''For the American band see

Matthew Melton Matthew Michael Melton (born November 10, 1982) is an American musician, songwriter and producer. Best known as the vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for Warm Soda, he also previously fronted Bare Wires and Snake Flower 2. Melton currently fro ...

'' ''Bare Wires'' is a

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

John Mayall's Bluesbreakers John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers are an English blues rock band led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall. While never producing a hit of their own, the band has been influential as an incubator for British rock and blues ...

, featuring Mick Taylor on guitar, released in 1968 on

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

. The album was the last

John Mayall John Mayall, OBE (born 29 November 1933) is an English blues singer, musician and songwriter, whose musical career spans over sixty years. In the 1960s, he was the founder of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band that has counted among it ...

studio album to feature the name "Bluesbreakers". The album was also Mayall's first successful U.S. album reaching #59 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It was voted number 566 in the third edition of

Colin Larkin Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by ''The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged". Along wit ...

's '' All Time Top 1000 Albums'' (2000).

Background

The previous Bluesbreakers album ''

Crusade The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were i ...

'' saw guitarist Peter Green, who left to form

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

, being replaced by Mick Taylor. This album saw bassist Andy Fraser, who would later join

Free Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procur ...

, being replaced by

Tony Reeves Anthony Reeves (born 18 April 1943, New Eltham, South East London) is an English bass guitarist/contrabassist, noted for his "distinctive and complex bass sound" and use of electronic effects. Career As a teenager Reeves learned orchestral doub ...

, while drummer Keef Hartley was replaced by

Jon Hiseman Philip John Albert "Jon" Hiseman (21 June 1944 – 12 June 2018) was an English drummer, recording engineer, record producer, and music publisher. He played with the Graham Bond Organisation, with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers and later form ...

. The album included more jazz influences than usual. Then Tony Reeves, Jon Hiseman and Dick Heckstall-Smith left to form Colosseum.

Songs

The songs "No Reply" and "She's Too Young" were released as a single by Decca. The album's A-side was a

medley Medley or Medleys may refer to: Sports *Medley swimming, races requiring multiple swimming styles * Medley relay races at track meets Music *Medley (music), multiple pieces strung together People *Medley (surname), list of people with this nam ...

called "Bare Wires Suite" which featured the individual songs "Bare Wires", "Where Did I Belong", "I Started Walking", "Open Up a New Door", "Fire", "I Know Now" and "Look in the Mirror". The individual track times shown below are those printed on the original vinyl release.

Track listing

Original album

Reissue Bonus Tracks

Personnel

;John Mayall's Bluesbreakers *

– vocals,

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

, piano,

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

, harmonium, guitar on tracks 1 - 7 and 10 - 13: * Mick Taylor – lead guitar, Hawaiian guitar * Chris Mercer – tenor,

baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass. It is the lowest-pitched saxophone in common use - the bass, contra ...

* Dick Heckstall-Smith – tenor,

soprano saxophone The soprano saxophone is a higher-register variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument invented in the 1840s. The soprano is the third-smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists (from smallest to largest) of the soprillo, sop ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

, percussion * Henry Lowther –

cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B, though there is also a sopr ...

, violin *

– string bass, bass guitar * Peter Green – guitar on "Picture on the Wall" and "Jenny" * Keef Hartley – drums on "Picture on the Wall" ;Production * Mike Vernon, John Mayall – producers * Derek Varnals – engineer * Pete Smith, Jan Persson – photography

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1968 albums John Mayall albums Decca Records albums London Records albums Albums produced by Mike Vernon (record producer) John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers albums Albums produced by John Mayall