Young Man Blues

Last updated
"Young Man Blues"
Song by Mose Allison
from the album Back Country Suite
Released1957
RecordedMarch 7, 1957
Genre Blues, jazz
Length1:28
Label Prestige
Songwriter(s) Mose Allison
Producer(s) Bob Weinstock

"Young Man Blues" is a song by jazz artist Mose Allison. [1] Allison first recorded it in March 1957 for his debut album, Back Country Suite , in which it appears under the title "Back Country Suite: Blues". In Allison's two-CD compilation set of 2002, Allison Wonderland, Allison reveals that the tune's full title is: "Back Country Suite: Blues (a.k.a. 'Young Man's Blues')".

Contents

The Who version

"Young Man Blues"
Song by the Who
from the album Live at Leeds
ReleasedMay 11, 1970
RecordedFebruary 14, 1970
Genre Blues rock, hard rock
Length4:46
Label
Producer(s)

The Who performed "Young Man Blues" regularly in concert between 1968 and 1970. The first appearance of the song by the group was a studio recording on the limited-edition sampler album The House That Track Built released on 1 September 1969. This version was not available again until 2003 when it was included on the deluxe edition of the Tommy album. The most recognized version comes from the 1970 album Live at Leeds , where it was the opening track of the original release. Allison himself called this the "Command Performance" version of his song. It was released as a single in Canada and reached number 38. [2] Another live performance, from a 1969 performance at the London Coliseum, features in the movie and soundtrack for The Kids Are Alright . A live performance from the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival was used in the documentary film Message to Love . The Who brought it back briefly in 1974, again in 1982 and finally in 2002. The song was included in Rock Band 2 as downloadable content.

Other covers

It has also been covered live by You Am I, [3] Joe Bonamassa, Foo Fighters, [4] [5] The Bright Light Social Hour [6] and Motorpsycho. [7]

The tune is also found on Chris Spedding's 2009 reissued album One Step Ahead of the Blues, where in the liner notes Spedding states he was trying make a version which was how he imagined Allison originally recorded it; having never heard it. Spedding's blues rock version differs considerably from either Allison's jazz-blues or the Who's rock versions.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Smear</span> American guitarist (born 1959)

Georg Albert Ruthenberg, better known by his stage name Pat Smear, is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead guitarist and co-founder of Los Angeles–based punk band The Germs and for being a rhythm guitarist for grunge band Nirvana, and Foo Fighters. After Nirvana disbanded following the suicide of frontman Kurt Cobain, drummer Dave Grohl went on to form Foo Fighters, with Smear joining on guitar. Smear left Foo Fighters in 1997 before rejoining as a touring guitarist in 2005 and being promoted back to a full-time member in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Spedding</span> Musical artist (born 1944)

Christopher John Spedding is an English guitarist and record producer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Spedding is best known for his studio session work. By the early 1970s, he had become one of the most sought-after session guitarists in England. Spedding has played on and produced many albums and singles. He has also been a member of eleven rock bands: the Battered Ornaments, Frank Ricotti Quartet, King Mob, Mike Batt and Friends, Necessaries, Nucleus, Ricky Norton, Sharks, Trigger, and the Wombles. In May 1976, Spedding also produced the first Sex Pistols recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foo Fighters</span> American rock band

Foo Fighters is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the lineup now consists of Grohl, Nate Mendel (bass), Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear (guitars), Rami Jaffee (keyboards), and Josh Freese (drums). Drummers William Goldsmith and Taylor Hawkins, along with guitarist Franz Stahl, are former members of the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tie Your Mother Down</span> Song written and composed by Brian May

"Tie Your Mother Down" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by lead guitarist Brian May. It is the opening track and the second single from their 1976 album A Day at the Races. On its original release as a single in 1977 the song peaked at 31 in the UK Singles Chart. More than 20 years later, it was released as a double a-side to "No-One but You " where it reached 13 in UK Singles Chart. On the album the song is preceded by a one-minute instrumental intro featuring a Shepard tone melody, performed by Brian May, which is reprised in the ending of "Teo Torriatte": this was intended to create a "circle" within the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Generation</span> 1965 single by the Who

"My Generation" is a song by the English rock band the Who, written by guitarist and primary songwriter Pete Townshend. One of the band's most recognizable songs, it was placed number 11 by Rolling Stone on its list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” in 2004 and 2010, re-ranked number 232 in the 2021 edition. It became part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "historical, artistic and significant" value. It is considered one of the band's signature songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everlong</span> 1997 single by Foo Fighters

"Everlong" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters, released in August 1997 as the second single from their second studio album, The Colour and the Shape (1997). The song reached number three on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart and the Canadian RPM Rock/Alternative chart. It is often regarded as the band's signature song. "Everlong" was the last song performed live by former drummer Taylor Hawkins before his death in March 2022. As a result of his death, streams of the song increased and charted on the Billboard Global 200 at #123, the band's first appearance on the chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All My Life (Foo Fighters song)</span> 2002 single by Foo Fighters

