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MUSIC
Old School - Alligator Records
(most recent)
Deluxe Edition - Alligator
Records
Royal
Blue - Alligator Records
- see previous releases
listed in Koko's Discography -
Songs noted with
= Sound Samples
BUY IT HERE
OLD
SCHOOL
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Alligator Records
AL4915
The
undisputed Queen Of The Blues returns with her first album in seven
years, the aptly titled Old School, Koko Taylor once again shows the
world what she does so well. From foot-stomping barnburners to
powerful slow blues, Koko proves in an instant that her blues are
joyous and life-affirming, powerful and soul-stirring. |
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Blues is my
heart. That’s my heart. This album is hard core blues, down in
the basement, far as you go. This album is the kind of blues I
was listening to down South and when I first came to Chicago.
I came to Chicago
around 1951, straight out of the country. We came up here on the
Greyhound bus. Couldn’t sit in the front of the bus; ain’t
nobody black sit in the front. If you ain’t white, you go in the
back and sit. We came with 35 cents in our pockets and a box of
Ritz Crackers. That’s all we had to our names. Didn’t know where
we was gonna stay. Didn’t have no money. Didn’t have nothing but
us. We were just in Chicago, so we’re happy about that, cause we
wanted to leave the South.
The South was
rough and it was tough, but we was rough and tough too. I was
picking cotton, chopping cotton, milking cows, feeding hogs and
chickens. And going out catching rabbits to cook for our dinner.
Or else eating hoecakes sopped in molasses for breakfast, dinner
and supper. I went through what they call hell and high water.
It wasn’t nothing nice and it wasn’t nothing easy that I had to
go through down South.
When I got to
Chicago, it wasn’t easy either. The first job I had was cleaning
white families’ homes, taking care of their children, washing
their clothes, ironing, cooking, whatever they wanted done. I
wasn’t making but like five dollars a day.
But on Saturday
night, me and my husband went anywhere there was blues. The
music back then was great. It was exciting to me—I thought
Chicago was heaven. We didn’t miss nary a Saturday night. We’d
go to Sylvio’s or Theresa’s to see Howlin’ Wolf or to see Muddy
Waters, Little Walter or Shakey Horton. We didn’t go to no clubs
playing that fancy music. Everywhere we went was a blues club.
Nothing fancy, nothing beautiful. It was just a hole in the wall
where a bunch of us was in there listening to the blues,
dancing, drinking, talking loud, doing everything else. It
wasn’t a place you had to sit up and look pretty, be cute and
use a certain language and say something a certain way.
I didn’t know all
the famous blues musicians lived here. Right after I came to
Chicago I found out that this is the city where all the guys do
their recording. They seemed like regular folks, country folks
like me, but they were stars. That’s the way it was with Wolf
and Muddy and them. People looked at them as big stars because
they was recording artists, and that made them special. But they
stayed down to earth, like I do.
That’s why I like
blues, because it tells a true story, a down to earth story.
It’s not only something about my life; it reaches out to a lot
of people. Maybe something to lift you up or help bring you out
of this rut you’re in.
I love singing
the real, old school blues. It gives me a feeling to sing them
type of blues. That’s old school. That’s me.
