Hip me to some Mike Bloomfield

Tele295 · July 1st, 2008, 07:52 PM

So I just found out that Mike & I share a birthday. I've heard a lot about him, but can't say that I really know any of his recordings. Where is a good place to start? At what point was he using a Tele vs. Les Paul? Anything to stay away from?

Hockey Rocker · July 1st, 2008, 08:00 PM

Here's a good starting point:

DaBender · July 1st, 2008, 08:16 PM

Super Session, the first two Butterfield Blues Band albums, Dylan's Highway 51 Revisited, and Fathers and Sons with Muddy Waters & Co. are all highly recommended.

I wouldn't start with "Waldorf" - the liner notes claim it is an ear opener, but it's far from Mike at his best.

charlie chitlin · July 1st, 2008, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hockey Rocker

Here's a good starting point:

Yup...excellent place to start.
Sort of a sampler of Bloomfield's career.
Pick your favorite era.
Some great razor-sharp Tele, and big honkin' Les Paul.

Tele295 · July 1st, 2008, 08:23 PM

Is that Bloomfield on Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"?

tonewoods · July 1st, 2008, 09:54 PM

"Is that Bloomfield on Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"?"

Yep...

"...the first two Butterfield Blues Band albums..."

Weird timing...

OK, I just bought these 2 and listened to them in their entirety--for the first time in 30 years--not more than 2 hours ago...

The first is Bloomfield on a Tele, the second a LP....

My question is this: Does Mike take all the leads on the first LP?
He's panned on the right, and he's all I'm hearing on all the solos....

Just curious, as I thought it was kind of a 50/50 Elvin/Mike band...

woodman · July 1st, 2008, 10:15 PM

Elvin took his share of solos as i recall ... but the panning in those days was truly weird. for instance, the drum kit might be panned hard right or left. the two early tunes that marked their stylistic and tone differences to me were "East West" and "Work Song."

tonewoods · July 2nd, 2008, 12:19 AM

"the two early tunes that marked their stylistic and tone differences to me were "East West" and "Work Song.""

Yeah, Elvin's on the right and Mike's on the left on the whole "East West" LP..

But the first record sounds like all Tele all the time in the right channel...

Just curious if someone had the skinny...

SINCASTER · July 2nd, 2008, 01:54 AM

No doubt he's astounding, but for some reason his talent makes me nervous.
Ditto " comedian " Robin Williams.
I'm sure that says something about me and nothing about them but damned if I know what it is.
I'm sure it ain't good though.

Bswailes · July 2nd, 2008, 02:53 AM

+++1 for Super Session!

Unseen · July 2nd, 2008, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SINCASTER

No doubt he's astounding, but for some reason his talent makes me nervous.
Ditto " comedian " Robin Williams.
I'm sure that says something about me and nothing about them but damned if I know what it is.
I'm sure it ain't good though.

I, too, was never able to get into him. After his work with Dylan and the first Butterfield album, he started to do nothing for me.

KDAD · July 2nd, 2008, 09:04 AM

A little known album is "Two Jews Blues" with Bloomfield and Barry Goldberg.

I think Harvey Mandel and Duane Allman also make appearances.

Worth searching for, for completists.

byrdbrain · July 2nd, 2008, 09:41 AM

Another must-have is the first Electric Flag album:

FirstBassman · July 2nd, 2008, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonewoods

"Is that Bloomfield on Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"?"

Yep...

Al Kooper has told the story that he originally was hired to be the guitar player on the "Like A Rolling Stone" recording sessions.
Then he heard Bloomfield warming up in the studio and thought better of the idea.
Later, he says, he snuck into the studio while no one noticed and sat behind the Hammond organ.
He claims he did not know the chords to the song and that is why it sounds like he's playing a little "behind."

TeleBluesMan · July 2nd, 2008, 10:44 AM

Check out the CD MY LABORS by Nick Gravenites. Lots of great live Bloomfield!!
Also check out:
http://concerts.wolfgangsvault.com/d...687-37212.html

Derek S · July 2nd, 2008, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaBender

Super Session, the first two Butterfield Blues Band albums, Dylan's Highway 51 Revisited, and Fathers and Sons with Muddy Waters & Co. are all highly recommended.

I wouldn't start with "Waldorf" - the liner notes claim it is an ear opener, but it's far from Mike at his best.

+1 and +1 to The Electric Flag

charlie chitlin · July 2nd, 2008, 04:09 PM

Does anybody have, "If You Love These Blues..."?

Flannel Pat · July 2nd, 2008, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlie chitlin

Does anybody have, "If You Love These Blues..."?

Yes sir. I have everything Bloomfield ever put out that I could get my grubby little paws on.

charlie chitlin · July 2nd, 2008, 05:36 PM

OK...now that we've established that you own it....
What do you think of it?
Are the lessons good?

davidge1 · July 2nd, 2008, 05:42 PM

The compilation that Charlie Chitlin recommended is really good...AND it has the best songs from Super Session on it.

