The 3 kings Albert, Freddie and BB . The experts tend to rate Freddie highest but I don’t think the others matched BB for sweetness of tone and the voice.
Just dug out my ticket from Thursday 14 March 1974. Pity I can’t master photobucket or else I’d post it on here.
I attended his debut appearance at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 22nd April 1969; an occasion which was preceded by great media coverage.
Journalist, Ray Connolly of the London Evening Standard (April 26th) began his review thus: This is the moment for all blues men. B.B. King is up there on stage under the Albert Hall’s petrified dome hung with its acoustical stalactites. He’s working away in his own public agony, his face feeling every note, sweat hidden but seeping, we know, across his pale blue cotton ruffled shirt, neat dark lightweight worsted suit still crisp from the steam iron. Suddenly he hollers a piece of high camp earthy blues, assaying his thighs to the retort lines; and we break up in the moments relief.
Lordy, there’s a question, damned if I remember. However looking at photos taken of me in 1969 (born 1947) hair thick with sideburns level with earlobes plus Mexican type moustache. Not a pretty sight. In one I’m wearing a well worn corduroy jacket, in another a plain linen one.
Just glad to remember seeing him a few times over the years – on his own, at his blues festival in Mountain View, CA (along with Dr John and the Neville Brothers) and a double header with Robert Cray.
I even managed to shake his hand at a meet and greet here in Singapore at the then Tower Records before his concert his. Still have the guitar pin that he gave me.
I’m in Our Price Reading, early 80s. I have one of those ‘what’s that you’re playing? I’ll buy it’ record shop moments. It was BB’s lovely album Take It Home.
Subsequently saw him in concert three times – always a brilliant musician and a great showman. One of the true greats, no question.
Back in the day Sounds gave away a flexidisk promoting an album called “The Guitar Album” which featured a bunch of great guitarists. The flexi had “Bullfrog Blues” by Rory Gallagher, “The Ox” by The Who, “Let it rain” by Eric Clapton and finally “Sweet sixteen” by BB King. In their own way each blew me away and changed my world, but BB was something completely new which I’d never heard before and opened my eyes to a new genre I never knew existed. “That’s blues music” my Dad explained. And he’s right – it’s all here. Sad loss, but he lived a pretty amazing and full life. I will raise a glass to the man tonight.
I think we must be at cross-purposes, Junior, ‘cos I have the the Polydor double album too, and it’s got a great cover with what look like cigarette cards of each of the featured guitarists placed on what looks uncannily like my desk when I was in form 4Y. In the middle of the gatefold sleeve there’s an eight page full size insert with a short essay and the full line up for each featured track, a full sized sheet of the cards from the cover, a couple of short articles and even some chord charts and finally there’s a one page history of the electric guitar. All in all it’s a prime example of what a gatefold-sleeved double-LP should be like. Whoever decided to give away that flexi knew what they were doing – I saved for ages to but that album.
Saw him the first time at Newcastle City Hall in 1983. My first experience of music presented as a show. The band uniforms, the brass section, the call and responses.
We were 3 rows back centre stage so it was unforgettable. He was a big bugger and completely in his element from the off. Absolutely born to be on a stage.
It was an odd night too. My mate and I arrived to find ourselves sat next to our PE teacher from school! Who decided for reasons never discovered to knob off after the support act, Sade, never to return to his seat.
Who was in the seat on the other side of him? He was probably on a promise with the new student RE teacher. Figured 45 minutes of Sade should be enough to guarantee an interesting conclusion to the evening, and didn’t want you and your snotty mate buggering up his chances. PE teachers are all randy sods who get too much oats.
The first time I heard “The Thrill Is Gone” was in a bar in LA.
I was 18 and had come out to meet two mates in a hair brained scheme to hitchhike and Greyhound our way west-east across the States. We had an adventure or two along the way it’s fair to say.
I had heard some BB and Albert King and some Muddy Waters but inevitably as a white boy from the Surrey delta, my introduction to the blues were other white boys from Surrey or possibly Teeside or Lothian.
Anyway, the Claudia Linnear lookalike bartender said “Honey, you don’t look old enough to drink here”
I said “You have to be younger to drink in England”
She said “I don’t even know what that means” and smiled and said “cute accent, I guess you can have a beer’
“Who’s this on the jukebox?” I asked
“B.B? You don’t know B.B? He’s the king. Fuck Elvis…” she replied laughing.
The last real bluesman. So glad I saw him at
Leeds University in the early eighties
Me too. Were told this might be our last chance to see him. I’m glad he stayed around for so much longer.
I fell in love with this song as 10 year old!
The 3 kings Albert, Freddie and BB . The experts tend to rate Freddie highest but I don’t think the others matched BB for sweetness of tone and the voice.
Just dug out my ticket from Thursday 14 March 1974. Pity I can’t master photobucket or else I’d post it on here.
Went to see him in 1990ish, partly thinking that he might not be around much longer…
The Thrill Is Gone
I attended his debut appearance at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 22nd April 1969; an occasion which was preceded by great media coverage.
Journalist, Ray Connolly of the London Evening Standard (April 26th) began his review thus: This is the moment for all blues men. B.B. King is up there on stage under the Albert Hall’s petrified dome hung with its acoustical stalactites. He’s working away in his own public agony, his face feeling every note, sweat hidden but seeping, we know, across his pale blue cotton ruffled shirt, neat dark lightweight worsted suit still crisp from the steam iron. Suddenly he hollers a piece of high camp earthy blues, assaying his thighs to the retort lines; and we break up in the moments relief.
