First of four parts chronicling the incredible story of Chess Records. Home of Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and many more great blues artists.
This story really resonates with my grandfather, as he was a huge fan of Little Walter. He's 93 years old and was a one of many African-Americans that migrated north from Mississippi. He went to many of the night clubs mentioned in this documentary. His brother was mandolin player, Johnny Young, who also recorded blues records. He played with greats like Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and Big Walter Horton. As my grandfather watched this documentary, he experienced wonderful glimmers and glimpses of his colorful past. I loved listening to his personal stories and commentary throughout the film. Thank you for posting this beautiful gem of music history.
thanks for posting also enjoy reading and watching and hearing harmonica players like lil Walter and the greatest howling wolf these are gems I grew up with listening to my mom and dad have their fun with their friend's back in those days they really knew how to have a GOOD down home time.thanks going out to all the BLUESMENAND WOMEN those who have lasted on and those who are still carrying the blue on THANKS AND GOD BLESS
Little Walter's success on the '50s R&B charts was huge. He was about as popular in the '50s as people like B.B. King and John Lee Hooker. (If the real and only Sonny Boy Williamson had lived into the '50s, it might have been him instead.)
I love hearing these stories come up with another one I mean it's so cool that's what brought black and white and everything together if it wasn't for music and probably would have killed each other a long time ago
The first time I heard Chuck Berry that's when the Beatles and Stones were hot he was singing about a coffee-colored Cadillac there's no color but you can picture it I thought who is this guy my dad show me all the records in the other Muddy Waters on that I fell in love with it 1962 or 3 years probably six seven awesome love it I wake up to it
Did you ever think that anyone from the far north of Alaska, the furthest village at the time, Barrow, my father played and knew how to play the blues! I remember him getting records through the mail that generally took a month from order to be received by mail, the record player was ancient! But, when father played along with the like of Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Buddy Guy! That talent for music has come full circle!
These guys are great, Muddy, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and don't forget, Buddy Guy, Etta James, Willie Dixon. Also, thank you Leonard Chess, Les Paul, Bing Crosby for giving us electric guitars and multi track recorders. Too many stars to list here but the brotherhood of music moves on.
There is a single moment in the film, in the house when Adrian & Jeffrey are discussing Walter 's funeral, when Jeffrey turns his head slightly & his eyes look like Muddy --- they caught it in that moment. I saw the film but I "lived" Chess .... Broke down once in the film, scene where Walter & Muddy are recording "40 Days & 40 Nights.... hit me hard... Leaned over in film & bawled-- silently. It's called Blues in the DNA.
its a heart break that all the master tapes went up in flames back in 2015 i think !! along with many many original masters from other classic lables !! heart break
The `silver lining' is that quality digitalization was performed in many cases. Even, SACD, DSD, is another improvement. The `state of the art' has been 24 bit / 96 k Hz technology and D S D Direct Stream Direct. Even higher sampling rates. Many improvements since the early 1980's. While it's not as crucial at 15 ips, even 30 ips, there are `fine line' tape playback heads, tape decks with tubes, replicating the originals. Where something is special, or the tape is distorted, I've used `half speed de - mastering,' makes a difference, an improvement, at times. Tape head alignment also important: every studio tape deck, in the history of recording, was not perfectly aligned, azimuth, other factors. Can be replicated, for the best sound reproduction! There's always the possibility of improvements in technology. In regard to the big fires, something is wrong, I feel. Not enough fire abatement systems. Years ago there was a big fire at a Motown record warehouse. One `rumor' is that this was arson, to collect insurance on records, product that was no longer selling. One story, perhaps not mentioned here, is that the Chess Brothers' night club was deliberately burned, in order to collect the insurance money to start the record company. Interesting story! Very few people have been able to duplicate the great `sound' that Chess Records had! Some times, modern recordings are just, `too clean,' no grit, bacon fat in the grooves!
Gennie Jefferson .... Queen I cried like a baby. I fell to believe if he wouldn't have started drinking after his mother pass he would have lived a much longer life. Muddy offered him that death wish and his personality changed likd a wink of an eye. People don't innerstand alcohol is nothing but spells. It made him crossed the line when he stepped to Geneva that's when he and Muddy relationship changed sad but true.
my grandmother dated howling wolf for along time.. she used to tell us all kinds of crazy stories about these guys,, I was born and raised in chicago ,(i was born in 65 on the west side,, k town) anyway, she said little walter was really mean acoholic,, he would carry a straight razor all the time and would fight at the drop of a hat about anything,, i left there in 88, recently went back there 2018,it; has changed alot there now
its a shame that little walter died so early...musically i cant even imagine what else he could have done with his instrument...even at the age of 38 he stood head and shoulders above the rest...RIP
Oh wow, that's amazing! What stories did she have on Howlin' Wolf? I read his book and the one thing I wish there was more of was his life (and Hubert Sumlin's) on the road and his relationships.
They sure get a lot of mileage out of suggesting that Leonard Chess had something to do with the rise of the electric guitar in blues, considering that he didn't. Electric guitar was completely normal on blues, whether by Arthur Crudup, Big Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker, or whoever, in the years just before Aristocrat/Chess was formed.
Chess/Checker/Argo, VeeJay, King/Federal, Atlantic, Duke/Peacock, Excello/Nashboro, United/States, RPM, Savoy, Gee, Josie, Hull, so many more - the great independent labels of the 1950's. But Chess can certainly stake a claim to having been the best.
Thank you for sharing the Chess Record Story - this is just great - true history. Thank you again. Do you have this on DVD and if you do how can I buy it?
Chess son is so happy he’s not black, he grew up around blacks he seen blacks walking threw chess doors with holes in thr shoes trying to get deals,thts when he saw how record deals change blacks lives. Black males are born with anchors around our necks...thats why were so strong 💪🏾
For sure Chess Bros made big money with Black Artists... But wasn't it very common, in those days, for musicians to be poorly paid ? Were white country artists really more wealthy in the '50 (before Hank and Elvis)? Without Chess and Stax, could Blues and Soul musicians have reached such a huge recognition ? H.C. Speir was the first person to record Skip James, paying him very tiny royalties; but today, who remembers HC Speir, while the entire world can listen to trancendent Skip's voice and guitar ?
"wasn't it very common, in those days, for musicians to be poorly paid" Most were. When John Lennon was going through a divorce in 1968, he stayed at Paul McCartney's house for financial reasons.
@@hadbl12 "Publishing and royalties were never ever mentioned" Untrue. William T. Carroll was white, publishers W.C. Handy and Harry Pace were black, 1920: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mGUYCZM184o.html The world is complicated.
Leonard Chess, just another white man who figured how to take advantage of and exploit black people's talents and grow rich off their creativity and labor and pay them nothing.
You should educate yourself before making such a false statement. Leonard Chess was part of the foundation of building blocks of what was to become rock & roll. He was a smart & aggressive business man who created a place for black Chicago musicans to tell their story. They influenced everybody from the Stones to zz top.
