sn2n018 History of Brish Blues ~ Articles and Essays: Bish Blues - UK Blues FederationUK Blues Federation Home About News — Ourwork Information Members Events Contact. History of British Blues i ' Articles and Essays ’ ‘British Blues’ - from Wikipedia british blues is form origins ned sc fluenced ton and Fats Waller. From 1985 major Bish record labels HMV and EM, theater, arculary through ther subsiciry Decea Records, began to distribute azz and increasingly blues records to what was an emerging market. Many encountere blues for the fist time thraugh the skiff craze of the second half ofthe 195, particu songs of Lead Beli covereb 1cslke Lonnie Donegan. As ski began to decline inthe late 1950s, and Sts rock andl began inate the charts, a number of sifle musicians moved towards playing purely blues music 1e blue: the skiffle club, reopening a mont ‘as The London Blues and Barrethouse Cl is point British blues Se 1a acoustically payed emulating Delta ues and country blue styles and oe prof he emerging second Brith olkrevia Critcain changing thiwas the vit of Muddy Waters in 1959, who inal shocks Bish a ayng ampli Toanky but who was son playing to ecstatic crows and with Barber, naw ve reviews. Davies and Korner, having already pluggedin and began to play high powered electric blues that became the model forthe subgenre, forming the band Blues Incorporated Blues incorporated became something of» cessing house for British blues musicians inthe later 1950s and early 19605, Joining, or sitingin on sessions. These included future Rolling Stones, Keith Richa Watts and Bran Jones aswell as Cream founders Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker; beside Graham Bond and ong John Baldr, Blues Incorporated were given a residency at the Marquee Club and it was fom there thet 962 they took the name ofthe fist British Blues albums, Rs from the Marquee for Decca, bu split befor its release, The culmination ofthis fist movement of blues came with John Mayall, who moved to London i early 19605, eventually forming the Bluesbreakers, whose members a various times included, Jack hitpsswwwcukblues.orghistor-britsh-blues articles essays! 7sn2n018 History of Brish Blues ~ Articles and Essays: Brith Blues - UK Blues FederationUK Blues Federation ish Rhythm and Blues Vie some bonds focused on blues arts, particularly those of Chicago electric blues, thers adopted a wider intrest in hythmy and blues, including the workof Chess Records’ bus artis like Muddy Waters and Howlin Wel but also rock and rollpioneers Chuck Bery and 80 Dideley. Mast successtul were the Rolling Stones, who abandoned blues pursm before theirine-up soled and they produced tei iret eponymous tiled album in 1964, which largely consisted of rhythm and blues sandards. Fallwingin the wake ofthe Btls’ national and then international succes, the Rolling Stones soon established themselves asthe second most popular UK band andjoined the Srtish Invasion of the American record chars as leaders of a second wave of RB orientated bands In ation to Chicago blues umber, the Rolling Stones azo coveced songs by Chuck Berry and Bobby and Shirley Womack, wth theater's "i's All Over Now", giving them therfrst UK number one in 2964, Blues songs and influences continued ta surface inthe Roling Stones’ music, asin ther version of Wile Dion's "Lite Reg Rooster" went to number Ion the UK singles chat in December ther London-based bands include the Yardbirds (who would number theirranks three key gultarists Eri Clapton Jeff Beck and simmy Pagel the Kinks (with the pioneer songwriter Ray Davies and rockeguitarit Dave Daves), and Manfred Mann considered to have one of the most authentic sounding vocalists inthe scene in Paul Jones} and the Pretty Things, beside the more jazzifluenced acslike the Graham Bond Organisation, Georgie Fame and Zoot Money. ands to emerge rom other major British ces included The Animals rom Newcastle with the keyboards of lan Price and vocals of ri Burdon, The Moody Blues and Spencer Davis Group from Birmingham the latter largely a vehicle fo the young Steve Winwood) and Them fom Belfast (with their vocalist Van Morison). None of these bands played exclusively rythm and blues, often relying ona variety of soures, including Bil uiling and gi group songs fr their it singles, butitremained at the core oftheir early albums. “The British Mod subculture was musically centred on rhythm and blues andlater soul music, performed by artists that were not valablein small London clubs around which the scene was base. As result, a umber of mod bands emerged ofil@hs gop. “Taese included