73-555: Klooks Kleek was a jazz and rhythm 'n’ blues club on the first floor of the Railway Hotel, West Hampstead , north-west London. Named after "Klook's Clique", a 1956 album by jazz drummer Kenny Clarke (Savoy Records 12006), the club opened on 11 January 1961 with special guest Don Rendell (tenor sax) and closed nine years later on 28 January 1970 after a session by drummer Keef Hartley ’s group. There were over 1200 sessions at Klook’s Kleek, around 300 of them featuring jazz, and
146-474: A pornography collection dating from the 1800s and his diaries written over 25 years. Mayall was married twice and had six children and six grandchildren. His second wife, Maggie Mayall, is an American blues performer; since the early 1980s, she has taken part in the management of her husband's career. They married in 1982, and divorced in 2011. Mayall died at his home in California on 22 July 2024, at
219-772: A Doll's House . Rod Stewart appeared with three different bands – his own Soul Agents backed Buddy Guy, he was a member of Shotgun Express with Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood , and appeared with the Steam Packet with Long John Baldry , Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll . Ten Years After 's live LP Undead was recorded at KK in 1968. The original Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green were regulars in 1969; Christine Perfect 's keyboards and vocals in their later incarnation had given her first-ever professional performance at KK with Chicken Shack in 1968. The Mac made full use of their appearances at KK by making unbooked recording raids on Decca Studios next door. [4] The proximity of
292-493: A couple of gigs before their first mega-bucks US tour and again between that one and the next; they were recorded “unofficially” on the latter gig in November 1966. The Nice , who gave birth to Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP), were regulars in 1967 and 1968, as was Family with Roger Chapman on vocals and Ric Grech , later of Blind Faith , on bass, violin and cello in 1969 following the release of their debut album Music in
365-658: A decisive phase. In 1965, with Eric Clapton as their new guitar player, the Bluesbreakers began attracting considerable attention. That summer the band cut a couple of tracks for a single, " I'm Your Witchdoctor " b/w "Telephone Blues" (released in October). In August, however, Clapton left for a jaunt to Greece with a bunch of relative musical amateurs calling themselves the 'Glands'. John Weider, John Slaughter, and Geoff Krivit attempted to fill in as Bluesbreaker guitarist but, finally, Peter Green took charge. John McVie
438-605: A duet with Thompson on "To a Princess". Mayall continued the experiment of formations without drummers on two more albums, although he took on a new electric blues-rock-R&B band in guitarist Harvey Mandel and bassist Larry Taylor , both plucked from Canned Heat , and wailing violinist Don "Sugarcane" Harris , lately of the Johnny Otis Show and formerly with The Mothers of Invention . On USA Union (recorded in Los Angeles, 27–28 July 1970), though, Mandel
511-600: A few tracks. In April 1966, the Bluesbreakers returned to Decca Studios to record a second LP with producer Vernon. The sessions, with horn arrangements for some tracks (John Almond on baritone sax, Alan Skidmore on tenor sax, and Dennis Healey on trumpet), lasted just three days. Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton was released in the UK on 22 July 1966. Several of the 12 tracks were covers of pure Chicago blues (side 1 kicking off with Otis Rush 's " All Your Love " and Freddy King 's hit instrumental " Hide Away " [here spelled without
584-609: A full-time musical career and moved to London. His previous craft would be put to good use in the designing of covers for many of his coming albums. In 1956, with college fellow Peter Ward, Mayall founded the Powerhouse Four, which consisted of the two men and other local musicians with whom they played at local dances. In 1962 Mayall became a member of the Blues Syndicate. The band was formed by trumpeter John Rowlands and alto saxophonist Jack Massarik, who had seen
657-547: A fundraiser show. This "Unite for UNICEF" concert took place on 19 July 2003 at the Liverpool Arena , and was captured on film for a DVD release. 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. Three months later a solo world tour was announced, with Rocky Athas on guitar, Greg Rzab on bass, and Jay Davenport on drums. Tom Canning, on organ, joined
730-439: A guitarist). Almond had played with Zoot Money and Alan Price and was no stranger to Mayall's music—he had played baritone sax on four cuts of Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton and some of A Hard Road . This new band was markedly different from previous Mayall projects, and its making is well documented both on the 1999 double CD The Masters and on the 2004 DVD The Godfather of British Blues/The Turning Point . Along with
803-426: A jazz night GBO was a sextet of stars – Bond, Baker, Bruce, Heckstall-Smith and McLaughlin. Warner Bros WR 3001, re-issued Aug 2008 on Rhino Records. John Mayall plays John Mayall recorded live at Klooks Kleek 07/12/1964, Decca Records 1965 Zoot Money “Zoot!” live at Klooks Kleek 31/05/1966. Columbia SX 6075 Ten Years After “Undead” live at Klooks Kleek 14/05/1968 Deram SML 1023 The Artwoods "Live at Klooks Kleek"
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#1732790402147876-519: A new addition to his band; his first female lead guitarist, Carolyn Wonderland . In 2013, Mayall signed with producer Eric Corne's label, Forty Below Records. The two have produced four studio albums together, A Special Life featuring accordionist C. J. Chenier , Find a Way to Care , Talk About That featuring Joe Walsh and Nobody Told Me . Corne also re-mastered some live recordings from 1967 featuring Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood released as Live in 1967 in 3 volumes. In 2016, Mayall
949-399: A new format with lower volume, acoustic instruments, and no drummer. He recruited acoustic fingerstyle guitarist Jon Mark and flautist-saxophonist Johnny Almond . Mark was best known as Marianne Faithfull 's accompanist for three years and for having been a member of the band Sweet Thursday (which included pianist Nicky Hopkins and future Cat Stevens collaborator Alun Davies , also
1022-668: A number of other tube stations in the area. Numerous bus routes pass through the district. There are four English Heritage blue plaques in West Hampstead commemorating historic personalities that have lived there. The plaques mark the residences of painter David Bomberg at 10 Fordwych Road, conductor Sir Adrian Boult at 78 Marlborough Mansions on Cannon Hill, newspaper proprietor Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe at 31 Pandora Road, and ophthalmologist Dame Ida Mann at 13 Minster Road. John Mayall John Brumwell Mayall OBE (29 November 1933 – 22 July 2024)
1095-515: A single day in May 1967, Mayall had assembled a studio album to showcase his own abilities. Former Artwoods drummer Keef Hartley appeared on only half of the tracks, and everything else was played by Mayall. The album was released in November titled The Blues Alone . A six-piece line-up—consisting of Mayall, Mick Taylor as lead guitarist, John McVie still on bass, Hughie Flint or Hartley on drums, and Rip Kant and Chris Mercer on saxophones—recorded
1168-469: A space as "Hideaway"]); Mayall wrote or arranged five (such as "Double Crossing Time", a slow blues with a solo by co-writer Clapton); and Clapton debuted as lead vocalist, and began his practice of paying tribute to Robert Johnson , with " Ramblin' on My Mind ". The album was Mayall's commercial breakthrough, rising to No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart , and has since gained classic status, largely for
1241-432: A two-year world tour from which a live album would emerge a decade later. In 1984, Mayall restored the name Bluesbreakers for a line-up comprising the two lead guitars of Walter Trout and Coco Montoya , bassist Bobby Haynes and drummer Joe Yuele. In the early 1990s, most of the excitement was already spent and Buddy Whittington became the sole lead guitarist in a formation which included then organist Tom Canning. On
1314-634: A young bassist named Stephen Thompson. In August 1968 the new quartet recorded Blues from Laurel Canyon . On 13 June 1969, after nearly two years with Mayall, Taylor left and joined the Rolling Stones . Chas Crane filled in briefly on guitar. Drummer Allen departed to join Stone the Crows . This left as the only holdover bassist Thompson who would also eventually join Stone the Crows. Mayall tried
1387-405: Is because the lane used to form the boundary between a number of different estates. By the early 17th century several houses were present, and by the middle of that century London merchants were building larger houses in the area. By 1800 West End was a hamlet of two to three dozen houses and cottages located in parkland, mostly on the west side of West End Lane and Fortune Green Lane, and north of
1460-681: The Alexis Korner band at a Manchester club and wanted to try a similar blend of jazz and blues. It also included rhythm guitarist Ray Cummings and drummer Hughie Flint , whom Mayall already knew. In 1962 John and his band were frequent and popular artists at all-night R&B sessions at the Twisted Wheel cellar club in central Manchester. Alexis Korner persuaded Mayall to opt for a full-time musical career and move to London, where Korner introduced him to many other musicians and helped them to find gigs. In late 1963, with his band, which