"All My Life" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters, released as the first single from their fourth album, One by One. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance, and spent ten straight weeks at number 1 on the Alternative Songs chart and it peaked at number 3 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It was also a top 5 hit on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Times Like These (song)</span> 2003 single by American band Foo Fighters

"Times Like These" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters. It is the fourth track from their fourth album One by One, and was released as its second single in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mose Allison</span> American pianist, singer, and songwriter

Mose John Allison Jr. was an American jazz and blues pianist, singer, and songwriter. He became notable for playing a unique mix of blues and modern jazz, both singing and playing piano. After moving to New York in 1956, he worked primarily in jazz settings, playing with jazz musicians like Stan Getz, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims, along with producing numerous recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eyesight to the Blind</span> 1951 single by Sonny Boy Williamson II

"Eyesight to the Blind" is a 12-bar blues song written and recorded in 1951 by Sonny Boy Williamson II. He also recorded the related songs "Born Blind", "Unseeing Eye", "Don't Lose Your Eye", and "Unseen Eye" during his career. The Larks, an American rhythm and blues group, recorded the song, which reached number five on the R&B charts in 1951. Several musicians subsequently recorded it in a variety of styles. The Who adapted Williamson's song for their rock opera Tommy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Babbington</span> English rock and jazz bassist

Roy Babbington is an English rock and jazz bassist. He became well known for being a member of the Canterbury scene progressive rock band Soft Machine.

<i>Allison Wonderland Anthology</i> 1994 compilation album by Mose Allison

Allison Wonderland: The Mose Allison Anthology is a two disc compilation album by the jazz pianist and songwriter Mose Allison, released in 1994. Rhino sequenced the selected songs, and include all of his best-known songs chronologically.

<i>Live from Toronto</i> (The Who album) 2006 album

Live from Toronto is a double live album by The Who recorded during the last concert of the It's Hard Tour at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, 17 December 1982. These performances were originally broadcast live on cable TV and FM radio across the U.S. and Canada. It was later released in the early 1980s on VHS video tape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">50th Annual Grammy Awards</span> American music award ceremony

The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 10, 2008. It honored musical achievement of 2007 in which albums were released between October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007. The primary ceremonies were televised in the US on CBS; however, as has become the custom, most of the awards were handed out during a pre-telecast portion of the show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and broadcast on XM Satellite Radio. Two nights prior to the show Aretha Franklin was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Clark Jr.</span> American blues musician (born 1984)

Gary Lee Clark Jr. is an American guitarist and singer who fuses blues, rock and soul music with elements of hip hop. In 2011, Clark signed with Warner Bros Records and released The Bright Lights EP. It was followed by the albums Blak and Blu (2012) and The Story of Sonny Boy Slim (2015). Throughout his career, Clark has been a prolific live performer, documented by Gary Clark Jr. Live (2014) and Gary Clark Jr Live/North America (2017).

The Who Tour 1979 was The Who's first concert tour after the death of original drummer Keith Moon. The tour supported their 1978 album Who Are You, and consisted of concerts in Europe and the United States and acknowledged the band's return to live performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Who Tour 1980</span> 1980 concert tour by the Who

The Who Tour 1980 was The Who's second concert tour since the death of original drummer Keith Moon, supporting their 1978 album Who Are You.

<i>Medium Rare</i> (Foo Fighters album) 2011 compilation album by Foo Fighters

Medium Rare is a covers album by Foo Fighters. The album was released on April 16, 2011, as a limited-edition vinyl for Record Store Day, an event that celebrates independent record stores. Apart from the new recordings of "Bad Reputation" and "This Will Be Our Year" and the live version of "Young Man Blues", all tracks have been previously released as B-sides or in other compilation albums.

<i>Back Country Suite</i> 1957 studio album by Mose Allison

Back Country Suite is the debut album by blues/jazz pianist and vocalist Mose Allison which was recorded in 1957 and later released on the Prestige label. The album features the first recording of Allison's "Young Man Blues" which was later covered by The Who on their album Live at Leeds.

<i>Creek Bank</i> 1958 studio album by Mose Allison

Creek Bank is the fourth album to be released by blues/jazz pianist and vocalist Mose Allison which was recorded in 1958 and released on the Prestige label. It was reissued on CD, coupled with Young Man Mose, by Original Jazz Classics.

References

  1. "Complete Song List". Mose Allison. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  2. "RPM Top 100 Singles - November 14, 1970" (PDF).
  3. "You Am I - Young Man's Blues - Live 1996". YouTube. 1996-11-24. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  4. "Foo Fighters - Young Man Blues - ACL 2008". YouTube . Retrieved 2016-11-15.[ dead YouTube link ]
  5. "Foo Fighters - Young Man Blues (VH1 Rock Honors)". YouTube. 2011-01-29. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  6. "News". The Bright Light Social Hour. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  7. "Motorpsycho - Young Man Blues". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2018-05-29.