Born Under a Bad Sign
| Born Under a Bad Sign | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Albert King | ||||
| Released | August 1967 | |||
| Recorded | Stax Studios, Memphis Tennessee March 1966 – June 1967 |
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| Genre | Blues | |||
| Length | 34:19 | |||
| Label | Stax (Cat. no. S-723) | |||
| Producer | Jim Stewart | |||
| Albert King chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  [1] |
Born Under a Bad Sign is a blues album by Albert King released in 1967. The album became "one of the most popular and influential blues albums of the late '60s"[2] and has been acknowledged by the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, and Rolling Stone magazine.
Contents |
[edit] Background
"Born Under a Bad Sign" was the first album by Albert King for Stax Records and his second album overall. It is composed of singles released by King recorded between March 1966 and June 1967, with additional studio tracks (see discography for singles information). Providing accompaniment to Albert King, who sang and played lead guitar, were the Stax in-house recording session band, Booker T. and the MGs, plus The Memphis Horns.
[edit] Style and influence
The release of Born Under a Bad Sign in 1967 "would change the face of American music, modernizing the blues".[3] "'It was the great divide of modern blues, the point at which the music was rescued from slipping into derivative obscurity'".[3] Part of the album's success has been attributed to Booker T. and the MGs who "gave his blues a sleek, soulful sound [which] gave King crossover appeal".[2] Four of the album's songs became modern blues classics: "Born Under a Bad Sign", "Oh Pretty Woman", "The Hunter", and "Crosscut Saw" (although an older song, it was given a new treatment by King). Together with "Personal Manager" and "Laundromat Blues",[4] they "form the very foundation of Albert King's musical identity and legacy".[1]
Albert King's guitar work on the album "directly influenced legions of guitar players who studied its every subtlety and nuance"[3] and was "profoundly influential, not just in blues, but in rock & roll".[1] Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan have acknowledged King's influence; indeed, some of their guitar solos are close approximations to those found on Born Under a Bad Sign.[3][1][2]
[edit] Awards and recognition
In 1985, Born Under a Bad Sign was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in the "Classics of Blues Recordings" category.[5] It received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999[6] and in 2003, the album was ranked number 499 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[7] The 2002 reissue of the album by Stax Records received a 2003 Blues Music Award for "Historical Blues Album of the Year".[8]
[edit] Track listing
[edit] Original album
| Side 1 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Born Under a Bad Sign" | William Bell, Booker T. Jones | 2:47 | ||||||
| 2. | "Crosscut Saw" | R.G. Ford[9] | 2:35 | ||||||
| 3. | "Kansas City" | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 2:33 | ||||||
| 4. | "Oh, Pretty Woman" | A.C. Williams | 2:48 | ||||||
| 5. | "Down Don't Bother Me" | Albert King | 2:10 | ||||||
| 6. | "The Hunter" | Booker T. Jones, Carl Wells, Steve Cropper, Donald Dunn, Al Jackson, Jr. | 2:45 | ||||||
| Side 2 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "I Almost Lost My Mind" | Ivory Joe Hunter | 3:30 | ||||||
| 2. | "Personal Manager" | Albert King, David Porter | 4:31 | ||||||
| 3. | "Laundromat Blues" | Sandie Jones | 3:21 | ||||||
| 4. | "As the Years Go Passing By" | Deadric Malone | 3:48 | ||||||
| 5. | "The Very Thought of You" | Ray Noble | 3:46 | ||||||
[edit] Album reissues
In 1998 Sundazed Records reissued the album with two additional bonus tracks, namely the rare mono single sides "Funk-Shun" and "Overall Junction", both written by Albert King. This expanded edition of the album—also featuring original liner notes by Deanie Parker and a new annotation by music critic Bill Dahl—was never released on compact disc and is available on LP record only.
[edit] Personnel
- Albert King – lead guitar and vocals
- Steve Cropper – rhythm guitar
- Booker T. Jones – organ, piano
- Isaac Hayes – piano
- Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass guitar
- Al Jackson, Jr. – drums
- Wayne Jackson – trumpet
- Andrew Love – tenor saxophone
- Joe Arnold – baritone sax, flute
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Born Under a Bad Sign – Review". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r88902. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas; Erlewine, Daniel. "Albert King – Biography". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p93943/biography. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
- ^ a b c d McDevitt, Sean (October 12, 2007). "Albert King: Born Under a Bad Sign Turns 40". Gibson. http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Albert%20King_s%20Masterpiece%20at%204/. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
- ^ Unrelated to the 1953 Five Royales song of the same name.
- ^ "Blues Hall of Fame – 1985 Inductees". The Blues Foundation. 1985. http://www.blues.org/#ref=halloffame_inductees. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
- ^ "Grammy Hall of Fame Awards". The Recording Academy. 1999. http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards/hall-of-fame. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2010. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/6862/35223/48200. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
- ^ "Blues Music Awards – 24th W.C. Handy Blues Awards". The Blues Foundation. 2003. http://www.blues.org/#ref=bluesmusicawards_pastyears. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
- ^ R.G. Ford was a Memphis attorney; see "Crosscut Saw" article.
