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The First Five Years - John Mayall


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The First Five Years (2000) - John Mayall


    Featuring »

Jack Bruce (John Symon Asher), Eric (Patrick) Clapton, Eric (Patrick) Clapton, Aynsley Dunbar, Hughie Flint, Peter Green, Peter Green, John Mayall & Eric Clapton, John Mayall And The Bluesbreakers, Geoff Krivit, John Mayall, John Mayall, John Mayall, John Mayall, John McVie, Peter Green & John Mayall, Mick Taylor

    Tracklisting »

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Crawling Up A Hill
  Date Performance: 1965-04-26, Running Time: 2:08
  Comments: From the BBC "Saturday Club" show.
Crocodile Walk
  Date Performance: 1965-04-26, Running Time: 2:24
  Comments: From the BBC "Saturday Club" show.
Bye Bye Bird
  Date Performance: 1965-04-26, Running Time: 2:49
  Comments: From the BBC "Saturday Club" show.
Nowhere To Turn
  Date Performance: 1965-10-25, Running Time: 1:42
  Comments: From the BBC "Saturday Club" show. Sometimes billed as "Nowhere To Run".
On Top Of The World
  Date Performance: 1966-03-14, Running Time: 2:33
  Comments: From the BBC "Saturday Club" show.
Lonely Years
  Date Performance: 1965-10-00, Running Time: 3:21
  Comments: by John Mayall & Eric Clapton. Mono Version. Recorded at Wessex Sound Studio(s), Old Compton Street, London. Released August 1966 as the A-side of a single on Purdah Records (#45-3502). (P) 1966 The Decca Record Company Ltd. Licensed from The Polygram Licensing Division. Source: Original analogue tape
Milkman Strut
  Date Performance: 1966-11-00, Running Time: 2:26
I'm Your Witchdoctor
  Date Performance: 1965-10-25, Running Time: 2:11
  Comments: From the BBC "Saturday Club" show.
Cheating Woman
  Date Performance: 1965-10-25, Running Time: 2:03
  Comments: From the BBC "Saturday Club" show. Sometimes billed as "Cheatin' Woman".
On Top Of The World
  Date Performance: 1965-12-02, Running Time: 2:49
  Comments: (Version Two) Recorded at Pye Studios. Unreleased Stereo Mix.
Key To Love
  Date Performance: 1966-03-14, Running Time: 2:02
  Comments: From the BBC "Saturday Club" show.
Burn Out Your Blind Eyes
  Date Performance: 1966-11-00, Running Time: 3:01
Evil Woman BluesLyrics available
  Date Performance: 1966-10-00, Running Time: 4:05
  Comments: by Peter Green & John Mayall. Recorded during the "A Hard Road" sessions.
Ridin' On The L & NLyrics available
  Date Performance: 1967-01-23, Running Time: 2:19
  Comments: From the BBC "Saturday Club" show.
Sitting In The RainLyrics available
  Date Performance: 1967-01-23, Running Time: 2:53
  Comments: From the BBC "Saturday Club" show.
Leaping ChristineLyrics available
  Date Performance: 1967-01-23, Running Time: 1:55
  Comments: From the BBC "Saturday Club" show.
CurlyInstrumental
  Date Performance: 1967
  Comments: BBC Session recording
Worried Love
  Date Performance: 1967-11-05
Supermarket Day
  Date Performance: 1967-11-05
Snowy WoodInstrumental
  Date Performance: 1967-11-05
Suspicions
  Date Performance: 1967
Picture On The WallLyrics available
  Date Performance: 1968-03-31
Knockers Step ForwardInstrumental
  Date Performance: 1968-03-31
I'm Gonna Fight For You J.B.
  Date Performance: 1969
  Comments: Recorded live in Germany.
The Laws Must Change
  Date Performance: 1969
  Comments: Recorded live in Germany.
    Released »

2000

    Format »

Bootleg Vinyl/CD Album

    Other Appearances »
Gus Dudgeon (Engineer), Jimmy (James Patrick) Page (Producer), Dan Burley (Songwriter), Willie Dixon (Songwriter), Peter Green (Songwriter), Peter Green (Songwriter), Peter Green (Songwriter), Lionel Hampton (Songwriter), John Mayall (Songwriter), John Mayall (Songwriter), John Mayall (Songwriter), Mick Taylor (Songwriter), Mick Taylor (Songwriter), Sonny Boy (Aleck Ford Rice) Williamson (Willie) (Miller) (Songwriter), Mike Vernon (Produced By)

    Record Label »
Pontiac

    Reviews »
Add your review here.

