Craft Recordings has announced the release of King of the Boogie, a career-spanning retrospective honoring blues great John Lee Hooker. Due out Sept. 29, the five-CD set delves into Hooker’s catalog and features hits, rarities, live recordings and several previously unreleased tracks. Housed in a 56-page book, the collection includes a wide selection of photos, taken throughout the musician’s life, plus new liner notes by writer and John Lee Hooker historian Jas Obrecht, as well as by the artist’s longtime manager and friend, Mike Kappus.
John Lee Hooker (1917-2001) was born 100 years ago yesterday (Aug. 22), near Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Tasked with narrowing down Hooker’s vast catalog into five CDs, boxed set producer Mason Williams curated the collection to narrate the artist’s story. “Even at 100 songs, this set is just a snapshot of John Lee Hooker’s incredible and influential career,” he said in a press release, “but one that takes you on the long journey he took from his early days in Detroit, to his time in Chicago recording for Vee-Jay Records and up through his later collaborations with Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt and Santana, among others.”
Related: When John Lee Hooker jammed with the Stones and Clapton
King of the Boogie will be released as part of a year-long, multi-partner centennial celebration, honoring the music and influence of Hooker, and will be a companion piece to an exhibit of the same name, which kicks off today at the Grammy Museum Mississippi. John Lee Hooker: King Of The Boogie includes Hooker’s performance outfits, guitars, photos, awards and, of course, his music. The exhibit will be on display through February 2018, before traveling west to the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live.
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To pre-order King Of The Boogie, go here.
Track List
Disc 1:
- Boogie Chillen’ – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar
- Sally May – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar
- Hobo Blues – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar
- Crawlin’ King Snake – John Lee Hooker & His Guitar
- Black Man Blues – Texas Slim
- Goin’ Mad Blues – Delta John
- Who’s Been Jivin’ You – Texas Slim
- (Miss Sadie Mae) Curl My Baby’s Hair
- Hoogie Boogie – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar
- Burnin’ Hell – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar
- Weeping Willow Boogie
- Moaning Blues – Texas Slim
- Huckle Up Baby – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar
- Goin’ On Highway #51 – John Lee Hooker And His Guitar
- John L’s House Rent Boogie
- I’m In The Mood
- Two White Horses
- 33 Blues
- Sugar Mama
- Wobbling Baby
- Stuttering Blues – John Lee Booker
- I’m A Boogie Man – Johnny Lee
- Down Child
- Odds Against Me (Backbiters And Syndicaters)
- Shake, Holler And Run
Disc 2:
- Unfriendly Woman [Aka Stop Now]*
- Mambo Chillun
- Time Is Marching
- Dimples
- Little Wheel
- I Love You Honey
- Drive Me Away
- Maudie
- When I Lay My Burden Down*
- Tupelo Blues
- Good Mornin’ Lil’ School Girl
- I Rolled And Turned And Cried The Whole Night Long
- No More Doggin’
- Dusty Road
- No Shoes
- My First Wife Left Me
- Crazy About That Walk – Sir John Lee Hooker
- Want Ad Blues
- Will The Circle Be Unbroken
- I’m Going Upstairs
- I Lost My Job
- Don’t Turn Me From Your Door
- Grinder Man
- Meat Shakes On Her Bone*
Disc 3:
- Boom Boom
- Blues Before Sunrise
- She’s Mine
- Frisco Blues
- Good Rockin’ Mama
- I’m Leaving
- Birmingham Blues
- Don’t Look Back
- Big Legs, Tight Skirt
- It Serves Me Right
- Money
- One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
- The Motor City Is Burning
- Mean, Mean Woman
- Doin’ The Shout
- Homework
- Early One Morning
- Rocking Chair
- Hittin’ The Bottle Again
- Deep Blue Sea
- Spellbound
Disc 4: LIVE
- Hobo Blues – Live
- Maudie – Live
- Shake It Baby – Live
- Boogie Chillun – Live
- Bottle Up And Go – Live
- Crawlin’ King Snake – Live
- The Mighty Fire – Live
- You’ve Got To Walk Yourself – Live
- I’m Bad Like Jesse James – Live
- Boogie Everywhere I Go – Live
- She’s Gone*- Live
- It Serves Me Right To Suffer*- Live
- Boom Boom* – Live
- Hi-Heel Sneakers* – Live
- One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer* – Live
Disc 5: FRIENDS
- I Got Eyes For You – With “Little” Eddie Kirkland
- Mai Lee – With The Groundhogs
- Peavine – With Canned Heat
- Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive – With Van Morrison
- Five Long Years – With Joe Cocker
- The Healer – With Carlos Santana
- I’m In The Mood – With Bonnie Raitt
- Sally Mae – With George Thorogood
- Mr. Lucky – With Robert Cray
- Up And Down – With Warren Haynes
- Boom Boom – With Jimmie Vaughan
- You Shook Me – With B.B. King
- Don’t Look Back – With Van Morrison
- Dimples – With Los Lobos
- Boogie Chillen’ – With Eric Clapton
*previously unreleased
Watch John Lee Hooker perform “It Serves Me Right to Suffer”
