Wikipedia talk:Featured list candidates/Elmore James discography/archive1

Alternative discography

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This is an alternative discography without any reissues (Hoppula reference is removed). Will change text to conform.

Elmore James discography
Compilation albums8+[a]
Singles37+[b]
Singles as accompanist5

Elmore James was an American blues slide guitarist and singer who recorded from 1951 until 1963. His most famous song, "Dust My Broom", an electrified adaptation of a Robert Johnson tune, was his first hit and features one of the most identifiable slide guitar figures in blues.[2] James' composition "The Sky Is Crying" (which became a blues standard) and his rendition of "It Hurts Me Too" were among his most successful singles on the record charts.[3] Other popular James' songs, such as "I Can't Hold Out", ""Madison Blues", "Shake Your Moneymaker", "Bleeding Heart", and "One Way Out", have been recorded by several other artists, including Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix, and the Allman Brothers Band.[4][5]

As with most blues artists in the 1950s and early 1960s, James' recordings were originally issued on two-song record singles.[6][7] "Dust My Broom" was first issued by the small Trumpet Records label in 1951.[2] Shortly thereafter, James began recording for several larger companies.[8] From 1952 to 1956, he recorded for the Bihari brothers, who issued singles on their Meteor, Flair, and Modern labels.[9] In 1957, he recorded for Mel London's Chief Records[10] and from 1959 to 1963, for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records.[7] In 1953 and again in 1960, James also recorded some songs that appeared on Checker/Chess Records.[11] He also played guitar on several recordings by other artists, including J. T. Brown, Big Joe Turner, Little Johnny Jones, and Junior Wells.[12][13][14]

In 1960, the Biharis released the compilation, Blues After Hours, on their budget Crown label, which was the only album released during James' career.[15] After his death in 1963, his former companies began re-issuing a number of his singles on subsidiaries and leasing them out to other companies.[16] These various labels also began releasing numerous compilation albums, often with significant overlap in song selection.[1] With the advent of compact discs, this trend continued.[1] However, some box sets have appeared that collect most or all of James' recordings for a particular label or time period.[17] The Chess,[18] Capricorn,[19] and Virgin America/Flair[20] collections also include some previously unreleased material and alternate takes.

Releases

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On record releases, Elmore James is sometimes listed as "Elmo James", "Elmore James and the Broomdusters", and "Elmore James and His Broomdusters".[21]

Singles

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Many of James' singles were released by two or more record companies. Some A-sides were combined with new B-sides to create new singles.[22] The singles listed here represent the original releases or first issued. All are included on the the Chess,[23] Capricorn,[24]Virgin America/Flair,[25] and Muse[26] collections listed in the "Selected compilation albums" section below.

List of singles with notes, labels, and peak chart positions
Year Title
A-side / B-side
[6][7][27][26]
Notes Label Peak chart
position US[3]
1951 "Dust My Broom" / "Catfish Blues" Bobo Thomas performs B-side without James[6] Trumpet 146 9
1952 "I Believe" / "I Held My Baby Last Night" Meteor 5000 9
1953 "Baby, What's Wrong" / "Sinful Women" Meteor 5003
"Early in the Morning" / "Hawaiian Boogie" Flair 1011
"Country Boogie" / "She Just Won't Do Right" Checker 777
"Can't Stop Lovin" / "Make a Little Love" Flair 1014
"Please Find My Baby" / "Strange Kinda Feeling" Flair 1022
1954 "Hand in Hand" / "Make My Dreams Come True" Flair 1031
"Sho' Nuff I Do" / "1839 Blues" Flair 1039
"Dark and Dreary" / "Rock My Baby Right" Flair 1048
"Standing at the Crossroads" / "Sunny Land" Flair 1057
1955 "Late Hours at Midnight" / "The Way You Treat Me" Flair 1062
"Happy Home" / "No Love in My Heart" Flair 1011
"Dust My Blues" / "I Was a Fool" Flair 1074
"I Believe My Time Ain't Long" / "I Wish I Was a Catfish" Re-titled re-release of Trumpet 146[6] Ace 508
"Blues Before Sunrise" / "Goodbye Baby" Flair 1079
1956 "Wild About You" / "Long Tall Woman" Modern 983
1957 "Coming Home" / "The 12 Year Old Boy" Chief 7001
"It Hurts Me Too" / "Elmore's Contribution to Jazz" Chief 7004
"Cry for Me Baby" / "Take Me Where You Go" Chief 7006
1959 "Bobby's Rock" / "Make My Dreams Come True" A-side is a new release[6][7] Fire 1011
1960 "The Sky Is Crying" / "Held My Baby Last Night" Fire 1016 15
"I Can't Hold Out" / "The Sun Is Shining" Chess 1756
"Rollin' and Tumblin'" / "I'm Worried" Fire 1024
"Knocking at Your Door" / "Calling All Blues" Junior Wells and Earl Hooker perform B-side without James[28] Chief 7020
"Done Somebody Wrong" / "Fine Little Mama" Fire 1031
1961 "Shake Your Moneymaker" / "Look on Yonder Wall" Fire 504
1962 "Stranger Blues" / "Anna Lee" Fire 1503
1965 "It Hurts Me Too" / "Bleeding Heart" New version of "It Hurts Me Too" recorded in 1962–1963[7] Enjoy 2015 (1st. pressing) 25[c]
"It Hurts Me Too"/ "Pickin' the Blues" Enjoy 2015 (2nd. pressing)
"Bleeding Heart" / "Mean Mistreatin' Mama" Enjoy 2020
"My Bleeding Heart"/ "One Way Out" B-side is a new release[7] Sphere Sound 702
"The Sky Is Crying" / "Standing at the Crossroads" New version of "Standing at the Crossroads" recorded in 1960–1961[7] Flashback 15
"Everyday I Have the Blues" / "Dust My Broom" New version of "Dust My Broom" recorded in 1959[7] Enjoy 2027
1966 "Shake Your Moneymaker"/ "I Need You" B-side is a new release[7] Sphere Sound 708
"Something Inside of Me" / "She Done Move" Sphere Sound 713
1972 "Everyday I Have the Blues"/ "Up Jumped Elmore" B-side is a new release[7] Fury 2000
"—" denotes a release that did not chart

Selected compilation albums

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Only one album by Elmore James was released during his lifetime. The compilation album, titled Blues After Hours, was issued by the Bihari budget Crown label in 1960.[15] Numerous Elmore James compilation albums issued by a number of record companies have been released over the years.[1] The following lists some of the more notable and current releases, including box sets:[8]

List of selected posthumous compilation albums with notes, labels, and peak chart positions
Year Title Notes Label Peak chart
position US[29]
1960 Blues After Hours[15] 10 Flair tracks released as singles in 1954 and 1955[30] Crown 5168
1969 Whose Muddy Shoes[17] All Checker/Chess recordings; also includes songs by John Brim[31] Chess 1537
1975 Street Talkin'[32] All Chief recordings; also includes songs by Eddie Taylor[32] Muse MCD 5087
1992 Elmore James: King of the Slide Guitar[17] All Fire/Fury Records/Enjoy recordings[33] Capricorn 9 42006–2
1993 Elmore James: The Classic Early Records 1951–1956[17] All Meteor/Flair/Modern recordings[34] Virgin America/Flair 7243 8 39632 2 5
The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James[17] 21 tracks from various labels[17] Rhino R2 71190
1995 The Best of Elmore James: The Early Years[17] 28 Meteor/Flair/Modern tracks[17] Ace CDCHD 583
2001 Shake Your Money Maker: The Best of the Fire Sessions[35] 16 Fire/Fury/Enjoy tracks[35] Buddha 99781
"—" denotes a release that did not chart

Elmore James as an accompanist

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Although it is documented that Elmore James performed with Sonny Boy Williamson II, it is unclear which, if any, of Williamson's early recordings include James as a sideman.[36] It is unknown if James performed on additional recordings by Big Joe Turner[37] and Junior Wells.[14]

