Blues Anonymous Trivia Quiz

Answer:

"Help Me" (1963)
This is a chugging little number that has an infectious groove. Written by Sonny Boy Williamson II, in collaboration with the great Willie Dixon, Williamson released it as a single in 1963 and then used it as the lead song on his compilation album "More Real Folk Blues" in 1966. The track has been covered numerous times over the decades with, arguably, Walter Trout's version (listen to it on "Alive in Amsterdam" (2016)) and Canned Heat's version from their eponymous 1967 album, being the standouts.

(Footnote) There were two artists in the world of blues bearing the name Sonny Boy Williamson. Coincidentally, both were born about the same time and both were specialist players of the harmonica. The above artist was born Aleck Ford in 1912 and the other was born John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson in 1914. The latter was responsible for the song "Good Morning, School Girl" in 1937.

"Born Under a Bad Sign" (1967)
Albert King was a Mississippi bluesman who stood at an imposing six feet and four inches, that often belied his smooth soulful voice, which led to his sobriquet as "The Velvet Bulldozer". This track, however, was not a commercially successful one for King but, in some respects, it was ahead of its time and this may be the reason why it is the song best associated with him.
Written by William Bell and Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. & the MGs fame) and released in 1967, it is the use of horns that stand out on this track, and provide it with its solid mid-tempo groove. This was one of the earliest attempts at crossing over the sound of blues with rock and roll, a style that would become prevalent at the end of the 1960s and the start of the 1970s. The song has been cited as having a profound influence the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, both of whom will appear below.

"Boom Boom" (1961)
John Lee Hooker seemed to have the world at his feet in 1951. His song "I'm in the Mood" had just become his second consecutive single to reach number one on Billboards R&B charts, however, whilst the skill was always there, commercial success seemed like it was going to elude him. It wouldn't be until the early 1960s when British artists were becoming obsessed with American blues that the spotlight, once again, began to shine on his career.
Released in 1961, "Boom Boom", with its driving guitar and distinct boogie style that couldn't help but get your feet tapping, it became an instant hit. Four years later it would become a US hit a second time when it was covered by Eric Burdon and the Animals and, thirty years later, it would be registered as one of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".

"Baby Please Don't Go" (1935)
One of the most popular blues songs of all time, this was originally recorded in 1935 under the name of the Joe Williams' Washboard Blues Singers. The group included Joe, playing his rather unorthodox nine-string guitar, alongside Dad Tracy and his one-string fiddle and, rounded out by Casey Collins tapping along on the washboard.
While Big Joe gets the writing credit for the song, music historians believe it was drawn from a traditional slave folk song called "Long John" and that the melody was taken from the music Ray Henderson composed for the Tin Pan Alley tune "Alabama Bound" (1924). "Baby Please Don't Go" has been covered so many times now, but two of the stand-out versions are those by Van Morrison and Them, a single that they'd released in 1964, and AC/DC's version, that has become one of their live staples and appears on their 1975 album "High Voltage".

"I'd Rather Go Blind" (1967)
Etta James, who'd earned the nickname "Miss Peaches" as a member of the acapella group The Peaches, would utilize that sultry singing style of hers to register a staggering thirty hit songs on Billboards' R&B charts between 1955 and 1978. This song, amazingly, was not one of those.
Part of the reason for that may be because the song was the b-side of the 1967 single "Tell Mama", which did not fare well for James. And yet, "I'd Rather Go Blind", a heartbreaking number that deals with the sudden loss that follows a love that bordered on addiction, would became Etta's signature tune. In her 1995 autobiography "Rage to Survive", James wrote that she'd received the outline of the song from a friend of hers, Ellington Jordan, who gets a writing credit, completed the writing herself, but gave her half of the credits to Billy Foster for tax reasons.

