[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Np5Nmxr-1Y]
With over half a century in the business of playing the blues, Riley B. King - "B.B." to millions - is the total embodiment of a living legend. As we dive headfirst into box set season, it looks like King's getting a box set from Hip-O/UMe worthy of that legend - and fans can be a part of it.
Ladies and Gentlemen...Mr. B.B. King, crafted in honor of the 50th anniversary of King's contract with ABC-Paramount, has all the hallmarks of a major-label affair; compiled by Bill Levenson and Andy McKaie, two of Universal's most decorated producers, the scope of this box is enormous. Ten CDs, featuring two discs of his earliest recordings on the Bullet, Modern/RPM and Kent/Crown labels and eight discs of the ABC/Impulse/MCA/Geffen eras (these discs will feature, in total, one track from every album recorded during this period). The as-yet unannounced track list will feature guest appearances from Etta James, The Rolling Stones, U2 and more, as well as a 72-page book of liner notes, essays, rare photos and discographical information. (For the less adventurous, a four-disc distillation of the box will be available as well.)
Now, where do you come in? Universal is taking the interesting step of raising awareness for the box through PledgeMusic, a Kickstarter-esque site. Fans can pledge any amount toward the box, but $13 and up will get you an immediate download of King's long out-of-print 1975 ABC LP Lucille Talks Back, while $50 will guarantee you the four-disc box and $138 or more the full ten-disc compilation. A limited number of offers (250 apiece) for European audiences will also throw in a DVD or Blu-Ray of King's Live at The Royal Albert Hall 2011 (£55 for the four-disc box plus DVD, £125 for the 10-disc box plus Blu-Ray).
As of this writing, the PledgeMusic campaign has raised 37% of its unspecified goal with 19 days left to pledge. Retailers are showing a September 25 ship date for the 10-disc box and an October 9 date for the smaller set. After the jump, take a look at the full box set's track list.
B.B. King, Ladies and Gentlemen...Mr B.B. King (Hip-O/UMe, 2012)
Disc 1: Three O’Clock Blues (1949-1956)
- Miss Martha King
- When Your Baby Packs Up and Goes
- Got the Blues
- Take a Swing with Me
- B.B. Boogie
- Don’t You Want a Man Like Me
- Fine Looking Woman
- She’s Dynamite
- Three O’Clock Blues
- That Ain’t the Way to Do It
- You Know I Love You
- Woke Up This Morning
- Please Love Me
- Blind Love
- The Woman I Love
- Whole Lotta’ Love
- Everyday I Have the Blues
- Love You Baby (a/k/a Take a Swing with Me)
- When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer
- You Upset Me Baby
- Sneakin’ Around
- Shut Your Mouth
- Boogie Rock
- Ten Long Years
- Crying Won’t Help You
- Bad Luck
- Troubles, Troubles, Troubles
Disc 2: Rock Me Baby (1956-1962)
- Sweet Little Angel
- Early in the Morning
- (I’m Gonna) Quit My Baby
- On My Word of Honor
- Days of Old
- Recession Blues
- Please Accept My Love
- Everyday I Have the Blues (with The Count Basie Orchestra)
- Precious Lord
- Sweet Sixteen, Parts 1 & 2
- Don’t Get Around Much Anymore (with The Duke Ellington Orchestra)
- I’ll Survive
- (I’ve) Got a Right to Love My Baby
- It’s My Own Fault
- You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now
- Walking Dr. Bill
- Catfish Blues (Fishin’ After Me)
- Partin’ Time
- You’re Breaking My Heart
- Rock Me Baby
- Blue Shadows
- The Jungle
- That Evil Child
Disc 3: How Blue Can You Get? (1963-1966)
- You Ask Me
- I’m Gonna Sit In ‘Til You Give In
- Blues At Midnight
- My Baby’s Coming Home
- Chains of Love
- Sneakin’ Around
- Slowly Losing My Mind
- How Blue Can You Get?
- Whole Lotta Lovin’
- I Wonder Why (previously unreleased)
- Please Accept My Love
- Help the Poor
- Never Trust a Woman
- Worryin’ Blues
- Stop Leadin’ Me On
- Everyday I Have the Blues (Live at The Regal Theatre)
- Sweet Little Angel (Live at The Regal Theatre)
- It’s My Own Fault (Live at the Regal Theatre)
- How Blue Can You Get? (Live at the Regal Theatre)
- Please Love Me (Live at The Regal Theatre)
- Tired of Your Jive
- All Over Again
- I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water
- Cherry Red
- You’re Still a Square
- Don’t Answer the Door, Parts 1 & 2
- Waitin’ on You
- Night Life
Disc 4: Why I Sing The Blues (1966-1969)
- Gambler’s Blues (Live at The International Club)
- Buzz Me (Live at The International Club)
- Sweet Sixteen, Parts 1 & 2 (Live at The International Club)
- Think It Over
- Done Got Wise
- Paying the Cost to Be the Boss
- I’m Gonna Do What They Do to Me
- Dance with Me
- Lucille
- Watch Yourself
- You Put It on Me
- Messy But Good
- Get Myself Somebody
- My Mood (Live at The Village Gate)
- I Want You So Bad
- Get Off My Back Woman
- Why I Sing the Blues
Disc 5: The Thrill is Gone (1969-1971)
- The Thrill is Gone
- Confessin’ the Blues
- So Excited
- No Good
- Go Underground
- Nobody Loves Me But My Mother
- Chains and Things
- Ask Me No Questions
- Hummingbird
- Everyday I Have the Blues (Live at Cook County Jail)
- How Blue Can You Get? (Live at Cook County Jail)
- Worry, Worry (Live at Cook County Jail)
- Sweet Sixteen (Live at Sankei Hall)
- Eyesight to the Blind (Live at Sankei Hall)
- Niji Baby (Live at Sankei Hall)
- The Thrill is Gone (Live at Sankei Hall)
Disc 6: Lucille Talks Back (1971-1976)
- I Got Some Help I Don’t Need
- Blue Shadows
- Ghetto Woman
- Ain’t Nobody Home
- Guess Who
- Five Long Years
- I Like to Live the Love
- To Know You is to Love You
- Philadelphia
- Three O’Clock Blues (Live with Bobby "Blue" Bland)
- Lucille Talks Back
- Reconsider Baby
- Don’t Make Me Pay for His Mistakes
- Let the Good Times Roll (Live with Bobby "Blue" Bland)
- Don’t You Lie to Me
- Mother Fuyer
- The Same Love That Made Me Laugh
Disc 7: When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around) (1977-1982)
- When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around)
- Hold On (I Feel Our Love is Changing)
- Never Make Your Move Too Soon
- Better Not Look Down
- Happy Birthday Blues
- I’ve Always Been Lonely
- Caldonia (Live at The University of Mississippi)
- I Got Some Help I Don’t Need (Live at The University of Mississippi)
- Life Ain’t Nothing But a Party
- The Victim
- There Must Be a Better World Somewhere
- Nightlife/Please Send Me Someone to Love
- Inflation Blues
- Sell My Monkey
- Darlin’ You Know I Love You
- Make Love to Me
Disc 8: When Love Comes to Town (1984-1992)
- Into the Night
- Six Silver Strings
- When Love Comes to Town - U2 with B.B. King
- Standing on the Edge of Love
- Lay Another Log on the Fire
- Take Off Your Shoes
- Nobody Love Me But My Mother (Live at San Quentin Prison)
- Right Place, Wrong Time (with Bonnie Raitt)
- All Over Again (Live at The Apollo)
- I’m Moving On
- Back in L.A.
- Fool Me Once
- There is Always One More Time
- Monday Morning Blues (Blues for Mr. G)
- Since I Met You Baby (Live at the Town & Country) (with Gary Moore)
Disc 9: Blues Man (1993-1999)
- Playin’ with My Friends (with Robert Cray)
- There’s Something on Your Mind (with Etta James)
- I Gotta Move Out of This Neighborhood/Nobody Loves Me But My Mother
- You Don’t Know Me - Diane Schuur & B.B. King
- Stormy Monday Blues - The GRP All-Star Big Band with B.B. King
- Rock Me Baby (Live at The Rosengarten)
- Confessin’ the Blues (with Marty Stuart)
- Paying the Cost to Be the Boss (with The Rolling Stones)
- Blues Man
- Bad Case of Love
- Blues Boys Tune
- I’ll Survive
- Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens
- I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town
- Ain’t That Just Like a Woman
- Caldonia
