HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Muddy Waters

Born McKinley Morganfield on 3 April 1913 in Mississippi, Muddy Waters got the first part of his name from his grandmother, who raised him upon his mother's death, because he liked to play in the muddy waters of nearby Deer Creek. As the "aristocrat" of the blues, Waters was one of those phenomena who seemed to easily own just about everything he did as first nature, another smooth act like T-Bone Walker who infused the blues with a sense of class, though not so stylishly as near contemporaries in jazz like Cab Calloway or Duke Ellington in their tuxedos, and a realm away from gentlemen of another sort in the classical field, such as their near contemporary, Sir William Turner Walton, knighted in 1951 by old wealth Queen Elizabeth II.

Waters had early started playing harmonica in a distinctly less royal environment, but headed that general direction when he bought himself a guitar at age seventeen, first learning to play in the bottleneck (slide) style. Soon playing both solo and with a group called the Son Simms Four, Waters then opened a juke joint and played there as well. He first recorded as McKinley Morganfield in Stovall, Mississippi, circa 24-31 August, 1941, per 'Country Blues' and 'I Be's Troubled'. Those were with fiddler, Son Simms, for Library of Congress historian, Alan Lomax. Those eventually got issued in 1993 on CD by Chess on 'The Complete Plantation Recordings' (CHD 9344). Titles followed in '42, also with Simms for the Library of Congress, also on 'The Complete Plantation Recordings'.

'Country Blues' Muddy Waters Fiddle: Son Simms Lomax & Work field recording c Aug 1941

See 'The Complete Plantation Recordings' on CHD 9344 issued in 1993

Composition: Waters

'I Be's Troubled' Muddy Waters Fiddle: Son Simms

Lomax & Work field recording August 1941 Issued on AAFS 18 (LOC Archive of American Folk Song)

The sovereign of Chicago blues didn't make it to Chicago with dust on his shoes until 1943, where he upgraded to electric guitar in 1945, a gift from an uncle which served him well. Phil Wight and Fred Rothwell have Morganfield recording 'Mean Red Spider' as James Sweet Lucy Carter with 'Let Me Be Your Coal Man' on the flip side (20th Century 20-51 '48). September 27 of '46 saw Waters with pianist, James Clark, on several tracks, three backing Homer Harris (issued '73), two supporting Clark on 'Come to Me Baby'/'You Can’t Make the Grade' thought to have been issued in '47 (Columbia 37391/30020). Between those sets had arrived three unissued tracks on the same date by Waters, supported by Clark, et al: 'Jitterbug Blues', 'Hard Day Blues' and 'Burying Ground Blues'.

'Let Me Be Your Coal Man' Muddy Waters as James "Sweet Lucy" Carter

Recorded in Chicago sometime 1946 Issued on 20th Century 20-51A in 1947

'Mean Red Spider' Muddy Waters as James "Sweet Lucy" Carter

Recorded in Chicago sometime 1946 Issued on 20th Century 20-51B in 1947

Composition: Waters

'You Can’t Make the Grade' Muddy Waters w James "Beale Street" Clark

Recorded 27 Sep 1946 Issued on Columbia 37391 in 1946

Composition: James Clark

Sunnyland Slim's 'Johnson Machine Gun'/'Fly Right Little Girl' (Aristocrat 1301) followed sometime in 1947. Sequential matrix numbers suggest the same date that Slim backed Waters on 'Gypsy Woman '/'Little Anna Mae' (Aristocrat 1302). Come April of '48 Slim backed Waters on 'Good Lookin’ Woman' (Chess LP 680002 '85) and 'Mean Disposition' (Chess LP 2057 '84), neither released until years indicated. It was likely the same date that Waters supported Slim''s 'She Ain’t Nowhere'/'My Baby, My Baby' (Aristocrat 1301).

'Gypsy Woman' Muddy Waters Piano: Sunnyland Slim

Recorded 30 Sep 1947 in Chicago Issued on Aristocrat 1302A in March 1948

Composition: Waters

'Little Anna Mae' Muddy Waters Piano: Sunnyland Slim

Recorded 30 Sep 1947 in Chicago Issued on Aristocrat 1302B in March 1948

Composition: Waters

Following Sunnyland, Waters entered into a steady recording career, sessioning variously with such as Ernest Crawford (bassist whose first session with Waters had been for 'Mean Red Spider'), Jimmy Oden, again with Slim ('Blue Baby'/'I Want My Baby' '48), Jimmy Rogers (guitar), et al. By 1950 Waters had built a strong reputation and was well on the trail toward prominent recognition. His configurations in the early fifties included such as Rogers, Elga Evans (drums), Little Walter (harmonica), Otis Spann (piano) and Willie Dixon (bass).

'Rollin' Stone' ('Catfish Blues') Muddy Waters Bass: Big Crawford

Recorded Feb 1950 in Chicago Issued on Chess 1426 in June 1950

Composition: Waters The rock band, Rolling Stones, was named after this title.

'Lonesome Day' Muddy Waters Chicago 1952

Personnel: Little Walter, Jimmy Rogers, Elgin Evans

Composition: Waters

Reflecting Waters' popularity during his first decade of recording were his fourteen R&B Top Ten titles, 'I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man' reaching #3 in 1954.

'Hoochie Coochie Man' Muddy Waters

Recorded 7 Jan 1954 in Chicago Issued on Chess 1560

Composition: Willie Dixon

'I Just Want to Make Love to You' Muddy Waters

Recorded 13 April 1954 in Chicago Issued on Chess 1571

Composition: Willie Dixon

'I'm Ready' Muddy Waters

Recorded 1 Sep 1954 in Chicago Issued on Chess 1579

Composition: Willie Dixon

Waters toured England for the first time in 1958, again in 1972 toward 'The London Muddy Waters Sessions'. He would join trombonist, Chris Barber, at Alexandra Palace in London in July of 1979 for 'Kansas City', 'Lend Me Your Love' and 'Corrine Corrina'. Other locations highlighting Waters' career include Newport Jazz Festivals in Rhode Island. One in 1960 had resulted in his first live LP, 'At Newport 1960'. Another in 1965 found him with Dizzy Gillespie performing 'Got My Mojo Working' (Preston Foster). He performed for Canadian television in 1966:

Muddy Waters filmed live at the Newport Jazz Festival 1960

Corresponding album: 'At Newport 1960'

'Got My Mojo Workin'' Muddy Waters Canadian television 1966

Composition: Preston Foster

'All Aboard' Muddy Waters Album: 'Fathers and Sons'

Recorded 21-23 April 1969 Issued by Chess in Aug 1969

Among personnel: Harmonica: Paul Butterfield Guitar: Michael Bloomfield

Composition: Waters

'Mannish Boy' Muddy Waters filmed live 1971

Composition: Waters / Mel London

'Champagne & Reefer' Muddy Waters 1977

Composition: Waters

'Who Do You Trust' Muddy Waters 1978

Composition: Waters

'I'm a King Bee' Muddy Waters filmed live at Chicago Fest Aug 1981

Composition: James Moore

'You Don't Have to Go' Muddy Waters filmed live at Chicago Fest Aug 1981

Composition: Jimmy Reed

Water's last album, 'King Bee', had been recorded in May of 1980 toward issue in 1981. His last performance was with Eric Clapton in 1982 in Hollywood, Florida: