John Lee Hooker Vinyl Discography S-U

Last Updated March 14, 2010
© 2005-2010 Scot A. Pell
Contact email: jlhvinyl

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Savoy Savoy was founded by Herman Lubinsky who also ran the Regent label. The December of 1948 Von Battle session yielded several tracks but Lubinsky would only originally issue the two released here and two released on Regent under the Alias Delta John. Later, tracks from this session would be released by Savoy on various artists LPs as well as two others on the Krazy Kat release Boogie Awhile (KK LP 200).
78s
	5558 Landing Blues/Low Down Midnite Boogie, 1949 (Birmingham Sam and His Magic Guitar) Note: I had reversed the A/B sides of this record when originally listed.
LPs
	MG 1600-Living With The Blues (VA)
	SJL 2255-Southern Blues (VA), 1981 These tracks, recorded in december of 1949, would remain unissued under Hooker's own name until 1981. Two sides form this session were released on Regent 1001 with others being released on Krazy Kat's Boogie Awhile and Red Lightnin's No Friend Around Along with the two tracks issued on Savoy 78 5558, five others, unissued anywhere, would be relesaed giving Hooker one full side on this two disc set. Grievin' Blues/ Low Down Midnight Boogie/ Landing Blues/ Twister Blues/ Shady Grove Blues/ Goin' Home Blues/ Like A Woman

Sensation Bernie Besman did not lease all of Hooker's recordings to Modern. These 10 sides were released on Besman's own Sensation label. Whether these were sides Modern had turned down or Besman had purposefully kept for himself continues to be debated. Besman, along with John Kaplan owned the Pan-American distributing company responsible for local distribution of national record labels. Despite it's name, the Cleveland based company probably did not venture far from the lake Erie area around Detroit, Toledo and Cleveland. Sensation was named after Lee's Sensation, a Detroit club and the label was started to record local talent such as Todd Rhodes, T.J. Fowler, Sylvester Cotton and John Lee Hooker. Besman would make deals with larger labels such as King and of course, Modern for national distribution.
78s
	21 Burnin’ Hell/Miss Sadie Mae 1949
	26 Huckle Up Baby/Canal Street Blues 1949
	30 Let Your Daddy Ride/Goin’ on Highway 51 1950
	33 My Baby’s Got Somethin’/Decoration Day Blues 1950
	34 Boogie Chillen No. 2/Miss Eloise 1950
LPs In 1989 Besman released this lp/cd with DCC compact classics to mark the 40th anniversary of John Lee Hooker's career. Most of the cuts are claimed to be "Previously Unissued" material from Besman's often tauted "Vault" of Hooker material. While a few alternate takes did see their first release on this lp, most had been leased to and released by many other labels years before.
		John Lee Hooker's 40th Anniversary Album-DZL 042, 1989 Hey, 'S The House Rent Boogie/ I'm In The Mood/ Baby How Can You Do It?/ Let's Talk It Over/ Yes, Baby, Baby, Baby/ I Got The Key/ Four Women In My Life/ Do My Baby Think Of Me?// I'm Gonna Git Me A Woman/ It Hurts Me So/ Bluebird, Bluebird, Take A Letter Down South/ Boogie Chillen'/ Hello Baby/ This is 19 and 52, Babe/ Blues For Abraham Lincoln

Specialty Based in California Specialty released some reissued and previously un-issued sides from 50s sessions in Detroit. Although Hooker had recorded briefly for the label in 1954, most of these tracks would remain unissued until years later. Only two lps were devoted entirely to John Lee Hooker he also appears on several Specialty issued compilations SPS-2117, This Is How It All Began, SPS-2149 Dark Muddy Bottom, and SNTF-5013, Hooker, Hopkins and Hogg. At some point between 1971 and '72 Specialty changed the design of their LP labels to something more reminiscent of the earlier 78 and 45 designs.
78s
	528 Everybody’s Blues/I’m Mad 1954