Singles

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List of singles as an accompanist with notes, labels, and peak chart positions
Year Title
A-side/B-side
Notes Label Peak chart
position US
1952 "Round House Boogie" / "Kickin' the Blues Around"[12] with J. T. Brown as Bep Brown Orchestra[12] Meteor 5001
"Sax-ony Boogie" / "Dumb Woman Blues"[12] with J. T. Brown as Saxman Brown (A-side) and J. T. (Big Boy) Brown (B-side)[12] Meteor 5016
1953 "TV Mama" / "Oke-She-Moke-She-Pop"[13] with Big Joe Turner as Joe Turner and His Blues Kings[13] Atlantic 1016 6[38]
"Sweet Little Woman" / "I May Be Wrong"[12] with Little Johnny Jones as Little Johnny Jones and the Chicago Hound Dogs[12] Flair 1010
"Somebody Done Hoodooed the Hoodoo Man"[14][d] / "Junior's Wail" with Junior Wells as Junior Wells and His Eagle Rockers; Wells performs "Junior's Wail" without James[14] States 134
"—" denotes a release that did not chart

Notes

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Footnotes
  1. ^ Over 100 James compilation albums have been released;[1] eight of the more notable and current releases are included in this discography
  2. ^ Many of James' singles were reissued, sometimes by different labels
  3. ^ "It Hurts Me Too" also reached number 106 on Billboard magazine's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart[3]
  4. ^ Sometimes titled "Hodo Man" on States Records singles; for album releases it was retitled "Hoodoo Man"
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d AllMusic. "Elmore James: Discography – compilations". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved April 10, 2016. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ a b Koda 1996, p. 132.
  3. ^ a b c Whitburn 1988, p. 216.
  4. ^ Unterberger 1996, p. 86.
  5. ^ Haig & Morris 1992, p. 1.
  6. ^ a b c d e Topping 1993, p. 33.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Haig & Morris 1992, pp. 12–13.
  8. ^ a b Koda 1996, pp. 132–133.
  9. ^ Topping 1993, pp. 12–15.
  10. ^ Topping 1993, p. 17.
  11. ^ Snowden & Welding 1991, pp. 1, 5–6.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Topping 1993, p. 30.
  13. ^ a b c Shurman 1986, pp. 2–3.
  14. ^ a b c d Koester 1998, p. 2.
  15. ^ a b c Leggett, Steve. "Elmore James and the Broom Dusters: Blues After Hours". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved April 10, 2016. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  16. ^ Topping 1993, pp. 16–17.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h Koda 1996, p. 133.
  18. ^ Koda, Cub. "Elmore James/John Brim: Whose Muddy Shoes". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved April 30, 2016. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  19. ^ Koda, Cub. "Elmore James: King of the Slide Guitar: The Fire/Fury/Enjoy Recordings". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved April 30, 2016. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  20. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Elmore James: The Classic Early Recordings: 51-56 [Box]". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved April 30, 2016. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  21. ^ Topping 1993, pp. 29–32.
  22. ^ Topping, p. 33.
  23. ^ Koda, Cub. "Elmore James/John Brim: Whose Muddy Shoes". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved April 30, 2016. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  24. ^ Koda, Cub. "Elmore James: King of the Slide Guitar: The Fire/Fury/Enjoy Recordings". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved April 30, 2016. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  25. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Elmore James: The Classic Early Recordings: 51-56 [Box]". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved April 30, 2016. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  26. ^ a b Welding 1975, Back cover.
  27. ^ Snowden & Welding 1991, pp. 5–6.
  28. ^ Danchin 2001, p. 350.
  29. ^ "Elmore James – Awards". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved April 10, 2016. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  30. ^ Topping 1993, p. 36.
  31. ^ Snowden & Welding 1991, pp. 1–2.
  32. ^ a b Welding 1975, pp. 1–2.
  33. ^ Haig & Morris 1992, pp. 5.
  34. ^ Topping 1993, pp. 26–28.
  35. ^ a b Yanow, Scott. "Elmore James: Shake Your Money Maker: The Best of the Fire Sessions". AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved April 10, 2016. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  36. ^ Topping 1993, p. 11.
  37. ^ Shurman 1986, pp. 5–6.
  38. ^ Whitburn 1988, p. 419.
References