Clapton calls Mayall his "surrogate father" who "taught me all I really know." "And all I gave him in return was [laughs] how much fun it was to drink and womanize and he was already a family man."@ericclapton ♬ original sound - Eric Clapton
An obituary: "Blues Legend John Mayall Is Dead at 90/A giant of the great British blues boom of the 1960s was a musical change-agent who revered and honored his forebears" (Vanity Fair):
Mayall’s Bluesbreakers were a clearinghouse for generational talent. Eric Clapton quit the Yardbirds and joined the band; his playing was featured on its debut LP, released in 1966. When Clapton left, Peter Green, later to found Fleetwood Mac, joined. And when Green left, Mick Taylor, later of the Rolling Stones, joined. Mayall was to British blues guitarists what Leo Castelli was to New York painters; his group was the blue-chip gallery you wanted to show your work in. The bassist Jack Bruce met Clapton in the Bluesbreakers, then went on to found Cream. Other future rock stars who were Mayall alumni: Mick Fleetwood and John McVie, later of Fleetwood Mac, and the well-traveled drummer Aynsley Dunbar. In these Bluesbreakers incarnations, and in many more that would follow, Mayall moved between guitar and keyboards, with spotlight moments to demonstrate his prowess on harmonica. Even so, Mayall’s chief talent may have been his uncanny, unselfish capacity for spotting it in others.
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Mayall was at his best when he was on harmonica imo. There was a lot of talent that passed through the Blues Breakers. RIP.
My family's home had a couple of John Mayall albums that we played often.
I know I had a couple of Mayall albums in my college years. He was one of those you listened to who pointed you to other musicians. Another one I recall was Brian Auger.
RIP to John Mayall. So many greats came to us through his band.
Thanks for Fleetwood Mac too. The soundtrack of my flaming youth.
We listened to a lot of John Mayall. IIRC he was turned on to American musics when he served in the Korean War.
My buddy's attic, smoking dope his brother brought back from 'Nam, listening to Clapton play Hide Away. Mayall was a magnet for guitarists.
John Mayall, RIP.
He ran the nursery of British Rock and Roll. I know little of his private life (a circumstance I shall address as soon as I finish this comment), but my impression of him is that he was a gentle, avuncular man with a deep, DEEP love for the Blues...and committed his life to its propagation.
I can't think of Mr. Mayall without my thoughts wending their ways back to politics:
John Mayall, had his career started today and not 70 years ago, may have never become the man we mourn today. If anyone has appropriated a culture, it is John Mayall. The narcissistic scolds and rapacious politicians of today would have vilified him for making money off of black people by stealing their music. He may have ended up as some nameless gob working 9-5.
To me, his passing is a stark reminder of what can be lost, what has been lost, when skin color is allowed to divide us.
Rock on, John Mayall.
MfG
Goetz von Berlichingen
Three albums I wore out when I was a kid, learning to play the blues:
“Indianola, Mississippi Seeds,” B.B. King
“Hot Tuna,” the first album
“Looking Back, John Mayall
I do mean “wore out.” Since I replayed songs over and over so that I could play along on guitar and piano, I wore out the grooves on these vinyl LPs, and bought more than one copy of each as they degraded.
B.B. King’s album contains one of the greatest blues lyrics ever: “Nobody loves me but my mama, And she may be jivin’ me too.” Mayall’s album features one of the funniest lyrics ever: “I was looking back to see, If she was looking back to see, If I was looking back at her.”
One of the first two LPs I ever owned was John Mayall's Blues From Laurel Canyon (I got that and the octagon Stone's album for Christmas and that was the end of buying 45s for me).
I've been through so many "Beano" copies... Still have that CD.
Bought 'Spinning Coin' CD for his newer genius Buddy Whittington.
Mayall did well on the Hammond B3, as well as the harp.
Still have Jimmy Hall on the harp though.
pacwest said...
Mayall was at his best when he was on harmonica imo. There was a lot of talent that passed through the Blues Breakers. RIP.
Indeed! Check out "Room to Move" on his marvelous live album "The Turning Point."
That was quite a tribute from Clapton. Thanks for sharing it.
Mayall’s album features one of the funniest lyrics ever: “I was looking back to see, If she was looking back to see, If I was looking back at her.”
Love to Mayall for all he brought us.
I've been known to turn for a second look. Sometimes, I'm not the only one. My instant reaction is "BUSTED!" That's immediately replaced by "HELL, YEAH!" and mutual laughter.
I don't care what anyone says, The Little Stuff really does matter.
Check out "Room to Move" on his marvelous live album "The Turning Point."
Yes! I was trying to remember my favorite John Mayall song, and that was the one.
"Room to Move"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0OKDZoFUPQ
“Walkin’ on Sunset” is a helluva song! RIP
Beano was one of the first albums i ever purchased and it sounds as good today as it did then, even after a zillion listenings.
Thanks for posting that tribute from clapton.
One of the first albums I had was by him. And his influence turned me on to so much fantastic music.
Never saw him in person, which I regret.
what an incredible legacy he left. 90 YO, spent doing what he loved, with some of the best music people ever.
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