Billy Boy Arnold

Billy Boy Arnold is one of the Chicago blues greats actually born in the windy city. This album was recorded over a two-day period, and Billy Boy’s old school approach, combined with the edgier white boys blues-rock of The Groundhogs resulted in some of the best blues of the 70’s.

Back in his native Chicago, Billy Boy learned playing harmonica as a child and made his recording debut in 1952. In 1955, he played harp on Bo Diddley’s iconic ‘I’m a Man’, and at the same day he recorded the self-penned ‘You Got To Love Me’ (which in fact was not released till 1992, as part of a box set!).
Seemingly going from strength to strength, he experienced somewhat of a tumble downwards during the 60’s. By the 70’s, however, he had begun playing festivals and was recording again, as well as touring Europe.

By the latter part of the 1970’s, bluesmen had discovered their European audience (and vice versa), however, the trick was to take everything one stage further! Enter promoter (and boss of jazz label JSP) John Stedman, who in turn approached entrepreneur Peter Shertser (who ran the blues label Red Lightnin’) with the possibility in mind to record Billy Boy. The initial idea seemed good, however, as back in those days people used pick-up bands, the search for the right outfit was on. They settled on Tony McPhee (guitar/slide) and his band The Groundhogs (Alan Fish-bass / Wilgur Campbell-drums), which they went to see at The Bridge pub in Bow. Tony had already backed John Lee Hooker, so he seemed the natural choice. Shertser wanted to capture the spirit of the old Billy Boy, albeit for a young audience – therefore the more meaty and aggressive tunes of The Groundhogs would provide the perfect counterbalance to the smouldering vocals of Billy Boy.

Shertser was adamant to take the overall sound of the album back to 1950’s Chicago, but with a modern slant. Billy Boy and The Groundhogs gelled immediately, and you can feel it. You can actually hear Billy Boy humming some of the lines, while the band started the songs. The whole shebang was recorded at Pathway Studios, West London, and over two days only because of Billy Boy’s touring schedule. Not that the quality suffered, mind you! Upon its release, Dr. Feelgood’s Lee Brilleaux rated it as one of the best albums he had heard in years, whilst writer Charles Shaar Murray gave it a 5-star review in Vogue.

Most of the 15 tracks are Billy Boy Arnold’s own arrangements, albeit with an added ‘rework factor’ mainly provided by The Groundhogs. Other tracks are covers, like Little Walter’s ‘Ah’W Baby’.

Opener ‘Dirty Mother F’ straight away jumps into a thumping groove, courtesy of The Groundhogs, and Billy Boy’s fluent blues harmonica, together with his swinging vocals, sets the mood. Some great, traditional R&B is at the forefront of ‘Don’t Stay Out All Night’, backed by some superb slide and an almost Stonesy swagger by McPhee and Co. The laudable harmonica solos bring everything to a different level of course, and to maximum affect.

Slide and harmonica can be heard simultaneously on ‘1-2-99’, a slow simmering affair with the whole scale of the Delta incorporated. The speed is upped big time on the instrumental ‘Riding The El’, which gives all four musicians ample opportunity to go wild and loose on their instruments.

The Jimmy McCracklin cover ‘Just Got To Know’ receives a bit of a makeover here… while the blues vibe of the original remains, here it is in fact emphasized through sparingly applied instruments – making it sound more grounded, and very harmonica driven. That also goes for next number ‘Christmas Time’ (also a McCracklin cover). Difference here is that the strings, evident in the McCracklin version, are replaced with a soaring guitar sound on the Billy Boy/McPhee reworking.

‘I Wish You Would’ and ‘Sweet Miss Bea’ are B. Boy Arnold staples, but it’s ‘Blue And Lonesome’ (the Little Walter number, and not the Alison Krauss one) which gets me going. This slow burning yet flavoursome track ticks all the right boxes, and is what BLUES is all about (with a modern slide guitar solo thrown in). As smooth as a shot of Southern Comfort!

The Calvin Carter cover ‘Eldorado Cadillac’ is bursting with a stonkin’ Muscle Shoals sound, cranked up by the flaming licks and rhythm of The Groundhogs, and immaculately held together by Billy Boy’s classy blues voice.
‘Mary Berenice’ boasts a fantastic blues rock rhythm… a bit of boogie, a little honky tonk, plenty of soul and a general Southern rock vibe.

Furthermore, the CD features three bonus tracks: ‘It’s Great To Be Rich’ (composer unknown, but same spiel as the previous track), Big Bill Bronzy’s ‘Just A Dream’, and last but not least, Robert Petway’s ‘Catfish Blues’. The latter is barely recognisable, seeing how the original version is stripped off almost everything bar guitar and Petway’s vocals, but brought to live (and kickin!) in Billy Boy’s take on it.

A sublime album, and justly regarded as one of Billy Boy Arnold finest moments!