John Lee Hooker Vinyl Discography E-H

Last Updated January 7, 2010
© 2005-2010 Scot A. Pell
Contact email: jlhvinyl

John Lee Hooker Discography Home Back B-D Forward I-L
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Eagle Released posthumously in 2003 Face to Face follows the formula of many of John Lee's later works with guest appearances by a host of established artists. Van Morrison teams up with John Lee again along with, Warren Haynes, Johnny Winter, George Thorogood and Hooker's daughter Zakiya who both produced and sings on the album. Simply Vinyl manufactured and distributed this 2 lp set.
	S160021 Face to Face, 2003 Big Road/Dimples/Loving People/Face to Face /Funky Mabel/It Served Me Right To Suffer/Up and Down/Mad, Mad Blues/Six Page Letter/Stop Jivin' Me/Mean, Mean World/Turn Over A New Leaf/Wednesday Evening Blues/Boogie Chillen/Rock These Blues Away

Elmor A single 45 was released on the Elmor label. The scan on the left appears to be the original issue while that on the right appears to date a year or so later around the same time the record was also re-issued on the HiQ label.
	303 Blues for Christmas/Big Fine Woman 1959

Everest (Archive of Folk and Jazz)
Info

	222 John Lee Hooker Archive of Folk and Jazz, 197? Little Wheel/ I'm In The Mood/ Hobo Blues/ Crawling King Snake/ Blues Before Sunrise// Want Ad Blues/ My First Wife Left Me/ Wednesday Evening Blues/ Maudie/ Time Is Marching
	347 Hooked On The Blues, 1979 Boogie Chillun/Tupelo/Whiskey And Wimmen/ I Love Ya Honey/ Every Night// 'Frisco/ Take A Look At Yourself/ She Shot Me Down/ No One Told Me/ Mighty Fire
	369 John Lee Hooker Sings John Lee Hooker 198? Old Time Shimmy/ I Wanna Walk/ Canal Street Blues/ Run On/ I'm A Stranger// Solid Sender/ Sunny Land/ Goin' To California/ I Can't Belive/ I'll Know Tonight

Excello Taken from the same session that would appear on the Decca release of the same name, this Excello issue contains one JLH track not issued on Decca 4392, Need Your Love So Bad.
LPs
	LP 8029-American Folk Blues Festival, 1972 We're Gonna Rock-Memphis Slim/ I Wanna See My Baby-T Bone Walker/ I'm In Love- T Bone Walker/ I'm Crazy About My Baby- Sonny Terry/ Stewball-Memphis Slim/ Let's Make It Baby-John Lee Hooker// Shake It Baby-John Lee Hooker/ The Right Time-John Lee Hooker/ Hey Baby-Shakey Jake/ Love My Baby-Shakey Jake/ Crying At The Station-Brownie McGhee/ Bye Bye Baby-Memphis Slim

Exodus
The VeeJay lp “Is He The World’s Greatest Blues Singer?” was reissued a year later by Exodus as 325 in 1966.

When Vee Jay declared bankruptcy in early 1966 the Exodus label suddenly appeared issuing Vee Jay material. This was more than likely an attempt to get around paying off some of Vee Jay’s debts. The two companies, supposedly separate, shared the Vee Jay catalog and the most common variation of the Exodus label was similar to Vee Jay’s.

By the end of 1966 Vee Jay was ordered to liquidate it’s assets and a judge ruled that Exodus was in fact one of those assets.

I believe the two label designs represent pressing plant variations more so than 1st or 2nd issues as Exodus probably did not exist as a label long enough to reissue much of their limited catalog. Interestingly, they were also issued with two, slightly different jackets. The jacket on the left has a "stereo" sticker at the bottom left while that on the right has "Stereo" printed on the top of the jacket.

EX-325 Is He Really The World's Greatest Blues Singer, 1966
Reissue of Vee Jay 8502

Fantasy Fantasy Inc. now owns several of the independent labels from the 50s and 60s including Jazzland, Prestige/Bluesville, Specialty, Stax and Riverside and has reissued several Hooker lps on CD. It’s subsidiary company Galaxy earlier had released two lps (8)201 John Lee Hooker and (8)205 Live at Sugar Hill the latter being reissued as Fantasy consolidated.
	The two lp releases by Fantasy were both double album reissues of earlier released albums along with some previously unissued material.

