Born Under a Bad Sign

by Albert King

Overview

Albert King recorded a lot in the early '60s, including some classic sides, but they never quite hit the mark. They never gained a large audience, nor did they really capture the ferocity of his single-string leads. Then he signed with Stax in 1966 and recorded a number of sessions with the house band, Booker T. & the MG's, and everything just clicked. The MG's gave King supple Southern support, providing an excellent contrast to his tightly wound lead guitar, allowing to him to unleash a torrent of blistering guitar runs that were profoundly influential, not just in blues, but in rock & roll (witness Eric Clapton's unabashed copping of King throughout Cream's Disraeli Gears). Initially, these sessions were just released as singles, but they were soon compiled as King's Stax debut, Born Under a Bad Sign. Certainly, the concentration of singles gives the album a consistency -- these were songs devised to get attention -- but, years later, it's astounding how strong this catalog of songs is: "Born Under a Bad Sign," "Crosscut Saw," "Oh Pretty Woman," "The Hunter," "Personal Manager," and "Laundromat Blues" form the very foundation of Albert King's musical identity and legacy. Few blues albums are this on a cut-by-cut level; the songs are exceptional and the performances are rich, from King's dynamic playing to the Southern funk of the MG's. It was immediately influential at the time and, over the years, it has only grown in stature as one of the very greatest electric blues albums of all time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	04/21/2023
Label:	Concord / Craft Recordings
UPC:	0888072416888

Tracks

1. Born Under a Bad Sign
2. Crosscut Saw
3. Kansas City
4. Oh, Pretty Woman
5. Down Don't Bother Me
6. The Hunter
7. I Almost Lost My Mind
8. Personal Manager
9. Laundromat Blues
10. As the Years Go Passing By
11. The Very Thought of You

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Albert King   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Lead Vocals
Isaac Hayes   Guest Artist,Piano
The Memphis Horns   Guest Artist,Horn
Booker T. & the MG's   Guest Artist
Andrew Love   Horn
Donald "Duck" Dunn   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Wayne Jackson   Horn
Al Jackson, Jr.   Drums
Joe Arnold   Horn
Steve Cropper   Guitar
Booker T. Jones   Piano

Technical Credits

Jim Stewart   Producer
Ray Noble   Composer
Donald "Duck" Dunn   Composer
Deadric Malone   Composer
Deanie Parker   Liner Notes
Sandy Jones   Composer
Sandie Jones   Composer
Jerry Leiber   Composer
R. B. Ford   Composer
The Memphis Horns   Performer
Mike Stoller   Composer
Al Jackson, Jr.   Composer
William Bell   Composer
Albert King   Composer,Performer
Steve Cropper   Composer
Booker T. & the MG's   Performer
Booker T. Jones   Composer
Ivory Joe Hunter   Composer
Carl Wells   Composer
David Porter   Composer
Richard Rodgers   Composer
R.G. Ford   Composer
A.C. Williams   Composer
George Horn   Remastering
Junior Wells   Composer
C. Wells   Composer
Michael Point   Liner Notes
Jim Marshall   Photography
Loring Eutemey   Cover Design
Sandy Jones Jr.   Composer
Deadric Jones   Composer