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John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers were an English


blues rock band, led by singer, songwriter, and multiinstrumentalist John Mayall, OBE. Mayall used the band
name between 1963 and 1967, but then dropped it for
some fteen years. However, in 1982 a 'Return of the
Bluesbreakers was announced, and the name was in use
until the band again dissolved in 2008, to be resurrected
again in 2009. The name has become generic, without a
clear distinction between recordings that are to be credited to Mayall alone and recordings that are to be credited
to Mayall and his band. The Bluesbreakers have included
musicians such as:

The rst single released by John Mayall and his band, in


May 1964, was the song Crawling Up a Hill, with Mr.
James as the b-side. The band on the single were Peter
Ward, John McVie on bass, Bernie Watson on guitar, and
Martin Hart on drums.[3] After the single release, Bernie
Watson was replaced by Roger Dean, and Martin Hart
was replaced by Hughie Flint. This lineup played on John
Mayall Plays John Mayall. After this, the band released a
single called Crocodile Walk, with Blues City Shakedown as the b-side. The single was produced by Decca
producer Tony Clarke.[4] Roger Dean then left the group
and was replaced by Eric Clapton.[5]

The group lost their record contract with Decca that


Eric Clapton (AprilAugust 1965, November year, which also saw the release of a single called I'm
1965July 1966) and Jack Bruce, both later Your Witchdoctor (produced by Jimmy Page) in Ocreuniting in Cream
tober 1965, the rst credited to John Mayall & the
Bluesbreakers,[1] followed by a return to Decca in 1966.
Peter Green (July 1966-July 1967), who departed Then in August 1966 John Mayall and Eric Clapton rewith Mick Fleetwood (AprilJuly 1967) and then leased the single Lonely Years, with the b-side Bernard
also enticed original bassist John McVie a few weeks Jenkins,[1] which was released by Purdah Records.[6]
later to form Fleetwood Mac
The album Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton was released
in July;[1] it reached the Top Ten in the UK.
Mick Taylor (August 1967July 1969), who later
joined the Rolling Stones, and reunion tours in Shortly after Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton was released, Eric Clapton went to see Buddy Guy in concert,
198283 and 2004
and being impressed by his trio, the idea for Cream was
Harvey Mandel, Walter Trout, Larry Taylor (Man- formed, and he left to form this new group with Ginger
del, Trout and Taylor left Canned Heat to join May- Baker and Jack Bruce.[7] Clapton was replaced by Peter
all)
Green for A Hard Road, after which Green left to form
Fleetwood Mac.
Don Sugarcane Harris, Randy Resnick, Aynsley
Then Mick Taylor joined the group, and they recorded
Dunbar
Crusade on 12 July 1967. Soon after, McVie joined
Dick Heckstall-Smith, Tony Reeves and Jon Hise- Fleetwood Mac and was replaced by Tony Reeves for the
man (later of Colosseum)
album Bare Wires, which was their highest-charting UK
album. Taylor then left to join the Rolling Stones, and
Andy Fraser (Free), Chris Mercer (Juicy Lucy), the name Bluesbreakers was dropped from John MayHenry Lowther, Johnny Almond and Jon Mark all albums.
(later of Mark-Almond)
By the time the 1960s were over, the Bluesbreakers had
nally achieved some success in the United States.

History

With some interruptions, the Bluesbreakers have continued to tour and release albums (over 50 to date), though
they never achieved the critical or popular acclaim of
their earlier material. In 2003, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor
and Chris Barber reunited with the band for John Mayalls 70th Birthday Concert in Liverpool the concert
was later released on CD and DVD. In 2004, their lineup
included Buddy Whittington, Joe Yuele, Hank Van Sickle
and Tom Canning, and the band toured the UK with Mick
Taylor as a guest musician.

The band that would evolve to the Bluesbreakers in


1965[1] was formed in March 1963 and became an everevolving lineup of more than 100 dierent combinations
of musicians performing under that name.[2] Eric Clapton
joined in April 1965, just a few months after the release
of their rst album. Clapton brought guitar-led blues inuences to the forefront of the group; he had left The
Yardbirds in order to concentrate on the blues.
1

3 DISCOGRAPHY
1969: Looking Back (Decca) [1964-1967]
1969: The Turning Point (Polydor) [live] UK No.
11
1970: Empty Rooms (Polydor) UK No. 9
1970: USA Union (Polydor) UK No. 50
1971: Back to the Roots (Polydor, 2LP) UK No. 31
1971: Thru the Years (Decca) [1964-1968]
1971: Memories (Polydor)

Joe Yuele, drummer with the band, 2008

In November 2008, Mayall announced on his website


he was disbanding the Bluesbreakers, to cut back on his
heavy workload and give himself freedom to work with
other musicians. A 2009 solo tour with Rocky Athas
(formerly of Black Oak Arkansas) was the rst musical venture Mayall undertook after disbanding his former
band.[8] Former band member Johnny Almond died on 18
November 2009 from cancer, aged 63.[9]
However, in 2009, Eagle Records asked Mayall for a
new album, and he put together a solo band including
Rocky Athas (guitar), Tom Canning (keyboard), Greg
Rzab (bass) and Jay Davenport (percussion) and produced the album Tough the same year. After a year, Canning left because of other priorities.[10]

1971 (<1968): John Mayall - Live in Europe (London PS 589) [a US 2LP release of The Diary of a
Band Vol. 2 + a Best of]
1972: Jazz Blues Fusion (Polydor) [live, US,
November - December 1971]
1973: Moving On (Polydor) [live, US, July 1972]
1973: Ten Years Are Gone (Polydor, 2LP/December
2008 2CD reissue) [studio + live New York 1972]
1974: The Latest Edition (Polydor)
1975: New Year, New Band, New Company (ABC One Way)
1975: Notice to Appear (ABC - One Way)
1976: Banquet in Blues (ABC - One Way)

Former members

Discography

3.1

Original albums

1965: John Mayall Plays John Mayall (Decca) [live,


December 1964]
1966: Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (Decca) UK
No. 6

1977: Lots of People (ABC - One Way) [live Los


Angeles, November 1976]
1977: A Hard Core Package (ABC - One Way)
1977: Primal Solos (Decca) [live 1966 and 1968,
UK]
1978: The Last of the British Blues (ABC - One
Way) [live US]
1979: Bottom Line (DJM)
1980: No More Interviews (DJM)

1967: A Hard Road (Decca) UK No. 10

1982: Road Show Blues (DJM), reissues:

1967: Crusade (Decca) UK No. 8

1985: Return of the Bluesbreakers (AIM Australia)


[1981 and 1982]

1967: The Blues Alone (Ace of Clubs) UK No. 24


1968: The Diary of a Band - Volume One (Decca)
[live] UK No. 27
1968: The Diary of a Band - Volume Two (Decca)
[live] UK No. 28
1968: Bare Wires (Decca) UK No. 3
1968: Blues from Laurel Canyon (Decca) UK No.
33

1985: Behind the Iron Curtain (GNP Crescendo)


[live Hungary], reissue:
1987: Chicago Line (Entente - Island), reissues:
1988: The Power of the Blues (Entente) [live Germany 1987], reissues:
1988: (<1971) Archives to Eighties (Polydor)
1990: A Sense of Place (Island)

3.2

DVDs

1992: Cross Country Blues (One Way) [1981 and


1984]

2007: Live at the BBC (Decca) [1965, 1967 and


1975]

1993: Wake Up Call (Silvertone) UK No. 61

2007: In the Palace of the King (Eagle)

1993: New Bluesbreakers (The Blues Collection 8)


1994: Uncle Johns Nickel Guitar

2007: Live from Austin, Tx (NW Records) [live


1993]

1994: The 1982 Reunion Concert (One Way) [live,


US]

2009: Tough (Eagle)

1995: Spinning Coin (Silvertone)

2015: Live In 1967 (Forty Below Records)

1995: Why Worry


1997: Blues for the Lost Days (Silvertone)
1997: [Bluesbreaker]
1999: Padlock on the Blues (Eagle)
1999: Rock the Blues Tonight (Indigo) [live 2CD
1970 and 1971, Canada]
1999: Live at the Marquee 1969 (Eagle) [live '69,
London]
1999: The Masters (Eagle) [live 2CD, UK 1969]
1999: Live:1969 (Eagle), reissue:
1999: Blues Power (with bonus CD Life in the Jungle
- Charly Blues Masterworks Vol.4)

3.2 DVDs
1982: Blues Alive VHS (re-released on DVD in
2004 as Jammin' With the Blues Greats), a concert
lmed in June 1982 at New Jersey's Capitol Theater with a lineup of Mayall, Mick Taylor, John
McVie, and Colin Allen, and guests Etta James,
Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, and Albert King
2003: 70th Birthday Concert CD & DVD (with Eric
Clapton)
2004: The Godfather of British Blues/Turning Point
DVD

2000: Blues Breaker (with two bonus tracks)

3.3 John Mayalls website only

2000: Lost and Gone

Private Stash limited releases

2001: Reaching for the Blues


2001: Along for the Ride (Eagle/Red Ink)
2002: Stories (Eagle/Red Ink)
2003: Rolling with the Blues (Secret-Shakedown
then Recall in 2005) [live 1972 and 1973 and 1980
and 1982, various countries, 2CD + DVD interview], reissue:
2003: Blues Forever (Fuel) (with bonus CD Life in
the Jungle - Charly Blues Masterworks Vol.4)
2003: 70th Birthday Concert (Eagle) [live in
Liverpool]
2004: The Turning Point Soundtrack
2004: Steppin' Out
2005: Road Dogs (Eagle)
2006: Godfather of the Blues
2006: The Private Collection (Snapper 2CD)
2007: Big Man