But in my opinion, before you get anything else, you should get the first Paul Butterfield Blues Band album! That album is sooooo hot. His playing on Shake Your Money Maker is scorching. It's from his early Telecaster days.

T-bone Tone · July 2nd, 2008, 09:36 PM

A shamefully overlooked blues player. He had, possibly, the misfortune to be around at the same time America decided that absolutely anything from England was just, well, fab....and that american musicians were somehow slightly behind and not quite as hip.

As a result, Clapton got the nod for being the ace bluesman. Bloomfield was easily as good, and IMHO way better. His slide playing left Clapton in the distance, and his regular playing was more than equal.

Also he was far more aware of Hendrix's sheer guitar genius. He didn't play for quite some months after Hendrix burned him one time. Clapton, and Townsend, had the arrogance to believe Hendrix was just another musician, when in fact he was playing in a different park.

What Bloomfield lacked, though, was great songs and a real good band that could show him to his best. Clapton had the immeasureable good fortune to be in the Bluesbreakers AND Cream.

My standout track is 'One Good Man' by the equally brilliant - and equally under-appreciated in her own backyard - Janis Joplin. Listen to Bloomfield mix slide and regular playing often in the same riff. And what a sound! Not sure what guitar he plays on this, though. Could be his '65 strat, as the track's from around '69 or '70.

trag-o-caster · July 2nd, 2008, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hockey Rocker

Here's a good starting point:

Yup, that's a WONDERFUL starting point!

Quote:

KDAD A little known album is "Two Jews Blues" with Bloomfield and Barry Goldberg.

I think Harvey Mandel and Duane Allman also make appearances.

Worth searching for, for completists.

I have that album and it has some KILLER Bloomfield guitar work on it! It also has one tune with Harvey Mandel, who's also great, and what sounds like an early attempt at slide guitar by Duane Allman. Actually he doesn't sound all that great here. Perhaps he'd just started playing slide?

I'll tell ya one album to STAY AWAY FROM, and that's "Live at the Old Waldorf". If you read the liner notes, they build it up like it's the greatest Michael Bloomfield playing ever.... NOT! It's pretty bad. Most of it is him playing really bad sounding slide guitar, and the little bit of straight guitar isn't very good either.

romo · July 2nd, 2008, 11:20 PM

Super Session was the first Bloomfield album I bought. Fantastic album although some of the tracks are just Stills on guitar, no Bloomfield. Something happened and he didn't make it to all the recording sessions, I don't remember why maybe someone else knows. It's all Les Paul though, no tele I don't think.

FirstBassman · July 3rd, 2008, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by romo

Something happened and he didn't make it to all the recording sessions, I don't remember why maybe someone else knows.

It's all in Kooper's book: (PS: They changed the cover.)

Quote:

It's all Les Paul though, no tele I don't think.

Yes, as I mentioned in a previous thread here about Bloomfield, I asked Al and he confirmed (again, it's in the book) that S/S is all Les Paul.

pottedmeat42 · July 3rd, 2008, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaBender

Dylan's Highway 51 Revisited

make that Highway *61*

and Mike is defintely *unhinged* on this album...Tombstone Blues has some of the most nasty, rip-yo-face off licks I've ever heard. =jason

July 1st, 2008, 07:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
Tele295 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Haunted Amp, CA Posts: 3,380 14 Photos	Hip me to some Mike Bloomfield So I just found out that Mike & I share a birthday. I've heard a lot about him, but can't say that I really know any of his recordings. Where is a good place to start? At what point was he using a Tele vs. Les Paul? Anything to stay away from? __________________ "Turn it up and it doesn't need any reverb." - Danny Gatton www.dannygatton.info Tiger Town Aces - Music That Bites Back In Redd we trust! Free Bill Kirchen! If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

July 1st, 2008, 08:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
Tele295 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Haunted Amp, CA Posts: 3,380 14 Photos	Is that Bloomfield on Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"? __________________ "Turn it up and it doesn't need any reverb." - Danny Gatton www.dannygatton.info Tiger Town Aces - Music That Bites Back In Redd we trust! Free Bill Kirchen! If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

July 1st, 2008, 10:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
woodman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mint Hill, NC Age: 62 Posts: 5,897	Elvin took his share of solos as i recall ... but the panning in those days was truly weird. for instance, the drum kit might be panned hard right or left. the two early tunes that marked their stylistic and tone differences to me were "East West" and "Work Song." __________________ Truth is stranger than fact ... www.myspace.com/woodymitchellmusic BAND PAGES: www.myspace.com/stragglerswing (Stragglers - Western Swing) www.myspace.com/loafersgloryband (Loafers Glory - '70s country-rock)

July 2nd, 2008, 09:41 AM	#13 (permalink)
byrdbrain Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sweden Age: 50 Posts: 1,387 4 Photos	Another must-have is the first Electric Flag album: __________________ In vino securitas

July 2nd, 2008, 04:09 PM	#17 (permalink)
charlie chitlin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bucktown, Pa Age: 47 Posts: 2,289	Does anybody have, "If You Love These Blues..."? __________________ Nil illigitimi carborundum http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...6-bf3537901a07

July 1st, 2008, 08:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
Hockey Rocker Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Jersey Age: 46 Posts: 903	Here's a good starting point:

July 1st, 2008, 08:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
DaBender TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Maine Age: 53 Posts: 98	Super Session, the first two Butterfield Blues Band albums, Dylan's Highway 51 Revisited, and Fathers and Sons with Muddy Waters & Co. are all highly recommended. I wouldn't start with "Waldorf" - the liner notes claim it is an ear opener, but it's far from Mike at his best.

