That's My Story is a studio album by American blues musician John Lee Hooker, released in April or May 1960 on Riverside Records.[1][2] The album was recorded in one session on February 9, 1960 at Reeves Sound Studio in New York City.[3] It was produced by Orrin Keepnews and features the rhythm section from saxophonist Cannonball Adderley's group, which included bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes.[3]

That's My Story
Studio album by
ReleasedApril or May 1960[1][2]
RecordedFebruary 9, 1960
StudioReeves Sound Studios in New York
GenreBlues
Length44:43
LabelRiverside
ProducerOrrin Keepnews
John Lee Hooker chronology
The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker
(1959)
That's My Story
(1960)
Travelin'
(1960)

Release and reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [4]
Down Beat     [5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [6]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings    [7]

That's My Story was released in 1960 to positive reviews from The Jazz Review[8] and New York Times critic Robert Shelton.[9] By the time of this recording, Hooker's Delta blues style of playing had influenced and become part of the "folk boom" in the United States.[10] Mojo later cited the record as the point when Hooker had "developed the more ruminative side of his work".[11]

Track listing edit

All songs written by John Lee Hooker except the first track which is an adaptation of "Money (That's What I Want) by Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford, with additional lyrics by John Lee Hooker.[3]

  1. "I Need Some Money" – 2:25
  2. "Come on and See About Me" – 3:06
  3. "I'm Wanderin'" – 5:12
  4. "Democrat Man" – 3:27
  5. "I Want to Talk About You" – 3:02
  6. "Gonna Use My Rod" – 4:20
  7. "Wednesday Evenin' Blues" – 3:34
  8. "No More Doggin' " – 2:42
  9. "One of These Days" – 4:05
  10. "I Believe I'll Go Back Home" – 3:42
  11. "You're Leavin' Me, Baby" – 3:51
  12. "That's My Story" – 4:34

Personnel edit

Credits for That's My Story adapted from liner notes.[3]

  • Paul Bacon – design, cover production
  • Ken Braren – design, cover production
  • Louis Hayes – drums
  • Jack Higgins – engineer
  • John Lee Hooker – guitar, vocals
  • Sam Jones – bass
  • Orrin Keepnews – producer, liner notes
  • Harris Lewine – design, cover production
  • Lawrence Shustak – photography

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b Editorial Staff, Billboard (25 April 1960). "New Riverside April Release". The Billboard. The Billboard Publishing Co. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b Editorial Staff, Cash Box (14 May 1960). "May Album Releases" (PDF). The Cash Box. The Cash Box Publishing Co. Inc., NY. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Track listing and credits as per liner notes for That's My Story CD reissue
  4. ^ Koda, Cub. Review: That's My Story. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-08-15.
  5. ^ Columnist. "Review: That's My Story". Down Beat: v. 27. 1960.
  6. ^ Hoard, Christian (ed.) "John Lee Hooker". The Rolling Stone Album Guide: November 2, 2004. Fireside Books.
  7. ^ Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
  8. ^ Columnist. "Review: That's My Story". The Jazz Review: 44. v. 3. 1960.
  9. ^ Shelton, Robert. "Review: That's My Story". The New York Times: 25. April 7, 1961.
  10. ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2009). The encyclopedia of popular music (4th ed.). New York/Abingdon: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195313734.
  11. ^ "Review: That's My Story". Mojo. EMAP: 169. October 2001.

References edit

External links edit