45s
	528 Everybody’s Blues/I’m Mad 1954

LPs

		SPS-2117 This Is How It All Began (The Specialty Story Vol. 1), 1969 Hooker Track: Don't Trust Nobody. From an October, 1954 session. The 3 other tracks from this session would be released on SPS 2149, Dark Muddy Bottom Blues.
		SPS-2125 Alone, 1970 Rollin' Blues/ I Need Lovin'/Do My Baby Think of Me/ Build Myself a Cave/ Black Cat Blues/ Alberta/ Boogie Chillen #2// Momma Poppa Boogie/ Sailing Blues/ Graveyard Blues/ Huckle Up Baby/ Three Long Years Today/ Walkin' This Highway/ Burnin' Hell
		SPS-2127 Goin' Down Highway 51, 1970 My Baby's Got Something/Grinder Man/Four Women In My Life/Goin' Down Highway 51/Sail On Little Girl/Miss Sadie Mae/Alberta Pt.2/21 Boogie/Find Me A Woman/Hastings Street Boogie/Canal Street Blues/Strike Blues/War Is Over (Goodbye California)/Henry's Swing Club
		SPS-2149 Dark Muddy Bottom Blues, 1972 Nothin' But Trouble-John Lee Hooker/ A Woman Acts Funny-Pinebluff Pete/ Rather Be Sloppy Drunk-Big Joe Williams/ Black Cat Bone-Lightnin' Hopkins/ Ain't Done Nothin' Wrong-Clarence London/ Hollywood Boogie-Country Jim// Dark Muddy Bottom Blues-Mercy Dee/ Ride My New Car With Me-Big Joe Williams/ Uncle Sam Blues-Pinebluff Pete/ I Need Love So Bad-John Lee Hooker/ Dial 110 Blues-Country Jim/ Dark and Cloudy-Lighnin' Hopkins
		SP 5013 Hooker, Hopkins and Hogg, 19??

Staff These sides were recorded by Idessa Malone owner of Staff and the gospel, Dessa labels. Malone was one of a handful of women, and even fewer black women, making their mark on the independent record industry in the late 40s-50s. Staff 710 was also released as Gotham 506 while Staff 718 released on Swing Time 266.
78s
	704 Miss Rosie Mae/ Highway Blues 1949 (Johnny Williams)-Reissue of Prize 704 *
	710 Wandering Blues/House Rent Boogie 1950 (Johnny Williams)
	711 Sunnyland Blues/ Bull Headed Woman 1950 (Johnny Williams)*
	718 Prison Bound/Bumble Bee Blues 1952 (Johnny Williams)
* The Blues discography lists the titles on Prize 704 as possibly being reissued on Staff 704 and the April 2009 issue of Blues & Rhythm confirms that copies do exist. Several years ago Dave Sax had brought the possibillity of Staff 711 to my attention. Both are now listed Bob McGrath's The R&B Indies second edtion. Although I am unaware of any copies of this record I have entered it in this discography in the hopes that one may surface.

Stax
	The Memphis based label, Stax released one LP and a single for John Lee Hooker

45s
	0053 Slow and Easy/Grinder Man 1969 Pictured left is a double sided promo featuring "Grinder Man". Unlike many promos of this period both sides are stereo rather than the mono/stereo promos sent out for am/fm air play.

LPs

STS-2013 That’s Where It’s At, 1969
All of Stax’s 2000 series commercial releases were stereo and bore the prefix STS. Mono promo copies were prefixed STM and had both MONO and D.J. inscribed in the dead wax. This LP was reissued in 1979 with a Cat. # STX-4134
Teachin' The Blues/Goin' To Louisiana/I Need You/My Love Comes Down For You/Please Don't Go/I Just Don't Know/Slow And Easy/ Two White Horses/Feel So Bad/Grinder Man

Swing Time Idessa Malone Recording also released on Staff 718.
78s
	266 Prison Bound/Bumble Bee Blues 1952 (Johnny Williams)

Tomato
Tomato appears to specialize in live recordings. The three Hooker lps I have found on the label so far are all live shows from the 70s.

