Episode 5 Muddy Waters Early Career

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 5  MUDDY WATERS Early Career

 Episode 5 is about the life and musical career of Blues Master Muddy Waters and his earlier years.  Muddy was born in Mississippi and is known as the ‘King of Chicago Blues’. 

 The titles of my releases the songs are taken from in this episode include Rhythm and Western by the Howlers and Courts of Lu Lu.  

 A music track playlist for this podcast is available on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple, and YouTube for your listening pleasure.

 The musicians featured in the tracks on this episode are Bobby “Crow” Field, Bruce Jones, Danny Dozier, Gene Brandon, Gerry “Phareaux” Felton, Hugh Garraway, Jimmy Barnett, and Tommy Conner.

 Omar’s Picks for further study of copyrighted music not used in Episode 5 are Muddy Waters: His       Best from 1947 to 1955 on MCA Records, formerly Chess Records, Muddy Waters: His Best from     1956 to 1964, also released by MCA Records, and King of the Electric Blues on Sony Records.

Visit my website for more info  www.omarandthehowlers.com

Thank you to Matthew Garza (Upwork.com) for his work mastering this podcast.

Transcript

EPISODE 5 MUDDY WATERS Early Career

Omar Dykes: Welcome to the podcast. The Blues Master featured in this episode is the great McKinley Morganfield, better known as Muddy Waters, who is one of the most important of the modern blues men. He is considered the architect of the classic Chicago blues and the blues band lineup. He's the one who invented it. He's the man.

He was just like Bill Monroe defined instrumentation of bluegrass bands, including the banjo, mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and bass. Muddy Waters created the electric Chicago band sound with musicians that consisted of one or two guitars, an amplified harmonica, piano, bass, and drums.

Prior to Muddy's electric style, there were many solo and duet artists, or a band maybe with a guitar, acoustic harmonica, maybe a piano, a kazoo, or a couple of horn players thrown in for good measure. Before Chess Records became the main record company, recording the classic Chicago band lineup, the Chicago sound had been more like the guitar, horns, and kazoo bands recorded by Lester Melrose. He was the head of the Bluebird Records label. That was the imprint of the RCA record company. Artists on this label included Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy, Big Maceo Merriweather, and others. The sound of the Bluebird Records was much lighter and jazzier than what became the modern urban Chicago sound.

The Bluebird sound evolved from vaudeville and Black theater, where many of the stars were female singers. The heavy Delta blues influence from Mississippi and Arkansas had not been favored by the record labels yet. This became a very important factor as time went on because Chicago had become a mecca of people pouring into the city from the deep south. This was the result of the Great Migration movement of the Black population, seeking employment and fleeing discrimination. The flow of migrants from the South missed their Delta-rooted music styles, and they longed for the sounds from back home. They wanted it to sound like the Delta. The clubs and juke joints of Chicago were much louder and noisier, and an acoustic guitar and harp were no longer a match competing with the din of sound. This is where Muddy Waters was significant in amplifying the Delta sound, presenting it to the down-home Southern audience in the city.

This song is called "I'm Wild About You" inspired by Muddy Waters from my release Courts of Lu Lu.

Muddy was born the son of Ollie Morganfield and Bertha Jones in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on April the 4th, 1915. In Mississippi, it was customary for African American families to name their sons after a United States president. Muddy Waters, his name's McKinley Morganfield, was named after President McKinley. His grandmother gave him the nickname Muddy Waters because he liked to get out in back of the house and play in the mud puddles. His mother died when he was three years old, and he was sent to live with his grandmother, Della Jones in Clarksdale. He was raised on the Stovall plantation.

Waters got a harmonica for Christmas when he was seven years old, and by the time he was 17, he was playing guitar too. His guitar was a Stella that many rural people ordered from Sears and Roebuck out of Chicago. Cheap guitar, but that's what they get from the mail order company and start playing at fish fries. He played at fish fry’s, country suppers, and juke joints around the community. Most of the juke joints were on the Stovall plantation. 

In 1941, Alan Lomax, on behalf of the Library of Congress, was in the Mississippi Delta to locate and record blues musicians. He recorded two songs by Muddy Waters and returned in 1942 and recorded two more. Later on, these songs were released on Testament Records as Down on Stovall Plantation. They were later reissued on Chess Records as Muddy Waters: The Complete Plantation Recordings, the real good stuff. 

Two of Muddy's main musical influences in the Mississippi Delta where Eddie Son House and Robert Johnson. They both played bottleneck slide guitar style, although Muddy played closer to Johnson. I feel like he played closer to Johnson. In later years, Waters still had fond memories of Son House. Another person that also influenced Muddy Waters was Robert Nighthawk. He was only a few years older than Muddy, but he was getting around pretty good, and he was a heck of a slide player. He showed him some more about the bottleneck slide style. Muddy has always said that he learned to play guitar from his friend, Scott Bohanna, Bohanna, I think is how you pronounce it from Clarksdale. He was also influenced by Charlie Patton and Blind Lemon Jefferson. 

