A Charlie Musselwhite Discography

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In over 32 years of recording Charlie has released 23 albums (that I've been able to find - there may be more), has played for friends as a guest artist on at least 38 more and has appeared on 22+ anthologies. Wherever possible in the following list, the tracks, musicians, composers and production details are given.

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Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band (1967)
Stone Blues (1968)
Louisiana Fog (1968/1995)
Memphis Charlie (1969)
Tennessee Woman (1969)
Mylon (1971)
Memphis, Tennessee Paramount PAS 5012
Takin' My Time Arhoolie 1056
Goin' Back Down South (1975)
Leave The Blues To Us (1975)
Light Of Your Shadow (1977)
Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough (1978)
Where Have All the Good Times Gone? (1984)
Mellow-Dee (1986)
Cambridge Blues (1988)
Ace of Harps (1990)
Signature (1991)
In My Time (1993)
Harmonica According to Charlie Musselwhite (re-issued 1994)
Takin' Care Of Business (re-issue of Louisiana Fog)
Rough News Pointblank/Virgin Records (1997)
Continental Drifter Pointblank (1999)

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Guest Appearances and Anthologies

Chicago: The Blues Today Vol. #3 - Vanguard VSD 79218
Comin' Home - Chicago Bluestars Blue Thumb BTS 9
So Many Roads, So Many Trains - John Hammond - Vanguard VSD79178
Deep Are The Roots - Tracy Nelson - Prestige 7398
In The Here And Now - Tracy Nelson  Rounder
Word Of Mouth - Merriweather - Capitol STB 278
Cristo Redemptor - Harvey Mandel Phillips PHS 600-281
Barry Goldberg Reunion - Buddah BDS 5012
Two Jews Blues - Barry Goldberg - Buddah BDS 5029
Alabama Slide Guitar - Johnnie Lewis - Arhoolie 1055
Blowin' My Mind - Barry Goldberg - Epic LN 24199
Blasts From My Past - Barry Goldberg - Buddah BDS 5081
Americana - Dave Peabody - Waterfront
Blue Bay - Various Artists - Messaround MRS-001
Ups And Downs - L.C.Robinson - Arhoolie 1062
Ivar Avenue Reunion - Various Artists - RCA LSP 4442
Thinking Of What They Did To Me - Big Joe Williams - Arhoolie 1053
The Blues Singer - Jimmy Witherspoon - Bluesway BLS 6026
The Best of Jimmy Witherspoon - ABC 6051
The Dynatones - Live at the Curtain Call Club (1982) - War Bride WB-9008
Blues From Chicago - Cherry Red CR-5104
"X" - INXS - Atlantic
Longing In Their Hearts - Bonnie Raitt - Capitol
Nocna Zmiana Bluesa - Chory Na Bluesa - Bass Records
Swamp Opera - Too Slim and the Taildraggers - Burnside
Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker - Pointblank
Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive - John Lee Hooker - ABC ABCX736
The Healer - John Lee Hooker - Chameleon
The Cream - John Lee Hooker  Tomato
Blues Fest, Modern Blues Of The 80's - Alligator
Ace In The Hole - Elvin Bishop - Alligator
Slide Zone - Roy Rogers - Liberty
The Many Moods Of Teisco Del Rey - Texicalli
Married To The Blues - Mark Hummel  Flying Fish
Maybe Someday - Sarah Baker  SEB
To Cry You A Song, A Collection Of Tull Tales - Magna Carta
Got Harp It You Want It - Blue Rock It
Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Collection, Vol.1 - Alligator
Alligator Records Christmas Collection, Vol.I - Alligator
Blues Harp Hoogie - Music Club
Prime Chops Vol.3  - Blind Pig
Genuine House Rockin' Music V - Alligator
Coming Home To The Blues, Vol.1 - Music Club
Coming Home To The Blues, Vol.3 - Music Club
Legends Of Guitar, Vol.1 -  Rhino
Blues Masters, Vol.4, Harmonica Classics - Rhino
Still On Target - Pointblank
The Love Tribe Memorial Blues Band - Route 44
Red Rockin' Chair - Doc and Merle Watson - Flying Fish/L+R
Blues Package '69 - Mercury
Bloody Bluesy - Indisk
Ten Years of Great Modern Blues - Blue Rock It
The Legendary Bluesmen - Excelsior
Chicago Anthology Archive Series
Dream of Mississippi - Dave Peabody - Appaloosa, 1994
 

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Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band

Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band (1967)

Note the spelling of Charlie's first name on his Vanguard debut album. Chris Strachwitz in the liner notes for the CD re-issue of Memphis Charlie writes: "Charlie recalls that after the session he waited a few days to hear from the union to get his money, which he was already planning to spend on a new amplifier and some records. When they finally called him, he rushed down only to find that the check for the session came to exactly 38 cents! He was disillusioned, and explanations about how renting an amp and assorted other expenses had to be deducted did not help much."

