Bobby "Blue" Bland      

One of the foremost icons of "Soul Blues" music, Bobby "Blue" Bland has been recording for over 50 years and has always maintained a steady following throughout that time due to his remarkable squawl of a singing voice.
For all his promise, Bland's musical career ignited slowly. He was a founding member of the Beale Streeters, the fabled Memphis aggregation that also included B.B. King and Johnny Ace. Singles for Chess in 1951 (produced by Sam Phillips) and Modern the next year bombed, but that didn't stop local DJ David Mattis from cutting Bland on a couple of 1952 singles for his fledgling Duke logo.
Bland's tormented crying style was still pretty rough around the edges before he entered the Army in late 1952. But his progress upon his 1955 return was remarkable; with saxist Bill Harvey's band (featuring guitarist Roy Gaines and trumpeter Joe Scott) providing sizzling support, Bland's assured vocal on the swaggering "It's My Life Baby" sounds like the work of a new man. By now, Duke was headed by hard-boiled Houston entrepreneur Don Robey, who provided top-flight bands for his artists. Scott soon became Bland's mentor, patiently teaching him the intricacies of phrasing when singing sophisticated fare (by 1962, Bland was credibly crooning "Blue Moon," a long way from Beale Street).
Most of Bland's savage Texas blues sides during the mid- to late '50s featured the slashing guitar of Clarence Hollimon, notably "I Smell Trouble," "I Don't Believe," "Don't Want No Woman," "You Got Me (Where You Want Me)," and the torrid "Loan a Helping Hand" and "Teach Me (How to Love You)." But the insistent guitar riffs guiding Bland's first national hit, 1957's driving "Farther Up the Road," were contributed by Pat Hare, another vicious picker who would eventually die in prison after murdering his girlfriend and a cop. Later, Wayne Bennett took over on guitar, his elegant fretwork prominent on Bland's Duke waxings throughout much of the '60s.
The gospel underpinnings inherent to Bland's powerhouse delivery were never more apparent than on the 1958 outing "Little Boy Blue," a vocal tour de force that wrings every ounce of emotion out of the grinding ballad. Scott steered his charge into smoother material as the decade turned: the seminal mixtures of blues, R&B, and primordial soul on "I Pity the Fool," the Brook Benton-penned "I'll Take Care of You," and "Two Steps From the Blues" were tremendously influential to a legion of up-and-coming Southern soulsters. Scott's blazing brass arrangements upped the excitement ante on Bland's frantic rockers "Turn on Your Love Light" in 1961 and "Yield Not to Temptation" the next year. But the vocalist was learning his lessons so well that he sounded just as conversant on soulful R&B rhumbas (1963's "Call on Me") and polished ballads ("That's the Way Love Is," "Share Your Love With Me") as with an after-hours blues revival of T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday Blues" that proved a most unlikely pop hit for him in 1962. With "Ain't Nothing You Can Do," "Ain't Doing Too Bad," and "Poverty," Bland rolled through the mid-'60s, his superstar status diminishing not a whit. In 1973, Robey sold his labels to ABC Records, and Bland was part of the deal. Without Scott and his familiar surroundings to lean on, Bland's releases grew less consistent artistically, though His California Album in 1973 and Dreamer the next year boasted some nice moments (there was even an album's worth of country standards). The singer re-teamed with his old pal B.B. King for a couple of mid-'70s albums that broke no new ground but further heightened Bland's profile, while his solo work for MCA teetered closer and closer to MOR (Bland has often expressed his admiration for ultra-mellow pop singer Perry Como).
Since the mid-'80s, Bland has recorded for Jackson, MS's Malaco Records. His pipes undeniably reflect the ravages of time, and those phlegm-flecked "snorts" he habitually emits become annoying in large doses. But Bobby "Blue" Bland endures as a blues superstar of the loftiest order, resurfacing in 1998 with Memphis Monday Morning.

Album Discography

"Blues Consolidated" (Duke 1958) (Bobby Bland & Junior Walker)

Tracks: You See Me - Little Junior Parker / Mother-in-Law Blues - Little Junior Parker / Barefoot Rock - Little Junior Parker / That's Alright - Little Junior Parker / Wondering - Little Junior Parker / Sitting and Thinking - Little Junior Parker /It's My Life, Baby - Bobby "Blue" Bland / I Smell Trouble - Bobby "Blue" Bland / Farther Up the Road - Bobby "Blue" Bland / Sometime Tomorrow - Bobby "Blue" Bland / You Got Me (Where You Want Me) - Bobby "Blue" Bland / Loan a helping Hand - Bobby "Blue" Bland

"Like Er Red Hot" (Duke 1960)

