Listen to the best of Chess Records on Apple Music and Spotify. Half a century later, it definitely has more to it than just novelty value. The Howlin’ Wolf Album gained a cult following, however, and reached No. His father was a farmer and Wolf took to it as well until his 18th birthday, when a chance meeting with Delta blues legend Charley Patton changed his life forever. He then slides into a blistering version of Willie Dixon’s “Back Door Man,” a song he had first recorded in 1962. He was born in West Point, MS, and named after the 21st President of the United States (Chester Arthur). But when you come down to the blues, I’m gonna show you how to play the blues. See, the blues come from way back and I’m gonna tell you something again, the things that is going on today is not the blues, it’s just a good beat that people are carrying. Everybody said the peoples don’t like the blues… but you’re wrong. In a spoken introduction to the final track, Wolf says, “Now listen, peoples. The Howlin’ Wolf Album was made at a time when Chicago blues was thought to be a dying art form. He didn’t like his electric guitar at first either.” The design, with black text on a white background, stated: “This is Howlin’ Wolf’s new album. Wolf’s unease about the project prompted a bold marketing gamble by Marshall Chess, who addressed the issue on the album’s sleeve. We’ll just drop this stuff in all around you.’” We told him, ‘Regardless of all this stuff, don’t change your style. He was a traditional blues boy, with traditional music, and he was concerned about whether he could do it or not. He questioned the fact that we were taking him out of his orbit. He recalled, “Howlin’ Wolf didn’t like it, didn’t want to do it. The band members, aware of Wolf’s status, did their best to make The Howlin’ Wolf Album work, as they recorded new versions of some of his most memorable songs, including “Spoonful,” “Red Rooster,” “Moanin’ At Midnight” and “Built For Comfort.” Gene Barge, who was well known in the music world as Daddy G – he had played on “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass and was the man who persuaded Chess to take a chance on the young Buddy Guy – played electric saxophone on the album.
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