Muddy drove a tractor on the plantation to make a living, but he supplemented his income by turning his one room country shack into a juke joint. That's what I'd have done. The cabin was located on the plantation, and all the workers were patrons. Waters sold moonshine that he made and conducted gambling events and had musical performances nightly. Sometimes Muddy performed himself. He also brought in players from Helena, Arkansas, including Sonny Boy Williamson, Rice Miller, that's Sonny Boy two, and the great slide sensation, Elmore James. Miller returned this gesture by putting Muddy on his King Biscuit radio show. 

Just as Muddy was becoming a music star in the Delta, he had an altercation with the plantation foreman, and left Clarksdale suddenly, catching the Illinois Central Railroad train to Chicago. Arriving in the Windy City, he found a job driving a delivery truck on his first day there. He had good luck. He was soon playing nightly with his new friend, Sunnyland Slim in the neighborhood clubs of Chicago. He quickly became a success in the South side clubs, but he knew he needed to get a record deal. 

In 1946, he did a record session for Columbia Records that was never released. Columbia completely missed the essence of what Muddy was about, and it made the recording sound tame by using musicians akin to the Bluebird sound on RCA. Not only was the recording lighter, but it completely bypassed Muddy's Delta roots and ignored his growing audience, steeped in the Delta traditions. Muddy was aware he needed to make records in his newly updated Delta style.

Sunnyland Slim took Muddy to a record session in 1947 for the Aristocrat label that was soon to turn into Chess Records. Sunnyland recorded the songs "Johnson Machine Gun", and "Fly Right Little Girl" and he was accompanied by Muddy on the guitar. Leonard Chess then asked Waters to record playing just his amplified slide guitar with Ernest Big Crawford on upright bass. Crawford was Memphis Slim's bass player and was a perfect foil for Muddy Waters' sound. Waters recorded two of his own songs, "Little Annie Mae", and "Gypsy Woman". Ooh, I love both of those, especially "Gypsy Woman". Leonard Chess was unimpressed with these recordings and put them on hold, thinking to himself that no one was interested in the old-style Delta blues. Ha, Ha, Ha. Think again. 

The next year Chess let Muddy return to the studio and recorded two more of his original songs, " I Can't Be Satisfied", and "Feel Like Going Home". Both were updates he had recorded years before back in Mississippi. It wasn't long before the Chicago record companies realized there was a market for this Delta infused music and started to record the Delta- influenced musicians. Those guys were the ones that were happening. It was getting big in Chicago. They wanted to go to the juke joints and clubs and hear their music.

One of the first labels to use insight to this revelation was Chess Records, then called Aristocrat. When they recorded Muddy Waters singing and playing his amplified slide with Big Crawford on the upright base, they knew what they were doing. They were headed that way. Leonard Chess released a 78 record in 1948 on Aristocrat Records with "I Can't Be Satisfied" on the A side, and "I Feel Like Going Home" on the B side. The formula was a success, and Leonard Chess stuck with this pairing until 1950. His motif was, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. He stuck with it. 

In 1950, Leonard and Phil Chess bought out the partners at Aristocrat Records, and they changed the name of the label then to Chess Records. Little Marshall, Leonard's son, was coming along. He was still pretty young, but he was with the record company a long time and learned a lot. The first record they recorded on the new label name was "Rollin' Stone" with "Walkin’ Blues" as the flip side.  “Walkin’ Blues" is one that Son House did. "Rollin' Stone" was Muddy's. It was a general consensus that Muddy captured a lot of the feeling of Robert Johnson on his version of "Walkin’ Blues". Robert Johnson did "Walkin’ Blues", and Son House. It was a Delta staple. Lots of bands played it. Muddy kind of leaned into Robert Johnson sound on his version of it.

At the end of 1950, Leonard allowed Muddy to bring in Little Walter on harmonica, Elgin Evans on the drums, well, actually on the first one, he played washboard, and Big Crawford on upright base. Together they cut "Louisiana Blues" and "Evans Shuffle". For the next cut they recorded "Long Distance Call", and it was a top ten hit. The instrumentation was Muddy on amplified slide guitar, Little Walter on harmonica, and Big Crawford on upright bass. Muddy has commented that this is a favorite of his. It is a great cut and one of my favorites, too.

That was "Long Distance Call" by the Howlers with me on vocals and slide guitar. 

On that same date, Muddy did another one of his original songs called "Honey Bee". This song had Big Crawford on bass and Little Walter switched the guitar for this one. Six months later, they were back in the studio to cut "She Moves Me" with Muddy playing guitar, Little Walter on the harmonica and Leonard Chess playing the bass drum. He apparently didn't like what the drummer was doing and decided to play it himself. At that same session, they cut another Muddy original, "Still a Fool" with Little Walter, once again, switching to guitar.

