A Hard Road

For other uses, see A Hard Road (disambiguation).

A Hard Road
Studio album by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
Released	17 February 1967
Recorded	11, 12, 19 & 24 October; 11 November 1966 at Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, England
Genre	Blues
Length	37:13 (original) 79:22 (2006 reissue)
Label	Decca London
Producer	Mike Vernon
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers chronology
Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966) A Hard Road (1967) Crusade (1967)

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A Hard Road is a 1967 electric blues album recorded by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers featuring Peter Green on lead guitar, John McVie on bass, Aynsley Dunbar on drums and John Almond. Tracks 5, 7 and 13 feature the horn section of Alan Skidmore and Ray Warleigh. Peter Green sings lead vocals on "You Don't Love Me" and "The Same Way." The notable instrumental track "The Supernatural", a guitar improvisation in the key of D minor, has much in common with Peter Green's later hit composition "Black Magic Woman".

The album reached #8 on the U.K. Album Charts which is Mayall's third biggest chart next to "Bare Wires" and "Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton" which reached #3 and #6, respectively.

The cover art and the original LP sleeve design are by Mayall. In 2003 and 2006 two different expanded versions of the album were released.

Track listing

All songs by John Mayall except as noted

Side one

1. "A Hard Road" – 3:12
2. "It's Over" – 2:51
3. "You Don't Love Me" (Willie Cobbs) – 2:50
4. "The Stumble" (Freddie King, Sonny Thompson) – 2:54
5. "Another Kinda Love" – 3:06
6. "Hit The Highway" – 2:17
7. "Leaping Christine" – 2:25

Side two

1. "Dust My Blues" (Elmore James, Joe Josea) – 2:50
2. "There's Always Work" – 1:38
3. "The Same Way" (Peter Green) – 2:11
4. "The Supernatural" (Green) – 2:57
5. "Top Of The Hill" – 2:40
6. "Someday After A While (You'll Be Sorry)" (King, Thompson) – 3:02
7. "Living Alone" – 2:23

2003 Expanded version

1-14 Original album tracks (as above)

15. Evil Woman Blues (Green)- 4:05
16. All My Life (Robinson)- 4:25
17. Ridin' on the L&N (Burley, Hampton)-2:32
18. Little by Little (London, Wells)- 2:47
19. Eagle Eye – 2:52
20. Looking Back (Watson)- 2:37
21. So Many Roads (Paul) 4:47
22. Sitting in the Rain - 2:59
23. Out of Reach (Green)- 4:44
24. Mama Talk to Your Daughter (Atkins, Lenoir)-2:39
25. Alabama Blues (Lenoir) 2:31
26. Curly (Green) – 4:51
27. Rubber Duck (Dunbar, Green)-4:00
28. Greeny (Green) 3:56
29. Missing You (Green) 1:59
30. Please Don't Tell- 2:29
31. Your Funeral and My Trial (Williamson) – 3:56
32. "Double Trouble" (Rush)- 3:22
33. "It Hurts Me Too" (London) 2:57
34. Jenny - 4:38
35. Picture on the Wall - 3:03
36. First Time Alone – 5:00

The Additional material is: 15 from Raw Blues; 16-19 from the EP with P. Butterfield; 20-22 & 30-35 from Looking back; 23-26 &28-31 from Thru the years; 27 from the B-side of a single; 36 from Laurel Canyon

2006 UK Expanded version (1CD/28 tracks, 4 unreleased)

1-14 Original album tracks (as above)

15. Looking Back (Watson)- 2:37
16. So Many Roads (Paul) -4:47
17. Mama, Talk To Your Daughter (Atkins, Lenoir)-2:39
18. Alabama Blues (Lenoir)- 2:31
19. All My Life
20. Ridin' On The L And N (Burley, Hampton)-2:32
21. Eagle Eye – 2:52
22. Little By Little
23. Sitting In The Rain 2:59
24. Out Of Reach (Green)- 4:44
25. No More Tears
26. Ridin' On The L And N (Burley, Hampton)
27. Sitting In The Rain
28. Leaping Christine

The previously unreleased tracks 25-28 are from the BBC Sessions; 19-22 are from the EP with P. Butterfield; 17-18, 24 from Thru the years; 15-16, 23 from Looking Back

Personnel

Original Album

• John Mayall – vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano, organ
• Peter Green – guitar, vocals
• John McVie – bass
• Hughie Flint, Aynsley Dunbar – drums
• John Almond, Alan Skidmore – Saxophones
• Ray Warleigh – Wind instruments

2003 Expanded

Same as above with the addition of:

• Colin Allen – Drums
• Paul Butterfield – Harmonica, vocals
• Mick Fleetwood – Drums
• Henry Lowther – Trumpet
• Nick Newell – Saxophone

Production

• Produced by Mike Vernon
• Recording Engineer : Gus Dudgeon