KING OF THE BLUES
August 10, 2008 – 5:39 am
Click on the panels for a better view or to download artwork.
BB KING
Fillmore East 1971 [no label, 2CD]
Live at Fillmore East, New York, June 19, 1971. Early and late shows. Excellent soundboard.
BB King reportedly found his break with mainstream white audience through Mike Bloomfield’s Butterfield Blues Band. According to www.worldblues.com, “The new excitement generated by the band with guitar playing of Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield created curiosity about the origins of their music. Countless times the were asked, ‘Where did you learn to play that way?’ Both guitarists answered honestly, ‘By copying BB’s licks.’ People looked at them blankly, ‘BB who?’ ‘The real monster,’ Bishop and Bloomfield would reply, ‘BB King.’”
Word of mouth is one thing but BB King followed up with a hit, the Roy Hawkins song, The Thrill Is Gone, in 1969. As www.worldblues.com said: “With all his new triumphs, the most symbolic was his appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1971. Playing on the Sullivan show was a sign that a new performer had arrived with the American public.”
King’s growing popularity also meant that the blues musician was now playing, apart from the usual jazz clubs, venues such as Fillmore East.
Thanks to Davmar77 for sharing the excellent soundboard tracks on the Dime site.
Reader Lambdish commented: “Absolutely amazing - I was at the soundcheck earlier in the day and attended the late show for this one - it was my first time seeing BB but I really went for Moby Grape who was the middle act on the bill… Anyway - we were bummed about the Grape fiasco [evidently Moby Grape had a fight with Bill Graham and played a noisy 20 minutes] but then BB came out and blew it all away… I thought maybe I glorified this show in my memory but after listening to this show so many years later, I now realise I wasn’t imagining things - BB was amazing that night.”
If BB King was hot that night, his band was really smokin’ too.
Click on the highlighted tracks to download the MP3s (these are high quality stereo MP3s - sample rate of 192 kibit/s). As far as we can ascertain, this recording has never been officially released.
These tracks are no longer available for download. Kindly email us at mybigo@bigozine.com if you want to download these tracks at a later time.
CD1 - Early Show
Track 101. Let Me Love You
Track 102. Walkin’ Doctor Bill
Track 103. You’re So Fine
Track 104. Ain’t That Just Like A Woman
Track 105. Instrumental
Track 106. Instrumental
Track 107. Please Accept My Love
Track 108. The Thrill Is Gone
Track 109. Instrumental
Track 110. Sweet Sixteen
CD2 - Late Show
Track 201. Instrumental
Track 202. Every Day I Have The Blues
Track 203. How Blue Can You Get
Track 204. Instrumental
Track 205. A Whole Lotta Lovin’
Track 206. Nobody Loves Me But My Mother
Track 207. Hummingbird
Track 208. Instrumental
Track 209. Intros
Track 210. Sweet Sixteen
Track 211. Instrumental
Track 212. The Thrill Is Gone
Track 213. Instrumental
Track 214. Crowd
Lineup:
BB King - guitar, vocals
Ron Levi - piano
Milton Hopkins - second guitar
Wilbur Freeman - bass
Joseph Burton - trombone
John Browney - trumpet
John Turpenton - alto sax
Louis Hubert - tenor sax
Sonny Freeman - drums
Click here to order the four-CD BB King collection, King Of The Blues.
Those who need an introduction to BB King might prefer to order the one-CD Ultimate Collection.
6 Responses to “KING OF THE BLUES”
Great site—great music— thanks for the memories! JP
By J.P. Gelinas on Aug 12, 2008
This is EASILY ranks among B. B.’s best live albums. FIVE STARS…unquestionably.
By Jamie on Aug 12, 2008
Awesome gig! The quality sound is very good too. Congratulations for this big one!
Please, show us more blues boots!!!
By Lucille on Aug 12, 2008
AMEN, Lucille!
By Jamie on Aug 13, 2008
Thanks as always, for everything — Big O roolz!
By Heli0tr0pe on Aug 15, 2008
I love this stuff. Thank you so much for making it available for us B.B. fans!
By Explosivo on Aug 15, 2008