4/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.04/5.0
A fascinating look at Mayall's finishing school
Review written by Richard J. Orlando, July 27th, 2005

Listening to this collection of BBC recordings, studio sessions and live performances is a little like finding stacks of unmarked boxes of contact sheets in a photographer's studio - you can attempt to put them back into chronological order and identify all the people, but in the end, it's just guess work. The disc starts off on a high note with blistering renditions of "Crawling Up a Hill", "Crocodile Walk" and Sonny Boy Williamson's "Bye Bye Bird". Each with a running time of well under three minutes, these tracks display the instinctive interplay that Mayall and his rhythm section, John McVie on bass and Hughie Flint, drums, had forged during countless gigs in English pubs. According to the accepted histories of the time, Clapton recorded these sessions just days after joining and one can feel the tension as Clapton listens to the band hurl through the opening number, poised and ready for his solo. Released, he tears through his turn and then steps back, spent. "Crocodile Walk" is similar in arrangement but taken at an easy going stroll, highlighting the lyrics playful imagery. "Bye Bye Bird" is wonderful harmonica romp, with McVie and Flint in unobtrusive support. Here is the seed of what would become "Room to Move". Next up is a track called "Nowhere to Run" - never officially released in any form, it's another strong harp workout for Mayall with McVie carrying the weight of the rhythm, and Mayall's organ playing substituting for a strong lead guitar. This is where things get confused. The disc lists the four songs as being one session - most
sessionographies have this song, plus two others here, "I'm Your Witchdoctor" and "Cheating Woman" as one BBC session and I'd have to agree based on the sound. "Witchdoctor", like the above, substitutes stained organ notes, strummed guitar chords and drum rolls reminiscent of early Who for the bridge, in place of Clapton's guitar on the studio version. The original recording, plus two versions of Mayall's "On Top of the World", the hard-to-find studio version and one done for the BBC, are also here. Who the guitarist was on those three tracks is the subject of vigorous debate amongst those who care to debate such things, but don't let that detract from your enjoyment in listening to them. Confusion is purposefully sowed with the titles: "Everybody's Got Trouble", "Instrumental", "I Won't Be Loving Anymore" and "Times Gonna Come" - these are, respectively: "Lonely Years", "Milkman Strut" from the "Raw Blues" collection, "Burn Out Your Blind Eyes" and Peter Green's "Evil Woman Blues", again from "Raw Blues". Surpassing the opening numbers, the four BBC recordings featuring Peter Green show the band members playing with a ferocity rarely shown even in later years and other line-ups.
Peter's propulsive National Steel work is a rare treat, powering "Riding On the L&N" (the disc highlight). As if to show his versatility, he then does some nimble fingerpicking on "Sitting In the Rain". Abrupt change of pace once again and the band careens through "Leaping Christine" at break-neck speed. Peter's last number is his own "Curly" - shorter than the studio version, this utilizes the heavy power chords he'd build "Green Manalishi" around. Minor quibble, the sound quality is not as good as the earlier tracks, but sadly, it's far to superior to the tracks with Mick Taylor that follow.
You might at first fear that there is something wrong with your stereo but it's just the recordings. Which is a shame as there is more excellent playing found on the tracks but these are truly bootleg" quality. Thankfully, the sound quality improves a bit for the last two numbers, recorded live in Germany in 1969 - the first is Mayall's tribute to one of his idols, the American blues singer J.B. Lenoir -"I'll Fight For You J.B." and a jaunty run through "Laws Must Change". This collection, spotlighting his three most famous guitarists, demonstrates Mayall's versatility as an arranger and bandleader, as have the thirty-five years since these recordings were made.

    Comments »

"Lonely Years" Incorrectly billed as "Everybody's Got Trouble"
"Milkman Strut" Incorrectly billed as "Instrumental"
"Burn Out Your Blind Eyes" Incorrectly billed as "I Won't Be Loving Anymore"
"Evil Woman Blues" Incorrectly billed as "Times Gonna Come"

    Last Modified »
2011-07-09
    Tracklisting »
Discography entry submitted by Mario Pirrone & Marty Adelson.