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Mac users have been experiencing problems in unpacking the WinRAR archives used on this blog. Two solutions have been suggested.

1. Use The Unarchiver - www.theunarchiver.com - see comments on Little Esther Bad Baad Girl post for details.

2. Use Keka - http://www.kekaosx.com/en/ - see comments on Johnny Otis Presents post.

Saturday 29 October 2011

Off The Wall / Tell Me Mama - Little Walter And His Jukes (Checker 770)








This double sided hit for Little Walter was recorded in Chicago in March 1953. The personnel were: Little Walter (harmonica, vocal); Louis Myers (g); Dave Myers (g); Willie Dixon (b); Fred Below (d).

"Off The Wall" / "Tell Me Mama" was one of a series of chart successes for Little Walter in 1953. In May 1952, while still a member of the Muddy Waters band, he had recorded the instrumental "Juke." Released as by "Little Walter and his Night Cats," it became a massive R&B hit in the autumn of 1952, spending two months in the number one spot. Little Walter left the Muddy Waters outfit to launch his own solo career, recruiting a band he christened "The Jukes" with Louis Myers on lead guitar, his brother Dave Myers on bass and Fred Below on drums.

"Juke" was no one off hit, for further success came in late 1952 and early 1953 with "Mean Old World" / "Sad Hours", both sides of which charted. The band toured intensively in the spring of 1953, returning to the studio in March. "Off The Wall" / "Tell Me Mama" was another double sided hit for Little Walter, with "Tell Me Mama" charting in April 1953 and "Off The Wall in May. In the autumn of 1953 there was another double sided hit for Little Walter with "Blues With A Feeling" / "Quarter To Twelve." As 1953 turned to 1954, "You're So Fine" continued the run of hits.

Ripped from the original 78 rpm shellac disc. Many thanks to El Enmascarado for this latest post in the "Blues On 78" series. There's even more in the pipeline!

1 comment:

The Subliminal Kid said...

This 78 series is really fun, BW. And this is one of the great Little Walter two-siders; I first heard these long ago on the old Chess LP The Best of Little Walter. And these old two-track mono productions sound great on 78, played loud it's like the band is right there in your living room! —BB


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