24706 Boogie Chillun, 1972
This double album is a reissue of Galaxy (8)205 Live at Sugarhill along with what was then unreleased material from the same session at Sugarhill Studios, San Francisco in November of 1962 . This was also released in the UK under the Ace label as Live at Sugar Hill Vols .1 & 2
I Just Can't Hold On Much Longer/ I'm Gonna Keep On Waiting/ I Was Standing By The Wayside/ T.B. Is Killing Me/ Run On Babe/ This World/ I Like To See You Walk/ It's You I Love Baby/ Driftin' and Driftin'/ You Gonna Miss Me/ You're Nice And Kind To Me Lou Della/ I Need Some Money/ I Want To Get Married/ Matchbox/ Boogie Chillun/ You Been Dealin' With The Devil/ Night Time Is The Right Time/ You Don't Move Me Baby/ Cruel Little Baby/ I Got The Key To The Highway

24722 Black Snake, 1972
A second 2 LP set, reissues of Riverside lps 321 and 838.
Black Snake/ How Long Blues/ Wobblin' Baby/ She's Long, She's Tall, She Weeps Like A Willow Tree/ Pea Vine Special/ Tupelo Blues/ I'm Prison Bound/ I Rowed A Little Boat/ Water Boy/ Church Bell Tone/ Bundle Up and Go/ Good Mornin' Little School Girl/ Behind The Plow/ I Need Some Money/ Come On And See About Me/ I'm Wanderin'/ Democrat Man/ I Want To Talk To You/ Gonna Use My Rod/ Wednesday Evenin' Blues/ No More Doggin'/ One Of These Days/ I Believe I'll Go Back Home/ You're Leavin Me Baby/ That's My Story

Federal Part of King records based in Cincinnati, Federal released this reissue of King 78 4399 in 1960 coinciding with the release of King LP 727, John Lee Hooker Sings Blues.
45s
	12377 Late Last Night/Don’t You Remember Me 1960

Fortune Fortune, an independent Detroit label released three singles and an lp co-featuring John Lee Hooker. Les Fancourt mentions a single track on Fortune 3012. I have found no info on this lp but am assuming it was a compilation of sorts issued by Fortune.
45s
	846 609 Boogie/Curl My Baby’s Hair 1959 Going back and upgrading scans I realized that my copy of Fortune 846 is mis-labeled with Curl My Baby's Hair on both sides of the disc.
	853 Cry Baby/Love You Baby 1960
	855 Crazy About That Walk/We’re All God’s Chillun 1960 (Sir John Lee Hooker)

LPs Fortune 3002 appears to have been reissued at some point in the early 70s. Until recently, after talking to several collectors and studying label scans, I was under the impression that the copy on the left was the orginal issue. Having obtained a copy of both I am no longer certain. While the left copy does show a "deep groove" ring, the copy on the right seems to come closer in both color and print. Guides have made mention of heavier or lighter pressings but short of breaking out a scale, I find no noticable difference. The copy pictured on the right also shows "(Recorded On Location)" on the Merriweather side which is not present on the label on the left. On both the Merriweather side suffers from a considerable amount of noise from either source material for mastering. I have posted slightly larger scans of these two labels in hopes that some collector may be able to help sort out which is the earlier pressing.

	3002 Big Maceo Merriweather and John Lee, Hooker, 1963 One side of this lp is recordings of the great Detroit Blues Pianist Big Maceo while the other is John Lee Hooker Recordings from ’49, ’52 and ’53 Detroit sessions. Hooker:It's My Own Fault/Juke Bug/Blues For Big Town/Big Fine Woman/Miss Sadie Mae Merriweather: Leaving Blues/Have You Heard About It/Strange To Me/Worried Life Blues/Without You My Life Don't Mean A Thing

Galaxy
Part of Fantasy Records in San Francisco, Galaxy released 2lps and a single by Hooker. The original issues of the LPs were mono, issued as 201 and 205. Later stereo releases had 8's added to the catalog numbers 8201/8205. Mono releases had a red label with “Galaxy” across the top in gold print. The stereo reissues were blue with the same print, but in silver, and “Stereo” to the left of the spindle hole. 45 releases had an emerald green label and a green wax white label promo was also issued.
Stereo reissues of 201 simply had a sticker afixed over the orignal catalog number while 205 lists "205 Monural" and "8205 Stereo" printed on the jacket itself. This is the only indication I have seen that Live At Sugar Hill had ever been released in Mono.

45s
	716 I Lost My Job/You Gotta Shake It Up and Go

LPs
	201 John Lee Hooker 1962 Reissued as 8201 in late 60s with stereo sticker affixed. I Might As Well Say We're Through/Risin' Sun (Louisiana Voo-Doo)/Lost My Job/Left My Wife and Baby/Travelin' Day and Night/Deep Down In My Heart/Shake It Up and Go/Fire At Natchez/The Sweetest Girl I Know/Mad With You Baby/My Mother In Law Moved In/Ballad To Abraham Lincoln
	205 Live at Sugar Hill 1963? Later reissued as 8205 and again by Fantasy on the double LP Boogie Chillun’ with a second album of material from the same session. I Can't Hold On/ I'm Gonna Keep On Walking/ I Was Standing By The Wayside/ T.B. Is Killing Me/ Run On Babe// This World/ I Love To See You Walking/ It's You I Love, Baby/ Driftin' and Driftin'/ You Gonna Miss Me

GNP Crescendo GNP released this 2 lp set of Vee Jay sides under the Black Blues Series. For the last few years I've had the black print label to the right posted on the site believing it to be the first pressing. After some more research I believe this was a much later issue and the first was the label with the white print on the left.