At the end of 1951, they were back to cut "Stuff You Got to Watch" with Muddy on guitar, Little Walter on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on the guitar, and Elgin Evans on drums. Wow. That's an entire band. It was starting to happen. Leonard was starting to loosen his hand on the instrumentation a little bit. In September of 1952, they recorded "Standing Around Crying" with Muddy on guitar, Otis Spann on piano, Little Walter on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Elgin Evans on drums. That is a full Chicago band. It's happening from this point on, recording became a band format. The next three songs they recorded were Muddy originals called "Flood," "Baby, Please Don't Go," that's a Big Joe William song, and "Blow, Wind, Blow." 

The next song was a Willie Dixon, original "Hoochie Coochie Man" with Muddy's full band, with Willie Dixon added on bass. This is a very important event because it was the beginning of a long relationship between Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. Willie Dixon was Leonard Chess's right-hand man, and he was a staff songwriter, a bass player, and a producer for the label. Very important. His position at the label allowed Dixon to form strong relationships with Muddy, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, that's Rice Miller number two, and Bo Diddley. That's a list of my favorites right there, Woo! 

 "Hoochie Coochie Man" became Muddy's best seller and started a string of hits for him that included, "I Just Want to Make Love to You," "I'm Ready," "Young Fashion Ways," "Don't Go No Further," "Close to You," "You Shook Me," and "You Need Love," that turned into Led Zepplin's "Whole Lotta Love" causing them to be sued for copyright infringements, and Willie Dixon won. Willie Dixon wrote all those songs we just talked about. Led Zepplin was feeling good cause they liked it, too. Just like I do.

In the same time period, Muddy rewrote "I'm A Man" that was a hit written by Mel London and Bo Diddley. Muddy fashioned the song into his "Mannish Boy," also a big hit, playing it for the rest of his career. It was always in his set list. It was a showstopper, too. Another Willie Dixon song that Muddy recorded was "I Love the Life I Live, I Live the Life I Love." This is one of my very favorites. Let me say it again. Another one of my very favorites. We're talking about Muddy Waters. So, there's many, and it features the great James Cotton on harmonica. Check it out. It's fantastic.

In 1952, Little Walter left the Muddy Waters band and joined forces with the Aces, a premier Chicago blues band, consisting of Louis Myers on guitar, Dave Myers on bass, and Fred Below on the drums. That's a good band. All of them were legendary musicians. They had just let harp player, Junior Wells go and Little Walter joined the band. The Aces could play very jazzy, and Walter needed a band   after recording his current hit "Juke." The song had been cut with Walter at the end of a Muddy recording session as a top 10 rhythm and blues hit. "Juke" was placed on Chess's new rhythm and blues imprint, Checker. Little Walter, having left Muddy's live touring band, calls Waters to hire Junior Wells to play harp. Junior's a great harp player. Love Junior Wells. Junior was with Muddy's band only a short while before he was drafted into the military.

With Wells gone, Muddy hired Big Walter Horton to assume the harmonica duties. Horton was well respected for his talent, and an outstanding player. After being in the band a while, Big Walter started playing gigs under his own name and sending a substitute, Henry Strong, to cover Muddy's engagements. Big Walter then left the band and Muddy hired Strong to replace him. Strong played in a style like Little Walter's and he fit the band perfect. After being with the group for only a short time, Henry was stabbed by his girlfriend and bled to death. Needless to say, Muddy was devastated by this horrific incident.

Immediately after Henry Strong's death, Harmonica George Smith stepped in to help his friend Muddy Waters with his performing dates. This was a temporary fix, and Waters hired James Cotton to be the band harmonica player in 1955. Cotton became the band leader and stayed with the group until 1965. James Cotton was implanted in the live band, but Little Walter stayed on to record off and on until sometime, I think in 1959. It is important to note that Cotton was featured on Muddy's 1960 album Live At Newport on Chess Records that included "I Got My Mojo Workin.” It's a very important song. Everybody went crazy at the Newport Festival when they heard him. After leaving the band in 1965, he returned to play harmonica on the 1977 released Hard Again. That's a great one. The Muddy Waters band continued playing live and, in the studio, resulting in a huge catalog of recordings over the next years.

That was an original song called "I Think I'll Start Walkin'" from the Howlers’ album Rhythm and Western inspired by Muddy Waters with me on vocals and slide guitar.

I will attempt to highlight some of my very favorites that came down the pike in these prolific years. Remember, these are personal picks, and all of Muddy's recordings are worth consideration. In 1958, he recorded "She's 19 Years Old". The same year he released "Walking Through the Park," one of his all-time classics. He cut "Southbound Train" in 1959, written by Big Bill Broonzy. Big Bill was very important to Muddy, but he even did a record of nothing but Big Bill Broonzy on it. He was definitely one of his musical heroes. These three songs are some of my favorites, but there's more!