The Small Faces, The Creation, The Action and mast succesfully The Who. The Whos eaty promotional material tagecthem as producing "maximum rhythm and blues, but by about 1966 they moved from attempting to emulate American R&S to producing songs that reflected the Mod ifesye. Many af these hands wer able to enjoy cult and then national sucess in the UK, but founditeicut obeak into the American market, Only the Who managed, ater some dificult, o praducea significant US followin, particulary afte thelr appearances atthe Monterey Pop Festival (1967) and Woodstock (1969), Because of the very diferent circumstances from which they came andin which they payed, the rhythm and blues these bands produced wasvery difeentin one from that of Arian American artists, often with mare emphasison guitars and sometimes with eater energy. They have been cticised for exploiting the massive catalogue of rican American musi, but ithas also een notes that they both popularised that musi, bringing ito British, world and in some cases American audience, and helping to bull the reputation of existing and past hythm and blues artists, Most ofthese bands rapidly moved an from recording and performing American standard to writing and recording their own music often leaving their RLB roots behind, but enabling several to enjoy sustained careers that were not open to mos ofthe more pop-oriented beat groups ofthe rst wave ofthe invasion who (with the ‘major exception of the Beatles) were unabie to write their own material or adapt to changes inthe musial climate, ‘The British alues Boom “The blues boom overlapped, both chronologically and in terms of personne, wth the eal, wider rhythm and blues phase, which had begun to peter out inthe mi-1360s leaving a nucleus of instrumentals with wide knowledge of blues forms ané techniques, hich they woul carr int the pursuit of more purist blues interests Blues Incorporated and Maal’ Bluesbreakers were vl knowin in the London Jazz and emerging R&S cuits, but the Bluesbreakers began to gain some nat attention, particulary aftr the release of Blues Breakers wth Erc Clapton album (196), considered one ofthe seminal British blues recordings Produced by Mike Vernon i later set up the Blue Herizon record label, it was notable fr its driving rhythms and Clapton's rapid bes licks with afl distorted soune derived from a Gibson Les Paul anda Marshall amp. This sound became something ofa classi combination for British blues (and ater roc) guitarists, and also made clear the primacy ofthe gu a distinctive characteristic ofthe subgenre. Clapton state, "spent most of my tens and early twenties studying the blues-the geography ofitand the chronology fit, as well as how to play Peter Green tated whats called "second great epoch of Brtsh blues, ashereplaced Clapton inthe Bluesbreakers after his departure to form Cream. In 1967, ater one record with the Bluesbreakers, Green, withthe Bluesbreker's rhythm section Mick Fleetwood and John Mei, formed Petr Green's Fleetwood Mac, produced by Mike Vernon on the Blue Horizon label. One key factor in developing the popularity ofthe music in the UK and across Europe nthe early 19602 was the success of the American Folk Blues Festival tours, organised by German promoters Horst Lippmann and Fite Rau ra and international htpsswwwcukblues.orghistor:britsh-bhes articles essays!sn2n018 History of Brish Blues ~ Articles and Essays: Brits Blues - UX Blues FederationUK Blues Federation LcBlues Patrons Poul Jones (Manfred Mann and The Blues Band) and Mike Vernon (Blue Horizon Records) Photo courtesy Alan White erie ofele entual mainetam success, meant that rich acoustic blues was completely overshadowed 1 early 1960, folk guitar pioneers Bert Jansch, Jahn Renbourn and paticulay am (who playec and recarce wi ‘orne| played blues, fol and jazz, developing distinctive guitar style known as fk baroque. teh acoustic blues cntinued to develop as part ofthe folk scene, with igus lik an A. Anderson an his Country Blues Band, and Al Jones. Most Biih acoust 1s players could achieve lit commercial success a few exceptions found it lificut gain any recognition forth imitations” ofthe blues inthe US In contrast the nent wave of bands, formed from about 1967, ike Cream, Fleetwood Ma, Ten nd Free, pursued a Decline ordings would mixin elements ofolkand mysticism, which would also be a major influence on he mu Sirk album, I Rock (1870), mnasone of heavy metals ly ef tal. Some, ike Korner an 1 playa "pure orm ofthe blues, but largely outs Survival and resurgence htpsswwwcukblues.orghistor:britsh-bhes articles essays! a6