George Thorogood's early Rounder albums to be reissued

 

ROUNDER RECORDS REISSUES FIRST TWO

GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS ALBUMS

 

Remastered recordings, set for release on July 30, 2013, are 1977’s

 George Thorogood & The Destroyers and 1978’s Move It On Over

 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — When George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers burst onto the national scene in 1977, roots rock music was all but absent from contemporary radio. Yet, the focus and excitement that George brought to the classic songs of his idols such as Chuck Berry, Elmore James, and Jimmy Reed was undeniable. Rounder Records had its first hit artist and the late 1978 release of his second album soon had Thorogood’s interpretations of Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love?” and Hank Williams’ “Move It On Over” blanketing the airwaves.

 

On July 30, 2013, Rounder Records will re-release Thorogood’s first two albums, 1977’s George Thorogood and 1978’s Move It On Over.

 

The band’s stamina in its early years is legendary. In 1981, just before opening 11 dates for the Rolling Stones (and later their 1982 European tour), George and the band embarked on their “50 States in 50 Dates” tour, traveling in a Checker Cab (flying only to Alaska and Hawaii).

 

The Destroyers went on to continued and greater success after leaving Rounder, when the label entered a joint venture with EMI for George’s fourth album, Bad to the Bone, but their first two albums are the essence of everything that makes the band great. Recorded live in the studio, George Thorogood & the Destroyers and Move It On Over capture perfectly the energy of their live shows. There’s not a wasted note, and if George never aimed for the pyrotechnics of later blues rockers such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, the directness of his approach cuts straight to the heart of each song.

 

Thirty-five years later, these performances still ring true. Mastered from new digital transfers of the original analog tapes, these albums have never sounded better, and if you’re a George Thorogood fan, it doesn’t get any better than this.  

George Thorogood & The Destroyers

1. You Got To Lose
2. Madison Blues
3. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
4. Kind Hearted Woman
5. Can’t Stop Lovin’
6. Ride On Josephine
7. Homesick Boy
8. John Hardy
9. I’ll Change My Style
10. 10. Delaware Slide

Move It On Over  

1. Move It On Over
2. Who Do You Love
3. The Sky Is Crying
4. Cocaine Blues
5. It Wasn’t Me
6. That Same Thing
7. So Much Trouble
8. I’m Just Your Good Thing
9. Baby Please Set A Date
10. 10. New Hawaiian Boogie

Mule Skinner Blues - Cisco Houston

Gilbert Vandine 'Cisco' Houston (August 18, 1918 – April 29, 1961) was an American folk singer and songwriter who is closely associated with Woody Guthrie due to their extensive history of recording together. Houston was a regular recording artist for Moses Asch's Folkways recording studio. He also performed with such folk/blues musicians as Lead Belly, Sonny Terry, and the Almanac Singers. Gilbert Vandine Houston was born in Wilmington, Delaware, on August 18, 1918, the second of four children. His father, Adrian Moncure Houston, was a sheet-metal worker. The family moved to California while Houston was still young, and he attended school in Eagle Rock, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. During his school years, Cisco began to play the guitar, having picked up an assortment of folk songs from his family. It is reported[1] that Houston was regarded as highly intelligent during his time at school, despite the nystagmus that afflicted his eyesight, leaving him to rely heavily on peripheral vision. He learned primarily by memorizing what he heard in the classroom. Despite his difficulties, Cisco came to be regarded as a well-read individual. When the Great Depression struck, Houston began working to help support his family. In 1932, his unemployed father left home and a few years later Cisco went on the road, accompanied initially by his brother Slim. The years were spent traveling and working odd jobs throughout the western United States, always with a guitar at his side. Gil Houston passed through many places, included the town of Cisco, California, the place from which he took his name. During his travels, Cisco expanded his repertoire of traditional songs, particularly in his time employed as a cowboy. He performed music informally wherever he went, and eventually began occasionally playing at clubs and on Western radio stations. Cisco returned to Los Angeles in 1938 and pursued a career in acting. During this time Cisco, along with friend and fellow actor Will Geer, visited folk singer Woody Guthrie at a radio studio in Hollywood. This marks the beginning of the close friendship between Guthrie and Houston. The taciturn Cisco proved an ideal counterpart for the frenzied Woody, and the two men began traveling together, touring migrant worker camps, singing, and promoting unionism and workers’ rights, eventually making their way to New York City. Despite Houston's poor eyesight (which rendered him nearly blind by the end of his life), he managed to enlist in the Merchant Marines in 1940 and served in World War II. Houston survived three separate torpedoing of ships he served on. When he wasn’t shipping out, Cisco remained in New York and performed with the Almanac Singers, a left-wing folk group that often included Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Millard Lampell, and Woody Guthrie, among others. After the United States entered World War II, Woody Guthrie joined Cisco in the Merchant Marines along with Jim Longhi, who documented this period in a memoir. Throughout three wartime trips, the two folksingers gave performances regularly, boosting the morale of the crew and, on the third trip, three thousand troops. During the years following the war, Cisco engaged in acting, music, and traveling, sometimes recording. In 1944 Cisco, along with Woody Guthrie and Sonny Terry, had taken part in recording sessions at the studio of Moses Asch. Four years later, Asch founded the label Folkways, with Cisco performing on two of the first LPs issued by the new company. Houston appeared in the Broadway theatre play The Cradle Will Rock in 1948 and in 1954 began hosting the Gil Houston radio show. The show was quickly cancelled, which led to some suspicion of blacklisting. Throughout the fifties, Cisco performed regularly at clubs, churches, and colleges. He recorded for various labels, including Folkways, Stinson, Disc, Coral, Decca and Vanguard, and was a guest on a numerous radio and television programs. Houston toured India in 1959 under the sponsorship of the State Department with Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, and Marilyn Childs. In 1960 he hosted the television special, “Folk Sound U.S.A.” on CBS, and appeared later that year at the Newport Folk Festival. His recordings for Vanguard began with the album “The Cisco Special”, followed by a collection of Woody Guthrie songs. Diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, Cisco continued performing until no longer able. Two months before his death, he recorded a final album, “Ain’t Got No Home.” He returned to California, and died April 29, 1961 in San Bernardino. In the months preceding his death, with the knowledge of his imminent demise, Cisco talked at length with his old friend Lee Hays, who recorded their sessions for a project he dubbed “The Cisco Tapes”. Hays held onto the tapes for two more decades, until his own death in 1981, but never completed creating something from the material. Cisco’s death was mourned by a growing folk music community which included young songwriters including Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, and Phil Ochs, a new generation of musicians who revered such performers as Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Sonny Terry, and Cisco too.