- Koko Taylor
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| 1. Piece of Man
4:30 (A) (Koko Taylor, Voodoo Woman Music, BMI)
2. Gonna Buy Me A Mule
5:18 (B) *# (Koko Taylor, Voodoo Woman Music, BMI)
3. Black Rat 5:07 (A) *
(Lizzie Lawler, Memphis Minnie Music, ASCAP)
4. Money Is The Name Of The
Game 6:46 (A) (Johnny Thompson, Monona Music, BMI)
5. You Ain’t Worth A Good
Woman 5:35 (B) (Koko Taylor, Voodoo Woman Music, BMI)
6. Better Watch Your Step
4:53 (A) (Koko Taylor, Voodoo Woman Music, BMI)
7. Bad Avenue 5:20 (A) *
(Walter “Lefty Dizz” Williams, Drop Top Music, BMI)
8. Bad Rooster 5:22 (B)
(E.G. Kight & Richard Fleming, Georgia Songbird Music/Richard
Fleming Music, BMI)
9. Don’t Go No Further
3:42 (B) *# (Willie Dixon, Hoochie Coochie Music, BMI)
10. All Your Love 6:34 (B)
(Sam Maghett, Conrad Music/Leric Music, BMI, admin. by Bug
Music)
11. Hard Pill To Swallow
5:50 (A) (Koko Taylor, Voodoo Woman Music, BMI)
12. Young Fashioned Ways
4:42 (C) (Willie Dixon, Hoochie Coochie Music, BMI)
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Koko Taylor: Vocals
with:(A) Steady Rollin’ Bob
Margolin: Guitar and Slide Guitar (solos on “Black Rat” and “Bad
Avenue”) Criss Johnson: Guitar (solos on “Hard Pill To Swallow,”
“Piece Of Man” and “Money Is The Name Of The Game”) Billy Branch:
Harmonica Brother John Kattke: Piano Kenny Hampton: Electric Bass or
Jimmy Sutton: Upright Bass * Willie “the touch” Hayes: Drums
(B) Criss Johnson: Guitar Brother
John Kattke: Piano Kenny Hampton: Electric Bass or Jimmy Sutton:
Upright Bass * Willie “the touch” Hayes: Drums Mark Kazanoff: Tenor
Sax #
(C) The Blues Machine: Vino Louden:
Guitar Shun Kikuta: Guitar Stanley Banks: Piano Melvin Smith: Bass
Ricky Nelson: Drums
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Produced by Koko
Taylor, Bruce Iglauer and Criss Johnson.
Recorded at Rax Trax, Chicago, IL
Recorded by Sam Fishkin. Additional recording by Matt Wheeler, Rick
Barnes and Michael Levine
Mixed by Sam Fishkin at The Mix Kitchen, Chicago, IL
Mastered by Dan Stout and Bruce Iglauer at Colossal Mastering,
Chicago, IL.
Photos by Marc Norberg.
Assisted by Misty Winter and Flynn.
Packaging design by
Kevin Niemiec.
Makeup by
Nicole Cap and Cynthia Adams.
Alligator logo by Michael Trossman.
Special thanks to
Joyce “Cookie” Threatt, Hayes Harris, Viola Spearman, Lee Threatt,
Mark Baier of Victoria Amplifiers for the loan of his wonderful
amps, Dick Shurman and Bill Dahl. Thanks to Aine O’Brien, Lauren
Hackett, Steve Hofferth and Steve Donahue of Scoozi Restaurant and
Lettuce Entertain You, Chicago, IL for photo location. Very special
thanks to Criss Johnson for arrangements, band leading and so much
more.
Koko Taylor is booked by Monterey International:
(312)640-7500;
www.montereyinternational.net |
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DELUXE EDITION
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Alligator Records
AL5610
60+ minutes of the finest from the Queen of
the Blues. Includes Wang Dang Doodle, I'd Rather Go Blind and Blues Hotel, plus a
previously unreleased track.
Guest appearances by B.B. King, Buddy Guy and more. All music
remastered in 20-bit audio. |
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| 1.)
I'm A Woman (McDaniel
& Taylor, Arc Music, BMI)
2.) Beer Bottle
Boogie (Scott, Screen Gems-EMI Music, BMI
3.) Born Under A Bad Sign (Jones &
Bell, Irving Music, BMI)
4.) Mother Nature (Campbell, Trice Music,
BMI)
5.) Hey Bartender (Dixon, El Camino Music,
BMI)
6.) I'd Rather Go Blind (Jordan &
Foster, Arc Music, BMI)
7.) Man Size Job (La Salle, Bridgeport
Music, BMI)
8.) Let The Good Times Roll (Moore &
Thread, Rytvoc, Inc., BMI)
9.)
Voodoo Woman (Taylor, Eyeball Music,
BMI)
10.) Wang Dang Doodle (Dixon, Hoochie
Coochie Music, BMI)
11.)
