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Long John Baldry

 
Artist: Long John Baldry
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Similar Artists:

Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones, John Mayall, Elton John, The V.I.P.s, Derek & the Dominos, Eric Clapton, Graham Bond, The Yardbirds, Rory Gallagher, Chris Farlowe, The Blues Project, The Animals, The Allman Brothers Band, Charlie Musselwhite, Alexis Korner

Influenced By:

Muddy Waters, Big Bill Broonzy

Worked With:

Kathi McDonald, Sam Mitchell, Jimmy Horowitz

Formal Connection With:

Mick Clarke, Bedlam, Fleetwood Mac
  • Born: January 12, 1941, London, England
  • Died: July 21, 2005, Vancouver, British Columbia, Cana
  • Active: '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, 2000s
  • Genres: Blues
  • Instrument: Vocals
  • Representative Albums: "Long John's Blues," "Let the Heartaches Begin/Wait for Me," "It Still Ain't Easy"
  • Representative Songs: "It Ain't Easy," "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Wo," "Let the Heartaches Stop"

Biography

Like Cliff Richard, Chris Farlowe, Slade, Blur, and eel pie, Long John Baldry is one of those peculiarly British phenomena that doggedly resists American translation. As a historical figure, he has undeniable importance. When he began singing as a teenager in the 1950s, he was one of the first British vocalists to perform folk and blues music. In the early '60s, he sang in the band of British blues godfather Alexis Korner, Blues Incorporated, which also served as a starting point for future rock stars Mick Jagger, Jack Bruce, and others. As a member of Blues Incorporated, he contributed to the first British blues album, R&B at the Marquee (1962). He then joined the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars, taking over the group (renamed Long John Baldry and His Hoochie Coochie Men) after Davies' death in early 1964. This band featured Rod Stewart as a second vocalist, and also employed Geoff Bradford (who had been in an embryonic version of the Rolling Stones) on guitar.

In the mid-'60s, he helped form Steampacket, a proto-supergroup that also featured Stewart, Julie Driscoll, and Brian Auger. When Steampacket broke up, he fronted Bluesology, the band that gave keyboardist Reg Dwight -- soon to become Elton John -- his first prestigious gig. He was a well-liked figure on the London club circuit, and in fact the Beatles took him on as a guest on one of their 1964 British TV specials, at a time when the Fab Four could have been no bigger, and Baldry was virtually unknown.

Ironically, his greatest commercial success came not with blues, but orchestrated pop ballads that echoed Engelbert Humperdinck. The 1967 single "Let the Heartaches Begin" reached number one in Britain, and Baldry had several other small British hits in the late '60s, the biggest of which was "Mexico" (1968). (None of these made an impression in the U.S.)

The commercial success of his ballads led Baldry to forsake the blues on record for a few years. He returned to blues and rock in 1971 on It Ain't Easy, for which Rod Stewart and Elton John shared the production duties. The album contained a tiny American chart item, "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock'n'Roll," and Stewart and John split the production once again on the 1972 follow-up, Everything Stops for Tea. Baldry never caught on as an international figure, though, and by 1980 had become a Canadian citizen. He continued to record, and did commercial voice-overs as well as the voice of Doctor Robotnik in children's cartoons. After battling a severe chest infection for several months, Long John Baldry passed away on July 21, 2005, while hospitalized in Vancouver. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
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Long John Baldry

Background information
Birth name John William Baldry
Born 12 January 1941(1941-01-12)
East Haddon, Northamptonshire, England[1]
Died 21 July 2005 (aged 64)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Genres Blues, Blues-rock, Folk rock
Occupations Singer - Voice actor
Years active 1962 - 2005
Labels Warner
Associated acts Blues Incorporated,
R&B All Stars, Steampacket, Bluesology, Elton John, Rod Stewart
Website JohnBaldry.com

John "Long John" William Baldry (12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an English blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where "Let the Heartaches Begin" reached No. 1 in 1967 and in Australia where his duet with Kathi McDonald "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" reached No. 2 in 1980. Baldry lived in Canada from the late 1970s until his death. There he continued to make records and do voiceover work. He was the voice of Dr. Robotnik in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Contents

Blues bands of the 1960s

Born John William Baldry in England, he grew to 2.01m (6ft 7in) that resulted in the nickname "Long" John. Gifted with a deep, rich voice, he was one of the first British vocalists to sing blues in clubs.[citation needed]

He sometimes appeared on Eel Pie Island, on the Thames at Twickenham and at the Station Hotel in Richmond, one of the Rolling Stones' earliest gigs.