Tracks
1) Baby, Will You Please Help Me (Musselwhite) 3:20
2) No More Lonely Nights 5:15
3) Cha Cha The Blues 3:06
4) Christo Redemptor (Duke Pearson) 3:14
5) Help Me (Carraras, Farver, Ward) 3:31
6) Chicken Shack 4:23
7) Strange Land (Musselwhite) 3:04
8) 39th and Indiana (Musselwhite) 2:43
9) My Baby 2:43
10) Early In The Morning 4:32
11) 4 P.M. (Harvey Mandel) 3:27
12) Sad Day (Barry Goldberg) 5:02

Musicians:

STAND BACK! HERE COMES CHARLEY MUSSELWHITE
VANGUARD 1570 79232 4

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Stone Blues

Charlie Musselwhite (1968)

Tracks
1) My Buddy Buddy Friends (1:52)
2) Everything's Gonna Be Alright (3:34)
3) My Baby's Sweeter (4:17)
4) Clay's Tune (5:09)
5) Gone & Left Me (3:39)
6) Cry for Me Baby (2:28)
7) Hey Baby (4:24)
8) Juke (2:15)
9) She Belongs to Me (2:31)
10) Bag Gloom Brews (10:50)

Musicians:

STONE BLUES
VANGUARD 1570 79287 4

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Louisiana Fog

Charlie Musselwhite (1968)

This album was originally released in 1968 by Cherry Red Records and later re-released by Kent Music without the liner notes or personnel information as "Takin' Care Of Business". It was re-released again on CD in 1995, complete with Barry Levinson's liner notes. In them he says: "These sides were recorded live in the studio, the way it's played on stage." He closes with:  "This is the true blues, a must for any fan of the blues."

Tracks

1) Louisiana Fog (Musselwhite)
2) Takin' Care Of Business
3) Big Legged Woman
4) Riffin (Musselwhite)
5) Leavin' (Musselwhite)
6) Just A Little Bit (Musselwhite)
7) Fell On My Knees
8) Directly From My Heart
9) Fat City  (Musselwhite)
 
 

Musicians

LOUISIANA FOG
(1968) Cherry Red CR-5102
Re-Released as TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS,
Kent Music 5450 8001 4
Re-Released on CD in 1995 as NOTHIN BUT THE BLUES - LOUISIANA FOG
on LaserLight Digital 17 060

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Memphis Charlie

Charlie Musselwhite (1969)

The 14 performances on Memphis Charlie include some loose live sides and even a taste of slide guitar from Musselwhite. They're the work of a more mature artist than the brash kid on Stand Back!

--All-Music Guide , All-Music Guide

All selections previously released on Arhoolie LP 1056 and LP 1074

Tracks
1) It Ain't Right
2) Fingerlickin' Good
3) Up & Down the Avenue
4) Highway Blues
5) Wild, Wild Woman
6) Takin' My Time
7) Crazy for My Baby
8) Blue Steel
9) Take Me Back
10) This Old Nightlife
11) Taylor's Arkansas
12) Cut You Loose
13) If Trouble Was Money
14) On the Spot Boogie

Musicians:

MEMPHIS CHARLIE
ARHOOLIE 1108 303 4
Released on CD as CD 303
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Tennessee Woman

Charlie Musselwhite (1969)

Tracks

1) I Don't Play
2) Tennessee Woman
3) Blue Feeling Today
4) Nice Day for Something
5) Everybody Needs Somebody
6) I'll Be Your Man One Day
7) Christo Redemptor
 
 

Musicians:

TENNESSEE WOMAN
VANGUARD 1570 6528 4

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Goin' Back Down South

Charlie Musselwhite with Lafayette Leake (1975)

Charlie is heard playing guitar on a recording for the first time on this album, following his first-ever "public" performance on the instrument at a blues class at Stanford University. "Blue Steel" is Charlie's nod in the direction of the late Earl Hooker. He learned "Taylor's Arkansas" from John Lee Granderson, a Chicago street singer.