Stop Watching Your Enemies (Taylor,
Eyeball Music, BMI)
12.) Sure Had A Wonderful Time Last Night
(Jordan, Publisher Unknown)
13.) Come To Mama (Mitchell & Randle,
Irving Music, BMI)
14.) Time Will Tell (Gayten, Arc Music,
BMI)
15.) Blues Hotel (Hahn & Tiven,
Avarice & Greed Publ., Jon Tiven Music, BMI) |
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Koko Taylor, vocal
With Vocal: Buddy Guy (3)
B.B. King (15) Guitar: Criss Johnson (2, 3, 4, 6, 7,
11, 12, 13, 14, 15; solo on 2, 6, 7, 11, 12); Buddy Guy (3; solo on 3); B.B. King (15;
solo on 15); Mighty Joe Young (9; solo on 9); Sammy Lawhorn (1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12; solo on
5); Johnny B. Moore (1, 5, 10); Michael “Mr. Dynamite” Robinson (8; solo on 8);
Eddie King (8); Calvin “Vino” Louden (3, 4)
Bass: Cornelius “Mule” Boyson (1, 5, 6, 9, 10,
12); Johnny B. Gayden (2, 13); Jerry Murphy (3, 4, 8, 11, 14); Kenny Hampton (7, 15)
Drums: Vince Chappelle (1, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12); Ray
“Killer” Allison (2, 3, 11, 13, 14); Clyde “Youngblood” Tyler, Jr.
(8); Brady Williams (4); Kriss T. Johnson, Jr. (7, 15)
Piano: Pinetop Perkins (1, 5, 10; solo on 5);
“Professor” Eddie Lusk (2; solo on 2); Bill Heid (12); Ken Saydak (15); Jeremiah
Africa (4)
Organ: Bill Heid (6, 9); Jim Dortch (11, 14);
“Professor” Eddie Lusk (13); Jeremiah Africa (3, 4); Dolpha Fowler, Jr. (7)
Harmonica: Mervyn “Harmonica” Hinds (1); Carey Bell (4)
Trumpet: Elmer Brown II (11); Larry Bowen (7);
Alto Sax: Jerry DiMuzio (7)
Tenor Sax: Abb Locke (2, 9, 10; solo on 10); Henri Ford (11); Gene Barge (11); Mark Colby
(7)
Baritone Sax: Abb Locke (5); Willie Henderson (7, 11);
Trombone: Edwin Williams (11) Steve Berry (7)
Horns on 11 arranged by Gene Barge
Horns on 7 arranged by Tom Tom MMLXXXIV
Band arrangements on 4, 7, 11 & 15 by Criss Johnson |
Track 9 produced by Koko Taylor, Joe Young and Bruce Iglauer at Sound Studios, Chicago,
IL, 1975.
Tracks 1, 5 & 10 produced by Koko Taylor, Bruce Iglauer and Richard McLeese at Mantra
Studios, Chicago, IL, 1978.
Tracks 6 & 12 produced by Koko Taylor and Bruce Iglauer at Streeterville Studios,
Chicago, IL, 1981.
Tracks 2 & 13 produced by Koko Taylor, Bruce Iglauer and Criss Johnson at
Streeterville Studios, Chicago, IL, 1985.
Track 8 produced by Bruce Iglauer, Koko Taylor and Robert “Pops” Taylor, live at
FitzGerald’s, Berwyn, IL, 1987.
Tracks 11 & 14 produced by Bruce Iglauer, Koko Taylor and Criss Johnson at
Streeterville Studios, Chicago, IL, 1989-1990.
Tracks 3 & 4 produced by Criss Johnson, Koko Taylor and Bruce Iglauer at Streeterville
Studios, Chicago, IL, 1993.
Tracks 7 & 15 produced by Koko Taylor, Criss Johnson and Bruce Iglauer at Chicago
Recording Company and Streeterville Studios with additional recording at Chicago Trax,
Electrical Audio, Chicago, IL and NRG Recording, N. Hollywood, CA, 1998-1999.
