Guitar Slim
No 1950s blues guitarist even came close to equaling the flamboyant Guitar Slim in the showmanship department. Armed with an estimated 350 feet of cord between his axe and his amp, Slim would confidently stride on-stage wearing a garishly hued suit of red, blue, or green, usually with his hair dyed to match! It's rare to find a blues guitarist hailing from Texas or Louisiana who doesn't cite Slim as one of his principal influences: Buddy Guy, Earl King, Guitar Shorty, Albert Collins, Chick Willis, and plenty more have enthusiastically testified to Slim's enduring sway.
Born Eddie Jones in Mississippi, Slim didn't have long to make such an indelible impression. He turned up in New Orleans in 1950, influenced by the atomic guitar energy of Gatemouth Brown. But Slim's ringing, distorted guitar tone and gospel-enriched vocal style were his alone. He debuted on wax in 1951 with a mediocre session for Imperial that barely hinted at what would soon follow. A 1952 date for Bullet produced the impassioned "Feelin' Sad," later covered by Ray Charles (who would arrange and play piano on Slim's breakthrough hit the next year).
With the emergence of the stunning "The Things That I Used to Do" on Art Rupe's Specialty logo, Slim's star rocketed to blazing ascendancy nationwide. Combining a swampy ambience with a churchy arrangement, the New Orleans-cut track was a monster hit, pacing the R&B charts for an amazing 14 weeks in 1954. Strangely, although he waxed several stunning follow-ups for Specialty in the same tortured vein -- "The Story of My Life," "Something to Remember You By," "Sufferin' Mind" -- as well as the blistering rockers "Well I Done Got Over It," "Letter to My Girlfriend," and "Quicksand," Slim never charted again.
The guitar wizard switched over to Atlantic Records in 1956. Gradually, his waxings became tamer, though "It Hurts to Love Someone" and "If I Should Lose You" summoned up the old fire. But Slim's lifestyle was as wild as his guitar work. Excessive drinking and life in the fast lane took its inevitable toll over the years, and he died in 1959 at age 32. Only in recent years has his monumental influence on the blues lexicon begun to be fully recognized and appreciated. Incidentally, one of his sons bills himself as Guitar Slim, Jr. around the New Orleans circuit, his repertoire heavily peppered with his dad's material.
© Bill Dahl /TiVo
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Discografía
22 álbum(es) • Ordenado por Mejores ventas
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Sufferin' Mind
Pop - Editado por FANTASY RECORDS el 1 ene. 1991
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
The ATCO Sessions
R&B - Editado por Rhino Atlantic el 8 feb. 2005
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Living Country Blues USA, Vol. 8 - Lonesome Home Blues
Blues - Editado por L+R Records el 15 feb. 2008
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Carolina Blues
Blues - Editado por Arhoolie Records el 1 ene. 1997
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
1956-1958 Sessions
Blues - Editado por Tsk Music el 18 jun. 2012
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
The Magic Guitar of Limber Leg (Remastered)
Blues - Editado por Master Tape Records el 17 jul. 2020
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
New Orleans Guitar, CD C
Blues - Editado por JSP Records el 1 ago. 2006
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
The Very Best Of 1951-1954
Blues - Editado por Stardust el 1 ene. 2008
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
1951-1954
Blues - Editado por Classics Blues & Rhythm Series el 4 ago. 2008
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
New Orleans Guitar, CD D
Blues - Editado por JSP Records el 1 ago. 2006
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Well, I Done Got over It / Things That I Used to Do (Remastered)
Blues - Editado por HOT BLOOD el 12 ene. 1953
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Les pionniers du Blues, Vol. 16 : Guitar Slim
Blues - Editado por Mpm el 6 oct. 2019
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Quicksand
Jazz - Editado por Black & Partner Licenses LLC el 19 may. 2019
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Essential Classics, Vol. 452: Guitar Slim
Blues - Editado por Essential Classics el 20 dic. 2024
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
You're Gonna Miss Me Complete Singles Collection (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Editado por Reborn Recordings el 5 jul. 2019
Disponible en24-Bit/48 kHz Estéreo -
Guitar Slim 1951-1954
Rock - Editado por Crazy Warthog Media el 1 ene. 2022
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
Sufferin' Mind (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Editado por Reborn Recordings el 10 jul. 2019
Disponible en24-Bit/48 kHz Estéreo -
Guitar Slim: Singles
Blues - Editado por Ancien Prodige el 30 ene. 2023
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo -
The Things That I Used to Do (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Editado por Reborn Recordings el 10 jul. 2019
Disponible en24-Bit/48 kHz Estéreo -
Atco Sessions (Hd Remastered)
Blues - Editado por Reborn Recordings el 5 jul. 2019
Disponible en24-Bit/48 kHz Estéreo -
Stand by Me
Blues - Editado por Milestones Records el 17 sep. 2019
Disponible en16-Bit/44.1 kHz Estéreo