"The Chess Story 1947-1956" - Part 1 of 3 (November 2001 UK-EU MCA/Universal/Chess 5CD Box Set Reissue - Part 1 of 3 from the October 1999 Original 15-Disc Box set with Erick Labson Remasters) - A Review with Discography by Mark Barry....

"...Someone Said Jump The Boogie...And That's What We're Going To Do…"

Released UK/EU in 2001 on MCA/Universal/Chess 1126492 - "The Chess Story 1947-1956" is Part 1 of 3 - a long hardback book-shaped box set - coloured green with 5CDs. It was part of the October 1999 US 15-Disc original Box Set "The Chess Story: 1947-1975". 

I've supplied the catalogue numbers for all 5 CDs after the track details - it'll help those fans of Chess and its associate labels that are trying to hunt down that elusive tune...

Made in the USA, the entire 5CD set is remastered from original master tapes by one of Universal's top engineers ERICK LABSON and soundwise (with over 800 mastering credits to his name) it's a typically superb job. The packaging I feel could be a whole better (very disappointing booklets) - but for Chess fans many of these tracks remain unavailable anywhere else. To the details - song and artist names first followed by Catalogue Numbers afterwards...

SONGS and ARTIST NAMES
CD1:
1. Chicago Boogie (The Five Blazers)
2. Hey Pretty Mama (Jump Jackson & His Orchestra)
3. Ice Man's Blues (Tom Archia)
4. Boogie Woogie Blues (Clarence Samuels)
5. Bilbo Is Dead (Andrew Tibbs)
6. Johnson Machine Gun (Sunnyland Slim)
7. Gypsy Woman (Muddy Waters)
8. I Feel Like Crying (Andrew Tibbs)
9. She Ain't Nowhere (Sunnyland Slim)
10. I Feel Like Going Home (Muddy Waters)
11. I Can't Be Satisfied (Muddy Waters)
12. I Can't Be Tony Boogie (Forrest Sykes)
13. Florida Hurricane (St. Louis Jimmy)
14. You're Gonna Miss Me (Muddy Waters)
15. Locked Out Boogie (Leroy Foster)
16. Streamline Woman (Muddy Waters)
17. A Woman On Every Street (Forest City Joe)
18. Crying The Blues (Lura Rucker)
19. Baby I'm Sick Of You (Duke Jenkins' Aristocrats)
20. Black Angel Blues (Robert Nighthawk)
21. You're Gonna Need My Help (Muddy Waters)
22. Big Town Playboy (Little Johnny Jones)
23. Screamin' And Cryin' (Muddy Waters)
24. All I Need Is You (The Dozier Boys)
25. Six Three O (Robert Nighthawk)
26. Rollin' And Tumblin' (Muddy Waters)

CD2:
1. Rollin' Stone (Muddy Waters)
2. That's Alright (Jimmy Rogers)
3. You Got To Get It (The Dozier Boys)
4. Send For The Doctor (Doc Pomus)
5. Louisiana Blues (Muddy Waters)
6. Goin' Away Baby (Jimmy Rogers)
7. So Glad I Found You (Johnny Shines) (Shoeshine Johnny)
8. Mother Earth (Memphis Slim)
9. Long Distance Call (Muddy Waters)
10. Slow Caboose (Sax Mallard)
11. The World's In A Tangle (Jimmy Rogers)
12. Rocket 88 (Jackie Brenston)
13. Leave My Wife Alone (John Lee Hooker)
14. Honey Bee (Muddy Water)
15. My Real Gone Rocket (Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats)
16. Moanin' At Midnight (Howlin' Wolf)
17. Howlin' Tomcat (Harmonica Frank)
18. Crying The Blues (Lura Rucker)
19. Juiced (Billy Love)
20. How Many More Years (Howlin' Wolf)
21. Still A Fool (Muddy Waters)
22. Hey Little Girl (John Godfrey Trio)
23. Booted (Rosco Gordon)
24. She Moves Me (Muddy Waters)
25. No More Doggin' Around (Rufus Thomas)
26. Dark Road (Floyd Jones)

CD3:
1. Mr. Highway Man (Howlin' Wolf)
2. Murmur Low (Big Boy Spires)
3. Walkin' The Boogie (John Lee Hooker)
4. When I Am Gone (Joe Hill Louis)
5. Truckin' Little Woman (Willie Nix)
6. Sugar Mama (John Lee Hooker)
7. Juke (Little Walter & His Nightcats)
8. Date Bait (Blue Smitty)
9. Every Day I Have The Blues (Joe Williams)
10. Standing Around Cryin' (Muddy Waters)
11. Mean Old World (Little Walter)
12. I Don't Know (Willie Mabon)
13. 24 Hours (Eddie Boyd)
14. Me And My Chauffeur (Memphis Minnie)
15. Sad Hours (Little Walter)
16. She Just Won't Do Right (Elmore James)
17. I'm Mad (Willie Mabon)
18. Be Careful What You Do (John Brim)
19. Off The Wall (Little Walter)
20. Diggin' My Potatoes (Washboard Sam)
21. Nadine (The Coronets)
22. I'm Glad (Mitzi Mars)
23. Forty Cups Of Tea (Danny Overbea)
24. Tell Me Mama (Little Walter)
25. Third Degree (Eddie Boyd)

CD4:
1. White Cliffs Of Dover (The Blue Jays)
2. Blues With A Feeling (Little Walter)
3. Jock-A-Mo (Sugar Boy Crawford)
4. Mad Love (Muddy Waters)
5. You're So Fine (Little Walter)
6. Wine, Wine, Wine (Jimmy Binkley)
7. Chicago Bound (Jimmy Rogers)
8. I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man (Muddy Waters)
9. Biscuit Baking Woman (Big Ed & His Combo (Eddie Burns)
10. I'm A Young Rooster (Leon D. Tarver) (The Chordones)
11. Just Make Love To Me (Muddy Waters)
12. Sloppy Drunk (Jimmy Rogers)
13. Evil (Howlin' Wolf)
14. When The Lights Go Out (Jimmy Witherspoon)
15. You Better Watch Yourself (Little Walter)
16. That Man Is Walking (Larry Ligget)
17. I'm Ready (Muddy Waters)
18. Reconsider Baby (Lowell Fulson)
19. Sincerely (The Moonglows)
20. Mama Talk To Your Daughter (J.B. Lenoir)
21. Last Night (Little Walter)
22. It Must Have Been The Devil (Otis Spann)
23. Forty Four (Howlin' Wolf)
24. I Want To Hug You, Kiss You, Squeeze You (Various)
25. Free And Easy Mind (Jimmy Nelson)
26. Most Of All (The Moonglows)
27. If You Don't Somebody Else Will (Jimmy & Johnny)

CD5:
1. Mardi Gras Mambo (The Hawketts- first recording of Aaron Neville)
2. Love Me (Jimmy Lee & Wayne Walker)
3. My Babe (Little Walter)
4. Check Yourself (Lowell Fulson)
5. I'm A Man (Bo Diddley)
6. Bo Diddley (Bo Diddley)
7. Are You Out There? (Percy Mayfield)
8. Mannish Boy (Muddy Waters)
9. Maybelline (Chuck Berry)
10. Diddley Daddy (Bo Diddley)
11. Walking The Blues (Sonny Boy Williamson)
12. The Seventh Son (Willie Mabon)
13. Pretty Thing (Bo Diddley)
14. Don't Start Me Talkin' (Sonny Boy Williamson)
15. The $64,000 Question (Bobby Tuggle)
16. Trouble, Trouble (Lowell Fulson)
17. Thirty Days (Chuck Berry)
18. In My Diary (The Moonglows)
19. See You Later Alligator (Bobby Charles)
20. Tippity Top (The Rays)
21. Trouble No More (Muddy Waters)
22. I'll Be Home (The Flamingos)
23. Who (Little Walter)
24. No Money Down (Chuck Berry)
25. So Glad She's Mine (Charles "Hungry" Williams)
26. You're The One (Jimmy Rogers)
27. Smokestack Lightnin' (Howlin' Wolf)

CATALOGUE NUMBERS
CD1 1947-1950 (76:07 minutes):
1. Aristocrat 201 [A] (1 to 26 were issued on 78's except 18 and 21)
2. Aristocrat 402 [A]
3. Aristocrat 602 [A]
4. Aristocrat 1001 [A]
5. Aristocrat 1101 [A]
6. Aristocrat 1301 [A]
7. Aristocrat 1302 [A]
8. Aristocrat 1103 [A]
9. Aristocrat 1304 [A]
10. Aristocrat 1305 [A]
11. Aristocrat 1305 [B]
12. Aristocrat 1401 [A]
13. Aristocrat 7001 [A]
14. Aristocrat 1307 [A]
15. Aristocrat 1234 [A]
16. Aristocrat 1310 [A]
17. Aristocrat 3101 [A]
18. Chess CHD4 9340 [4CD Box Set "Chess Blues", USA, 1992]
19. Aristocrat 811 [A]
20. Aristocrat 2301 [A]
21. Chess CHD2 9348 [2CD Chess Compilation "One More Mile", USA, 1997]
22. Aristocrat 405 [A]
23. Aristocrat 406 [A]
24. Aristocrat 409 [A]
25. Aristocrat 413 [A]
26. Aristocrat 412 [A]

CD2 1950-1951 (73:34 minutes):
1. Chess 1426 [A] (1 to 26 were issued on 78's)
2. Chess 1435 [A]
3. Chess 1436 [A]
4. Chess 1440 [A]
5. Chess 1441 [A]
6. Chess 1442 [A]
7. Chess 1443 [A]
8. Chess 1446 [A]
9. Chess 1452 [A]
10. Chess 750 [A]
11. Chess 1453 [A]
12. Chess 1458 [A]
13. Chess 1467 [A]
14. Chess 1468 [A]
15. Chess 1469 [A]
16. Chess 1479 [A] (see also 19)
17. Chess 1494 [A]
18. Chess 1472 [A]
19. Chess 1479 [B] (see also 16)
20. Chess 1480 [A]
21. Chess 1478 [A]
22. Chess 1486 [A]
23. Chess 1490 [A]
24. Chess 1492 [A]
25. Chess 1498 [A]
26. Chess 1504 [A]

CD3 1952-1954 PART ONE (73:33 minutes):
1. Chess 1510 [A] (1 to 10 were issued on 78's, 11 onwards on 45's)
2. Checker 752 [A]
3. Chess 1513 [A] (see also 6)
4. Checker 763 (Extended Version)
5. Checker 756 [A]
6. Chess 1513 [A]
7. Checker 758 [A}
8. Chess LP CHD 9330 ("The Blues, Vol.6", USA LP, 1991)
9. Checker 762 [A]
10. Chess 1526 [A]
11. Checker 764 [A]
12. Chess 1531 [A]
13. Chess 1533 [A]
14. Checker 771 [A]
15. Checker 764 [A]
16. Checker 777 [A]
17. Chess 1538 [A]
18. Chess LP 1537
(On the LP "Whose Muddy Shoes" by Muddy Waters & John Brim, USA, 1969)
19. Checker 770 [B] (see also 24)
20. Chess 1545 [A]
21. Chess 1549 [A]
22. Checker 773 [A]
23. Checker 774 [A]
24. Checker 770 [A] (see also 19)
25. Chess 1541 [A]

CD4 1952-1954 PART TWO (77:42 minutes):
1. Checker 782 [A]
2. Checker 780 [A]
3. Checker 787 [A]
4. Chess 1550 [A]
5. Checker 786 [A]
6. Checker 789 [A]
7. Chess 1574 [A]
8. Chess 1560 [A]
9. Checker 790 [A]
10. Checker 791 [A]
11. Chess 1571 [A]
12. Chess 1574 [A]
13. Chess 1575 [A]
14. Checker 798 [A]
15. Checker 799 [A]
16. Chess 1578 [A]
17. Chess 1579 [A]
18. Checker 804 [A]
19. Chess 1581 [A]
20. Parrot 908 [A]
21. Checker 805 [A]
22. Checker 807 [A]
23. Chess 1584 [A]
24. Chess 1586 [A]
25. Chess 1587 [A]
26. Chess 1589 [A]
27. Chess 4859 [A]

CD5 1955-1956 PART ONE (72:04 minutes)
1. Chess 1591 [A]
2. Chess 4863 [A]
3. Checker 811 [A]
4. Checker 812 [A]
5. Checker 814 [B] (see also 6)
6. Checker 814 [A] (see also 5)
7. Chess 1599 [A]
8. Chess 1602 [A]
9. Chess 1604 [A]
10. Checker 819 [A]
11. Checker 822 [A]
12. Chess 1608 [A]
13. Checker 827 [A]
14. Checker 825 [A]
15. Checker 823 [A]
16. Checker 829 [A]
17. Chess 1610 [A]
18. Chess 1611 [A]
19. Chess 1609 [A]
20. Chess 1613 [A]
21. Chess 1612 [A]
22. Checker 830 [A]
23. Checker 833 [A]
24. Chess 1615 [A]
25. Checker 831 [A]
26. Chess 1616 [A]
27. Chess 1618 [A]

PS:
PART 2, the 2nd box, is 5 discs also and covers 1957-1964, 133 tracks (see separate review)

PART 3, the 3rd box, is 5 discs too and covers 1965-1975. However, in box 3, there are only 3 audio CDs (70 tracks) - Disc 14 is divided into 18 interview parts (just over 74 minutes) and Disc 15 is a CD-Rom with interactive downloads, Chess catalogue etc

PPS: title of this review is from Track 1 on CD1 - "Chicago Boogie" by THE FIVE BLAZERS