The Downhome Blues Sessions: Back In The Alley 1949-1954 Various Artists (Modern Downhome Blues Sessions)

£12.56

Genre:
Blues
Label:
Ace Records
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDCHD 1194

This product is also available in these versions:
The Downhome Blues Sessions: Back In The Alley 1949-1954 (MP3), MP3 (£7.99)

It was way back in 1969/1970, when the Bihari Brothers, the owners of Modern Records commenced a reissue series that opened the door to a whole new world of blues recordings.

The series of blues albums on the Bihari’s Kent Records label included compilations of blues recordings from Memphis, Arkansas, Detroit, Mississippi, Texas, West Coast and California blues. These sets were compiled by US collectors Frank Scott and Bruce Bromberg who were allowed to mine the Bihari’s vaults and issued as part of the "Anthology Of The Blues" 12 volume album series. What made these albums stand out was that they included unissued tracks and obscure blues artists - hitherto unknown to many, with the exception of a small band of dedicated record collectors on both sides of the Atlantic.

Albums from this series eventually found their way across the pond to the UK, some on Kent, but many appearing on the Bihari’s ultra-budget United series. In the UK we knew they were budget releases as they had no sleeve notes, no inner sleeves, even some of the covers were recycled! My copies were collected one by one from Robinson’s Records in central Manchester, whose owner regularly visited the USA and bought up and shipped back stock to the UK.

The previous four Ace releases in this series have featured tracks from those original Kent releases along with more unissued and alternate takes. This fifth set features artists originally included on the West Coast and California sets – Lowell Fulson, James Reed, Johnny Fuller, Roy Hawkins, Walter Robertson and Jimmy McCracklin.

The link between the Bihari Brothers and these artists was a small-time Oakland hustler and record label boss Bob Geddins. Geddins started his Big Town label in 1945, originally releasing gospel recordings until he signed Lowell Fulson a year later. Geddins looked after his artists and was willing to lease or sell on recordings to other labels and he didn’t stand in the way of his artists if they were looking for a better deal.

This was the type of relationship Geddins had with the Biharis. “We got Roy Hawkins from Bob Geddins, from Oakland…and the first Jimmy McCracklin release. I think Geddins got in touch with us, with Jules (Bihari) or myself. He didn’t have very good distribution, and he really was more interested in looking for talent and recording it. He put it out but he didn’t have distribution, so he made no money out of the talent and he’d sell it to us”, Joe Bihari told writer John Broven.

As with other CDs in this series there is a mix of original releases – Johnny Fuller, James Reed and Walter Robertson releases from Flair Records issued in 1954; Lowell Fulson sides originally cut for Geddins’ Down Town label in 1949 and sold onto the Bihari’s and re-issued on RPM; Johnny Fuller sides originally seeing release on the original Kent albums original issued in 1970; sides by McCracklin and Reed on P-Vine and Ace CDs; previously unissued Roy Hawkins and McCracklin plus three sides from John Dolphin’s Money label. For good measure there is one side from Johnny Fuller’s 1954 Money outing and both sides of the impossibly rare James Reed Money release from the same year.

Complete with detailed sleeve notes from researcher and writer Dave Sax, with the best possible sound and presentation – this is another great volume in a series that is blues collector’s dream.

Tony Burke


Click here for Dave Sax and John Broven's updated Jimmy.McCracklin Modern Discography

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Track listing

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Side 1

  • 01 Preview Hard Times - Johnny Fuller

  • 02 Preview It's Your Life - Johnny Fuller

  • 03 Preview I've Done Everything I Can - Walter Robertson

  • 04 Preview Johnny's Low Down Blues - Johnny Fuller

  • 05 Preview This Is The End aka The End - James Reed

  • 06 Preview My Mama Told Me - James Reed

  • 07 Preview Dr Brown - James Reed

  • 08 Preview I Think My Time Is Here (Take 1) - Jimmy McCracklin & His Blues Blasters

  • 09 Preview Josephine (Take 6) - Jimmy McCracklin & His Blues Blasters

  • 10 Preview Beer Drinkin' Woman (Take 4) - Jimmy McCracklin & His Blues Blasters

  • 11 Preview I'm Prison Bound aka Doin' Time Blues - Lowell Fulson

  • 12 Preview My Baby Left Me aka Some Old Lonesome Day - Lowell Fulson

  • 13 Preview You Had A Good Man (Take 1) - Roy Hawkins

  • 14 Preview Just A Poor Boy (Take 2) - Roy Hawkins

  • 15 Preview You Better Hold Me - James Reed

  • 16 Preview Oh People - James Reed

  • 17 Preview My Love Is Real - James Reed

  • 18 Preview I Walk All Night - Johnny Fuller

  • 19 Preview Back Home - Johnny Fuller

  • 20 Preview Sputterin' Blues - Walter Robertson

  • 21 Preview Buddy - Johnny Fuller

  • 22 Preview Prowling Blues - Johnny Fuller

  • 23 Preview The End aka This Is The End - James Reed

  • 24 Preview Dr Brown (Alt take) - James Reed

  • 25 Preview Couldn't Be A Dream (Take 1) - Jimmy McCracklin & His Blues Blasters

  • 26 Preview I'll Get A Break Someday (Take 7) - Jimmy McCracklin & His Blues Blasters

Delivery & Returns

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We offer free P&P to UK addresses. For all other territories packaging is free and postage is charged on a weight basis.

We use Royal Mail First Class for UK deliveries and standard Air Mail for all other territories, very large orders will usually be sent via parcelforce. You may cancel your order at any time prior to your order being dispatched by emailing us at orders@acerecords.com ensuring that you quote your name, address and order reference number or by telephoning +44 (0) 208 453 1311 between 9am and 5pm GMT/BST, Monday to Friday. Please note: As music downloads are dispatched immediately after purchase, there is no possibility of cancelling these orders.

In the event that any products supplied to you by us are damaged or defective, we agree to replace or repair the damaged or defective products or refund the amount you paid for such goods (including postage & packaging) providing you notify us (either via post at or e-mail: orders@acerecords.com ) and return the goods within 28 days of purchase. Physical goods should be sent back to us in the same condition you received them to: “Returns” Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the e-mail address above including a copy of your notification.

You have the right to cancel your order within seven days of purchase, or seven days of receipt of the goods (whichever is the longer). If you choose to cancel your order, full payment will be returned to you. Returned items should be sent to: “Returns” c/o Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the email address: orders@acerecords.com including a copy of your notice of cancellation and order number.

Press quotes

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A mesmerising picture of a vital era in American blues history. ★★★★

Record Collector

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