Hot Tuna (album)

Untitled

Hot Tuna is the eponymous first album by the rock group Hot Tuna. Released in 1970, it was recorded live at the New Orleans House in Berkeley, California.

Hot Tuna would later become a blues influenced hard rock band, but they started out playing traditional "country" blues. The group was formed by Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady as a side project when they were in Jefferson Airplane. On their first album, Kaukonen plays acoustic guitar. With Casady on electric bass and Will Scarlett on harmonica, the early Hot Tuna played the old time acoustic blues that had been a predecessor of rock music. The album rose to #30 on the Billboard charts.

Track listing

Side One

1. "Hesitation Blues" (traditional, arranged by Kaukonen / Casady) – 5:05
2. "How Long Blues" (Carr) – 3:24
3. "Uncle Sam Blues" (traditional, arranged by Kaukonen / Casady) – 5:04
4. "Don't You Leave Me Here" (Morton) – 2:50
5. "Death Don't Have No Mercy" (Davis) – 6:10

Side Two

1. "I Know You Rider" (traditional, arranged by Kaukonen / Casady) – 3:59
2. "Oh Lord, Search My Heart" (Davis) – 3:47
3. "Winin' Boy Blues" (Morton) – 5:25
4. "New Song (For the Morning)" (Kaukonen) – 4:55
5. "Mann's Fate" (Kaukonen) – 5:20

CD bonus tracks

1. "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning" (Davis) – 3:48
2. "Candy Man" (Davis) – 3:35
3. "True Religion" (traditional, arranged by Kaukonen / Casady) – 5:23
4. "Belly Shadow" (Kaukonen) – 2:59
5. "Come Back Baby" (Hopkins) – 6:07

Personnel

• Jorma Kaukonen — acoustic guitar, vocals
• Jack Casady — bass
• Will Scarlett — harmonica

Production

• Al Schmitt — producer
• Allen Zentz — engineer
• Pat Ieraci — master of the machines
• Margareta Kaukonen — painting
• Mike Frankel — photography
• Gut — art direction

References

• Hot Tuna Bio, Dead.net
• Nager, Larry. "Kaukonen's Music Flowed from Yellow Springs", The Cincinnati Enquirer, April 30, 2000
• Starostin, George. Review of Hot Tuna, The Tower of Babel

External links

• Official Hot Tuna web site