( continues...) with traveling players coming through like Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson. By the late '30s he had formed his first band and was working the Southern state area with Sonny Boy until the second world war broke out, spending three years stationed with the Navy in Guam. When he was discharged, he picked off where he left off, moving for a while to Memphis, working in clubs with Eddie Taylor and his cousin Homesick James. Elmore was also one of the first "guest stars" on the popular King Biscuit Time radio show on KFFA in Helena, AL, also doing stints on the Talaho Syrup show on Yazoo City's WAZF and the Hadacol show on KWEM in West Memphis.

Nervous and unsure of his abilities as a recording artist, Elmore was surreptitiously recorded by Lillian McMurray of Trumpet Records at the tail end of a Sonny Boy session doing his now-signature tune, "Dust My Broom." Legend has it that James didn't even stay around long enough to hear the playback, much less record a second side. McMurray stuck a local singer (BoBo "Slim" Thomas) on the flip side and the record became the surprise R&B hit of 1951, making the Top Ten and conversely making a recording star out of Elmore. With a few months left on his Trumpet contract, Elmore was recorded by the Bihari Brothers for their Modern label subsidiaries, Flair and Meteor, but the results were left in the can until James' contract ran out. In the meantime, Elmore had moved to Chicago and cut a quick session for Chess, which resulted in one single being issued and just as quickly yanked off the market as the Bihari Brothers swooped in to protect their investment. This period of activity found Elmore assembling the nucleus of his great band the Broomdusters and several fine recordings were issued over the next few years on a plethora of the Bihari Brothers'owned labels with several of them charting and most all of them becoming certified blues classics.

By this time James had established a beach-head in the clubs of Chicago as one of the most popular live acts and regularly broadcasting over WPOA under the aegis of disc jockey Big Bill Hill. In 1957, with his contract with the Bihari Brothers at an end, he recorded several successful sides for Mel London's Chief label, all of them later being issued on the larger Vee-Jay label. His health -- always in a fragile state due to a recurring heart condition -- would send him back home to Jackson, MS, where he temporarily set aside his playing for work as a disc jockey or radio repair man. He came back to Chicago to record a session for Chess, then just as quickly broke contract to sign with Bobby Robinson's Fire label, producing the classic "The Sky Is Crying" and numerous others. Running afoul with the Chicago musician's union, he returned back to Mississippi, doing sessions in New York and New Orleans waiting for Big Bill Hill to sort things out. In May of 1963, Elmore returned to Chicago, ready to resume his on-again off-again playing career -- his records were still being regularly issued and reissued on a variety of labels -- when he suffered his final heart attack. His wake was attended by over 400 blues luminaries before his body was shipped back to Mississippi. He was elected to the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1980 and was later elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a seminal influence. Elmore James may not have lived to reap the rewards of the blues revival, but his music and influence continues to resonate.

Sorry to post such a big chunk, but it was interesting and better written than most of their bios.

Thanks, Hec. I hardly use allmusic anymore I hate their new site set up so much.

A radio repairman by trade, Elmore reworked his guitar amplifiers in his spare time, getting them to produce raw, distorted sounds that wouldn't resurface until the advent of heavy rock amplification in the late '60s.

fascinating

spending three years stationed with the Navy in Guam

crazy

This period of activity found Elmore assembling the nucleus of his great band the Broomdusters and several fine recordings were issued over the next few years on a plethora of the Bihari Brothers'owned labels with several of them charting and most all of them becoming certified blues classics.

I'm thinking these are going to be a lot better than what's on emusic, the editor who rec'd it flat out said it was one of his poorer collections.

Pick up the Rhino collection ("The Sky Is Crying: The History of Elmore James"). Make sure it's the Rhino as there are many Elmore comps with the same name. It was compiled by Robert Palmer, whose book Deep Blues is rightly considered a classic in the field (and which deserves better than that ugly new cover -- bring back the Wolf!).

James is most famous for his guitar, the "Dust My Broom" riff in particular, but he's a terrific singer, especially on slow, heartwrenching songs like the title track. "Shake Your Moneymaker" is probably my favorite of his uptempo tunes, but I'd rather hear "The Sky Is Crying," "It Hurts Me Too," or "Something Inside Me" than any of his fast ones. He packs a real emotional wallop. You say you're hurtin'/You almost lost your mind/The man you looove/He hurts you allll the time/When things go wrong, Go wrong with you/It hurts me too

The Lothars have a song on our first CD called "Dust Mah Space Broom" with, I think, a similar guitar riff overwhelmed by the wails of three theremins.

a similar guitar riff overwhelmed by the wails of three theremins.

My favorite use of the riff is Ike Turner's piano on Howlin' Wolf's "How Many More Years," which Led Zeppelin copped for their first album. With Robert Plant starring as two of the three theremins and Jimmy Page's arco guitar impersonating the third.

Speaking of theremins, look at the second picture and check out its last caption. Saw it (the caption) & thought of you, Jon. Not to pigeonhole you or anything.

look at the second picture

My employer is blocking it. Bah!

My employer is blocking it. Bah!

I just sent it to your profile address.

It's the thirtieth anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (about twenty nine and a half for "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"). And now I'm earwormed with the John Valby version, which I am not sending to Buffistarawk but which is available on emusic for those so inclined (i.e., for those who find filthy filking, offensive in pretty much every way, funny. Like I do.) I may be his target audience but I'm not going to enable your preversions. </Col. Bat Guano> I'm going to hell. Which wouldn't be so bad if the current administration weren't sure to join me.

Got it Joe. Thanks. Cute!

Michele, your Mountain Goats mix is rocking my world. Thanks! Now I have to go back and read your liner notes again.