"Two Steps From The Blues" (Duke 1961/Duke/MCA 2002)

Tracks: Two Steps From the Blues / Cry Cry Cry / I'm Not Ashamed / Don't Cry No More / Lead Me On / I Pity the Fool // I've Got to Forget You / Little Boy Blue / St. James Infirmary / I'll Take Care of You / I Don't Want No Woman / I've Been Wrong So Long

"Here's The Man! (Duke 1962)

Tracks: 36-22-36 / You're the One (That I Adore) / Turn on Your Love Light / Who Will the Next Fool Be / You're Worth It All / Blues in the Night /Your Friends / Ain't that Loving You / Jelly Jelly Jelly / Twistin' Up the Road / Stormy Monday Blues

"Call On Me" (MCA 1963)

Tracks: Call on Me / The Feeling is Gone / Honky Tonk / Cry, Lover, Cry / Wishing Well / Share Your Love with Me /That's the Way Love Is / Care for Me / No Sweeter Girl / Bobby's Blues / Ain't It a Good Thing / Queen for a Day

"Ain't Nothing You Can Do" (MCA 1964)

Tracks: Ain't Nothing You Can Do / If I Hadn't Called You Back / Today/Steal Away / After It's Too Late / I'm Gonna Cry /Loneliness Hurts / When You Put Me Down / If You Could Read My Mind / Reconsider / Black Night / Blind Man

"The Soul of The Man" (MCA 1966)

Tracks: I Can't Stop / Back in the Same Old Bag / Deep in My Soul / Reach Right Out / Ain't Nobody's Business /Fever / Too Late For Tears / Let's Get Together / Soul Stretch / Dear Bobby (The Note) / Playgirl

"Touch of The Blues" (Duke 1967)

Tracks: Touch of the Blues / Set Me Free / That Did It / Road of Broken Hearted Men / Sweet Loving /Driftin' Blues / Sweet Lips of Joy / Sad Feeling / Shoes / One Horse Town

"The Best Of" (Duke 1967)

Tracks: Poverty / I Smell Trouble / Some-Day / I'll Take Care of You / I Pity the Fool / Cry Cry Cry /Turn on Your Love Light / Call on Me / Ain't Nothing You Can Do / If You Could Read My Mind / Farther Up the Road / Stormy Monday

"The Best Of Volume 2" (Duke 1968)

Tracks: 36-22-36 / I Can't Put You Down / I Lost Sight of the World / It's My Life Baby / I Don't Believe /Two Steps From the Blues / You've Got Bad Intentions / Queen for a Day / I Learned My Lesson / Blind Man

"Spotlighting The Man" (Duke 1969)

Tracks: Chains Of Love / Georgia / Since I Fell For You / Who Can I Turn To / Wouldn’t You Rather Have Me /Rockin’ In The Same Old Boat / I’m On My Way / Ask Me ‘Bout Nothing But The Blues / You Ought To Be Ashamed / Gotta Get To Know You

"If Loving You Is Wrong" (Duke 1970)

"Introspective Of The Early Years" (Duke 1970)

Tracks: Disc 1: I Smell Trouble / I Just Got To Forget You / I’ve Been Wrong So Long / Two Steps From The Blues / You’re The One / Who Will The Next Fool Be / You’re Worth It All / Blues In The Night / Sometime Tomorrow / Share Your Love With Me / Road Of Broken Hearted Men / Someday. Disc 2: Touch Of The Blues / That Did It / One Horse Town / Chains Of Love / Since I Fell For You / Who Can I Turn To / If I Hadn’t Called You Back / Loneliness Hurts / Black Night / Blind Man / Save Your Love For Me / Ask Me ‘Bout Nothing But The Blues

"His California Album" (MCA 1973)

Tracks: This Time I'm Gone For Good / Up And Down World / It's Not The Spotlight / (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right / Goin' Down Slow / The Right Place At The Right Time / Help Me Through The Day / Where Baby Went / Friday The 13th Child /
I've Got To Use My Imagination

"Dreamer" (MCA 1974)

Tracks: Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City / I Wouldn't Treat A Dog (The Way You Treated Me) / Lovin' On Borrowed Time / When You Come To End Of The Road / I Ain't Gonna Be The First To Cry // Dreamer / Yolanda / Twenty-Four Hour Blues / Cold Day In Hell / Who's Foolin' Who

"Together For The First Time" (with B.B. King) (MCA 1974)

Tracks: Three O' Clock Blues / It's My Own Fault / Driftin' Blues / That's the Way Love Is / I'm Sorry / I'll Take Care of You /Don't Cry No More / Don't Want a Soul Hangin' Around / Good to Be Back Home/Driving Wheel/Rock Me Baby/Black Night/Cherry Red / Everybody Wants to Know Why I Sing the Blues / Goin' Down Slow / I Like to Live the Love

