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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Who Plays Harp on Muddy's "Smokestack Lightning" ?
Who Plays Harp on Muddy's "Smokestack Lightning" ?
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tmf714
560 posts
Mar 24, 2011
6:19 AM
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It's Little Walter playing in Eb-C chromatic with the lever depressed for the whole song.
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tmf714
561 posts
Mar 24, 2011
6:31 AM
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September 1954-Walter was probably going straight to the board.
Last Edited by on Mar 24, 2011 6:31 AM
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5F6H
582 posts
Mar 24, 2011
7:24 AM
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I dunno tmf714, that session doesn't really stand out as a candidate for a direct to the board recording, the Nov 55 session is perhaps more likely (Break it up/Me & Piney Brown/Can't Keep From Worrying/You Don't Know).
Sept 54 session seems to have amp tremolo on "I Don't Know Why" apparent from 1:07 through the first verse of the solo, when Walter plays long single notes. For some time after this sesssion they seemed happy enough to let Walter use an amp.
Tolga7t my guess would be an amp with tremolo, made before Sept 54...sorry, doesn't narrow it down much, other than it being statistically likely to be cathode biased. Reverb on the harp & reasonable fidelity (compared to "Ooh Wee/Natural Born Lover/This Pain" for example) makes it more likely that it was recorded at Universal, rather than at Chess's embryonic studio at 4750 South Cottage Grove.
Last Edited by on Mar 24, 2011 12:36 PM
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bluemoose
495 posts
Mar 24, 2011
8:56 AM
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Ya....but what kind of sandwiches were they serving that day???? :)
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tmf714
562 posts
Mar 24, 2011
9:11 AM
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"Reverb on the harp & reasonable fidelity (compared to "Ooh Wee/Natural Born Lover/This Pain" for example) makes it more likely that it was recorded at Universal, rather than at Chess's embryonic studio at 4750 South Cottage Grove. "
Chess U7698,recorded on September 1,1954-Chess Chicago studio,Muddy Waters,vocals,Little Walter,harmonnica,Jimmy Rogers,guitar,Otis Spann,piano,Willie Dixon on bass and Fred Below on drums.
Also recorded at this session-Chess U7697,"I'm Ready",
Chess U7699,"I Don't Know Why" and Chess U7700," Shake It Baby".
Last Edited by on Mar 24, 2011 9:15 AM
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5F6H
583 posts
Mar 24, 2011
12:35 PM
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Hi tmf714,
They are all Chess sessions, in that they were paid for by Chess, but even after Chess started recording in house, they were still flitting back to Puttnam's Universal for sessions & mastering. Universal recorded Aristocrat sessions and Chess sessions (& at least some JOB) prior to Leonard buying his recorder from Aretha Franklin's father in '54. Many Chess recordings were also bought in from other labels and studios. Even when Chess had 2120 S Michigan Ave up and running they would still record at other studios if they felt it would give them a hit.
It's doubtful, because of the quality, that tracks like "ooh Wee/NBL/This Pain" were recorded at Universal.
If you haven't already read it, check out Nadine Cohodas' "Spinning Blues into Gold", there's a lot to take in , but along with other references to Chess that I know you are aware of, it's a darn good read.
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