Muddy Waters

McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1915 – April 30, 1983), known by his stage name Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician. He is often considered the "father of modern Chicago blues". Muddy Waters grew up on Stovall Plantation near Clarksdale, Mississippi and by age seventeen was playing the guitar at parties, emulating local blues artists Son House and Robert Johnson. He was recorded by Alan Lomax there for the Library of Congress in 1941. In 1943, he headed to Chicago with the hope of becoming a full-time professional musician, eventually recording, in 1946, for first Columbia and then Aristocrat Records, a newly formed label run by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess. In the early 1950s, Muddy and his band, Little Walter Jacobs on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Elgin Evans on drums and Otis Spann on piano, recorded a series of blues classics, some with bassist/songwriter Willie Dixon, including "Hoochie Coochie Man", "I Just Want to Make Love to You" and "I'm Ready". In 1958, Muddy headed to England, helping to lay the foundations of the subsequent blues boom there, and in 1960 performed at the Newport Jazz Festival, recorded and released as his first live album, At Newport 1960. Muddy's influence is tremendous, not just on blues and rhythm and blues but on rock 'n' roll, hard rock, folk, jazz, and country; his use of amplification is often cited as the link between Delta blues and rock 'n' roll.

Links To Peel
Peel was a fan of Muddy Waters since his teens and on his BFBS show of 10 April 1997 (BFBS) described how he got probably the first Blues LP from the artist after playing 'Long Distance Call' by the musician:


 * "Possibly the first blues LP I bought: certainly, I bought it when I was in the army meself and took it back home when I was on leave one weekend and played it to my mum. My mother, a woman of extraordinary judgement and taste, thought it was one of the best things she'd ever heard, and she was quite right."

On 08 February 2000, Peel mentioned that his children seem to be developing similar musical tastes (in Muddy Waters and Culture), which he was gratified. Peel also influenced an artist by Muddy Waters when he mentioned on 06 July 2004 that living in San Bernadino in California in the Sixties, he played a Muddy Waters track to visiting guitarist Buddy Reed, setting him on the path of a career playing the Blues.

Peelenium

 * Peelenium 1952: She's Alright

Shows Played
1968 1972 1978 1979
 * 27 October 1968: Let's Spend The Night Together (single) Chess
 * 04 April 1972: Gone To Main Street (LP - Back In The Good Old Days) Syndicate
 * 02 June 1972: Louisiana Blues (4xLP – Genesis: The Beginnings Of Rock) Chess
 * 20 November 1978: Rollin' Stone (LP - The Best Of Muddy Waters) London
 * 04 December 1978: Long Distance Call
 * 10 January 1979: Long Distance Call (Single) Vogue Coral
 * 17 January 1979: Standing Around Crying

1982 1987 1988 1990
 * 13 August 1979: Hard Days
 * 14 August 1979: Lonesome Day (LP – Sweet Home Chicago Volume 3)
 * 15 November 1982: Louisiana Blues
 * Peel 056 (BFBS): 'Louisiana Blues (2xLP-Chess Masters....Muddy Waters)' (Chess)
 * 10 August 1987: Mannish Boy
 * 08 June 1988: I Feel Like Going Home (78") Aristocrat
 * 12 June 1990: Sad Letter Blues (album - Rollin' And Tumblin') Zafiro

1991
 * 20 June 1990: Early Morning Blues (Before Daybreak)
 * 05 January 1991: Screaming and Crying (album - Rolling Stone) Chess

1994 1995
 * Best Of Peel Vol 18: 'Screamin' And Cryin' (CD-Rolling Stone)' (Chess)
 * 29 April 1994: 'Canary Bird' (7 inch)
 * 14 April 1995: Young Fashioned Ways (LP - House Rockin' Blues) (Ace)


 * 04 August 1995: Louisana Blues

1997 1999
 * 27 August 1995: Can't Be Satisfied
 * 10 April 1997 (BFBS): 'Long Distance Call (LP-Rolling Stone)' (Chess)
 * 05 September 1999 (BFBS): 'Rollin' Stone (CD-His Best 1947-1955)' (Chess/Universal)

2000
 * 09 September 1999 (Radio Eins): Long Distance Call
 * 22 September 1999: She's Alright (Peelenium 1952)
 * 03 November 1999: 'I Can't Be Satisfied (LP-Sail On)' (Chess) (a wrong speed moment which causes John to say "bugger" on air. He then makes a false start to the Peelenium as well.)
 * 11 November 1999 (Radio Eins): Standing Around Crying
 * 04 January 2000: 'I Feel Like Going Home (15x Compilation CD-Chess Story 1947-1956)' (Chess)

2002 2003 2004 Others
 * 01 February 2000: 'Still A Fool (15x Compilation CD-The Chess Story 1947-1975)' (Chess)
 * 23 May 2002: Sad Letter Blues
 * 05 June 2003: 'Walkin' Blues' (LP - Newport Folk Festival) (Vanguard)
 * 21 September 2004: "Rolling Stone"(LP - 'Sail On') - (Chess)
 * And Err That's A Bit Of The Label Too: Honey Bee