VA - The Sun Blues Box [2013] (10 x CDs)

 

SUN BLUES

VA - The Sun Blues Box [2013] (10 x CDs)

A companion to The Sun Country Box and The Sun Rock Box, Bear Family's 2013 The Sun Blues Box greatly expands the original 1983 LP box of the same title. That vinyl box concentrated solely on singles released on Sun and its related imprints during the '50s, but this hefty ten-CD box encompasses sides Sam Phillips produced at Sun Studios but licensed out to Chess, Trumpet, and RPM. These cuts, combined with other rarities -- mainly unreleased recordings but also outtakes and such rarities as a Sam Phillips radio spot for a medicine called "Tree of Life" and a clutch of recordings from unknown vocal groups and gospel singers tucked away on the tenth disc -- provides a testament to the considerable achievement Phillips achieved at Sun between 1950 and 1958. Many other studios, producers, and labels were instrumental in the development of recorded electric blues but Phillips at Sun was pivotal in 20th century blues' transition from the country to the city, Sun being an important stop on the road from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago. This is true geographically and aesthetically, as the blues recorded at Sun were often as primitive as those made deep in the Delta, but soon into Phillips' run of blues, the subjects of the songs quickly turned to urban concerns and the sound leaped from the backwoods to the steel and concrete of the city. The first disc, naturally, leans toward primitive Delta blues, but once Howlin' Wolf arrives at the start of the second disc, everything changes. Wolf was Phillips first great discovery and his great, gravelly groan on "Moanin' at Midnight" ushers in much more than the golden age of Sun Blues: licensed to Chess, the recording became a hit and put Chicago blues on a different path, one that would greatly change the sound of popular music, from the blues to rock & roll, and it also made Phillips eager to get another hitmaker into his studio. Shortly thereafter, he cut Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88" with Ike Turner's band -- a jumping single often acknowledged as the first rock & roll single -- and then brought in B.B. King and Rufus Thomas, capturing the sound of not just Memphis blues but the whole swinging south.

Much of this story was told on the original LP box, but the 2013 ten-disc set is drawn on an epic scale, thanks to the inclusion of all the sides Phillips licensed to other labels (although the unreleased rarities are of a high grade and are certainly welcome), singles that fill out the story with necessary detail. What's striking is how vital it all sounds, from the early Wolf and Ike through the Junior Parker, Earl Hooker, Joe Hill Louis, and Walter Horton who come later, to all the one-shots and cult favorites, ranging from the murderous Pat Hare to the inspirational Prisonaires. Phillips always sought musicians who tapped into some primal essence but he wasn't a purist, he was eager to make money out of his discoveries and the way to make money was to live in the modern world, not the past. And that's why the music on The Sun Blues Box feels like the beginning of modern music as we know it: it was recorded just as the blues moved out of the sticks and into the city, and it was recorded when any number of small-time record hustlers could maybe strike it big. Phillips didn't make his money here -- that is documented on the accompanying The Sun Rock Box -- but time and time again he captured lightning in his studio, and that's why The Sun Blues Box isn't simply a history album, it is music that is bracingly, thrillingly alive. (AllMusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