LPs
	7009 The Cream, 1978 This 2 LP set is from a live show in Palo Alto CA, 1977 and features Charlie Musslewhite on harmonica. Hey, Hey/Rock Steady/Tupelo/You Know It Ain't Right/She's Gone/T.B. Sheets/Sugar Mama/One Room Country Shack/Drug Store Woman/I Want You To Roll Me/Bar Room Drinking/Little Girl/Louise/When My First Wife Left Me/Boogie On
	While re-scanning labels for these two lps I noticed that my copies, although bearing the New York address of the Tomato Music Comapny, were both foreign pressings. I have moved them to their appropriate places on the site. I am unaware if US issues exists but will post them here if they are found. 96602 Alone, 19?? Tomato 96602, Alone 2696141 I'll Play The Blues For You, 1989. Tomato 2696141, I'll Play The Blues For You

Tradition Part of Everest records located in Los Angeles.
LPs
	2089 The Real Blues, 1970 Send Me Your Pillow/ Old Time Shimmy/ Dimples/ I'm So Excited/ Baby Lee// Boom Boom/ No Shoes/ Dusty Road/ Onions/ Good Rockin' Mama

Trip Trip Info
45s
	167 I'm In The Mood/Boogie Chillun, 1973
	168 Boom Boom/ Drug Store Woman, 1973
	169 Frisco Blues/ Dimples, 1973
LPs
	9504 Whiskey & Wimmen, 1973 No Shoes/Tupelo/Old Time Shimmy/ Little Wheel/ Whiskey & Wimmen/ Process// I'm In The Mood/ Boogie Chilun'/ Hobo Blues/ Baby Lee/ Trouble Blues// Dimples/ Dusty Road/ Good Rocking Mama/ Crawlin' King Snake/ Let's Make It/ I Got A Letter// Drug Store Woman/ Boom Boom/ Send Me Your Pillow/ You Know I Love You/ Frisco Blues
	3501 Boogie With Hooker & Canned Heat, 1974 Dust My Broom/ When Things Go Wrong// Dimples/ Hobo Blues/ I Love You Honey/ I'm In The Mood/ Crawling King Snake Blues// Sweet Sixteen/ I'd Rather Be The Devil// No Shoes/ Tupelo/ Whiskey & Wimmen/ Boogie Chillun'/ Boom Boom
	16-46 16 Greatest Hits, 1978

UAMG, United Artists Music Group
Having found little regarding this acetate, I've decided to post it here hoping that someone may have some more information on it's origin. UAMG does have a relationship with United Artists in Los Angeles but the recording bears the New York address of the parent company. Although both sides are labeled John Lee Hooker, the second is infact Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee recordings that Chris Smith was able to help me with by dating to 1958 sessions originally released on the Choice label. Although the acetate appears to have been made late 60s. The Hooker tracks remain a mystery. They are clearly less refined and contain false starts, warm ups and studio banter.

The closest session I can find is listed as April of 1960. The sound and feel of the tracks is similar and the titles for the most part fit. Originally recorded by Prestige most of the material would first be issued on Vee Jay 1033. There are several tracks listed as unissued in the discography. Matrix 2206-Untitled Instrumental, 2210-Come Ride With Me and 2211-My Heart's in Misery. A version of Sally Mae is also listed on the session and was released on Charly 1029 but this is not the version on this acetate.

Tracks as listed:
Side A: John Lee Hooker, Blues Walkin'/ Automobile Blues/ My Heart In Memory/ Sallie Mae
Side B: Sonny Terry, Dupree/ Groovy Rider/ Hootin'/ Whistlin'

Ultra Sound Although I have had this release for some time it is with a little hesitation that I enter this LP into the discography. It is a decidedly inferior release of earlier recorded Vee Jay material. The recording itself is lacking greatly in treble, the plain white jacket has merely the title and release number and one of the tracks is misspelled on the label. The only hint of origin is the catalog number (UDL 428) and an address for United Distributor's Lyrics Ltd. in Phoenix, AZ. The collector I had purchased this from had surmised that it may have been hurriedly pressed to be sold at a live performance or personal appearance. The jacket scan is zoomed in on the upper left corner. The title is considerably smaller than it appears. Misspelled titles are as they appear on the label.*
LPs
	UDL 428-I'm In The Mood, 19?? Little Wheel/Lobo Blues/ Trouble Blues/ Dusty Road/ Dimples// Drug Store Woman/ No Shoe/ I'm In The Mood/ Boom Boom/ Frisco Blues

United Artists
	United Artists released a ton of late 40s early 50s material from John Lee’s Detroit sessions with Bernie Besman. John Lee Hooker’s Detroit and The Coast to Coast Blues Band contain many (at that time) unreleased tracks and alternate takes. How the John Lee Hooker and Canned Heat single ended up on UA is still puzzling.

