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John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - John Mayall Plays John Mayall (1964)

Track listing:
  1. Crawling Up A Hill 2:30
  2. I Wanna Teach You Everything 3:17
  3. When I'm Gone 3:27
  4. I Need Your Love 4:20
  5. The Hoot Owl 2:39
  6. R & B Time Night Train-Lucille 2:24
  7. Crocodile Walk 2:44
  8. What's The Matter With You 2:45
  9. Doreen 3:08
  10. Runaway 2:43
  11. Heartache 3:17
  12. Chicago Line 4:43
  13. Crawling Up A Hill [Bonus] 2:17
  14. Mr. James [Bonus] 2:52
  15. Crocodile Walk [Bonus] 2:15
  16. Blues City Shakedown [Bonus] 2:25
  17. My Baby Is Sweeter [Bonus] 2:59

Notes

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John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers are a pioneering English blues band, led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall, OBE. Mayall used the band name between 1963 and '67 then dropped it for some fifteen years, but in 1982 a 'Return of the Bluesbreakers' was announced and it has been kept since then. The name has become generic without a clear distinction which recordings are to be credited just to the leader or to leader and his band.

In 1956, with college fellow Peter Ward, Mayall had formed the Powerhouse Four which consisted of both men plus other local musicians with whom they played at local dances. In 1962, Mayall became a member of the Blues Syndicate. The band was led by trumpeter John Rowlands and included drummer Hughie Flint who Mayall already knew. It was Alexis Korner, another blues enthusiast, who persuaded Mayall to opt for a full time musical career and move to London. There, Korner introduced him to many other musicians and helped them to find gigs.

In late 1963, with his band, which was now called the Bluesbreakers, Mayall started playing at the Marquee Club. The lineup 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 the guitar from Bernie Watson. This lineup backed John Lee Hooker on his British tour in 1964.

Mayall was offered a recording contract and on 7 December 1964 a live performance of the band was recorded at the Klook's Kleek. A single, "Crocodile Walk", was recorded later in studio and 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 its decisive phase.

The Bluesbreakers were formed in January 1963 and became an ever-evolving lineup of more than 100 different combinations of musicians performing under that name[1]. Eric Clapton joined in 1965 just a few months after the release of their first album. Clapton brought the blues influences to the forefront of the group, as he had left The Yardbirds in order to play the blues.

The group lost their record contract with Decca that year, which also saw the release of a single called "I'm Your Witchdoctor" (produced by Jimmy Page), followed by a return to Decca in 1966. The album Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, also known as The Beano Album, was released later that year; it reached the Top Ten in the UK.

Clapton and Jack Bruce left the group that year to form Cream. Clapton was replaced by Peter Green for A Hard Road, after which he left to form Fleetwood Mac. Finally, in 1969, the third Bluesbreaker-guitarist departed when Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones.

By the time the 1960s were over, the Bluesbreakers had finally achieved some success in the United States.