	GNPS-10007 The Best of John Lee Hooker, 1974 Talk That Talk (Intro)/ Dimples/ Hobo Blues/ Boogie Chillun/ Little Wheel// Process/ Blues Before Sunrise/ Let's Make It/ No Shoes/ Drug Store Woman// Boom Boom/ I'm In The Mood/ Maudie/ Crawlin' King Snake/ Tupelo// Whiskey and Wimmen/ I'm Going Upstairs/ Want Ad Blues/ Five Long Years/ My First Wife Left Me

Gone Joe Von Battle would release these two sides on his own Gone label (not to be confused with George Goldner's label of the same name) under the alias John Lee Booker, also used on Chance and Chess. The late 40s early 50s were a busy time for John Lee who recorded as John Lee Hooker, John L’ Hooker, Johnny Lee Hooker, John Lee Booker, John Lee Cooker, The Boogie Man, Johnny Lee, John Lee, Johnny Williams, Texas Slim, Delta John, Little Pork Chops and Birmingham Sam and His Magic Guitar.
78s
	60/61 Mad Man Blues/Boogie Now 1951 as John Lee Booker *Also issued as Chess 78 1462

Gotham Fancourt credits Gotham 506 to a Detroit session with Idessa Malone (Producer for Staff and later her own Dessa label). 509-515 are credited to a session in the home of Gotham Records, Philadelphia. Little details of this session are known. The release dates for these sides may be incorrect as dates for other releases in the Gotham 500 series seem to bounce back and forth between 1948 and 1952.
78s
	506 Wandering Blues/House Rent Boogie 1950 as Johnny Williams
	509 Questionnaire Blues/Real Gone Gal 1952 as Johnny Williams
	513 Little Boy Blue/My Daddy Was A Jockey 1952 as Johnny Williams
	515 Catfish/Mean Old Train 1952 as John Lee

Greene Bottle
This two lp set contains what was then unreleased sides and alternate takes recorded with Bernie Besman the man most often given (perhaps taking) credit for discovering John Lee Hooker.

While Besman certainly brought Hooker into the spotlight leasing many of his recordings to Modern for distribution, Elmer Barbee was actually the first to record John Lee. Two of these Barbee recordings, Rocks and Leaving Chicago can be found on the UK released Krazy Kat lp-200 Boogie A While.

It is also worth mentioning that Hooker was also recording extensively with Joe Von Battle,and to a lessor extent, Idessa Malone at the same time as Besman leasing these tracks to other companies under various aliases.

3130 Johnny Lee, 1972
I Work For Her Every Day/You Sure Look Good To Me/No Place To Stay/The Sweetest Girl I Know/Movin' On Down The Line/Tell You A Story/You've Got Another Man/Dreamin' A Number/Troubles In My Home/See, See Baby/Crazy 'Bout That Woman/I Got Drunk (Take 1)/I Got Drunk (Take 2)/I Got Drunk (Take 3)/I Cried The Whole Night/He Got Assassinated/She Ain't Good For Nuthin'/Jump Chillun'/Please Have Mercy/The Moon Above/Tease Me/Baby, I Prove My Love To You/We Might As Well Say We're Through/My Own Boogie/If You Need My Lovin' Baby/Rock Me Mama (Take 1)/ Rock Me Mama (Take 2)/Rock Me Mama (Take 3)

Guest Star This budget label owned by Henry Stone (Chart) issued many compilation lps featuring various artists. Hooker takes five tracks on this compilation that also features Lightnin’ Hopkins and Skat singer Joe Carrol
	1902 Teachin’ The Blues, 1964 Hooker Tracks: Teachin' The Blues/Stand By Me Baby/Baby Please Don't Go/Two White Horses/Talkin' 'Bout My Baby

Hi-Q Part of Jack Brown's Fortune label, two singles were released by Hi-Q sharing a release number of 5018 both carry the side Blues for Christmas. Big Fine Woman would be issued on Fortune LP 3002 and 609 Blues on Fortune 846. Blues For Christmas, also released on Elmor 303, would not be issued again until the P-Vine Chess Compilation Blues For Big Town PLP-6061.
	5018 Blues For Christmas/Big Fine Woman 1960
	5018X 609 Boogie/Blues For Christmas 1961 Orginally mistakenly listed as 609 Blues

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