In the early 1960s, he sang with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, with whom he recorded the first British blues album in 1962, R&B from the Marquee. At stages, Mick Jagger, Jack Bruce and Charlie Watts were members of this band while Keith Richards and Brian Jones played on stage, although none played on the R&B at the Marquee album.[2] The Rolling Stones supported Baldry in their first concert at the Marquee Club. Later, Baldry was the announcer introducing The Stones on their US-only live album, Got Live if You Want It!, in 1966.

Baldry became friends with Paul McCartney after a show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in the early 1960s, leading to an invitation to play on one of The Beatles 1964 TV specials.

In 1963, Baldry joined the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars with Jimmy Page on guitar and Nicky Hopkins playing piano. He took over in 1964 after the death of Cyril Davies. It became Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men featuring Rod Stewart on vocals and Geoff Bradford on guitar. Stewart was recruited after Baldry heard him busking a Muddy Waters song at Twickenham station after Stewart had been to a gig at Eel Pie Island.[3]

In 1965, the Hoochie Coochie Men became Steampacket with Baldry and Stewart as male vocalists, Julie Driscoll as the female vocalist and Brian Auger on Hammond organ. After Steampacket broke up in 1966, Baldry formed Bluesology featuring Reg Dwight on keyboards and Elton Dean, later of Soft Machine, as well as Caleb Quaye on guitar. Dwight adopted the name Elton John, his first name from Dean and his surname from Baldry.[4]

Baldry was openly gay during the early 1960s when homosexuality was still criminalised and medicalised.[5][6] Baldry supported Elton John in coming to terms with his own sexuality.[5][7] In 1978 his album Baldry's Out announced his formal coming out, and he addressed sexuality issues on "A Thrill's a Thrill", a song on the L.P.[8]

Solo artist

In 1967, he recorded a pop song "Let the Heartaches Begin" that went to number one in Britain, followed by a 1968 top 20 hit titled "Mexico", which was the theme of the UK Olympic team that year. "Let the Heartaches Begin" made the lower reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.

Bluesology broke up in 1968, with Baldry continuing his solo career and Elton John forming a songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. In 1969, Elton John tried to commit suicide after relationship problems with a woman. Taupin, who is straight, and Baldry, who was openly gay,[9] found him, and Baldry talked him out of marrying the woman, helping make Elton John comfortable with his sexuality. The song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" from Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was about the experience. [10]

In 1971, John and Stewart each produced one side of It Ain't Easy which became Baldry's most popular album and made the top 100 of the US album charts. The album featured "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll" which became his most successful song in the US. John's first tour of the US was this time. The band included, Micky Waller, Ian Armitt, Pete Sears, and Sammy Mitchell. Stewart and John would again co-produce his 1972 album Everything Stops For Tea which made the lower reaches of the US album charts. The same year, Baldry worked with ex-Procol Harum guitarist Dave Ball.[11]

Baldry had mental health problems and was institutionalised. The 1979 album Baldry's Out was recorded after his release. He played his last live show in Columbus, Ohio, on 19 July 2004, at Barristers Hall with guitarist Bobby Cameron. The show was produced by Andrew Myers. They played to a small group, some came from Texas.[citation needed] Two years previously the two had a 10-venue sell-out tour of Canada. Baldry's final UK Tour as 'The Long John Baldry Trio' concluded with a performance on Saturday 13th November 2004 at The King's Lynn Arts Centre, King's Lynn, Norfolk, England. The trio comprised of LJB, Butch Coulter on harmonica and Dave Kelly on slide guitar. [1]

Television

In 1985, he lent his voice to the show Ewoks. Since then Baldry's voice has appeared in many other animated series.

Canadian citizenship

After time in New York City and Los Angeles in 1978, Baldry settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he became Canadian. He toured the west coast, as well as the U.S. Northwest. Baldry also toured the Canadian east, including one 1985 show in Kingston, Ontario, where audience members repeatedly called for the title track from his 1979 album Baldry's Out! - to which he replied, "I'll say he is!"

In 1979, he teamed with Seattle singer Kathi McDonald to record a version of The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin", following which McDonald became part of his touring group for two decades. The song made the lower reaches of the US Billboard charts but was a top 5 hit in Australia in 1980. He last recorded with the Stony Plain label. His 1997 album Right To Sing The Blues won a Juno Award in the Blues Album of the Year category in the Juno Awards of 1997.

Death

Baldry died on 21 July 2005, in a Vancouver hospital of a chest infection.

Discography

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  • (1962) R&B From The Marquee (1964) (Baldry sings on tracks 2, 7, 11, 12, and 13)
  • (1964) Long John's Blues
  • (1964) Long John Baldry & The Hoochie Coochie Men (Features 10 of the 12 tracks previously released on 'Long John's Blues)
  • (1964) The Steampacket: The First R&B Festival (Tracks 6 and 12 only)
  • (1965) Steampacket: The First Super Group
  • (1966) Looking at Long John
  • (1967) Let the Heartaches Begin
  • (1968) Long John Baldry (Mexico) (Features 11 of the 12 tracks from 'Let The Heartaches Begin' with the addition of 'Mexico')
  • (1969) Wait for Me
  • (1971) It Ain't Easy
  • (1971) Every Picture Tells a Story (Track 2 only)
  • (1972) Everything Stops for Tea
  • (1973) Mar y Sol: The First International Pop Festival (Sings 'Bring My Baby Back' this track is part of the additional material on the 2005 'Everything Stops For Tea' reissue)
  • (1973) Good to Be Alive (Baldry album)
  • (1975) Sumar á Sýrlandi (Rare album of the Icelandic group 'Stuðmenn' that features Baldry singing 'She Broke My Heart')
  • (1976) Welcome to Club Casablanca
  • (1977) On Broadway (Single)
  • (1977) Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie on The King of Rock and Roll (Singe) 1977 re-recording
  • (1979) Baldry's Out!
  • (1980) Long John Baldry (album)
  • (1981) Boys In The Band
  • (1982) Rock with the Best
  • (1983) The Best of Long John Baldry (Features two previously unreleased songs 'Something You Got' and 'River's Invitation')
  • (1986) Silent Treatment
  • (1987) Long John Baldry & Friends
  • (1989) A Touch of Blues (Features the 'Long John Baldry & Friends' album with the addition of three new studio recordings
  • (1991) It Still Ain't Easy
  • (1992) Midnight In New Orleans (Very rare German album that features Baldry singing 'As Long as I Feel The Spirit')
  • (1993) On Stage Tonight - Baldry's Out!
  • (1996) Bone, Bottle, Brass or Steel (Track 2 only)
  • (1997) Jimmy Witherspoon with The Duke Robillard Band (Track 7 only)
  • (1997) Right To Sing The Blues
  • (1998) You Got The Bread... We Got The Jam (Tracks 2, 3, 6, 9, and 11)
  • (1999) Come Sing With Us - A Collection of Children's Folk Songs (Track 10 only)
  • (1999) Long John Baldry Trio Live
  • (2000) Carlo Little Allstars - Never Stop Rockin' (Tracks 2 and 6 only)
  • (2002) Remembering Leadbelly
  • (2005) The British Blues All Stars: Live at Notodden Blues Festival (Tracks 6, 7, 11, and 12. These are Mr. Baldry's last recorded performances)

Notes

  1. ^ Conflicting evidence exists Baldry's birthplace. Earlier editions of this article stated that he was born in the village of Haddon. VH1's profile of Baldry states he was born in the village of East Maddon, while Allmusic.com states he was born in London. The documentary Long John Baldry: In the Shadow of the Blues states that his mother escaped London during The Blitz to give birth in Northampton, making East Haddon his most likely birthplace.
  2. ^ Heckstall-Smith, Dick and Grant, Pete. Blowing the Blues: Fifty Years Playing The British Blues. Clear Press, 2004, page 241. ISBN 1-904555-04-7. (R&B From The Marquee lineup)
  3. ^ "The Making of a Legend" by Rod Stewart at LongJohnBaldry.com, originally published in Reader's Digest, December 2004.
  4. ^ Who's Who in Contemporary Gay and Lesbian History: From World War II to the Present Day: Elton John. Routledge UK, 2002, Page 214. ISBN 0-415-29161-5.
  5. ^ a b Originals, Long John Baldry, BBC, 2 May 2009, http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074tld 
  6. ^ Bluesundergroundnetwork.com
  7. ^ Themarqueeclub.net
  8. ^ Xtra.ca
  9. ^ Burnett, Richard (2005-08-04), "Sugar bear", Ottawa Express, http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/columns/3dollarbill.aspx?iIDArticle=6778, retrieved 2007-08-22 .
  10. ^ "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" ~ AllMusic.com
  11. ^ Radio Azzurra

External links

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