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Track lists

CD01

01 Lost John Hunter & His Blind Bats Cool Down Mamma 2:15

02 Lost John Hunter & His Blind Bats Schoolboy 2:52

03 Lost John Hunter & His Blind Bats Y-M And V Blues 3:08

04 Lost John Hunter & His Blind Bats Boogie For Me Baby 2:12

05 Charlie Burse Shorty The Barber 2:26

06 Joe Hill Louis Boogie In The Park 2:46

07 Joe Hill Louis Gotta Let You Go 2:46

08 Sleepy John Estes Registration Day Blues 3:11

09 Sleepy John Estes Policy Man 2:53

10 Sleepy John Estes Rats In My Kitchen 3:06

11 Sleepy John Estes Runnin' Around 3:04

12 Doctor Ross Doctor Ross Boogie 2:39

13 Doctor Ross Country Clown 2:53

14 Doctor Ross Cat Squirrel 2:24

15 Doctor Ross Little Soldier Boy 2:57

16 Doctor Ross Shake 'em On Down 2:52

17 Doctor Ross Down South Blues 2:55

18 Doctor Ross Texas Hop 2:45

19 L.B. Lawson & James Scott's Blues Rockers Can't Love Me And My Money Too 2:30

20 L.B. Lawson & James Scott's Blues Rockers Flypaper Boogie 2:25

21 L.B. Lawson & James Scott's Blues Rockers Got My Call Card 3:27

22 L.B. Lawson & James Scott's Blues Rockers Scott's Boogie 2:25

23 William 'talking Boy' Stewart They Call Me Talking Boy 2:23

24 William 'talking Boy' Stewart County Farm Blues 1:57

25 William 'talking Boy' Stewart Forty-Four Blues 3:03

26 William 'talking Boy' Stewart Rattlesnakin' Mama 2:50

27 Woodrow Adams & The Three Bs Pretty Baby Blues 3:13

28 Woodrow Adams & The Three Bs She's Done Come And Gone 2:44

29 Woodrow Adams & The Three Bs If You Don`t Want Me 1:06

30 Woodrow Adams & The Three Bs Last Time 2:53

31 Woodrow Adams & The Three Bs Train Time 2:49

32 Woodrow Adams & The Three Bs Train Is Comin' 3:05

CD02

01 Howlin' Wolf Moanin' At Midnight 2:56

02 Howlin' Wolf How Many More Years 2:43

03 Howlin' Wolf Mr. Highway Man 2:27

04 Howlin' Wolf My Troubles And Me 3:14

05 Howlin' Wolf Gettin' Old And Grey 2:39

06 Howlin' Wolf My Baby Walked Off 2:58

07 Howlin' Wolf Everybody's In The Mood 2:58

08 Howlin' Wolf Decoration Day Blues 3:09

09 Howlin' Wolf Bluebird Blues 2:49

10 Howlin' Wolf Well That's Alright 2:57

11 Howlin' Wolf Come Back Home 2:12

12 Walter Horton Little Walter's Instrumental 2:57

13 Walter Horton Inthe Mood 3:03

14 Walter Horton We All Gotta Go Sometime 2:59

15 Walter Horton West Winds Are Blowing 3:09

16 Walter Horton Little Walter's Boogie 2:29

17 Little Walker Off The Wall 2:17

18 Jimmy Deberry Party Line Blues 3:10

19 Willie Nix Midnight Showers Of Rain 3:02

20 Willie Nix Prison Bound Blues 2:42

21 Willie Nix Ridin' In The Moonlight 3:15

22 Willie Nix Take A Little Walk With Me 2:32

23 Henry Hill With Doctor Ross That Ain't Right 2:57

24 Doctor Ross Deep Down In The Ground 2:45

25 James Banister Ain`t Gonna Tell You No Lie 2:29

26 Dennis Binder Love You, Love You Baby 2:22

27 Elven Parr & His In The Groove Boys Baby Child 3:27

28 Elven Parr & His In The Groove Boys I'm A Good Man 2:31

29 Elven Parr & His In The Groove Boys In The Groove Rumba 2:53

30 Elven Parr & His In The Groove Boys Skin And Bones Woman 2:51

CD03

01 Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats Rocket 88 2:50

02 Ike Turner & His Kings Of Rhythm I'm Lonesome Baby 3:03

03 Ike Turner & His Kings Of Rhythm Heartbroken And Worried 3:07

04 B.b. King B.B. Blues 2:27

05 B.b. King She's Dynamite 2:31

06 Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats Independent Woman 2:52

07 Lou Sargent Ridin' The Boogie 2:19

08 Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats My Real Gone Rocket 2:29