Engineers: Stu Black (9), Freddie Breitberg
(1, 5, 6, 10, 12), Justin Niebank (2, 11, 13, 14), Timothy Powell (8), David Axelbaum (3,
4, 7, 11, 14, 15)
Additional recording by Steve Frisk (11, 14), David Brickson & Julian Herzfeld (3, 4),
Chris Steinmetz, Rob Bochnik & Jay Baumgardner (7, 15)
Mixers: Alan Hendler (9), Justin Niebank (2, 8, 13), David Axelbaum (3, 4, 7, 11,
14, 15), Freddie Breitberg (1, 5, 6, 10, 12)
Re-mastered for the Deluxe Edition at Studio Chicago, Chicago, IL by Brian Jensen and
Bruce Iglauer.
Deluxe Edition series produced by Bob DePugh, Bruce Iglauer
& David Forte.
Deluxe Edition series design by David Forte
Art Production by Kevin Niemiec
Cover photo by Steve Kagan
Back book photo by Doug Fulton
Tray photo by Rex Miller |
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ROYAL BLUE
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“Blues is
my life” says Koko Taylor, Chicago’s - and the world’s -
undisputed Queen of the Blues. “It’s a true feeling that
comes from the heart, not something that just comes out
of my mouth. Blues is what I love, and blues is
what I always do.” Indeed, on her first album in
seven years, the aptly titled ROYAL BLUE (AL
4873), Grammy Award-winner Koko Taylor once again shows
the world what she does so well. From foot-stomping
barnburners to powerful slow blues, Koko proves in an
instant that her blues are joyous and life affirming.
“My blues isn’t designed for people to look down, but
for people to get up and dance,” says Koko. People
magazine described Koko’s blues as “foot-stomping music
that’s rough, raw and wonderfully upbeat.”
Criss Johnson, Koko Taylor, and Alligator president
Bruce Iglauer produced ROYAL BLUE. Recorded in
Chicago, the 12 songs (including four Koko originals)
range from the rocking blues advice of Save Your
Breath to the humorous warning in Don’t Let Me
Catch You (With Your Drawers Down) to the final bit
of wisdom in Keep Your Mouth Shut And Your Eyes Wide
Open. In between, guest B.B. King joins Koko on
Blues Hotel, guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd helps
Koko reinvent Melissa Etheridge’s Bring Me Some Water,
pianist Johnnie Johnson adds his magic to Ray Charles’
But On The Other Hand, and Keb’ Mo’ and Koko
stroll together through the warm and tender The Man
Next Door.
ROYAL
BLUE is Koko Taylor at her very best. “I put my
heart and soul into everything that I do,” says Taylor.
“I worked long and hard on ROYAL BLUE, and I want
my fans to enjoy it as much as I do.”
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Alligator Records
AL4873
The Queen is joined by B.B. King, Kenny Wayne
Shepherd, Keb' Mo' and Johnnie Johnson on her hardest-rocking, most contemporary album.
Grammy nominee. "Raucous, gritty good-time blues...rough, raw and wonderfully
upbeat" - PEOPLE |
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1.) Save Your Breath (Kathi
McDonald & John King, Jam Time Music, SOCAN)
Koko Taylor, Vocals
Criss Johnson, Guitars
Dolpha Fowler, Jr., Organ
Kenny Hampton, Bass
Kriss T. Johnson, Jr., Drums
2.) Hittin' On
Me (Buddy Johnson, Sophisticate Music, BMI)
Koko Taylor, Vocals
Criss Johnson, Guitar
Johnnie Johnson, Piano
Dolpha Fowler, Jr., Organ
Kenny Hampton, Bass
Kriss T. Johnson, Jr., Drums
3.) Bring Me Some Water (Melissa
Etheridge, MLE Music/Almo Music, ASCAP)
Koko Taylor, Vocals
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Lead Guitar
Criss Johnson, Rhythm Guitar
Dolpha Fowler, Jr., Organ
Kenny Hampton, Bass
Kriss T. Johnson, Jr., Drums
Kenny Wayne Shepherd appears courtesy of Giant/Reprise Records
4.) But On The Other Hand (Ray Charles
& Percy Mayfield, Tangerine Music, BMI)
Koko Taylor, Vocals
Criss Johnson, Guitars
Johnnie Johnson, Piano
Kenny Hampton, Bass
Kriss T. Johnson, Jr., Drums
5.)