Tracks
1) Crazy For My Baby  *
2) Blue Steel  **
3) Take Me Back  **
4) Blue Stu *
5) This Old Night Life  **
6) Taylor's Arkansas  **
7) Cut You Loose  **
8) If Trouble Was Money  **
9) On the Spot Boogie  **
 

Musicians:

Charlie Musselwhite vocal/harmonica/guitar (on Blue Steel and Taylor's Arkansas)
Lafayette Leake piano on **
Skip Rose piano on *
Robben Ford guitar on * and sax on Blue Stu
Tim Kaihatsu guitar on **
Larry Martin  drums on **
Pat Ford  drums on *
Karl Sevareid  bass on **
Gerald Pederson  bass on **

Session * recorded at Sierra sound Studios, Berkeley, CA,  on January 19th, 1974
Session ** recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco, CA, Auguest 24th, 1974

GOIN' BACK DOWN SOUTH
Arhoolie 1074

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Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough

This recording was made the hardest way - by eliminating the tape recorder and recording live directly on to the master lacquer. Each side of this recording was cut without stopping and without the possibility of making any changes or corrections. No re-mixing, no over-dubbing and no re-recording.

Tracks

Side One:
1) Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough (J. Witherspoon)
2) Help Me (Williamson/Bass)
3) Big Leg Woman (Tolbert)

Side Two:
1) Nightclub (M. Allison)
2) Help Yo'self (C. Musselwhite)
3) Sloppy Drunk (J. Lane)

Musicians:

Recorded October 4th and 5th, 1978 at Crystal Clear Studios, Berkeley, California. Produced by Ed Wodenjak and Tom Wiggins. Arrangements by John Heartsman and Charlie Musselwhite.

TIMES GETTIN' TOUGHER THAN TOUGH
Crystal Clear Records, CCS 5005

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Leave The Blues To Us

Charlie Musselwhite (1975)

Tracks

1) Stranger (3:44)
2) Business Man (4:00)
3) Skinny Woman (5:12)
4) Keys To The Highway (3:25)
5) Candy Kitchen (6:57)
6) Long As I Love You (3:50)
7) Just Take Your Time (2:02)
8) Early In The Mornin' (6:04)

Musicians

And special thanks to:

LEAVE THE BLUES TO US
Capitol ST 11450

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Tell Me Where Have All The Good Times Gone

Charlie Musselwhite (1984)

Tracks

SIDE A

1) Hello Stranger (3:09)
2) Seemed Like The Whole World Was Crying (5:15)
3) Baby-O (3:27) *
4) Still A Stranger (3:48)
5) Exodus (1:54)

SIDE B

1) Stretching Out (3:45)
2) Going Away Baby (4:20)
3) Where Have All The Good Times Gone (7:24)
4) Kid Man Blues (3:12)

Musicians

Produced by Patrick Ford and recorded "live" at Oasis Studio in San Francisco on 11-5-83 and 2-20-84. The attempt was to make a blues recording as powerful and honest as possible.

TELL ME WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD TIMES GONE
Blue Rock-It BR 103

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Mellow-Dee

Charlie Musselwhite (1986)

Tracks
1) Hey, Miss Bessie
2) Need My Baby
3) I'll Get a Break
4) Peach Orchard Mama
5) Ask Me Nice
6) Come Back Baby
7) Coming Home, Baby
8) Baby, Please Don't Go
9) Lotsa Poppa
10) Steady on Your Trail
11) Can't You See What You're Doing to Me
12) Christo Redemptor (Slight Return)

Musicians:

MELLOW-DEE
CROSSCUT 6048 11013 2

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Cambridge Blues

Charlie Musselwhite (1988)

Recorded LIVE at the Cambridge Folk Festival, August 14, 1986

Tracks

1) Miss Bessie
2) Big Legged Woman
3) Key To The Highway
4) Take A Little Walk With Me
5) Up And Down The Avenue
6) Need My Baby
7) Skinny Woman

Musicians:

CAMBRIDGE BLUES
Blue Horizon BLUH 005

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Ace of Harps

Charlie Musselwhite (1990)

This is the first of Charlie's recordings for Alligator, and one of his best to date. Charlie says on the liner notes that "This is the best band I ever had!" The hard-driving trio heard on this album also forms the core of his touring band.