In 1962, Muddy recorded "You Need Love" with Earl Hooker on the guitar. I'm a tremendous fan of Earl Hooker's playing, so it is at, it's at the very top of my list. My all-time favorite pick of Muddy's original song is "My Home Is in the Delta" that he cut in 1963. It definitely was a plus that Buddy Guy was featured on guitar on this track. Muddy's next recording was another Willie Dixon title, "The Same Thing" that became a huge hit. The lyrics include the line, "the same thing that made the preacher lay his Bible down." Very potent and provocative lyrics. "The Same Thing" is the last of my picks that the great Otis Spann played piano on. He turned the piano bench over to Pinetop Perkins in 1969 and left the Waters band to pursue a solo career. Sadly, his attempt to go solo was cut short when he died of cancer in 1970. He was an institution playing with Waters for many years. Muddy always claimed that Spann was his brother because he thought so much of him.

In 1972, Waters recorded one more of my very favorites, "Can't Get No Grindin',What's the Matter with the Mill?" It was an original by Muddy that was based on an old Memphis Minnie song about the grinding mill. Muddy's version featured Pinetop Perkins on harpsichord, and it worked. 

So far in this episode, I have talked about and reflected on the singles of Muddy Waters. He was with the Chess brothers for a long time, and he also had a successful run of albums in his career. Several of his LPs are worth mentioning: The Best of Muddy Waters from 1957, At Newport a Live Show from 1960, and Muddy Sings Big Bill Broonzy that features great harmonica from James Cotton. These are some of his best stuff, best albums, great albums. Also, Folk Singer with Buddy Guy on guitar, Willie Dixon on bass, and it included "My Home is in the Delta." 

Two other LPs I would like to mention are the Real Folk Blues and More Real Folk Blues. Don't be fooled by the titles because they were using the folk motif to draw in the coffee house crowd and casual blues fans. These records contain some of the best electric band performances available. I hold these recordings special and continue to enjoy them to this day. 

Omar's picks for Muddy Waters are Muddy Waters: His Best from 1947 to 1955 on MCA Records, formerly Chess Records, Muddy Waters: His Best from 1956 to 1964, also released by MCA Records, and King of the Electric Blues on Sony Records.

I have sung this song off and on throughout my career, "Can't Get No Grindin',What's the Matter with the Mill?" by the Howlers. from the album Rhythm and Western.

When I was a teenager in the mid-sixties, I used to walk downtown in McComb, Mississippi, my little hometown, and I'd go to Hux's Appliance on Main Street.  They sold stoves and hot water heaters, but they had a little wooden rack full of 45s for sale for 69 cents each, and I went there to buy 45 RPM records. One day I noticed they had some surprise boxes of 45s for one dollar. Each box had ten 45s in it. I've always been a sucker for a bargain, so I decided to buy a box to see what I would get. The first box I bought, I hit pay dirt. There was a Jimmy Reed, a John Lee Hooker, two Muddy Waters, and the rest were Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, and Frank Sinatra, who I wasn't into at the time. The first box was good enough to entice me to go back every few weeks to buy another. I built up a pretty good blues 45 collection since there seemed to be more blues records than other stuff. I always found a way to follow the blues. Another little funny thing about buying those boxes is over about a year and a half time, there was always some Muddy in it, a couple, sometime three Muddy's, and I wound up with like five copies of "Hoochie Coochie Man." I'd rather have five copies of that and a lot of other stuff. There was always some Chess stuff in it. “Johnny B. Good” by Chuck Berry. There was some Sonny Boy Williamson. Then it switched over to Vee Jay Records and had a good bit of Jimmy Reed. I loved it.

 At the same time, I was into the British Invasion bands, especially the ones that leaned into the blues. I found out the Rolling Stones got their name from an early Muddy Water song we talked about earlier called "Rollin' Stone". Other British Invasion artists who were influenced by Muddy Waters were Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. In the last few episodes about the Blues Masters, I have mentioned the British Invasion bands and the influences on American blues artists. The reason it is so important is because the British bands had a young American audience who were not particularly listening to blues. The British Invasion opened up the opportunity for young people in the U.S. to be into the blues by feeding it back to us. From England back to the U.S. it came from the U.S. it went to England, and they sent it right back to us.

When I started researching Muddy, I realized it was exhaustive and too much information for one episode. For this reason, I have divided Muddy into two episodes of his early career and his later career. After all, ladies and gentlemen, we're talking about the King of Chicago Blues, Muddy Waters. And he said it best, "the blues had a baby, and they named it rock and roll." It spread all over the world, and so did he. 

Thank you for listening and for your support of this podcast. The next episode will be Muddy Waters' later career years. Be sure to tune in.