Chess Blues Classics: 1957 to 1967

~ Release by Various Artists (see all versions of this release, 1 available)

Tracklist

1▼CD
#TitleArtistRatingLength
1Sitting on Top of the World
recorded in:
Chicago, Illinois, United States (in 1957-12)
double bass:
Alfred Elkins (in 1957-12)
drums (drum set):
Earl Phillips (in 1957-12)
guitar:
Hubert Sumlin (Chicago blues guitarist and singer) (in 1957-12) and Jody Williams (blues guitarist/singer) (in 1957-12)
harmonica and lead vocals:
Howlin’ Wolf (in 1957-12)
piano:
Hosea Lee Kennard (in 1957-12)
recording of:
Sittin’ on Top of the World (Chicago blues version by Howlin’ Wolf aka Chester Arthur Burnett) (in 1957-12)
lyricist and composer:
Chester Arthur Burnett
publisher:
Arc Music Corp. (U.S. rock & blues publisher) and Chappell Morris Ltd.
version of:
Sitting on Top of the World (“Now she’s gone, I don’t worry…”)
Howlin’ Wolf12:34
2Fattening the Frogs for Snakes
recorded in:
Chicago, Illinois, United States (on 1957-02-08)
double bass [bass]:
Willie Dixon (on 1957-02-08)
drums (drum set) [drums]:
Fred Below (on 1957-02-08)
guitar:
Robert Lockwood (on 1957-02-08) and Luther Tucker (on 1957-02-08)
harmonica:
Sonny Boy Williamson (Aleck “Sonny Boy Williamson” Miller, 1912–1965) (on 1957-02-08)
vocals:
Sonny Boy Williamson (Aleck “Sonny Boy Williamson” Miller, 1912–1965) (on 1957-02-08)
recording of:
Fattening Frogs for Snakes (on 1957-02-08)
lyricist and composer:
Sonny Boy Williamson (Aleck “Sonny Boy Williamson” Miller, 1912–1965)
Sonny Boy Williamson2:22
3Key to the Highway
recording of:
Key to the Highway
lyricist and composer:
Marion Walter Jacobs (blues performer and songwriter)
arrangement of:
Key to the Highway
Little Walter2:48
4Take the Bitter With the Sweet
recorded in:
Chicago, Illinois, United States (in 1959-07)
bass:
Andrew Stephenson
drums (drum set):
Francis Clay
guitar:
Pat Hare
harmonica:
James Cotton (US blues harmonica player, singer & songwriter)
piano:
Otis Spann
vocals:
Muddy Waters (blues musician)
Muddy Waters53:09
5Spoonful
recorded in:
Chicago, Illinois, United States (in 1960-06)
double bass:
Willie Dixon (in 1960-06)
drums (drum set):
Fred Below (in 1960-06)
guitar:
Hubert Sumlin (Chicago blues guitarist and singer) (in 1960-06)
piano:
Otis Spann (in 1960-06)
lead vocals:
Howlin’ Wolf (in 1960-06)
part of:
Rolling Stone: The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time (2026-05-04) (number: 47), Blues Hall of Fame: Classic of Blues Recording Single (number: 2010), Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: 2021 edition (number: 154) and Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (as at 2016-06-10) (number: 219)
recording of:
Spoonful (in 1960-06)
lyricist and composer:
Willie Dixon
publisher:
Arc Music Corp. (U.S. rock & blues publisher), Bug Music Ltd., Hoochie Coochie Music, Jewel Music Publishing Co. Ltd. (publisher; do NOT use as release label) and Mathews Music
Howlin’ Wolf52:46
6So Many Roads, So Many Trains
bass:
Willie Dixon
drums (drum set):
Odie Payne (American Chicago blues drummer)
guitar:
Matt Murphy (US blues guitarist) and Otis Rush
piano:
Lafayette Leake
tenor saxophone:
Bob Neely
vocal:
Otis Rush
recording of:
So Many Roads
writer:
Otis Rush
Otis Rush33:13
7Madison Blues
guitar:
Homesick James (in 1960-04) and Elmore James (in 1960-04)
membranophone:
Odie Payne (American Chicago blues drummer) (in 1960-04)
piano:
Johnny Jones (Chicago blues pianist) (in 1960-04)
tenor saxophone:
J.T. Brown (saxophonist) (in 1960-04)
vocals:
Elmore James (in 1960-04)
recording of:
Madison Blues