Don't Let Me Catch You With Your Drawers Down
(Koko Taylor, Eyeball Music, BMI)
Koko Taylor, Vocals
Criss Johnson, Guitars
Dolpha Fowler, Jr., Organ
Kenny Hampton, Bass
Kriss T. Johnson, Jr., Drums
6.) Blues Hotel (John Hahn & Jon
Tiven, Avarice & Greed Publ./Jon Tiven Music, BMI)
Koko Taylor, Vocals
B.B. King, Lead Guitar & Vocals
Criss Johnson, Rhythm Guitar
Ken Saydak, Piano
Kenny Hampton, Bass
Kriss T. Johnson, Jr., Drums
B.B. King appears courtesy of MCA/Universal Records
Ken Saydak appears courtesy of Delmark Records
7.) Fuel To Burn (E.G. Kight, Ricahrd
Fleming & Sunny Stephens, Georgia Songbird Music, BMI/Kight Flying Music, ASCAP/Air
Deluxe Publ., BMI)
Koko Taylor, Vocals
Criss Johnson, Guitars
Dolpha Fowler, Jr., Organ
Kenny Hampton, Bass
Kriss T. Johnson, Jr., Drums
8.)
The Man Next Door (Koko Taylor,
Eyeball Music, BMI)
Koko Taylor, Vocals
Keb' Mo', National Steel Guitar, Harmonica & Vocals
Keb' Mo' appears courtesy of Sony/550 Music
9.)
Old Woman (Koko Taylor, Eyeball Music,
BMI)
Koko Taylor, Vocals
Mark Colby, Tenor Sax
Criss Johnson, Guitar
Dolpha Fowler, Jr., Organ
Kenny Hampton, Bass
Kriss T. Johnson, Jr., Drums
10.)
Ernestine (Koko Taylor,
Eyeball Music, BMI)
Koko Taylor, Vocals
Matthew Skoller, Harmonica
Criss Johnson, Guitar
Johnnie Johnson, Piano
Kenny Hampton, Bass
Kriss T. Johnson, Jr., Drums
11.) Keep Your Booty Out Of My Bed
(John Ward & Ollie Hoskins, Ecko South Publishing, BMI)
Koko Taylor, Vocals
Criss Johnson, Guitars
Dolpha Fowler, Jr., Organ
Kenny Hampton, Bass
Kriss T. Johnson, Jr., Drums
12.) Keep Your Mouth Shut And Your Eyes Open
(Jean Wells, IZA Music, BMI)
Koko Taylor, Vocals
Criss Johnson, Guitars
Dolpha Fowler, Jr., Organ
Kenny Hampton, Bass
Kriss T. Johnson, Jr., Drums with The Tom Tom MMLXXXIV Horns:
Larry Bowen, Trumpet; Jerry DiMuzio, Alto Sax;
Mark Colby, Tenor Sax; Steve Berry, Trombone;
Willie Henderson, Baritone Sax |
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PRODUCED BY Koko Taylor, Criss Johnson and Bruce
Iglauer
BAND ARRANGEMENTS BY Criss Johnson
RECORDED AND MIXED BY David Axelbaum
ADDITIONAL RECORDING BY Chris Steinmetz, Rob Bochnik
and Jay Baumgardner
RECORDED AT Chicago Recording Co. and Streeterville
Studios, Chicago, IL
MIXED AT Electrical Audio, Chicago, IL
ADDITIONAL RECORDING AT Chicago Trax and Electrical
Audio, Chicago, IL and NRG Recording, N. Hollywood, CA
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RECORDING AND MIXING ASSISTANCE BY Rob Bochnik, Greg
Norman, Russ Arbuthnot, Evan Hollinder, Dylan Ely, Tom Agnold, and Chad Dennis
MASTERED BY Jeff Hillman and Bruce Iglauer at Monster Disc, Chicago, IL
PACKAGING DESIGN BY Matt Minde
PHOTOS
Outside Photos by Chris Jacobs
Booklet Photos by Paul Natkin/Photo Reserve
Photo of B.B. King courtesy of Joyce Threatt
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BUY IT HERE
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