"Woke Up Screaming" (Duke 1974)

"Get On Down With Bobby Bland" (ABC 1975)

Tracks: I Take It On Home/Today I Started Loving You Again/You've Always Got The Blues/I Hate You//You've Never Been This Far Before/If Fingerprints Showed Up On Skin/Someone To Give My Love To/Too Far Gone/You're Gonna Love Yourself

"Together Again...Live" (with B.B. King) (MCA 1976)

Tracks: Let the Good Times Roll / Medley: Stormy Monday Blues/Strange Things Happen / Feel So Bad / Medley: Mother-In-Law Blues/Mean Old World / Every Day I Have the Blues / Medley: The Thrill Is Gone/I Ain't Gonna Be the First to Cry

"Reflections In Blue" (MCA 1977)

Tracks: The Soul Of A Man/I'll Be Your Fool Once More/Sittin' On A Poor Man's Throne/I Intend To Take Your Place/It Ain't The Real Thing//It's All Over/If I Weren't A Gambler/Five Long Years/I Got The Same Old Blues

"Come Fly with Me" (MCA 1978)

Tracks: Come Fly With Me/Lady Lonely/Night Games/To Be Friends/I'm Just Your Man//Love To See You Smile/You Can Count On Me/This Bitter Earth/Ain't God Something 

"I Feel Good, I Feel Fine" (MCA 1979)

Tracks: I Feel Good, I Feel Fine/I Can't Take No Mo'/Little Mama/Tit For That//Someone To Belong To/Soon As The Weather Breaks/In His Eyes/Red Sails In The Sunset 

"Sweet Vibrations" (MCA 1980)

Tracks: Sweet Vibrator/You'd Be A Millionaire/Soul With A Flavor/Special Kind Of Fool/Somewhere Over The Rainbow//Hollywood Woman/A Real Woman Is What It Takes/Suspicious/Merry Christmas Baby

" Try Me, I'm Real" (MCA 1981)

Tracks: Try Me I’m Real / But I Do / What A Difference A Day Makes / That’s How I Feel About You / Givin’ Up The Streets For Love /Just You Just Me / A Song For You My Son / I Cover The Waterfront / Love Is Where It’s At

"Here We Go Again" (MCA 1982)

Tracks: Here We Go Again / Recess in Heaven / Never Let Me Go / Country Love / Exactly, Where It's At / You're About to Win / Is This the Blues? / Don't Go to Strangers / We've Had a Good Time

"Tell Mr. Bland" (MCA 1983)

Tracks: Tell Mister Bland/I'll Be Good To You/Ain't It A Good Thing/If It Ain't One Thing (It's Another)/It's All In The Game/Queen For A Day/What Is It?/Fever

"You've Got Me Loving You" (MCA 1984)

Tracks: You've Got Me Loving You/Call On Me/It's Too Bad/Get Real Clean/There's A Brigher Day Ahead/I've Got A Friend/Just Because I Love You/Looking Back/You Are My Christmas

"Members Only" (Malaco 1985)

"After All" (Malaco 1986)

"Blues You Can Use" (Malaco 1987)

"First Class Blues" (Malaco 1987)

"Midnight Run" (Malaco 1988)

"The 3 B Boy: Blues Years 1952-1959" (Ace 1991)

"Portrait Of The Blues" (Malaco 1991)

"The Voice: Duke Recordings 1959-1969" (Ace 1991)

"I Pity The Fool: The Duke Recordings, Vol. 1" (MCA 1992)

"Years Of Tears" (Malaco 1993)

"Long Beach 1983 [live]" (Charly 1994)

"Turn On Your Love Light: Duke Recordings, Vol. 2" (MCA 1994)

"Really The Blues" (Monad 1995)

"That Did It!: Duke Recordings Vol. 3" (MCA 1996)

"Sad Street" (Malaco 1996)

"Just One More Step" (601 Music 1998)

"Greatest Hits Volume 1: The Duke Recordings" (Duke/Peacock 1998)

"Greatest Hits Volume 2: The ABC-Dunhill/MCA Recordings" (MCA 1998)

"Live On Beale Street" (Malaco 1998)

"Memphis Monday Morning" (Malaco 1998)

"Blues & Ballads" (MCA 1999)

"The Anthology" (MCA 2001)
 
"Ask me 'Bout Nothing But The Blues" (MCA 2001)

"Blues At Midnight" (Malaco 2003)

"The Definitive Collection" (Universal 2007)

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