorogood And The Delaware Destroyers (2015 remix)
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You Got to Lose" | Earl Hooker | 3:25 |
| 2. | "Madison Blues" | Elmore James | 4:28 |
| 3. | "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" | John Lee Hooker | 8:30 |
| 4. | "Kind Hearted Woman" (*) | Robert Johnson | 4:23 |
| 5. | "Ride On Josephine" | Ellas McDaniel | 4:24 |
| 6. | "Can't Stop Lovin'" | Elmore James | 3:36 |
| 7. | "Homesick Boy" | George Thorogood | 3:16 |
| 8. | "John Hardy" (*) | Traditional | 3:33 |
| 9. | "I'll Change My Style" | William Parker, Manuel Villa | 4:09 |
| 10. | "Delaware Slide" | George Thorogood | 8:05 |
| 11. | "Goodbye Baby" | Elmore James | 3:27 |
| Total length: | 51:16 | ||
(*) Tracks omitted from the vinyl release[14]
Personnel
editMusicians
edit- George Thorogood – vocals, guitar, harmonica
- Ron "Roadblock" Smith – rhythm guitar
- Billy Blough – bass guitar
- Jeff Simon – drums
Technical
edit- Ken Irwin – producer
- John Nagy – engineer
- Susan Marsh – design
- Henry Horenstein – photography (front cover)
- Sam Clover – photography (back cover)
Charts
edit| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[15] | 52 |
Certifications and sales
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[16] | Gold | 20,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[16] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[16] | Gold | 7,500^ |
| United States (RIAA)[16] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Poling, Dean (March 19, 2010). "Bad to the Funny Bone: A Strange Conversation with George Thorogood". Valdosta Daily Times. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- ^ a b c "George Thorogood And The Delaware Destroyers". Georgethorogood.com.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA".
- ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "George Thorogood & the Destroyers – George Thorogood & the Destroyers,George Thorogood | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 16, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 652. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
- ^ Daily Vault Review
- ^ PopMatters Review
- ^ The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues. Virgin. 1998. p. 346.
- ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. September 17, 1977. p. 22 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Billboard's Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. September 10, 1977. p. 100 – via World Radio History.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "George Thorogood & the Destroyers Review". AllMusic.
- ^ Bowling, David (August 21, 2013). "George Thorogood And The Destroyers: | Daily Vault". Daily Vault.
- ^ "Rounder Records to Release Limited Edition of Original Mix of George Thorogood & The Destroyers Debut Album". George Thorogood official website.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 309. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ a b c d "EMI Pact Gives Thorogood "Best Of Both Worlds"" (PDF). Cash Box. June 19, 1982. p. 8. Retrieved December 5, 2021 – via World Radio History.
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