 If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

St Louis Blues - Pud Brown

Albert Francis "Pud" Brown (January 22, 1917, Wilmington, Delaware - May 27, 1996, Algiers, Louisiana) was an American jazz reed player. Though he was born in Delaware, Brown's parents raised him in Shreveport, Louisiana. Brown was fluent on saxophone by age five, and toured throughout North America in a family band at the age of seven. Brown's father, an engineer, built their motor home, a vehicle with a top speed of 25 miles per hour, which they took on tours of circuses, nightclubs, and minstrel shows in the middle of the 1920s. After moving to Chicago, Brown found work in Phil Lavant's orchestra in 1938 and then in Lawrence Welk's band. In 1941 he married his wife Louise. He returned to Shreveport to run a motorcycle shop, but the endeavor failed, and he relocated once again to Los Angeles. There, he found prolific work as a jazz musician for the next several decades, playing with Les Brown, Coleman Hawkins, Doc Cheatham, Danny Barker, Kid Ory, Percy Humphrey and Louis Armstrong among others. He returned to New Orleans in 1975 and became a mainstay of the local scene there as well. He was a member of Clive Wilson's Original Camelia Brass Band in the 1980s, and a regular at the French Quarter's Palm Court Jazz Cafe until his death. In addition to performing, Brown was also active as an educator in local schools. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

Trouble Trouble - Betty Roche

Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Roché (January 9, 1920 – February 16, 1999) was an American blues singer, who became most famous with her cover of the song "Take the "A" Train". She recorded with the Savoy Sultans, Hot Lips Page, Duke Ellington, Charles Brown and Clark Terry. Roché was born in Wilmington, Delaware, United States. She settled in New York in 1939, started her career by winning an Apollo Theater amateur talent contest, sang with the Savoy Sultans from 1941 to 1942, then with Duke Ellington in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1953, she left the Ellington band and settled in San Diego, California. In 1960, she went back to New York and recorded for Prestige. Roché died in February 1999, aged 79. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

Railroad Bill - Franklin "Guitar Frank" Hovington

Franklin "Frank" Hovington (January 9, 1919 – June 21, 1982), also known as Guitar Frank, was an American blues musician. He played the guitar and banjo, and was a singer in the Piedmont style, who lived in the vicinity of Frederica, Delaware. Hovington was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States. Later in life, on a tip from folklorist Peter B. Lowry, he was recorded by Dick Spottswood and Bruce Bastin, with an album released on Flyright Records in the UK (now available on CD), and, later, on Rounder Records in the US. Additionally, selections were recorded by Axel Küstner and Siggi Christmann for German release, most recently issued by Evidence Records in the US. He disliked travel and did not play away from his Delaware home, afraid that he would lose his welfare support payments, and so did not get the publicity from music festival appearances that his talent deserved. Franklin Hovington is also the Grand Father of Philadelphia Hip-Hop Legend and Icon Parry P who was also a Radio Personality on WPHI Philly 103.9 and WRNB 107.9. He also was a host on The 1 World Hip-Hop Championship on MTV2. Parry P's real name is Parris Ellis who is the son of Franklin Hovingtons Daughter Joyce Shirley Welsh. Franklin's Grand son is a Philadelphia Pioneer in Hip-Hop and was featured in a Emmy Award winning Documetary called The Story Of English ( Bill Cran BBC Londan). If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