Tracks
1) Blues Overtook Me (4:41)
2) Mean Old Frisco Blues (3:45)
3) She May Be Your Woman (8:44)
4) Kiddio (4:41)
5) River Hip Mama (4:16)
6) Yesterdays (5:11)
7) Leaving Your Town (3:15)
8) Hangin' On (3:28)
9) Hello, Pretty Baby (3:35)
10) My Road Lies in Darkness (2:43)

Musicians:

ACE OF HARPS
ALLIGATOR 1455 4781 4

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Signature

Charlie Musselwhite (1991)

The trio heard on "Ace" is joined by a small horn section as well as a track featuring Charlie's long-time friend John Lee Hooker. Underlined links will play a sample of those tracks in Real Audio 3 format.

Tracks
1) Make My Getaway(3:45)
2) Blues Got Me Again (5:22)
3) Mama Long Legs (5:38)
4) .38 Special (8:26)
5) It's Gettin' Warm In Here (4:52)
6) What's New?(3:08)
7) Hey! Miss Bessie (5:10)
8) Me And My Baby And The Blues (3:48)
9) Catwalk (2:29)
10) Cheatin' On Me (4:18)

Musicians:

SIGNATURE
Alligator Records ALCD 4801

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In My Time

Charlie Musselwhite (1993)

"One of the Grand Masters of blues harmonica celebrates his deep roots, recording with not only his red-hot touring band, but also with an all-star group playing 1950's style swing blues, plus four acoustic tracks (with Charlie on guitar!) including two by The Blind Boys of Alabama."

1) Stingaree *
2) Brownsville Blues *
3) Ain't It Time **
4) The Big Boat ***
5) Leaving Blues ***
6) When it rains It Pours ***
7) Casual Friend ***
8) If I Should Have Bad Luck ***
9) Watson's Excellent Adventure ***
10) Please Don't Think I'm Nosy ****
11) Midnight Mama ****
12) Hear Me Talkin' ****
13) Blues, Why Do You Worry Me? ****
14) Movin' and Groovin' ****
15) Revelation ****
16) Bedside of A Neighbour **

Musicians

IN MY TIME
1993 - Alligator Records ALCD 4818

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The Harmonica According to Charlie Musselwhite

Charlie Musselwhite (1978 re-released 1994)

This album was originally accompanied by an instruction book put out by Kicking Mule Publications. The book did not stay in print long and there is a new (and much better) book put out by Mel Bay. The album is excellent and highly recommended. It was re-issued on CD by Blind Pig in 1994.

Tracks
1) Harpin' On A Riff (3:32)
2) Run Here Mama (3:26
3) Tuff (2:48)
4) Pistol In Your Face (4:06)
5) Azul Para Amparo (1:38)
6) Blues All Night (3:25)
7) Fast Life Blues (2:00)
8) Way I Feel (4:02)
9) Chicago Sunset (3:35)
10) Blues In The Dark (1:55)
11) Shelby County Blues (2:55)
12) Scufflin (2:32)
13) Hard Times (3:43)

Musicians:

The Harmonica According To Charlie Musselwhite (1994)
Blind Pig BPCD 5016 (Originally released on Kicking Mule in 1978)

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Rough News
Charlie Musselwhite (1997)

Tracks:

1) Both Sides of the Fence (James/Carpenter) (3:58)
2) I Sat & Cried (Jimmy Nelson) (3:34)
3) Sleepwalk (Farina) (2:31)
4) Natural Born Lover (Red Rivers/Carol Rhode) (3:34)
5) Darkest Hour (Musselwhite) (3:48)
6) Harlem Nocturne (Earle Hagen) (2:23)
7) Drifting Boy (Rivers/Rhode) (3:30)
8) Rough Dried Woman (Clay/Earle/Williams) (4:30)
9) Feel It In Your Heart (Musselwhite/Azevedo) (3:40)
10) Rainy Highway (Musselwhite) (4:49)
11) Clarksdale Boogie (Musselwhite) (3:38)
12) Rough News (Musselwhite) (6:49)

Musicians:

