# The Strange Magic of: B.B. King



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

It was long about 1954 or so when I first heard the incredible music, voice and guitar of Riley King, whom everyone knew as B.B. King. I had just discovered radio station WNJR, out of Newark NJ, playing "race" music: doo-***, R&B, Gospel, The Blues. I had never before heard anything like it, and it blew my mind. There was a DJ, "Mr. Blues", who played everybody--Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bobby Blue Bland, Champion Jack Dupree--and The King of the Blues, aka Blues Boy B.B. King. Incredible, instantly identifiable guitar technique even then. And those lyrics, alternating between sorrow, joy, and gleam-in-the-eye slyness. Here The Master singing _The Thrill is Gone_. But B.B. King will always be with us.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

This one always makes me smile: _Nobody Loves Me But My Mother_. There's that sly gleam....


----------



## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

One entry in this series I can easily support.


----------



## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

B. B. King is excellent - love his licks and positive attitude.


----------



## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

I was lucky enough to see BB King about 25 years ago. He sat a lot during the show and his nephew (I think), who played the trumpet, ran the show, but the show was great. After the show I waited a long time to get into the trailer where he was. Finally, the guy watching outside let me in. He let 1 or 2 in very slowly. He signed my CD cover. BB was so nice and gracious. It was worth the wait.

Anyway, there is a song on the CD that he signed called _The Blues Come Over Me_. I know that BB has other signature songs, like _The Thrill Is Gone_. But I think that this is his best song of all. Both the guitar and his vocals are at his peak. Take a listen.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Fine song! It reminds me a little of some of the sort of songs of Robin Trower in his day--I wonder to what extent Trower was influenced by B.B. King. But I often think I hear influences when it's just coincidence. Trower would have done a fine cover of this, though.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Here's B.B. with _Rock Me Baby_. The Hot Tuna subdivision of Jefferson Airplane did a nice cover of this classic on the Thirty Seconds Over Winterland live album....


----------



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

B.B. King was a great man. Here is a nice interview of B.B. and his buddy Johnny Winter (couple of my favorite bluesmen). Great story about a 17-year-old Johnny playing in B.B.'s band;


----------



## oxforddickie (Feb 11, 2018)

One album of B.B. Kings i play a fair bit (decoded) is 'The Best Of' that was originally released on vinyl on the ABC label (now MCA owned).

Probably not considered his best by purists but, they are remixes of older tracks and, for me, is an enjoyable listen.


----------



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I think I only have two B.B. King CDs and they are both great sets:










This one is fantastic. He never touches Lucille but is all voice and what a wonderful voice, backed by organ and choral parts.









Sample (and a bluesy one too!):


----------



## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Fritz Kobus said:


> B.B. King was a great man. Here is a nice interview of B.B. and his buddy Johnny Winter (couple of my favorite bluesmen). Great story about a 17-year-old Johnny playing in B.B.'s band;


Winter was the greatest white bluesman ever. I can't say that without feeling it sounded racist


----------



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Phil loves classical said:


> Winter was the greatest white bluesman ever. I can't say that without feeling it sounded racist


As an albino, Johnny felt closer to black people. He got picked on for being too white! In Johnny's words from _Raisin Cain: The Wild and raucous Story of Johnny Winter_ (Mary Lou Sullivan):



> "Kids teased me in school for being albino," he says. "They called me "Cotton' and '******."





> Having to endure the cruel taunts for being albino, he felt a kinship with black blues artists. "We both had a problem with our skin being the wrong color," he says.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

My favorite BB King performance. Doc Pomus's Blinded By Love.


----------