09 Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats Tuckered Out 2:30

10 Billy Love Juiced 2:32

11 Rosco Gordon Booted 3:07

12 L.J. Thomas & His Louisiana Playboys Sam's Drag 2:53

13 L.J. Thomas & His Louisiana Playboys Baby Take A Chance With Me 2:47

14 Billy 'red' Love Drop Top 2:42

15 Billy 'red' Love It Ain't No More 2:19

16 Rosco Gordon T Model Boogie 2:28

17 Rosco Gordon I Wade Through Muddy Water 3:03

18 Rosco Gordon Decorate The Counter 2:30

19 Rufus Thomas Decorate The Counter 2:26

20 Rufus Thomas Married Woman 2:40

21 Houston Stokes You'll Be Sorry Someday 2:22

22 Houston Stokes We're All Gonna Do Some Wrong 2:19

23 Walter 'tang' Smith Hi-Tone Mama 2:49

24 Walter 'tang' Smith Every Monday Morning Blues 3:11

25 Billy Love Early In The Morning 3:02

26 'Tiny' Kennedy Early In The Morning, Baby 2:29

27 'Tiny' Kennedy Strange Kind Of Feeling 2:30

28 'Tiny' Kennedy Blues Disease 2:29

29 'Tiny' Kennedy Don't Lay This Job On Me 3:06

30 Sherman 'blues' Johnson &  His Clouds Of Joy Hot Fish 2:26

31 Sherman 'blues' Johnson &  His Clouds Of Joy Pretty Baby Blues 2:55

32 Unknown Artist Got Me A Horse And Wagon 2:53

CD04

01 Jackie Boy & Little Walter Selling My Whiskey 1:15

02 Johnny London Drivin' Slow 3:01

03 Johnny London Flat Tire 2:31

04 Walter Bradford & The Big City Four Untitled Blues 1:11

05 Handy Jackson Got My Application Baby 3:07

06 Handy Jackson Trouble 2:50

07 Joe Hill Louis We All Gotta Go Sometime 2:43

08 Joe Hill Louis She May Be Yours 3:02

09 Willie Nix Seems Like A Million Years 2:43

10 Willie Nix Baker Shop Boogie 2:44

11 Jimmy Deberry & Walter Horton Easy 3:00

12 Jimmy Deberry Before Long 2:59

13 Rufus Thomas Bear Cat 2:54

14 Rufus Thomas Walkin' In The Rain 2:25

15 D.a. Hunt Greyhound Blues 2:37

16 D.a. Hunt Lonesome Old Jail 3:01

17 Big Memphis Ma Rainey & The Onzie Horne Combo Call Me Anything 3:02

18 Big Memphis Ma Rainey & The Onzie Horne Combo Baby, No No! 2:43

19 Jimmy Deberry Take A Little Chance 2:23

20 Jimmy Deberry Time Has Made A Change 2:44

21 Prisonaires Baby Please 2:30

22 Prisonaires Just Walkin' In The Rain 2:44

23 Little Junior's Blue Flames Feelin' Good 2:59

24 Little Junior's Blue Flames Fussin' And Fightin' Blues 3:00

25 Rufus Thomas Save That Money 2:46

26 Rufus Thomas Tiger Man 2:49

27 Little Junior's Blue Flames Mystery Train 2:27

28 Little Junior's Blue Flames Love My Baby 2:38

29 Doctor Ross Come Back Baby 2:51

30 Doctor Ross Chicago Breakdown 3:01

31 Hot Shot Love Wolf Call Boogie 2:37

32 Hot Shot Love Harmonica Jam 2:38

CD05

01 Walter Bradford & The Big City Four Reward For My Baby 3:04

02 Walter Bradford & The Big City Four Love For My Baby 2:17

03 Walter Bradford & The Big City Four Too Blue To Cry 2:47

04 L.C. Hubert & The Big City Four Lucy Done Moved 2:28

05 Honeboy Edwards Sweet Home Chicago 2:57

06 Albert Williams Rumble Chillen 2:33

07 Albert Williams Hoo Doo Man (Memphis Al) 2:52

08 Joe Hill Louis When I Am Gone 3:45

09 Joe Hill Louis Dorothy Mae 2:06

10 Joe Hill Louis Keep Your Arms Around Me 2:58

11 Joe Hill Louis I'm A Poor Boy 3:01

12 Joe Hill Louis She May Be Yours (Sweetest Gal In Town) 2:54

13 Joe Hill Louis Hydramatic Woman 2:32

14 Joe Hill Louis Tiger Man 3:15

15 Joe Hill Louis & Albert Williams Shine Boy 2:26

16 Mose Vinson Mistreatin' Boogie 2:34

17 Mose Vinson Worry You Off My Mind 3:12

18 Mose Vinson Reap What You Sow 2:47

19 Mose Vinson 44 Blues 2:35

20 Mose Vinson Come See Me (My Love Has Gone) 2:09

21 Little Junior Parker's Blue Flames Feellin' Bad 2:44

22 James Cotton My Baby 2:25

23 James Cotton Straighten Up Baby 2:21

24 James Cotton Cotton Crop Blues 2:59

