Jimmy McCracklin: Rockin' Man

[Ken Dryden]

I'm trying to track down the release date, recording date and any personnel info for the Black Lion LP

by Jimmy McCracklin: Rockin' Man. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Big Beat Steve]

Strange that Bruyninckx doesn't list it at all. Neither did I find it any mention of Jimmy McCracklin on the Black Lion label in any of 3 or 4 annual jazz LP catalogs (listing the items then currently available from the distributors over here) from the mid-70s to the mid-80s. Are you sure you are not talking about the "Rockin Man" LP on the ROUTE 66 label?

[Chuck Nessa]

I would suggest they are the Swing Time masters since Black Lion reissued a number of these. BBS is speaking of the same masters on Route 66.

Jimmy McCracklin (vcl,p) acc by Joe Conwright (as) Charles Sutter (ts) prob Pee Wee Kingsley (g) Joe Toussaint (b) San Francisco Jeffers (d) - Los Angeles, c. January 1951

Looking for a woman

You don't love me

I'm gonna have my fun

True love blues

Rockin' man

Lafayette Thomas (g) replaces Kingsley - Los Angeles, c. January 1951

What's your phone number

That's life

Blues for the people (Melancholy Evening)(inst)

I found that woman (Blues for the people)

House rockin' blues

Movin' on down the line

Jimmy McCracklin (vcl,p) acc by George Riley (b) Bob Jackson (d) Carl...?,Earl...? (background vcl)

Los Angeles, c. January 1951

I am tired

Edited September 14, 2011 by Chuck Nessa

[J.A.W.]

I prefer McCracklin's early West Coast Blues/Jump Blues recordings to his later Soul-Blues stuff. Unfortunately, his discography is a mess, probably thanks to his label-hopping in the 1940s and 1950s. Maybe the McCracklin CDs on the French Classics label have his SwingTime recordings; I don't have them, so I can't check. My only McCracklin CDs are the two Ace UK releases with his Modern recordings. It would be nice if they would reissue the SwingTime recordings on CD as well.

Edited September 14, 2011 by J.A.W.

[Big Beat Steve]

I have the two Route 66 LPs with quite a few of the 1951 Swingtime recordings, though not the Crown Prince label LP from the same stable.

I admit I cannot quite see the tight Swingtime/Black Lion reissue connection yet, though. Those Black Lion LPs with 40s items that I am aware of and have found in release listings (e.g. Buddy Tate, Jay McShHann, Nat Cole, Andre Previn and some more) all feature reissues from other indies.

[Dan Gould]

I have to say that I dig almost all of Jimmy's career until the Stax recordings. Some of the soul/blues recordings are stone classics, like "My Answer".

[paul secor]

I think that Steve and Chuck are probably correct. I can't recall a McCracklin release on Black Lion - tho it might have slipped by my attention.

As long as I'm on this thread, I'll put in a mention for Jimmy McCracklin's Chess recordings.

"The Walk" was his big hit on Chess, but he did a number of good recordings for that label. Unfortunately, I don't believe that any of it is in print now. There was an LP on P-Vine and a CD on UK Chess/Charly. Perhaps Hip-O select will do a McCracklin Chess release.

[Ken Dryden]

I've found on line sources that list some Black Lion LP titles by Jimmy McCracklin, but

without songs and musicians.

Here are the songs I'm trying to trace from an LP called Rockin' Man (asterisks noting similarities to the list provided by Chuck Nessa)

Rockin’ Man*

I’ve Got News For You

Take a Chance

My Love For You

The Good Book

You Don’t Love Me*

It’s All in the Feeling

Life’s What You Make It Be

No Matters What You Say (that is how it is listed)

Blues For the People*

Movin’ on Down the Line

Farewell Baby

[paul secor]

I've found on line sources that list some Black Lion LP titles by Jimmy McCracklin, but

without songs and musicians.

Here are the songs I'm trying to trace from an LP called Rockin' Man (asterisks noting similarities to the list provided by Chuck Nessa)

Rockin’ Man*

I’ve Got News For You

Take a Chance

My Love For You

The Good Book

You Don’t Love Me*

It’s All in the Feeling

Life’s What You Make It Be

No Matters What You Say (that is how it is listed)

Blues For the People*

Movin’ on Down the Line

Farewell Baby

Definitely not the Route 66 Rockin' Man - only two of the titles you list match up with that one. And I can't find a number of the titles you list in the blues discography I'm looking at. As Hans said, McCracklin's discofraphy is a mess, so I may have missed something.

He recorded "Take a Chance", "My Love for You", and "Farewell" (possibly the "Farewell Baby" you list) for Irma in 1956 - later reissued on Premium or Imperial.

This remains a small mystery.