July 1st, 2008, 09:54 PM	#6 (permalink)
tonewoods Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Orcas Island, Washington Age: 57 Posts: 666 18 Photos	"Is that Bloomfield on Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"?" Yep... "...the first two Butterfield Blues Band albums..." Weird timing... OK, I just bought these 2 and listened to them in their entirety--for the first time in 30 years--not more than 2 hours ago... The first is Bloomfield on a Tele, the second a LP.... My question is this: Does Mike take all the leads on the first LP? He's panned on the right, and he's all I'm hearing on all the solos.... Just curious, as I thought it was kind of a 50/50 Elvin/Mike band...

July 2nd, 2008, 12:19 AM	#8 (permalink)
tonewoods Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Orcas Island, Washington Age: 57 Posts: 666 18 Photos	"the two early tunes that marked their stylistic and tone differences to me were "East West" and "Work Song."" Yeah, Elvin's on the right and Mike's on the left on the whole "East West" LP.. But the first record sounds like all Tele all the time in the right channel... Just curious if someone had the skinny...

July 2nd, 2008, 01:54 AM	#9 (permalink)
SINCASTER Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: 20 miles outta town and cold irons bound Posts: 471	No doubt he's astounding, but for some reason his talent makes me nervous. Ditto " comedian " Robin Williams. I'm sure that says something about me and nothing about them but damned if I know what it is. I'm sure it ain't good though.

July 2nd, 2008, 02:53 AM	#10 (permalink)
Bswailes Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2003 Location: Morgantown, PA Posts: 518	+++1 for Super Session!

July 2nd, 2008, 09:04 AM	#12 (permalink)
KDAD TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Thornton, Colorado Posts: 99	A little known album is "Two Jews Blues" with Bloomfield and Barry Goldberg. I think Harvey Mandel and Duane Allman also make appearances. Worth searching for, for completists.

July 2nd, 2008, 10:44 AM	#15 (permalink)
TeleBluesMan NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: virginia Posts: 5	Check out the CD MY LABORS by Nick Gravenites. Lots of great live Bloomfield!! Also check out: http://concerts.wolfgangsvault.com/d...687-37212.html

July 2nd, 2008, 05:36 PM	#19 (permalink)
charlie chitlin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bucktown, Pa Age: 47 Posts: 2,289	OK...now that we've established that you own it.... What do you think of it? Are the lessons good? __________________ Nil illigitimi carborundum http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...6-bf3537901a07

July 2nd, 2008, 05:42 PM	#20 (permalink)
davidge1 Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: USA Posts: 970	The compilation that Charlie Chitlin recommended is really good...AND it has the best songs from Super Session on it. But in my opinion, before you get anything else, you should get the first Paul Butterfield Blues Band album! That album is sooooo hot. His playing on Shake Your Money Maker is scorching. It's from his early Telecaster days.

July 2nd, 2008, 09:36 PM	#21 (permalink)
T-bone Tone Banned Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Newcastle, England Posts: 321	A shamefully overlooked blues player. He had, possibly, the misfortune to be around at the same time America decided that absolutely anything from England was just, well, fab....and that american musicians were somehow slightly behind and not quite as hip. As a result, Clapton got the nod for being the ace bluesman. Bloomfield was easily as good, and IMHO way better. His slide playing left Clapton in the distance, and his regular playing was more than equal. Also he was far more aware of Hendrix's sheer guitar genius. He didn't play for quite some months after Hendrix burned him one time. Clapton, and Townsend, had the arrogance to believe Hendrix was just another musician, when in fact he was playing in a different park. What Bloomfield lacked, though, was great songs and a real good band that could show him to his best. Clapton had the immeasureable good fortune to be in the Bluesbreakers AND Cream. My standout track is 'One Good Man' by the equally brilliant - and equally under-appreciated in her own backyard - Janis Joplin. Listen to Bloomfield mix slide and regular playing often in the same riff. And what a sound! Not sure what guitar he plays on this, though. Could be his '65 strat, as the track's from around '69 or '70.

July 2nd, 2008, 11:20 PM	#23 (permalink)
romo Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Toledo, Ohio Posts: 216	Super Session was the first Bloomfield album I bought. Fantastic album although some of the tracks are just Stills on guitar, no Bloomfield. Something happened and he didn't make it to all the recording sessions, I don't remember why maybe someone else knows. It's all Les Paul though, no tele I don't think.