They don’t write ’em like that anymore. (grin)
I wish they still wrote them like that!
B.B. King will be missed.
Nice one Alan I hoped you would contribute.
Very curious now.
As you remember it, what did the audience for a B.B. King gig at the Albert Hall look like in 1969?
I am trying to paint a mental picture of that, but I am struggling.
Lordy, there’s a question, damned if I remember. However looking at photos taken of me in 1969 (born 1947) hair thick with sideburns level with earlobes plus Mexican type moustache. Not a pretty sight. In one I’m wearing a well worn corduroy jacket, in another a plain linen one.
That’s enough about my sartorial inelegance.
A true legend.
Just glad to remember seeing him a few times over the years – on his own, at his blues festival in Mountain View, CA (along with Dr John and the Neville Brothers) and a double header with Robert Cray.
I even managed to shake his hand at a meet and greet here in Singapore at the then Tower Records before his concert his. Still have the guitar pin that he gave me.
I’m in Our Price Reading, early 80s. I have one of those ‘what’s that you’re playing? I’ll buy it’ record shop moments. It was BB’s lovely album Take It Home.
Subsequently saw him in concert three times – always a brilliant musician and a great showman. One of the true greats, no question.
Back in the day Sounds gave away a flexidisk promoting an album called “The Guitar Album” which featured a bunch of great guitarists. The flexi had “Bullfrog Blues” by Rory Gallagher, “The Ox” by The Who, “Let it rain” by Eric Clapton and finally “Sweet sixteen” by BB King. In their own way each blew me away and changed my world, but BB was something completely new which I’d never heard before and opened my eyes to a new genre I never knew existed. “That’s blues music” my Dad explained. And he’s right – it’s all here. Sad loss, but he lived a pretty amazing and full life. I will raise a glass to the man tonight.
I have that flexi!
And I have that double album with the crap cover. Ellen McIlwaine was the revelation for me off that compilation.
I think we must be at cross-purposes, Junior, ‘cos I have the the Polydor double album too, and it’s got a great cover with what look like cigarette cards of each of the featured guitarists placed on what looks uncannily like my desk when I was in form 4Y. In the middle of the gatefold sleeve there’s an eight page full size insert with a short essay and the full line up for each featured track, a full sized sheet of the cards from the cover, a couple of short articles and even some chord charts and finally there’s a one page history of the electric guitar. All in all it’s a prime example of what a gatefold-sleeved double-LP should be like. Whoever decided to give away that flexi knew what they were doing – I saved for ages to but that album.
No sign of Ellen however.
R.I.P. An amazing career for a guy who couldn’t sing and play guitar at the same time.
Farewell BB. “The Thrill is Gone”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5_j91FjsXM
Saw him the first time at Newcastle City Hall in 1983. My first experience of music presented as a show. The band uniforms, the brass section, the call and responses.
We were 3 rows back centre stage so it was unforgettable. He was a big bugger and completely in his element from the off. Absolutely born to be on a stage.
It was an odd night too. My mate and I arrived to find ourselves sat next to our PE teacher from school! Who decided for reasons never discovered to knob off after the support act, Sade, never to return to his seat.
Who was in the seat on the other side of him? He was probably on a promise with the new student RE teacher. Figured 45 minutes of Sade should be enough to guarantee an interesting conclusion to the evening, and didn’t want you and your snotty mate buggering up his chances. PE teachers are all randy sods who get too much oats.
lol
R.I.P. Riley.
I saw him rule the Colston Hall in the late 70s: “the band uniforms, the brass section, the call and responses” and all.
Band come son, tight blues shuffle commences.
Baaaa-da-bap – ba-da-ba-dabba, baaaa-da-bap – ba-da-ba-dabba,
MC takes the mic:
“Ladeez ‘n’gennlmun, pleeze welcome (baaaa-da-bap – ba-da-ba-dabba,)
“Mister Beeeeee! (snare)
“Beeeeee! (snare)
“KING!!!!!!!”
Baaaa-da-bap, ba-da-ba-dabba, baaaa-da-bap – ba-da-ba-dabba, etc.
Awesome.
Unique and original.
Yup – title says it all!
The first time I heard “The Thrill Is Gone” was in a bar in LA.
I was 18 and had come out to meet two mates in a hair brained scheme to hitchhike and Greyhound our way west-east across the States. We had an adventure or two along the way it’s fair to say.
I had heard some BB and Albert King and some Muddy Waters but inevitably as a white boy from the Surrey delta, my introduction to the blues were other white boys from Surrey or possibly Teeside or Lothian.
Anyway, the Claudia Linnear lookalike bartender said “Honey, you don’t look old enough to drink here”
I said “You have to be younger to drink in England”
She said “I don’t even know what that means” and smiled and said “cute accent, I guess you can have a beer’
“Who’s this on the jukebox?” I asked
“B.B? You don’t know B.B? He’s the king. Fuck Elvis…” she replied laughing.
She was right.
The King.
Bobby Bland was his driver for a number of years.
Remarkable.
They are re-running the original 1971 BBC In London Session supervised by Mike Vernon.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01m5j5g/sounding-out-bb-king