1533-520: The Polydor label. The group featured jazz saxophonist Red Holloway , drummer Soko Richardson , bassist Larry Taylor , and two guitarists, Randy Resnick and Hightide Harris. The band toured Europe and Asia that year. During the next decade Mayall continued shifting musicians and switching labels and released a score of albums. Tom Wilson , Don Nix and Allen Toussaint occasionally served as producers. At this stage of his career most of Mayall's music
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#17327904021471606-723: The "godfather of the British blues ", and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the musical influence category in 2024. Born in Macclesfield , Cheshire , on 29 November 1933, John Brumwell Mayall grew up in Cheadle Hulme . He was the son of Murray Mayall, a guitarist who played in local pubs . From an early age he was drawn to the sounds of American blues players such as Lead Belly , Albert Ammons , Pinetop Smith , and Eddie Lang , and taught himself to play
1679-563: The Animals brought him in one night when John Mayall was topping the bill. Jimi was never booked, but he was invited to jam with the John Mayall band, and that night's crowd was ecstatic. Individual memories of Klook's Kleek abound, some of them misted by time but all of them enthusiastic [5]. The bands themselves loved the location and the ambience of Klook's Kleek. Jimmy Page said, “We loved doing gigs in places like Klook’s Kleek but in
1752-567: The Dominos attempted " Layla " follow-up sessions and band disintegration that spring. Back to the Roots did not promote new names, and USA Union and Memories had been recorded with American musicians. Mayall had exhausted his catalytic role on the British blues-rock scene and was living in Los Angeles. Yet, the list of musicians who benefited from association with him, starting with ruling
1825-516: The London blues scene, remains impressive. By the start of the 1970s, Mayall had relocated to the United States where he spent most of the next 15 years, recording with local musicians for various labels. In August 1971, Mayall produced a jazz-oriented session for bluesman Albert King and a few months later took on tour the musicians present in the studio. A live album Jazz Blues Fusion
1898-528: The Moody Blues ), John Lee Hooker , Little Walter , Howlin’ Wolf , T-Bone Walker (backed by John Mayall), Champion Jack Dupree and Buddy Guy all delighted their audiences. Hooker and Wolf both made return visits in later years; Freddie King and Otis Spann appeared in 1969. Britain was not to be left out. Alexis Korner , a crusader for the blues for more than a decade also appeared half-a-dozen times in 1964. Stevie Wonder appeared so long ago he
1971-519: The Nice with organist Keith Emerson . Through both a "musicians wanted" ad in Melody Maker on 10 June and his own search, Mayall found three other potential guitarists for his Bluesbreakers, a musician named Terry Edmonds, John Moorshead, and 18-year-old Mick Taylor . The last made the band quickly, but Mayall also decided to hire Edmonds as a rhythm guitarist for a few days. In the meantime, on
2044-548: The Record Collector magazine's Rare Vinyl series. "Cream Live at Klooks Kleek" recorded on 15/11/1966 without the knowledge of the club promoters. 51°32′47″N 0°11′28″W / 51.5463°N 0.1910°W / 51.5463; -0.1910 West Hampstead West Hampstead is an affluent area in the London Borough of Camden in north-west London. Mainly defined by the railway stations of
2117-453: The Record Collector magazine's Rare Vinyl series. Don Rendell's "Live at Klooks Kleek" was recorded live at Klooks Kleek on 11 September 1963 the recording was suggested by Ray Goganian, the then KK doorman and a keen amateur recordist and made using Dick Jordan's Ferrograph tape recorder and some quality microphones. The original tapes were transferred to vinyl for availability in April 2017 in
2190-674: The RnB banner and a further 4 as a Modern Jazz artist. Zoot Money and The Big Roll Band performed 34 times. They were the Club's most popular attraction. John Mayall brought many future stars through his various bands. He Appeared 33 times and did much to foster interest in blues nationwide. Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames played 22 times within the first two years of RnB at KK. Commercial success then took them into larger venues, but spin-off bands, e.g. The Night-Timers who played 21 gigs, kept
2263-555: The Roots features Clapton, Mick Taylor, Gerry McGee and Harvey Mandel on guitar; Sugarcane Harris on violin; Almond on woodwinds; Thompson and Larry Taylor on bass; and Hartley on drums. Paul Lagos was with Sugarcane and ended up drumming on five. Mayall wrote all the songs and sang all the vocals, as usual by now, plus played harmonica, guitar, keyboards, drums, and percussion. The London sessions took place in January 1971 and as such represent some of Clapton's last work before Derek and
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2336-646: The Sixth National Jazz and Blues Festival, Windsor . Mayall had to replace Clapton, and he succeeded in persuading Peter Green to come back. During the following year, with Green on guitar and various other sidemen, some 40 tracks were recorded. The album A Hard Road was released in February 1967. In early 1967, Mayall released an EP recorded with American blues harpist Paul Butterfield . But Peter Green gave notice and soon started his own project, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac , which eventually
2409-530: The album Crusade on 11 and 12 July 1967. These Bluesbreakers spent most of the year touring abroad, and Mayall taped the shows on a portable recorder. At the end of the tour, he had over sixty hours of tapes, which he edited into an album in two volumes: Diary of a Band, Vols. 1 & 2 , released in February 1968. Meanwhile, a few line-up changes had occurred: McVie had departed and was replaced by Paul Williams, who himself soon quit to join Alan Price and
2482-404: The area started with the construction of three railway lines across West End Lane: Hampstead Junction Railway , built by 1857; Midland line , opened in 1868; and Metropolitan & St. John's Wood line, opened in 1879. West Hampstead was the name adopted by Metropolitan & St. John's Wood for its station on West End Lane. The period of greatest development in the area was the 15 years from
2555-424: The audacious aggressiveness and molten fluidity of Clapton's guitar playing. "It's Eric Clapton who steals the limelight," reported music mag Beat Instrumental , adding with unintended understatement, "and no doubt several copies of the album will be sold on the strength of his name." In the meantime, on 11 June, the formation of Cream —Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce , and drummer Ginger Baker —had been revealed in
2628-527: The band for the tour which started in March 2009. An album was released in September 2009. Since then, Mayall has continued to tour with the same backing band, minus Canning, who left due to other priorities. In 2015, Dinu Logos published John Mayall: The Blues Crusader , the first biography of Mayall to include exhaustive details of every band he put together and every recording he made. In 2018, Mayall made
2701-577: The big change in sound, Mayall decided on a big change in scenery: a move to Los Angeles. The new band made its US debut at the Newport Jazz Festival on 5 July, whilst the performance of 12 July at the Fillmore East provided the tracks for the live album The Turning Point . A studio album, Empty Rooms , was recorded with the same personnel, with Mayall's next bassist, former Canned Heat member Larry Taylor , playing bass in
2774-648: The club a record 20 times, followed by the hugely popular Dick Morrissey and Tubby Hayes , the best-known jazzer of the time. The only non-British jazz came from the Polish Modern Jazz Quartet led by Zbigniew Namyslowski , who returned by popular acclaim three weeks later. The club's policy of featuring top British jazz soloists made the club viable as long as the 18- to 25-year-olds remained interested in jazz. The promoters—in 1962 Dick Jordan had invited childhood friend Geoff Williams to partner him at KK—also believed in making their punters part of
2847-506: The club to Decca also helped a new group to test their proposed single on a live audience. On 29 September 1964, the interval band, the Moody Blues, performed Go Now. Other KK regulars who established themselves on the national stage in later years were The Alex Harvey Band , Chris Farlowe , and Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band . Another regular in 1968/69 were Family, a progressive rock outfit. Situated next to Decca Studios, KK
2920-467: The club to see Cream and Graham Bond respectively. Dave Thompson in his history of Cream mentions that the audience at KK “was already spilling through the downstairs bar and into the street. If people couldn’t actually see the band they could listen through the wall.” [8] Mick Fleetwood summed up the atmosphere, not just at Klook's but all over London thus, “Ah, Swinging London – if one could only re-create that lost, heady air of freedom and opportunity that
2993-549: The club, rather than just a crowd of fee-payers. So there were competitions and coach outings which helped ensure loyalty to the club. But jazz at KK ceased on 11 November 1964. An attempt to revive jazz nights in “Dopey Dick’s” on the same premises lasted for 18 months from April 1967. With earlier performance restrictions removed several American jazz “royalty” appeared, including saxists Ben Webster , Roland Kirk , Sonny Rollins and Zoot Sims . Drummer Max Roach , also appeared. British artists included pianist Stan Tracey , and
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3066-441: The end, they were turning away more people than could actually see the show”.[6] At Georgie Fame's 55th birthday bash at The Forum, he brought on Zoot Money to do “Papa’s got a brand new bag” with the words, “He had the best RnB band in the 60s”, which Zoot denies—“No he did”. As the number finishes with both at the top of their form Zoot shouts, “Klook’s Kleek 1964” [7]. John Mayall and Dick Heckstall-Smith both recall dropping in to
3139-460: The genre going at smaller clubs like KK. The early 60s, and 1963 in particular, also evidence a burgeoning interest in both country and urban blues, with national promoters bringing groups of American blues artistes over for concert and club tours. By 1964 this was in full swing and KK featured well-known bluesmen particularly in the Autumn of 64 and Spring of 65. Sonny Boy Williamson II (backed by
3212-583: The guitar from Bernie Watson. This line-up backed John Lee Hooker on his British tour in 1964. Mayall was offered a recording contract by Decca records and, on 7 December 1964, a live performance of the band was recorded at the Klooks Kleek . A later studio-recorded single, "Crocodile Walk", was released along with the album, but both failed to achieve any success and the contract was terminated. In April 1965, former Yardbirds guitarist Eric Clapton replaced Roger Dean and John Mayall's career entered
3285-592: The man responsible for bringing the Americans to his own famous club in Soho, Ronnie Scott . The last-ever jazz session, on 29 October 1968, featured organist Jimmy McGriff . In 1963 the promoters became aware of a burgeoning scene in blues and RnB, which arrived at Klooks Kleek in the shape of Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. The band played a mix of Louis Jordan, soft soul, funk and even vocal versions of bebop numbers such “Parker’s Blues”. Their first appearance at KK
3358-592: The music press, much to the embarrassment of Clapton, who had not said anything about this to Mayall. (After a May Bluesbreakers gig at which Baker had sat in, he and Clapton had first discussed forming their own band, and surreptitious rehearsal jams with Bruce soon commenced.) Clapton's last scheduled gig with the Bluesbreakers was 17 July in Bexley, south-east of London; Cream made a warmup club debut 29 July in Manchester and its "official" live debut two days later at
3431-475: The northern section of West End Lane and around West End Green. Located in travel zone 2, West Hampstead has excellent transport links, and is served by three stations: West Hampstead on the Jubilee line , West Hampstead Overground station and West Hampstead Thameslink station . An area, known as "le Rudyng" (indicating a woodland clearing) in the mid-13th century, had by 1534 come to be called West End. It
3504-614: The occasion of the 40th year of his career, Mayall invited fellow musicians for the recording of a celebratory album. Along for the Ride appeared in 2001, credited to John Mayall and Friends with twenty names listed on the cover, including some Bluesbreakers, old and new, and also Gary Moore , Jonny Lang , Steve Cropper , Steve Miller , Otis Rush , Billy Gibbons , Greg Rzab, Chris Rea , Jeff Healey and Shannon Curfman . To celebrate his 70th birthday, Mayall reunited with special guests Eric Clapton , Mick Taylor and Chris Barber during
3577-406: The opening of that station, with estates on the west side of West End Lane being turned from farmland and parkland into housing estates. In 1897 large-scale development started on the east side of West End Lane, where three large houses, West End Hall, Canterbury House and Treherne House, had stood until then. There are three railway stations named West Hampstead , all within close proximity, and
3650-566: The others (although some sources give this as occurring back in the summer): "Lonely Years" b/w "Bernard Jenkins" was released as a single the next August on producer Mike Vernon 's Purdah Records label (both tracks appeared again two decades later in Clapton's Crossroads box set). In a November 1965 session, blues pianist-singer Champion Jack Dupree (originally from New Orleans but in the 1960s living in Europe) got Mayall and Clapton to play on
3723-462: The others rhythm ‘n’ blues. Zoot Money , Ten Years After , John Mayall and Graham Bond recorded live albums at Klooks Kleek and it was a popular venue in the British blues and rhythm and blues boom of the early 1960s. Klook's Kleek founder Dick Jordan was a jazz enthusiast and aspiring trombonist who had made previous attempts to establish a jazz club in the inner suburbs of North-West London. KK proved to be third time lucky. Don Rendell played
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#17327904021473796-533: The piano, guitar, and harmonica . Mayall was sent to Korea as part of his national service , and during a period of leave bought his first electric guitar in Japan. Back in England, he enrolled at Manchester College of Art and started playing with a semi-professional band, the Powerhouse Four. After graduation, he obtained a job as an art designer, but continued to play with local musicians. In 1963, he opted for
3869-409: The present-day railway lines. West End Lane had been rerouted, making it straighter and lying further to the west than previously. In 1851 residents were mainly agricultural labourers, gardeners, craftsmen and tradespeople, with an innkeeper, two beershop keepers, a schoolmistress and a few gentry. There were three main large houses: West End House, West End Hall and Lauriston Lodge. Transformation of
3942-466: The prodigious musical skills of the leader on keyboards and saxes, the rhythm section was Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce . Guitarist John McLaughlin (“Mahavishnu Orchestra”) was also a member of GBO. By the beginning of 1964, RnB nights had become so successful that an additional Monday session was introduced. Georgie and the Blue Flames opened on 13 April that year to a full house. Monday nights proved not to be viable and on 1 April 1965, Thursday became
4015-413: The same name, it is situated between Childs Hill to the north, Frognal and Hampstead to the north-east, Swiss Cottage to the east, South Hampstead to the south-east and Kilburn to the west and south-west. The neighbourhood is mainly residential with several local amenities including a range of independent shops, supermarkets, restaurants, bars, cafes and bakeries; most of which are concentrated in
4088-469: The second club night. Zoot Money who was already on the way to becoming a club legend, opened. The last Monday session took place on 26 July 1965; Thursdays endured until November 1969. Also appearing in the early sixties was Rufus Thomas (" Walking the Dog "). The Mike Cotton Sound's 45 appearances were made mostly on Thursday where they were effectively the house band. Graham Bond made 39 appearances under
4161-466: Was a favourite drop-in before or after work for music stars, notably Tom Jones , Lulu , and Mike Smith of the Dave Clark Five . Eric Burdon often dropped in, particularly when Georgie Fame or Zoot Money were appearing, sometimes accompanied by other members of the Animals . The surprise visit which passed into legend was the one made by Jimi Hendrix whose manager Chas Chandler, formerly of
4234-429: Was an English blues and rock musician, songwriter and producer. In the 1960s, he formed John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers , a band that has counted among its members some of the most famous blues and blues rock musicians. A singer, guitarist, harmonica player, and keyboardist, he had a career that spanned nearly seven decades, remaining an active musician until his death aged 90. Mayall has often been referred to as
4307-413: Was compelled to make do without his remarkable sustain and usage of feedback as musical, even melodic, technique; and on Memories the band was stripped down to a trio with Taylor and Ventures guitarist Gerry McGee . In November 1970, Mayall launched a recording project involving many of the most notable musicians with whom he had played during the previous several years. The double album Back to
4380-670: Was dismissed, and during the next few months Jack Bruce , from the Graham Bond Organisation , played bass. In November 1965, Clapton returned, and Green departed as Mayall had guaranteed Clapton his spot back in the Bluesbreakers whenever he tired of the Glands. McVie was allowed back, and Bruce left to join Manfred Mann , but not before a live date by the Mayall-Clapton-Bruce-Flint line-up
4453-618: Was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Mayall's autobiography, Blues From Laurel Canyon: My Life As A Bluesman , co-written with author Joel McIver , was published by Omnibus Press in August 2019. Mayall began living in the U.S. part time in the late 1960s, living there full time by the early 1970s. A brush fire destroyed his house in Laurel Canyon in 1979. Mayall lost 2,000 hours of video-taped movies, 16th century antiques,
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#17327904021474526-486: Was instigated by Mike Raven, a DJ/producer on the short-lived pirate station Radio Atlanta, which had become Radio Caroline South, by the time of the recordings in late 1964. The Artwoods had been so successful as authentic blues purveyors on a dozen interval spots at the club that they stepped up to topping the bill nine times before moving countrywide. The original tapes were transferred to vinyl for availability in June 2016 in
4599-631: Was now called the Bluesbreakers, Mayall started playing at the Marquee Club . The line-up was Mayall, Ward, John McVie on bass and guitarist Bernie Watson, formerly of Cyril Davies and the R&;B All-Stars . The next spring Mayall obtained his first recording date with producer Ian Samwell . The band, with Martin Hart at the drums, recorded two tracks: " Crawling Up a Hill " and "Mr. James". Shortly after, Hughie Flint replaced Hart and Roger Dean took
4672-463: Was on a scheduled jazz night. They opened the Tuesday RnB nights on 10 September 1963 and performed a further twenty-one times, continuing to appear at this small venue even after having two No 1 chart singles. Their manager, Rik Gunnell, allowed them to work for “peanuts” because the band liked the ambience. Appearing regularly in rotation with Fame were the Graham Bond Organisation . Apart from
4745-532: Was rather different from electric blues played by rock musicians, incorporating jazz, funk or pop elements and even adding female vocals. A notable exception is The Last of the British Blues (1978), a live album excused apparently by its title for the brief return to this type of music. In 1982, Mayall was reunited with Mick Taylor , John McVie and Colin Allen , three musicians of his 1960s line-ups, for
4818-451: Was recorded on Mayall's two-track tape recorder at London's The Flamingo Club in November. The rough recording provided tracks that later appeared on the 1969 compilation Looking Back and the 1977 Primal Solos . The same line-up also entered the studio to record a planned single, "On Top of the World", which was not released at that time. Mayall and Clapton cut a couple of tracks without
4891-411: Was released in the following year, with Mayall on harmonica, guitar and piano, Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Clifford Solomon and Ernie Watts on saxophones, Larry Taylor on bass, Ron Selico on drums and Freddy Robinson on guitar. A few personnel changes are noted at the release of a similar album in 1973, the live Moving On . In 1974, Mayall recorded The Latest Edition , produced by Tom Wilson for
4964-539: Was replaced by Keith Tillman; Dick Heckstall-Smith had taken the sax spot. Following a US tour, there were more line-up changes, starting with the troublesome bass position. First Mayall replaced bassist Tillman with 15-year-old Andy Fraser . Within six weeks, though, Fraser left to join Free and was replaced by Tony Reeves, previously a member of the New Jazz Orchestra. Hartley was required to leave, and he
5037-622: Was replaced by New Jazz Orchestra drummer Jon Hiseman (who had also played with the Graham Bond Organisation). Henry Lowther, who played violin and cornet, joined in February 1968. Two months later the Bluesbreakers recorded Bare Wires , co-produced by Mayall and Mike Vernon, which came up to UK No. 6. Hiseman, Reeves, and Heckstall-Smith then moved on to form Colosseum . The Mayall line-up retained Mick Taylor and added drummer Colin Allen (formerly of Zoot Money's Big Roll Band / Dantalian's Chariot , and Georgie Fame ) and
5110-583: Was still prefixed as “Little”, between the initial Motown hits and the emergence of the adult superstar in the 1970s. Also paying their dues at Klooks Kleek were inter alia Jon Lord of Deep Purple , playing in the Artwoods , named after Ronnie Wood's older brother and leader of the group; Purple themselves played one gig in 1969 before the big time beckoned; Bluesology had a 20-year-old called Reg Dwight , later Sir Elton Hercules John; Cream , all of whose members were familiar with KK from previous bands, played
5183-576: Was sweeping over sleepy, stuffy London town during the mid-sixties”. [4] Following the closure of Klook's Kleek the owners of the Railway Hotel established both a Moonlight Club and a Starlight Club, neither of which had any connection with KK. Live at Klooks Kleek, the Graham Bond Organisation recorded live on 5 October 1964. Released long after recording and the reservoir for several later releases in different countries, some as recent as 2006. Solid Bond Recorded 16 months earlier on
5256-462: Was then a freehold estate belonging to Kilburn Priory , and was so called because it was at the west end of another, larger estate. Although it is possible that there was a dwelling on the estate prior to 1244, an estate house was certainly extant by 1646. West End Lane (named as such by 1644), the main road through the area, is still bent at a right-angle at the north and south ends where it connects to Finchley Road and Edgware Road respectively. This
5329-431: Was to include all three of Mayall's Bluesbreakers at this time: Green, McVie, and drummer Mick Fleetwood , who was a Bluesbreaker for only a few weeks. Two live albums, Live in 1967 Volumes I and II, featuring this line-up were released on Forty Below Records in 2015 and 2016. Mayall's first choice to replace Green was 18-year-old David O'List , guitarist from The Attack . O'List declined, however, and went on to form
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