SONG OF THE DAY

“The Thrill Is Gone” by B.B. King (Completely Well, ABC Records, 1969). Written by Rick Darnell and Roy Hawkins in 1951.

MY TAKE

This one brought me right back to my bedroom in middle school, and I know I know…I didn’t grow up in the 1970s. But I did have a father who stocked the house with 1970s music, and had a great affinity for it. Such a great affinity, in fact, that I developed an affinity for music of HIS generation, rather than my own. This led me to the record store in the new mall (which was really just switching over to a CD store from the cassette-era), where I bought several barrel-bargain compilation CDs of the 70s, which turned out to be sick deals because they contained the original artists before all that shit got complicated and copywrited. I mean I paid $10 for three disc sets, man! You can’t do that today! That’s TIME LIFE’S money-maker! Anyhow, one CD I bought for probably $2 was Hits of 1970, and it had this track on it. I wasn’t yet into Billie Holiday, so I wasn’t fully understanding the history of the blues and R’n’B and all that when I first heard this track, but I knew that it was something I felt, and I liked it.

Today, I heard it in the shower on Radio Woodstock (pretty much the greatest radio station on earth for someone raised on the 70s, but that’s to be expected…I mean, WOODSTOCK and all), and I was so moved by the song again, anew, in a totally new, mature way. What a great song to have experienced at 13 when I knew nothing, and again at 27, when I’ve learned some, loved, etc.

INTERESTING FACTS (a la wikipedia)

– The song was first recorded by Roy Hawkins, its co-author, and became a minor hit for the musician.

– The song’s polished production and use of strings marked a departure from both the original song and King’s previous material.

– When released as a single in December 1969, the song became the biggest hit of King’s career (#3 R&B / #15 Pop) and his signature song.

– B. B. King’s recording earned him a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and a Grammy Hall of Fame award in 1998.

– King’s version of the song was also placed at #183 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest songs ever (I really seem to be referring to that list a lot in recent posts!).

– Memorable live versions of the song were included on King’s albums Live in Cook County Jail (1971), Bobby Bland and B.B. King Together Again…Live (1976), and Live at San Quentin (1991).

– The song has been covered by numerous artists since B. B. King’s hit version, including Peggy Lee (1970), Aretha Franklin (1970), The Manhattan Transfer (1995), Dishwalla (1995), Jerry Garcia and David Grisman (1990s), Harry Manx (1990s), Willie Nelson (2000), The Marshall Tucker Band (2003), Buckethead (2004), etc.

– Completely Well is a 1969 studio album by blues guitarist B. B. King.

– It is notable for the inclusion of “The Thrill Is Gone,” which became a hit on both the pop and the R&B charts.

– It was recorded at a time when B.B. was enjoying his first couple of years as a crossover star popular with the young white audience, which no doubt caused the decision to record him with what was basically a studio rock and R&B band. (The string and horn arrangements, generally bland but more soulful, predominate on some cuts, like “The Thrill Is Gone.”)

– San Francisco critic Ralph J. Gleason’s lengthy liner notes are mostly a profile of B.B., who is quoted on his influences (just ticking off names) and praised for the influence he was having on contemporary musicians. Otherwise, Gleason gives what has been the standard take on B.B. for the past 40 years: Great, for-real artist with surprising personal humility. Only 1 of the 17 paragraphs discusses a title from the LP, “Confessin’ the Blues,” but only to mention its historical importance (then almost 30 years old)–nothing about this recording.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

The original:

OMG THIS VERSION WITH TRACY CHAPMAN: