Edinburgh-based Iain Cameron started his Blues Enthused blog at www.bluesenthused.com in November 2014, to give him a space to share his enthusiasm for blues music in particular, as well as other forms of rock’n’roll. The blog has now racked up nearly 250,000 views.
Thank you, Blues Matters, for giving me the chance to share some of my favourite blues-related songs. This list of 10 songs goes back to some blues-influenced artists that grabbed my attention in my youth, then comes up to date with some artists who are carrying the torch in the 21st century.
1 – Rory Gallagher – Souped-Up Ford
Sadly I never managed to see Rory live, but I remember seeing this performance on The Old Grey Whistle Test, and finding it electrifying!
2 – Eric Clapton – Motherless Children
I heard this song on the radio back in the seventies and was knocked out by the unusual rhythm and the way Clapton’s guitar flowed over the top of it.
3 – Whitesnake – Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City
The classic line-up of Whitesnake, with Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody, and a song that introduced me to the marvellous voice of Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, who originally recorded it.
4 – Dr Feelgood – Down At The Doctor’s
I saw Feelgood live back around 1980, and their full-throttle R’n’B was irresistible. This Mickey Jupp-penned track was a totally deserved hit.
5 – Gary Moore – Still Got The Blues For You
Gary Moore’s first blues album Still Got The Blues was a hugely successful foray into the blues – and the title track is exquisite.
6 – The Black Keys – I’ll Be Your Man
Around 2008 a friend shared the Black Keys’ first album The Big Come Up with me, and their raw two-man blues sound really woke up my mojo!
7 – Ian Siegal – Hard Time Come Again No More
When I first came across Ian Siegal it was a revelation. I could pick umpteen songs by him, but I’ll go for this solo performance of a song from the 1850s. He’s a wonderful curator of songs, and if this isn’t the blues I don’t know what is.
8 – King King – Long History Of Love
Hearing ‘Long History Of Love’ for the first time was one of those “shivers up the spine” moments – wonderful soulful vocals by Alan Nimmo, and his guitar work serves the song perfectly.
9 – Samantha Fish – Gone For Good
It was her astonishing voice that got me first. But as this song suggests, Samantha Fish is also a terrific slide guitarist and a dynamite live performer – and a crossover artist who may well lead a lot of people to blues music.
10 – Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado – Come On In
Denmark’s Thorbjørn Risager and his band really know how to keep the blues fresh, as the grooving title track from their latest album demonstrates.
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