Thursday, June 09, 2016

*In The Shadow Of The Great Blues Guitarists- Joe Louis Walker & His Bosstalkers

Click on title to link to YouTube's film clip of Joe Louis Walker's cover of the Big Joe Turner sassy classic "Rebecca".


DVD Review

Joe Louis Walker & His Bosstalkers: In Concert, Joe Louis Walker and various sidemen, Gema Productions, 2003




I have gone through the repertoire of blues great-John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Lightnin’ Hopkins and so on in this space over the last period. I have not included the artists under review, Joe Louis Walker & His Bosstalkers and with reason. Although Joe Louis played with all of the above named artists of the electric blues pantheon he, off of this performance, does not belong there. On the second or third level, yes. No question that he is a virtuoso guitar player-behind someone else. Nothing wrong with that, right? Here in this 1991 concert the stick outs are “I Didn’t Know”, “The Gift’ and “One Time Around”. Good solid blues but nothing to turn your head or stop what you are doing like Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy or John Lee REQUIRE you to do.

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Blues Survivor
This is the title track from his Verve/Gitanes CD, recorded in 1992 in California. In this funky song he tells of the obstacles he had to overcome in his career; keeping the blues alive, as it were, while the blues were keeping him alive.

True blues survivor


I'm a true blues survivor, I'm proud I am
I tried a little bit of this and a little bit of that
Searching for something that would be right for me
Tryin' to find some place where I belong at
I tried a little rock, I tried a little roll
I tried a little top hit(?) and I tried a little soul
Hey hey you don't know what it's like
Fightin' the powers all of my life
I've got my own way of walkin'
My own way of talkin'
I'll do what I want and I'll do what I like
Yeah yeah

Sixteen years old, I'm fresh outa school
Tryin' to figure out what I wanna do
I couldn't find no work and I couldn't stay at home
The only thing to do was to sing the blues
I practise every day, go travellin' every night
Tryin' not to get it wrong, I'm still tryin' to get it right
Hey hey you don't know what I've done
All my life I've beren under the gun
I wanna do my own drivin'
I'm true blues survivin'
And that's what's keepin' me strong strong strong
Yeah yeah

(solo)

(I'm a true blues survivor)
I've been left in distress up sky high
(I'm a true blues survivor)
I've been busted and mistrusted, left by myself
(I'm a true blues survivor)
I've been up, I've been down, left all around
(I'm a true blues survivor)
I been busted, mistrusted, I been up, I been down,
locked in, left out, kept me hangin' around
(I'm a true blues survivor)
(I'm a true blues survivor)
(I'm a true blues survivor)




Mama Didn't Raise No Fool
This song can be found on the CD "The Gift" (Hightone Records, 1988)


Mama didn't raise no fool (D. Walker - J. L. Walker)


If I was a fool, it would sure be easy
I could fall, oh baby, for your wicked smile
Buy you a drink, whisper some lie, oh no
And we could go somewhere quiet, for a little while

But my mama she didn't raise no fool
She said, you be careful what you do
Don't let no-one take advantage of you
But my mama she didn't raise no fool
No fool

If I was a fool, I'd forget those promises I already have made
Wipe my woman from my mind, so we could play, oh baby
If I was a fool, I'd follow you home
I would hug you, kiss you and squeeze you, all night long

But no...
My mama she didn't raise no fool
She said, you be careful what you do
Don't let no-one take advantage of you
Cause my ma she didn't raise no fool


Moanin' News
From his Hightone Records CD "Cold Is The Night", a J. L. Walker composition with an intriguing, suggestive title.


There once was a man, who loved to sing the blues
He'd two pair of pants and just one pair of shoes
But when he's moan that lowdown dirty blues
People come a-runnin' from miles around
Just to hear what he was puttin' down
That is why they call him
The moanin' news
The moanin' news

Late at night, when he start to make his move
He irons his pants, and shines those pair of shoes
And then he moan that gutbucket downhome blues
People would begin to jump and shout
After they had heard what he was talkin' about
That is why they call him
The moanin' blues
The moanin' blues

He starts to moan
He said "A-hoo... A-hoo..."
He start to moan
He said "A-hoo... A-hoo..."
People come a-runnin' from far away
Just to hear what the man had to say
That is why they call him
The moanin' blues
The moanin' blues

Later on, when he finally found success
He come back home, and tried to get some rest
And he could moan, that funky urban blues
Now that you're in, you turn on your TV
You never guessed who you might see
The man they used to call
The moanin' blues
The moanin' blues
The moanin' blues
The moanin' blues


Shade Tree Mechanic
This song was written by Henry Oden, Joe Louis' long-time bass player. It's on the CD "The Gift".


I want you to put me under your shade tree
Please get me out of the sun
I want you to put me under your shade tree
Please get me out of the sun
Cause I'm your shade tree mechanic
And heaven knows that I'm the one

I can oil and lube you
And not lose a single drop, no no
I can cool you down
When you start to runnin' hot
I'm your shade tree mechanic
I never leave my shady spot

I can check your battery baby
With my special pressure gage
My work is guaranteed
Guaranteed for thirty days
I want you to put me under your shade tree
Please get me out of the sun
Cause I'm your shade tree mechanic
And heaven knows I'm the one

(guitar solo)

I want you to put me under your shade tree
Please get me out of the sun
I want you to put me under your shade tree
Please get me out of the sun
Cause I'm your shade tree mechanic
And heaven knows I'm the one

You say your drive shaft may misfire
Your piston rod is running flat
Don't you worry about a thing
I got the tools for that
I want you to put me under your shade tree
Please get me out of the sun
My work is guaranteed
I've got just what you need
You can call me day or night
I'll always treat u right
I am the one

Ten More Shows To Play
Another blues about being a blues singer, from the CD "Cold Is The Night" (Hightone Records, 1986)


Ten More Shows To Play (D. Walker - L. Fulson)

Tonight I'm in Houston, then Dallas and L.A.
My woman need me with her but I got ten more shows to play
How long 'fore she'll ask me to choose
Between her lovin' and these ever lovin' blues

I've hit the road before, she never once complained
This time she was cryin' when I got on the plane
I'm hopin' and I'm prayin' she can wait and be true
And not be discouraged without the things we used to do
How long 'fore she'll ask me to choose
Between her lovin' and these ever lovin' blues
All right...

I'm sittin' here in misery, you know I'm on the spot
That woman and this guitar is all I've really got
How long 'fore she'll ask me to choose
Between her lovin' and these ever lovin' blues

Tonight I'm in Houston, then Dallas and L.A.
My woman need me with her but I got ten more shows to play

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