25 James Cotton Hold Me In Your Arms 2:48

26 Pat Hare Cheating And Lying Blues 2:57

27 Pat Hare Bonus Pay 2:11

28 Hot Shot Love Harpin' On It 2:30

29 Houston Stokes Blues And Lonesome 2:05

30 Houston Stokes Baby's Gone And Left Me 2:10

31 Kenneth Banks High 2:25

32 Kenneth Banks Blue Man 3:20

CD06

01 Raymond Hill Long Gone Raymond 2:41

02 Raymond Hill My Baby Left Me 2:27

03 Raymond Hill I'm Back Pretty Baby 2:43

04 Raymond Hill Somebody's Been Carryin' Your Rollin' On 3:01

05 Bonnie Turner Love Is A Gamble 2:11

06 Bonnie Turner Old Brother Jack 2:49

07 Tot Randolph Blues Train 2:37

08 Johnny O'neal Ugly Woman (Peg Leg Baby) 2:23

09 Johnny O'neal Dead Letter Blues 3:32

10 Johnny O'neal Johnny's Dream 2:56

11 Little Milton Beggin' My Baby 2:30

12 Little Milton Somebody Told Me 2:59

13 Little Milton I Love My Baby 3:01

14 Houston Boines Carry My Business 2:34

15 Houston Boines Standing In The Courthouse Crying 3:03

16 Little Milton If You Love Me 2:34

17 Little Milton Alone And Blue 3:11

18 Little Milton She's My Queen 2:32

19 Little Milton Re-Beep 2:36

20 Little Milton Lookin' For My Baby 2:54

21 Little Milton Rode That Train (Lookin' For My Baby) 2:49

22 Little Milton Homesick For My Baby 2:52

23 Earl Hooker Steel Guitar Rag 2:53

24 Earl Hooker Blue Guitar 2:47

25 Earl Hooker The Drive 2:22

26 Earl Hooker Move On Down The Line 2:18

27 Earl Hooker The Hucklebuck 3:08

28 Boyd Gilmore Believe I'll Settle Down 3:09

29 Pinetop Perkins Pinetop's Boogie Woogie 2:47

30 Sammy Lewis & The Willie Johnson Combo Gonna Leave You Baby 2:21

31 Sammy Lewis & The Willie Johnson Combo I Feel So Worried 2:07

32 Sammy Lewis & The Willie Johnson Combo I Feel So Worried 2:37

33 Sammy Lewis & The Willie Johnson Combo So Long, Baby, Goodbye 2:09

CD07

01 Billy Love Gee I Wish 2:16

02 Billy Love The News Is All Around Town 2:11

03 Billy Love Hey Now 2:44

04 Billy Love Way After Midnight 2:50

05 Billy Love Hart's Bread Boogie 2:42

06 Little Junior Parker's Blue Flames Sittin' At The Bar 2:33

07 Little Junior Parker's Blue Flames Sittin' At The Window 2:01

08 Little Junior Parker's Blue Flames Sittin', Drinkin' And Thinkin' 3:10

09 Raymond Hill The Snuggie 3:01

10 Raymond Hill Bourbon Street Jump 2:40

11 Billy 'the Kid' Emerson Shim Sham Shimmy 2:22

12 Billy 'the Kid' Emerson When It Rains, It Pours 3:12

13 Billy 'the Kid' Emerson Move, Baby, Move 2:48

14 Billy 'the Kid' Emerson Red Hot 2:27

15 Billy 'the Kid' Emerson Satisfied 2:13

16 Billy 'the Kid' Emerson Something For Nothing 2:50

17 Billy 'the Kid' Emerson Little Fine Healthy Thing 2:36

18 Charlie Booker Baby I'm Coming Home 2:39

19 Charlie Booker Walked All Night 2:43

20 Eddie Snow Don't Dog Me Around 2:47

21 Eddie Snow Mean Mean Woman 3:03

22 Eddie Snow Stay With Me Baby 2:38

23 Eddie Snow Who's Been Drinking My Wine? 3:10

24 Eddie Snow Sorry Little Baby 2:55

25 Eddie Snow Got To Put You Down 3:00

26 Eddie Snow Bring Your Love Back Home 3:15

27 Eddie Snow Ain't That Right 2:36

28 Rosco Gordon That's What You Do To Me 2:50

29 Rosco Gordon I Found A New Love 3:03

30 Rosco Gordon I'm Gonna Shake It 2:01

31 Rosco Gordon Let's Get High 2:36

32 Guitar Red Go Ahead On 2:16

33 Guitar Red Baby Please Don't Go 2:43

CD08

01 Prisonaires Just Walking In The Rain 2:50

02 Prisonaires A Prisoner's Prayer 2:41

03 Prisonaires Don't Say Tomorrow 2:36

04 Prisonaires There Is Love In You 2:52

05 Five Tinos Gonna Have To Let You Be 3:03

06 Five Tinos Don't Do That 2:32

07 Five Tinos Sitting By My Window 3:27

08 Rosco Gordon New Orleans 2:09

09 Rosco Gordon Shoobie Oobie 2:57

10 Ed Kirby Mean Old Gin 2:49

11 Ed Kirby Blue Nights 2:57

12 Big Lucky Carter Gonna Break That Lock 1:59

13 Hunky Dory I Want My Baby Back 2:28

14 Hunky Dory Baby Don't Leave Me 3:54

15 Hunky Dory I Wonder Why 2:09

16 Hunky Dory This Misery 2:25

17 Brewsteraires Where Shall I Be (When That First Trumpet Sounds) 2:42

18 Brewsteraires (The Lord Gave Me) Wings For My Soul 2:36

19 Southern Jubilees There's A Man In Jerusalem 2:25

20 Southern Jubilees Forgive Me Lord 3:02

21 Southern Jubilees He Never Left Me Alone 3:04

22 Southern Jubilees Blessed Be The Name 3:00

23 Prisonaires Softly And Tenderly 2:34

24 Prisonaires My God Is Real 2:31

25 Jones Brothers Amazing Grace 3:29

26 Jones Brothers Gospel Train 2:18

27 Jones Brothers Look To Jesus 2:52

28 Jones Brothers Every Night 2:43

29 Brother R. Russell & The Jones Brothers Quartet I'm Sealed 2:32

30 Jones Brothers Quartet Every Night 2:22

31 Hunky Dory A Lady Called Mother 2:52

32 Hunky Dory Workin' On A Building 2:15

CD09

01 Handy Jackson (Have You Ever Had) Trouble? (Alt) 2:33

02 Billy Love You're Gonna Cry 2:28

03 Sleepy John Estes Runnin' Around (Alt) 3:05

04 Elven Parr's In The Groove Boys Skin And Bones Woman (Alt) 1:59

05 Walter Horton Little Walter`s Boogie (Alt) 2:36

06 Henry Hill With Doctor Ross That Ain't Right (Alt) 2:52

07 Joe Hill Louis She May Be Yours (Alt) 2:40

08 Honeboy Edwards Sweet Home Chicago (Alt) 3:00

09 Little Walker Off The Wall (Alt) 2:37

10 Boyd Gilmore Believe I'll Settle Down (Alt) 3:09

11 Johnny O`neal Ugly Woman (Alt) 2:29

12 Johnny O`neal Dead Letter Blues (Alt) 3:39

13 Johnny O`neal Johnny's Dream (Alt) 3:42

14 Hot Shot Love Wolf Call Boogie (Alt) 2:37

15 Billy Love Way After Midnight (Alt) 2:51

16 Billy Love Gee I Wish (Alt) 2:13

17 Billy Love The News Is All Around Town (Alt) 2:09

18 Little Milton Rode That Train (Lookin' For My Baby) (Alt) 2:37

19 Sammy Lewis With The Willie Johnson Combo I Feel So Worried (Alt) 2:28

20 Sammy Lewis With The Willie Johnson Combo So Long, Baby, Goodbye (Alt) 2:12

21 Doctor Ross Left Job Boogie (Alt) 3:48

22 Charlie Booker Walked All Night (Alt) 2:44

23 Charlie Booker Baby I`m Coming Home (Alt) 2:40

24 Ike Turner With Tommy Hodge (I Know) You Don`t Love Me 2:04

25 Ike Turner With Tommy Hodge Down & Out (How Long Will It Last) 2:45

26 Ike Turner With Tommy Hodge You Ain't The One 2:34

27 Ike Turner With Tommy Hodge Matchbox (I'm Gonna Forget About You) 2:30

28 Pat Hare Cheating And Lying Blues (Alt) 3:05

CD10

01 Unknown Gospel Group John The Revelator 2:29

02 Sam Phillips Tree Of Life (Advertising Spot) 2:20

03 Unknown Gospel Group I Am Bound For Canaan Land 3:09

04 Lost John Hunter & The Blind Bats Play The Game Baby 2:38

05 J.C. Cole Ida Mae 2:12

06 J.C. Cole South Side Blues 2:38

07 J.C. Cole Move Me No More 1:50

08 J.C. Cole No Right Blues (Deep Blue Sea Blues) 2:25

09 Willie Carr Outside Friend 2:02

10 Four Cruisers Beale St. Shuffle 2:43

11 Joseph Dobbin & The Four Cruisers On Account Of You 2:57

12 Unknown Artist Juicehead 1:39

13 Unknown Artist V O Baby 2:09

14 Shy Guy Douglas Detroit Arrow Blues 2:11

15 Shy Guy Douglas Work With Her Boy 1:54

16 Shy Guy Douglas Hip Shakin' Mama (Shy Guy's Back In Town) 1:41

17 Unknown Vocal Group Oh Baby 2:02

18 Evangelist Gospel Singers Of Alabama Lord Stop The War 2:47

19 Evangelist Gospel Singers Of Alabama Leaning On The Lord 2:55

20 Evangelist Gospel Singers Of Alabama Walk In The Light 3:12

21 Evangelist Gospel Singers Of Alabama Never Grow Old 2:58

22 Spiritual Stars I'll Search Heaven 3:06

23 Spiritual Stars Good Religion 2:21

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