''Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's South Side Band'' is the 1967 debut album of American
blues-harp musician
Charlie Musselwhite, leading
Charlie Musselwhite's Southside Band.
[There is discrepancy in sources as to the year of initial release, with many sources including Allmusic citing 1967 and various books and newspapers citing 1966. The artist's own website cites 1967 on its discography page, while also reproducing various press articles that variously list both years. See ]
Musselwhite's press page
an
Musselwhite's music page
The
Vanguard Records release brought Musselwhite to notability among
blues musicians . With rough vocals and notable performances on
harmonica,
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
and
bass guitar, the album was critically well received. It introduced Musselwhite's signature song, his cover of
Duke Pearson's "Cristo Redemptor".
Critical reception and influence
The album has been critically well-received, described as "legendary",
"seminal",
and "one of the classic blues albums of the decade." Its success established Musselwhite in the field of blues music and rock and roll.
Music
Among the album's tracks, "Cristo Redemptor" has remained particularly important in Musselwhite's repertoire, standing as his signature song, although subsequent versions of the Duke Pearson cover have been longer.[ Musselwhite's music here is characterized by smooth harmonica a "harsh, almost strained voice" that ]Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
indicates is "considerably more affected than...later ocals(clearer, more relaxed)".[ Mandel's guitar work, influential, features what ''Legends of Rock Guitar'' describes as "relentless fuzztone, feedback-edged solos, and unusual syncopated phrasing."][ Allmusic highlights the guitarist's "snakey stuttering style", particularly on track "Chicken Shack" in which it "truly makes you think your record is skipping."][ Bass player Bob Anderson, who later played with Howlin' Wolf, has been singled out for a noteworthy rendition of the classic root-3rd-4th progression in the song "Help Me".
]
Release history
First released in 1967 on Vanguard Records, catalogue numbers VRS-9232 ( monaural) and VSD-79232 ( stereo),[
]
Track listing
Unless otherwise indicated, the composer is uncredited.
#"Baby Will You Please Help Me" ( Charlie Musselwhite) – 3:20
#"No More Lonely Nights" – 5:14
#"Cha Cha the Blues" – 3:13
#"Christo Redemptor" ( Duke Pearson) – 3:21
#" Early in the Morning" – 4:31
#"4 P.M." ( Harvey Mandel) – 3:17
#"Sad Day" ( Barry Goldberg) – 5:04
Personnel
*Bob Anderson – bass
* Fred Below – drums
The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
* Samuel Charters – producer
* Barry Goldberg – organ, piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
, keyboards
* Harvey Mandel – guitar
* Charlie Musselwhite – harmonica, vocals, performer
* Pete Welding – liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards.
Origin
Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
References
{{Authority control
Charlie Musselwhite albums
1966 debut albums
Albums produced by Samuel Charters
Vanguard Records albums