1) Charlie Musselwhite, Harmonica, guitar, vocals
     Stu Blank, Keyboards
     Felton Crews, Bass
     Steven Hodges, Drums
2) (as 1 with Junior Watson, Guitar rather than Charlie)
3) (as above)
4) Charlie Musselwhite, guitar, vocals
     Kid Ramos, Lead and rhythm guitar
     Victor Bisetti, Drums
     Larry Taylor, Bass
     Cesar Rosas, slide guitar
5)  Charlie Musselwhite, Harmonica, vocals & guitar
      John Lawrence, Slide guitar
      Jeffrey "House" Clemens, Drums
      A.G. Hardesty, Bass
6)  (as #2)
7) (as #4) with Cesar Rosas taking the solo)
8) (as #2)
9)  Charlie Musselwhite, Vocals and harp
      John Lawrence, Guitars and churrango
      Jeffrey "House" Clemens, Drums
      Rene Coman, Bass
10) (As #2 with Charlie on slide guitar
11) Charlie Musselwhite, Vocals and guitar
12) Charlie Musselwhite, Harmonica
       Fenton Robinson, Guitar (1st solo)
       Junior Watson, Guitar (2nd solo)
       Stu Blank, Keyboards
       Felton Crews, Bass
       Steven Hodges, Drums

Recorded in Chicago, New Orleans and California

ROUGH NEWS
(1997) Pointblank/Virgin 7243 8 42856 2 3

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Continental Drifter

(Charlie Musselwhite 1999)

Tracks

1) No (Burton Gaar/George Hollinshead)
2) Can't Stay Away From You (Morgan C. Robinson)
3) Voodoo Garden (Tom McFarland)
4) Little Star (Barney Kessel)
5) Que te Parece, Cholita (Ulpiano Herrera)
6) Chan Chan (Charlie's Blues) (Francisco Repilado/Charlie Musselwhite)
7) Sabroso (Delicious) (Francisco Repilado/Charlie Musselwhite
8) Siboney (Ernestro Lecuna)
9) My Time Someday (Charlie Musselwhite)
10) Blues Up the River (Charlie Musselwhite)
11) Please Remember Me (Charlie Musselwhite)
 

Musicians:

The Band Sessions: The Cuban Sessions: The Solo Session: Recorded in Bergen, Norway at Grieghallen Studios.
Recorded in the SF Bay area at Fantasty Studios, Toast Studios, Russian Hill Studios.
Mixed at Russian Hill Studios.

Continental Drifter
(1999) Pointblank 7243 8 47130 2 7

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Blues From Chicago

Tracks

1) Big Boss Man
2) Low Down Funk
3) Lost Love
4) I'm Losin' You
5) You Got Me Cryin'
6) Hootchie Kootchie Man
7) Cherry Jam
 
 

Musicians:

BLUES FROM CHICAGO
(date unknown) Cherry Red CR-5104

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Chicago Bluestars Comin' Home

Tracks

Side One

1) I Need Your Loving
2) Early In The Morning
3) Coming Home, Baby
4) She's Got A Good 'Un
5) Route 66

 Side Two

1) It's Your Last Time
2) Summertime
3) Black Nights
4) You Better Cut That Out
5) Walking Through The Park

Musicians:

CHICAGO BLUESTARS COMIN' HOME
(date unknown)Blue Thumb BTS 9

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Ivar Avenue Reunion

Barry Goldberg - Neil Merryweather - Lynn Carey - Charlie Musselwhite

Tracks:

Side One
1) Ride Mama Ride (Merryweather/Carey)
2) After While (Spann)
3) Magic Fool (Richardson)
4) Fast Train (Carey/Merryweather)

 Side Two
1) My Daddy Was A Jockey (Musselwhite)
2) Charlotte Brown (Goldberg/Carey)
3) Run, Run Children (Merryweather/Carey)
4) Walkin' Shoes (Goldberg/Merryweather)
5) Toe Jam (Goldberg/Merryweather/Musselwhite/Richardson/Boers

Musicians

IVAR AVENUE REUNION
RCA LSP-4442

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The Dynatones - Curtain Call

Tracks

Side One
1) Curtain Call Blastoff
2) Everybody Needs Somebody
3) I'm Goin' Home
4) Walk Right In (The Walker Blues)

Side Two
1) This Little Voice
2) She Used To Be Beautiful
3) Christo Redemptor
5) Tick Tock
6) Trouble No More

Musicians:

Recorded live at the Belly Up Tavern, Solano Beach, California.

THE DYNATONES - CURTAIN CALL
1982 War Bride WB-9008

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