lyricist:
Elmore James
publisher:
Arc Music (U.S. rock & blues publisher) and Tristan Music Ltd.
Elmore James2:26
8The Red Rooster
recorded in:
Chicago, Illinois, United States (in 1961-06)
double bass:
Willie Dixon (in 1961-06)
drums (drum set):
Sam Lay (in 1961-06)
electric bass guitar:
[unknown] (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.) (in 1961-06)
guitar:
Howlin’ Wolf (in 1961-06) and Hubert Sumlin (Chicago blues guitarist and singer) (in 1961-06)
piano:
Little Johnny Jones (Chicago blues pianist) (in 1961-06)
lead vocals:
Howlin’ Wolf (in 1961-06)
later releases:
Little Red Rooster (The Red Rooster) by Howlin’ Wolf
recording of:
The Red Rooster (in 1961-06)
lyricist and composer:
Willie Dixon
publisher:
Arc Music Corp. (U.S. rock & blues publisher), Hoochie Coochie Music and Jewel Music Publishing Co. Ltd. (publisher; do NOT use as release label)
cover recording of:
The Red Rooster
lyricist and composer:
Willie Dixon
publisher:
Arc Music Corp. (U.S. rock & blues publisher), Hoochie Coochie Music and Jewel Music Publishing Co. Ltd. (publisher; do NOT use as release label)
Howlin’ Wolf32:30
9You Shook Me
double bass:
Willie Dixon (on 1962-06-27)
guitar:
Earl Hooker (on 1962-06-27)
membranophone:
Bobby Little (drummer) (on 1962-06-27)
organ:
Johnny "Big Moose" Walker (on 1962-06-27)
piano:
Lafayette Leake (on 1962-06-27)
tenor saxophone:
A.C. Reed (on 1962-06-27)
vocals:
Muddy Waters (blues musician) (on 1962-06-27)
recording of:
You Shook Me (on 1962-06-27)
lyricist and composer:
Willie Dixon
additional writer:
J.B. Lenoir
publisher:
Arc Music (U.S. rock & blues publisher), Arc Music Corp. (U.S. rock & blues publisher), BMG Rights Management (US) LLC (file releases under its imprint “BMG (2008–present)” if the release has an imprint) and Hoochie Coochie Music
Muddy Waters32:45
10Help Me
recorded in:
Chicago, Illinois, United States
bass guitar [bass]:
Milton Rector (blues bassist) (on 1963-01-11)
drums (drum set) [drums]:
Al Duncan (on 1963-01-11)
guitar:
Matt Murphy (US blues guitarist) (on 1963-01-11)
harmonica:
Sonny Boy Williamson (Aleck “Sonny Boy Williamson” Miller, 1912–1965) (on 1963-01-11)
organ:
Billy “The Kid” Emerson (rock ’n’ roll on Sun, Vee‐Jay & Chess Records), Lafayette Leake and [unknown] (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.) (on 1963-01-11)
vocals:
Sonny Boy Williamson (Aleck “Sonny Boy Williamson” Miller, 1912–1965) (on 1963-01-11)
recording of:
Help Me (on 1963-01-11)
writer:
Ralph Bass, Willie Dixon and Sonny Boy Williamson (Aleck “Sonny Boy Williamson” Miller, 1912–1965)
publisher:
Arc Music (U.S. rock & blues publisher), Arc Music Corp. (U.S. rock & blues publisher), Jewel Music Publishing Co. Ltd. (publisher; do NOT use as release label) and Peer Music (“Peermusic—the global independent”)
Sonny Boy Williamson3:09
11Baby, What You Want Me to Do? (live)
live recording of:
Baby What You Want Me to Do
lyricist:
Jimmy Reed (blues musician) (until 1952-08-07)
composer:
Jimmy Reed (blues musician) (until 1959-08-07)
publisher:
Arc Music (U.S. rock & blues publisher), Conrad Music (publisher; do NOT use as release label), Seeds of Reed Music and Tristan Music Ltd.
Etta James4:21
12My Time After a While
recorded in:
Chicago, Illinois, United States (on 1964-06-10)
baritone saxophone:
Donald Hankins (Saxophonist) (on 1964-06-10)
bass:
Jack Meyers (US blues bassist) (on 1964-06-10)
drums (drum set):
Clifton James (on 1964-06-10)
guitar:
Buddy Guy (on 1964-06-10)
piano:
Leonard Caston (father of Leonard "Lenny" Caston jr.) (on 1964-06-10)