"Hound Dog" (1953)
If you have ever listened to the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, then there's a very good chance that you have heard his version of this song, released in 1957. Four years earlier, the song was first recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton and her rollicking, foot-stomping performance would sit at the top of Billboards' R&B charts for seven weeks. It became one of the songs that would help to shape the sound of rock and roll and its significance was duly recognized by the Hall of Fame in 2013.
Thornton's story though, is a sad one. Blessed with a booming voice and the talent to write catchy songs yet, "Hound Dog" would be her sole hit. That said, other artists, such Big Brother and the Holding Company with "Ball and Chain" (1968), built up their names and reputations recording Thornton's songs. Thornton, though, failed to retain the publishing rights and would die penniless.

"Bright Lights, Big City" (1961)
This is a country blues number that made a name for Jimmy Reed in 1961. It spells out a warning of the dangers that await a young woman as she runs towards the stars and salvation that she sees in the lights of the big city.
Co-written with his wife, Mary "Mama" Reed, the song employs a traditional 12-bar blues form and is driven by Jimmy's laid-back Mississippi groove style. A number one on Billboards' Country charts, the song has been covered numerous times, with some of the standouts being rocking versions by The Rolling Stones (listen to the album "GRRR!" (2016)) and Neil Young ("Everybody's Rockin' (1983)).

"Smokstack Lightning" (1956)
The late, great Hubert Sumlin was, at one time, a member of Howlin' Wolf's band. He is best known for some of the most shattering burst of notes you're likely to hear from a guitar, and it is his incredible work that shines brightly on "Smokestack Lightning". That performance has become so iconic that it almost serves as a rite of passage for some of the most notable and up and coming blues guitarists. The most prominent of these is, probably, Eric Clapton, who managed to produce one of his most defining works when he covered this song as part of the Yardbirds in 1964 (listen to the "Five Live Yardbirds" album).
Not to be outshone, Howlin' Wolf adds his wailing desperado of a voice to a poetic set of lyrics, that compare the heartbreak of losing a lover to that of a runaway train that has no pity.

"Voodoo Chile" (1968)
Twelve years after Howlin' Wolf compared his heartbreak to a runaway train, Jimi Hendrix evoked an image in song of himself as a mystical child that was high on super powers, in this sprawling fifteen minute epic, that first appeared on "Electric Ladyland" in 1968.
The blues are littered with artists taking the work of another and, for want of a better word, cannibalizing it to create another work. Now, considered one of Hendrix's signature tunes, "Voodoo Chile" is no exception, being built on the foundations of Muddy Waters' 1950 song "Rollin' Stone", which, in turn, was Waters' interpretation of a 1920s Delta blues number called "Catfish Blues".

"The Thrill is Gone" (1970)
It is amazing how, in the right hands, a song can be transformed.
"The Thrill is Gone" was originally written in 1951 by Rick Darnell and Roy Hawkins. Hawkins would release his version of the song that year and, the slow blues classic, did well enough to reach number six on Billboard's R&B charts.
Jump forward 19 years and B.B. King recruits Bill Szymczyk, the same man who would make a name for himself working with the Eagles, to act as the producer on a version of this song that he was keen to do. Szymczyk convinced King to add strings and introduce some pop sensibilities to the song, turning it into a smooth ballad and drawing some heartfelt vocals from King in the process.
Not only did the actions work, they worked so well that "The Thrill is Gone" would become King's signature tune. We woudl see the song peak at number 15 on Billboards' Hot 100, win King a Grammy for Best Male Vocal R&B Performance, help the track to be recognized as a blues standard and pave the way for a deluge of crossover hits to follow in its wake.

"Wang Dang Doodle" (1965)
In the above narration, the protagonist is in need of cheering up. If ever there was a blues number to do that then "Wang Dang Doodle", one of the best ever Blues party songs, would have to be considered the elixir. The song was written by Willie Dixon in 1960 and first recorded by Howlin' Wolf the following year.
In 1965 Dixon approached Koko Taylor to record another version of the song. Taylor, sometimes referred to as "The Queen of the Blues", was well known for her booming voice and tough delivery style, however, she was reluctant to take on the song. She'd hesitated because she felt that she could not connect with the characters in the lyrics, namely, the likes of "Razor-Toting Jim" and "Automatic Slim". Fortunately, Dixon was able to talk her into it and another signature song was born.

"Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" (1929)
Bessie Smith died at the tender age of 43 but, in her short career, she would become known as the "Empress of the Blues" and her influence, through the years, would live on through the likes of Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and Esther Phillips.
"Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" was written by Jimmy Cox in 1923 but it did not appear as a recording until 1927 when it was released by Blind Bobby Baker. Two years later, Bessie Smith would take this tale about the fickleness of fortune and the falling upon hard times to a new heights by adding a level of poignancy to one of the most beloved songs in the blues canon.

"Texas Flood" (1982)
On August 27, 1990, Stevie Ray Vaughan finished an all-star jam at the Alpine Valley Music Centre in East Troy, Wisconsin and then boarded a helicopter to take him to the Midway International Airport in Chicago. The helicopter crashed into a hill a little over half a mile later. Stevie lost his life and the world lost a nimble-fingered axe-slinger whose potential was just starting to be realized.
Vaughan, who'd garnered some initial recognition when he'd cameoed on David Bowie's "Let's Dance" album in 1983, had the capacity to combine Lonnie Mark's fleetness of fingers with the flamboyance of Jimi Hendrix. That same year (1983) he released his debut album "Texas Flood" with his band Double Trouble. The title track is a slow burning twelve bar blues ballad that was originally recorded by Larry Davis in 1958. Vaughan's version, which was nominated for a Grammy Award, stayed true to Davis' original for the most part. Where Vaughan differed was through the incorporation of a series of improvised solos that both lifted the number and doubled its running time.

"Got My Mojo Working" (1957)
Despite the year above, "Got My Mojo Working" is a song that was written and recorded in 1956... and it saw Muddy Waters appear in court.
Preston Foster wrote a song called "Got My Mojo Working" in 1956 and provided it to Ann Cole, who recorded it the same year. Her version was not released until 1957. In the interim, Ann was touring the southern states of the USA with Muddy Waters and his band. Despite being warned not to sing any unreleased material, Ann belted out the song at every gig she'd attended.
On his return to Chicago Muddy Waters advised Leonard Chess (of Chess Records) that he had a new song to record - and he put "Got My Mojo Working" on vinyl, though his came with some different lyrics and a new musical arrangement. It was released in the same week as Ann Cole's version and the bun-fight began.
Long story short... Preston Foster has since been credited with the authorship of the song but Muddy Waters' version, which tells of a singer who is unlucky in love, despite wearing a series of "foolproof" lucky charms, is delivered with such swagger and strut that it is now seen as a blues standard.

"Sweet Home Chicago" (1936)
Written by Robert Johnson in a hotel room in Texas in 1936, "Sweet Home Chicago" is considered by many music scholars to be a blues masterpiece.
Johnson, however, drew heavily on other tracks to put this one together. One of the key numbers was "Kokomo Blues", written by Scrapper Blackwell in 1928 but popularized as the "Old Original Kokomo Blues" by James Arnold in 1934. It became so well known that James Arnold became known as "Kokomo" Arnold from that point forward. Other songs that Johnson drew upon were Edith North Johnson's (no relation) recording of "Honey Dripper Blues" (1929) and Walter Roland's "Red Cross Blues" (1933).
Structurally, Johnson creates a signature template that became a staple for Blues artists to follow. Lyrically, the song deals with a singer trying to convince his/her lover that they should seek out, for themselves, a new paradise. Whether that new paradise is Chicago or California is somewhat ambiguous in the wording but it hasn't stopped the "Windy City" from adopting it as an unofficial anthem... I will let you decide for yourselves.
"Oh baby don't you want to go
Back to the land of California
To my sweet home Chicago."