45s
	50779 Whiskey and Wimmen/Let’s Make It 1971 (John Lee Hooker & Canned Heat)

LPs
	UA-LP 127 John Lee Hooker’s Detroit, 1974 Johnny Lee's Original Boogie/ She Left Me By Myself/ Out The Door I Went/ My Baby She's Long and Tall/ No Mortgage On My Soul/ I Come To You Baby/ I Rule My Den/ The Great Disaster of 1936/ The Winding Highway/ She Quit Me/ How Long Can This Go On/ Can I Say Hello/ I Had A Dream/ Me And My Woman/ Throw My Money Around/ Well I Got To Leave/ I Gotta Be Comin' Back/ I Don't Be Welcome Here/ Two Voice Original Mood/ Three Voice Original Mood/ Johnny Says Come Back/ The Story Of A Married Woman/ Snap Them Fingers Boogie/ Lord What More Can I Do/ Baby Please Don't Go/ I'm Going Away/ Hummin' The Blues/ Johnny Lee and The Thing/ Slow Down Your Chatter Baby/ I Did Everything/ First Version of Some One To Love/ Second Version of Some One To Love/ There's A Day Comin' Baby/ I Was Beggin' My Baby/ Nobody To Talk To Me/ I'm Gonna Whip Ya Baby/ It's A Crime And A Shame/ I Met The Grindin' Man/ Louisiana Blues For You/ Long, Long Way From Home/ Sometime/ T.B.'s Killing Me
	UAS-5512 Coast to Coast Blues Band, 1971 Subtitled; Any Time, Any Place, Anywhere. Although "Coast to Coast Blues Band" was the name being used by Hooker's backing band at live shows during the early 70s-early 80s these cuts are all from early 50s sessions. Come Back Baby/ Forgive Me/ Streets Is Filled With Women/ Moon Is Rising/ Whistle Done Blown/ Turnin' Gray Blues/ She Was In Chicago/ Lord Taketh My Baby Away/ Just Like A Woman/ Throw This Old Dog A Bone/ Johnny Lee's Mood/ Miss Eloise, Miss Eloise/ Crying All Night Long/ Welfare Blues

United Records (United Superior)
United was part of the Bihari brothers Modern records empire. Most of the United releases were straight reissues of earlier Crown LPs (Often using the same stampers) which were reissues of the even earlier Modern Singles. Multiple label and jacket variations indicate that these lps were all reissued several times. By the mid 80s Hooker had filed and won a suit against the Bihari's regarding royalties over their repeated reissues of his early recordings.
Starting out as United/Superior the name was shortened to United in the early 70s. Original copies have a yellow label with a U/S above the spindle hole another variation was gold with "United" above the center hole. Later reissues had light purple logo with “United” across the top. Later jackets had various color variations on the original covers.
Not to be confused with United Artists this budget label reissued much of Hooker’s work from the Modern, Crown, Kent and Custom labels.

LPs
	7710 Driftin’ Through The Blues, 1969 Reissue of Crown 5232 with tracks scrambled. Driftin' From Door To Door/ She Left Me On Bended Knee/ Let Your Daddy Ride/ Turn Over A New Leaf/ Don't You Remember Me// Hug and Squeeze You/ I Love You Baby/ The Syndicate/ Boogie Woogie All Night Long/ Good Rockin' Mama
	7725 The Blues, 197? Reissue of Crown 5157 The cover at left represents the original issue of this lp. Like the cover on the right, reissues had bands and blocks of color added. Most likely to save costs of printing a full sized photo on the jackets.
	7729 Folk Blues, 197? Reissue of Crown 5295
	7731 The Great Blues Sounds of John Lee Hooker, 197? Reissue of Crown 5353
	7746 Original Folk Blues, 197? Reissue of Kent KST 525 *A close inspection of the dead wax indicates this is a repress of the Kent KST 525 release of the same name, having been pressed from the same stampers.
	. 7769 Greatest Hits, 197? Reissue of Crown 5157 Like above, this release was pressed with Kent masters for KST 559

Up Front Owned by Springboard International, which would later release records under the Trip label.
	UPF-104 I’m In The Mood, 1968 I'm In The Mood/ Boogie Chillun'/ Hobo Blues/ Baby Lee/ Trouble Blues// Drug Store Woman/ Boom Boom/ Send Me Your Pillow/ You Know I Love You/ Frisco Blues

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