tenor saxophone:
Jarett Gibson (on 1964-06-10)
vocals:
Buddy Guy (on 1964-06-10)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
MCA Records, Inc. (do not use as a release label! a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.) (in 1964)
recording of:
My Time After While (on 1964-06-10)
writer:
Ronald Dean Badger, Sheldon Feinberg and Robert Geddins
publisher:
B-Flat Publishing, Burlington Music Co., Ltd., Carriage House Music, Copyright Control (not for release label use! this is only for copyrights and publishing relationships), Merry Making Music and Tristan Music Ltd.
Buddy Guy13:02
13We're Gonna Make It
vocals:
Little Milton (US blues singer and guitarist Milton Campbell)
recorded at:
Ter-Mar Recording Studios (1950s–1970s recording & mastering studio) in Chicago, Illinois, United States
cover recording of:
We’re Gonna Make It
writer:
Gene Barge, Billy Davis (r&b producer/songwriter/performer Roquel Davis), Raynard Miner and Carl Smith (US country music singer)
publisher:
Chevis Publishing Corp.
Little Milton32:43
14I Got What It Takes
recorded in:
Chicago, Illinois, United States (on 1964-06-30)
producer:
Willie Dixon
bass:
Jack Meyers (US blues bassist) (on 1964-06-30)
drums (drum set) [drums]:
Clifton James (on 1964-06-30)
guitar:
Buddy Guy (on 1964-06-30) and Robert Nighthawk (on 1964-06-30)
harmonica:
Walter Horton (blues harmonica player) (on 1964-06-30)
piano:
Lafayette Leake (on 1964-06-30)
vocals:
Koko Taylor (on 1964-06-30)
recording of:
I Got What It Takes
writer:
Willie Dixon
publisher:
Hoochie Coochie Music
Koko Taylor3:09
15One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer
recorded in:
Chicago, Illinois, United States (in 1966)
executive producer:
Marshall Chess
producer:
Ralph Bass
editor:
Ron Malo
guitar:
Eddie Burns (American Detroit blues guitarist) and John Lee Hooker (US blues singer, songwriter & guitarist)
instruments:
[unknown] (Special Purpose Artist – Do not add releases here, if possible.)
lead vocals:
John Lee Hooker (US blues singer, songwriter & guitarist)
recorded at:
Chess Studios in Chicago, Illinois, United States (in 1966)
recording of:
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
lyricist:
John Lee Hooker (US blues singer, songwriter & guitarist)
composer:
Rudolph Toombs
publisher:
Arc Music Corp. (U.S. rock & blues publisher) and Tristan Music Ltd.
is based on:
House Rent Boogie
John Lee Hooker3.53:04
16I'd Rather Go Blind
recording engineer and producer:
Rick Hall (American producer & FAME studios founder, “Father of Muscle Shoals Music”)
drums (drum set):
Roger Hawkins (drummer and producer)
electric bass guitar:
David Hood (Muscle Shoals, AL guitarist and trombonist)
guitar:
Jimmy Johnson (guitar, producer, Muscle Shoals rhythm section) and Albert Lowe Jr. (American guitarist, bassist, and songwriter)
organ:
Carl Banks and Dewey Oldham
piano:
Dewey Oldham
saxophone:
Charles Chalmers (American saxophonist, singer-songwriter, arranger, and producer), Floyd Newman and Aaron Varnell
trumpet:
Gene “Bowlegs” Miller (American trumpeter)
lead vocals:
Etta James
arranger:
Rick Hall (American producer & FAME studios founder, “Father of Muscle Shoals Music”)
recorded at:
FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States (on 1967-08-23)
recording of:
I’d Rather Go Blind (on 1967-08-23)
lyricist:
Billy Foster (American singer, member of The Medallions and songwriter)
composer:
Ellington Jordan
publisher:
The Jewel Music Co. Ltd. (publisher; do NOT use as release label)
Etta James42:34

Credits

Release

ASIN:US: B000005KQF [info]