2120 South Michigan Avenue - George Thorogood New Recording review

I just got the chance to listen to the new release from George Thorogood and I really like it. He goes thorough the old Chess standards and does it with intent. There are some great riffs there and overall I could listen to it all day.

Nice job!

Iconic Bluesman George Thorogood Salutes His Chess Records Heroes, Including Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, & More

New York - George Thorogood and the Destroyers salute the legendary Chess Records musicians on their 17th studio album, 2120 SOUTH MICHIGAN AVENUE, now available everywhere today (Courtesy of Capitol/EMI). Named for the address of Chess Records' Chicago headquarters, the album is masterfully produced by Tom Hambridge, a four-time GRAMMY Award nominee and 2010 GRAMMY winner for Best Contemporary Blues Album (For Buddy Guy's Living Proof) and ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award winner. The album's featured guests include 2010 GRAMMY Award winners Buddy Guy and Charlie Musselwhite. 2120 SOUTH MICHIGAN AVENUE features Thorogood's raw, rocking turn on blues classics by Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter and other Chess greats, as well as two original songs written by Thorogood, Hambridge, and Richard Fleming.

Also in support of the release, George Thorogood has launched a new webisode series, appropriately titled 2120 SOUTH MICHIGAN AVENUE. Featuring commentary from Tom Hambridge and Thorogood himself, the series will give fans an in-depth look at the inspiration behind the album and how they went about reinterpreting these classic blues standards. Every day, a new webisode will premiere on George's official YouTube and Facebook profiles. Be sure to check regularly for the latest installment here: www.facebook.com/GeorgeThorogood

On July 31, George Thorogood and the Destroyers are set to kick off a stretch of U.S. tour dates at Los Angeles' renowned Greek Theatre. See the full list of tour dates below.


2120 SOUTH MICHIGAN AVENUE
[Official Tracklisting & Credits]

1. Going Back [written by Tom Hambridge and George Thorogood]
2. High Heel Sneakers (featuring Buddy Guy)
3. Seventh Son
4. Spoonful
5. Let It Rock
6. Two Trains Running
7. Bo Diddley
8. Mama Talk To Your Daughter
9. Help Me
10. My Babe (featuring Charlie Musselwhite)
11. Willie Dixon's Gone [written by Tom Hambridge, George Thorogood, and Richard Fleming]
12. Chicago Bound
13. 2120 South Michigan Avenue (featuring Charlie Musselwhite)

George Thorogood - Guitars & Vocals
Jeff Simon - Drums
Bill Blough - Bass
Jim Suhler - Rhythm & Lead Guitar
Buddy Leach - Saxophone

Produced by Tom Hambridge
Executive Producer: Mike Donahue

George Thorogood and The Destroyers - Tour Dates
July 31 - Los Angeles - Greek Theatre
August 3 - Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort & Casino
August 5 - Tulalip, WA - Tulalip Amphitheatre
August 6 - Shelton, WA - Little Creek Casino
August 7 - Portland, OR - Oregon Zoo Amphitheater
August 9 - Spokane, WA - Knittting Factory Concert House
August 11 - Missoula, MT - Wilma Theatre
August 12 - Billings, MT - Magic City Blues Festival / Downtown Billings
August 13 - Sturgis, SD - Sturgis Rally - The Legendary Buffalo Chip
August 16 - Moorhead, MN - Bluestem Center For The Arts
August 17 - Apple Valley, MN - Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater
August 18 - Milwaukee, WI - Nothern Lights Theater
August 19 - Detroit, MI - Rockin' On The River / Renaissance Center
August 24 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Casino
August 27 - Rama, ON - Casino Rama Entertainment Centre
December 1-5 - Miami, FL - Rock Legends Cruise / ZZ Top
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One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer - George Thorogood

George Thorogood (born February 24, 1950) is a blues rock vocalist/guitarist from Wilmington, Delaware known for his hit song "Bad to the Bone" as well as for covers of blues standards such as Hank Williams' "Move It On Over" and John Lee Hooker's "House Rent Boogie/One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer". Another favorite is a cover of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?". George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers have released 16 studio albums, including two that were certified Platinum and six that have been certified Gold. The band has sold 15 million albums worldwide. The band is credited with the early success of Rounder Records.

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