2000: Time Capsule (JMs private archive, 19 tracks


1957-62)
2001: UK Tour 2K (live)
2001: Boogie Woogie Man (11 live solo concert performances, 2000)
2003: No Days O (live)
2004: Cookin' Down Under (DVD)
2011: Live in London (1 Nov. 2010, 2CD and
DVD)
2012: Historic Live Shows vol. 1 (6 tracks 1970-71,
Germany + 4 tracks 1990, Japan & Germany)
2012: Historic Live Shows vol. 2 (12 tracks 19901995, Usa & Germany)
2012: Historic Live Shows vol. 3 (4 tracks 1997, Usa
+ 6 tracks, 1998, Holland)

3.4

Singles

[4] John Mayall And The Bluesbreakers - Crocodile Walk.


YouTube. 8 July 2008. Retrieved 15 October 2011.

1964: Crawling Up The Hill / Mr. James (Decca


F11900)[6]
1965: Crocodile Walk / Blues City Shakedown
(Decca F12120)[6]
October 1965: "I'm Your Witchdoctor / Telephone Blues (Immediate IM012[6] ) rst single as
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers[1]
[1]

August 1966:[1] Lonely Years / Bernard Jenkins


(Purdah 453502)[6]
September 1966: "Parchman Farm / Key To
Love (Decca F12490)[6]
[1]

1966: Looking Back / So Many Roads (Decca


F12506)[6]
1967: Sitting in the Rain / Out of Reach (Decca
F12545)[6]
1967: Curly / Rubber Duck (Decca F12588)[11]
1967: "I'm Your Witchdoctor/ Telephone Blues
(Immediate IM051)[6]
1967: Double Trouble / It Hurts Me Too (Decca
F12621)[6]
1967: Suspicions Pt.1 / Suspicions Pt.2 (Decca
F12684)[6]
1968: Picture on the Wall / Jenny (Decca
F12732)[6]
1968: No Reply / Shes Too Young (Decca
F12792)[6]
1968: The Bear / 2401 (Decca F12846)[6]

See also
Category: John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers albums
Marshall Bluesbreaker

EXTERNAL LINKS

References

[1] The Eric Clapton Lyric Archive - Search By Album.


Eric-clapton.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
[2] The Complete Rock Family Trees, Omnibus Press (Dec
1983, ISBN 978-0-7119-0465-1) lists 109 dierent lineups
[3] Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.).
London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 134. CN
5585.

[5] Roger Dean - Bluesbreaker, Bluejay, Guitarist and more


- Timeline. Rogerdean.info. 16 March 1943. Retrieved
15 October 2011.
[6] Artists: J. 45-rpm.org.uk. 10 February 1910. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
[7] Clapton, Eric (2007).
Broadway.

Clapton: The Autobiography.

[8] Newsletter. John Mayall. Retrieved 15 October 2011.


[9] Doc Rock. The Dead Rock Stars Club. Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
[10] Mayall History. John Mayall. Retrieved 11 December
2012.
[11] The single is only titled The Bluesbreakers, and it was
the only one ever issued by the band without their leader.
Discogs.com. Retrieved 2015-09-06.

6 External links
Ocial John Mayall website
Ocial John Mayall Facebook Fan Page
John Mayall Interview with Jarrod Dicker (2009)
(French) John Mayall Interview (2010) published in
the magazine Guitar Part

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

7.1

Text

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mayall_%26_the_Bluesbreakers?oldid=697632811 Contributors: Ortolan88, Ellywa, DavidWBrooks, TUF-KAT, TUF-KAT, Bearcat, AlexPlank, RedWolf, Goethean, Blainster, Lucky 6.9,
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Ghirlandajo, FeanorStar7, Wikiklrsc, BD2412, Rjwilmsi, Riki, Bgwhite, Wasted Time R, Hede2000, Jpbowen, CorbieVreccan, Djdaedalus, Tanet, Algae, Bluewave, SmackBot, MightyMoose22, Hobbes3821, Scwlong, Derek R Bullamore, Heteren, Alcuin, Ohconfucius, SilkTork, E-Kartoel, Dl2000, DabMachine, Yendor1958, Anger22, PaddyM, Tvccs, FairuseBot, CmdrObot, Suls, Cydebot, Fair
Deal, Ael 2, Thijs!bot, Andy.Cowley, Randulo, MegX, ThePartyBoy, 75pickup, Henning M, LookingGlass, Xtifr, Ed Mayne, Pokto, ExplicitImplicity, Tommo1957, Davecrosby uk, Izzy007, Popmuseum, Antroxu, Elansea, RHodnett, Saltywood, Editore99, Leahtwosaints,
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