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"…I Get A Real Good Feeling Talking To You…"
Blues Jam In Chicago Volume 1 by FLEETWOOD MAC
(1999 and 2004 Columbia/Blue Horizon 'Expanded and Altered' CD Remaster)
The two volumes "Blues
Jam In Chicago, Vol.1" and "Blues Jam In Chicago, Vol.2" are based
around Fleetwood Mac’s 4th vinyl outing in 1969 – the 2LP set "Blues Jam
At Chess". Having a convoluted history on all formats - both the original
UK and American record issues and their subsequent 1999 and 2004 CD Reissues
and Remasters require some serious explanation as regards release dates,
artwork and even content. So here goes – the records first...
Fleetwood Mac's 4th vinyl
outing was a double-album called "Blues Jam At Chess" issued April
1969 on Blue Horizon Records S 7-66227 in the UK. Produced by MIKE VERNON and
MARSHALL CHESS at the Chess "Ter-Mar" Studios in Chicago - the
artists involved were FLEETWOOD MAC, OTIS SPANN on Piano, WILLIE DIXON on Bass,
WALTER "SHAKEY" HORTON on Harmonica, J.T. BROWN on Tenor Sax, GUITAR
BUDDY on Guitars (Pseudonym for Buddy Guy), HONEYBOY EDWARDS on Bass and S.P.
LEARY on Drums. It was recorded in one day - 4 January 1969 – and has a
multiple credited title (the artists listed in block capitols above).
The following year the
double-album was initially split into two single LPs for the USA and retitled
"Blues Jam In Chicago, Vol.1" and "...Vol.2" – released May
1970 on Blue Horizon BH 4802 and BH 4803 respectively. Neither charted - but
reissued as a double-LP proper under the title "Fleetwood Mac In
Chicago" in June 1971 on Blue Horizon 3801 – it did chart and peaked at
No. 190 on a 6-week run. To confuse matters even further - and on the back of
the success of the Buckingham/Nicks "Fleetwood Mac" Reprise Records
LP – it was reissued yet again December 1975 as "Fleetwood Mac In
Chicago" on Sire S2X 6009 and charted belatedly for a second time –
peaking at No. 118 in a 16-week chart run. Again this 3rd reissue had different
artwork – a plain sort of eggplant red. Which brings us to these two reissue CDs...
The cover of the original
1969 British 2LP set had a wavy backdrop and titled sleeve - no real effort in
the art department - while the 1971 and 1975 US doubles didn't fare much better
either – a blue car door sleeve for 1971 and a plain red cover for 1975. These
new CD remasters first issued inside "The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions
1967-1969" 6CD Box Set from November 1999 - and now as individual
stand-alone single CD reissues in June 2004 – use the much prettier 1970
"Blues Jam At Chicago – Volumes 1 & 2" Artwork for both volumes.
Now to the content...
The original American Volumes
issued May 1970 were simply Sides 1 and 2 of the British double-LP on Volume 1
with Sides 3 and 4 put onto Volume 2. But as these July 2004 CDs are taken from
"The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions 1967-1969" Box Set – they're the 'Expanded Edition' versions
with rejiggered tracks. In order to show the musical differences I've detailed
the vinyl first - then the Expanded CD...
ORIGINAL VINYL LP
configuration:
Side 1:
1. Watch Out [Peter Green
song]
2. Ooh Baby [Chester Burnett
aka Howlin' Wolf cover]
3. South Indiana - Take 1
[Walter 'Shakey' Horton cover]
4. South Indiana - Take 2
[Walter 'Shakey' Horton cover]
5. Last Night [W Jacobs
cover]
6. Red Hot Jam [Peter Green
Instrumental song]
Side 2:
1. I'm Worried [Elmore James
cover]
2. I Held My Baby Last Night
[Elmore James/Jules Taub cover]
3. Madison Blues [Elmore
James cover]
4. I Can't Hold Out [Elmore
James cover]
5. I Need Your Love [Jimmie
Rogers cover]
6. I Got The Blues [Walter
'Shakey' Horton cover]
UK released June 2004 -
"Blues Jam At Chicago Volume One" by FLEETWOOD MAC on Columbia/Blue
Horizon 5164462 (Barcode 5099751644620) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD
Reconfiguration and Remaster and plays out as follows (68:24 minutes):
EXPANDED EDITION CD:
Tracks 1 to 5 are the same as
the LP above
Track 6 is "Red Hot
Jam" [Take 1 with Studio talk - An Inserted Previously Unreleased Track]
Track 7 is "Red Hot
jam" [Take 2 - The Master Version, Track 6 on the LP]
Tracks 8 to 11 are "I'm
Worried" through to "I Can't Hold Out" and are as per the LP
Track 12 is "Bobby's
Rock" which is an inserted Previously Unreleased cover of an Elmore James
song
Track 13 is "I Need Your
Love" (same as the LP)
Track 14 is "Horton's
Boogie Woogie [Take 1 with Studio Chatter - an Inserted Previously Unreleased
Version]
Track 15 is "I Got The
Blues" is the Master but with inserted Previously Unreleased False Start
DUNCAN COWELL has digitally
remastered the original session tapes to stunning Audio quality - as fresh as a
politician's new excuses – while the booklet has informative and detailed liner
notes by MIKE VERNON – Blue Horizon’s head honcho and label leader.
WALTER HORTON plays Harmonica
on CD tracks 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14 and 15
BUDDY GUY, HONEYBOY EDWARDS
and WILLIE DIXON are on 6 and 7
JEREMY SPENCER replaces Peter
Green on Guitar and Vocal for 8, 9 10 and 11 - these tracks also feature J.T.
BROWN on Tenor Sax with WILLIE DIXON on Upright Bass
OTIS SPANN plays Piano and
S.P. LEARY plays drums on 13, 14 and 15
Fans greet the album itself
with equal amounts of affection and disdain because at times it sounds like one
long rehearsal - and a slightly uninspired and dull one at that. It's not that
“Blues Jam At Chess” is bad - it just isn't red hot like you'd think it should
have been and maybe another day or two would have sorted out a coherent album.
Highlights, however, include the lovely shuffle of "Watch Out" - the
harmonica driven slow blues of "Last Night" and the slashing Elmore
James riffs in "I Can't Hold Out" (lyrics above). "Bobby's
Rock" is a rubbishy extra, but Take 1 of "Horton's Boogie
Woogie" is fantastic - alive and kicking and worth the price of entry
alone. I play it a lot and it picks me up every time.
To sum up then - this is a 5
star Sony presentation of a 3 to 4 star Blue Horizon album. But there's still
enough magic on "Blues Jam At Chess" in its Two Volume split
personalities to recommend it. And for Peter Green Fleetwood Mac and Blues Rock
fans - it's an absolute necessity...
