”THE GENUINE AUTHENTIC, REAL THING

by John Broven

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As we near the conclusion of our Excello reissue series, we release GENUINE EXCELLO R&B, comprising 24 hot Excello blues and R&B tracks very much in the spirit of our popular releases, AUTHENTIC R&B (CDCHD 492) and REAL R&B (CDCHD 562).

Readers of a certain vintage will recall how the original Stateside LPs of AUTHENTIC R&B and REAL R&B were bedrocks for the British R&B boom of the early 1960s, influencing everybody from the Rolling Stones to the Yardbirds (particularly Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page). It is sometimes forgotten that at the very same time this music was having an immense impact on the white youth of the South through John R’s daily broadcasts over Radio WLAC, Nashville. Almost every hip high school group was playing in the styles of Jimmy Reed (the father figure of swamp blues) and Slim Harpo. Just ask the members of the Muscle Shoals studio group.

All the favourite Excello artists are here: Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Lonesome Sundown, Lightnin Slim, Silas Hogan, Tabby Thomas, Whispering Smith and Jimmy Anderson. There are plenty of good surprises from less-familiar acts such as Blue Charlie (Morris); Joe Johnson – how did his We Gonna Rub remain unissued 1967? Jay Nelson and the Jumpers; and the great Leroy Washington – whose Bow Legged, Knock Kneed And Big Eyed was deemed too politically incorrect even in 1959 and has remained in the can until now.

Everything here was recorded by famed Louisiana record man, Jay D Miller in his Crowley studios. 23 of the tracks are new to CD on Ace (a free CD to the first person who spots the delinquent cut – it’s not Rainin’ In My Heart, which is the LP version!), and five tracks are previously unissued anywhere. GENUINE R&B is a fine addition to our Excello series, and neatly paves the way for our upcoming volume of the rarer Excello R&B singles, LOUISIANA ROOTS: The Jay Miller R&B Legacy featuring Guitar Gable, King Karl and Charles Sheffield.”