Disc 10: Key to the Highway (2000-2008)
- Ten Long Years - Eric Clapton & B.B. King
- Key to the Highway - Eric Clapton & B.B. King
- I Got to Leave This Woman
- Monday Woman
- Don’t Go No Farther
- You’re on Top
- Back Door Santa
- Exactly Like You
- Sinner’s Prayer - Ray Charles with B.B. King
- Early in the Morning (with Van Morrison)
- Rock This House (with Elton John)
- You Have a Way
- Everybody Loves You
- Key to the Highway (Live at B.B. King’s Blues Club)
- Midnight Blues
- Get These Blues Off Me
- See That My Grave is Kept Clean
- Waiting for Your Call
- Haunted House
Disc 1, Tracks 1-2 from Bullet single 309, 1949
Disc 1, Tracks 3-4 from Bullet single 315, 1949
Disc 1, Track 5 from RPM single 304, 1950
Disc 1, Track 6 from RPM single 318, 1951
Disc 1, Track 7 from RPM single 348, 1952
Disc 1, Track 8 from RPM single 323, 1951
Disc 1, Tracks 9-10 from RPM single 339, 1951
Disc 1, Track 11 from RPM single 363, 1952
Disc 1, Track 12 from RPM single 380, 1953
Disc 1, Track 13 from RPM single 386, 1953
Disc 1, Track 14 from RPM single 395, 1953
Disc 1, Tracks 15 and 18 from RPM single 408, 1954
Disc 1, Tracks 16 and 20 from RPM single 416, 1954
Disc 1, Tracks 17 and 21 from RPM single 421, 1954
Disc 1, Track 19 from RPM single 412, 1954
Disc 1, Track 22 from RPM single 430, 1955
Disc 1, Track 23 from RPM single 435, 1955
Disc 1, Track 24 from RPM single 437, 1955
Disc 1, Track 25 from RPM single 451, 1955
Disc 1, Track 26 and Disc 2, Track 1 from RPM single 468, 1956
Disc 1, Track 27 and Disc 2, Track 2 from RPM single 492, 1957
Disc 2, Track 3 from RPM single 494, 1957
Disc 2, Track 4 from RPM single 479, 1956
Disc 2, Track 5 from Kent single 307, 1958
Disc 2, Track 6 from Kent single 4572, 1972
Disc 2, Track 7 from Kent single 315, 1958
Disc 2, Track 8 from Kent single 327, 1959
Disc 2, Track 9 from B.B. King Sings Spirituals (Crown 5119, 1959)
Disc 2, Track 10 from Kent single 330, 1960
Disc 2, Track 11 from Compositions of Duke Ellington (Crown 5153, 1960)
Disc 2, Track 12 from King of the Blues (Crown 5167, 1960)
Disc 2, Tracks 13-14 from Kent single 333, 1960
Disc 2, Track 15-16 from Kent single 350, 1960
Disc 2, Track 17 from Kent single 351, 1960
Disc 2, Track 18 from Kent single 396, 1964
Disc 2, Track 19 from Kent single 362, 1961
Disc 2, Track 20 from Kent single 393, 1964
Disc 2, Track 21 from Kent single 426, 1965
Disc 2, Track 22 from Kent single 462, 1967
Disc 2, Track 23 from Kent single 4562, 1971
Disc 3, Tracks 1-6 from Mr. Blues (ABC 456, 1963)
Disc 3, Track 7 from ABC-Paramount single 10486, 1963
Disc 3, Tracks 8 and 11 from ABC-Paramount single 10527, 1964
Disc 3, Track 9 from ABC-Paramount single 10576, 1964
Disc 3, Track 12 from ABC-Paramount single 10552, 1964
Disc 3, Tracks 13-14 from ABC-Paramount single 10599, 1964
Disc 3, Track 15 from ABC-Paramount single 10616, 1965
Disc 3, Tracks 16-20 from Live at The Regal (ABC-Paramount 509, 1965)
Disc 3, Track 21 from ABC-Paramount single 10675, 1965
Disc 3, Track 22 from ABC-Paramount single 10724, 1965
Disc 3, Tracks 23-24 from Confessin' the Blues (ABC 528, 1966)
Disc 3, Track 25 from ABC-Paramount single 10766, 1966
Disc 3, Track 26 from ABC single 10856, 1966
Disc 3, Tracks 27-28 from ABC-Paramount single 10889, 1966
Disc 4, Tracks 1-2 from Blues is King (BluesWay BLS 6001, 1967
Disc 4, Track 3 from BluesWay single 61012, 1967
Disc 4, Track 4 from BluesWay single 61004, 1967
Disc 4, Track 5 from His Best/The Electric B.B. King (BluesWay BLS 6022, 1968)
Disc 4, Tracks 6-9 from Blues on Top of Blues (BluesWay BLS 6011, 1968)
Disc 4, Tracks 10-11 from Lucille (BluesWay BLS 6016, 1968)
Disc 4, Tracks 12-13 from For the Love of Ivy soundtrack (ABC 7, 1968)
Disc 4, Track 14 from BlueWay single 61022, 1969
Disc 4, Tracks 15-18 from Live and Well (BluesWay BLS 6031, 1969)
Disc 5, Tracks 1-4 from Completely Well (BluesWay BLS 6037, 1969)
Disc 5, Tracks 5-9 from Indianola Mississippi Seeds (ABC 713, 1970)
Disc 5, Tracks 10-12 from Live at Cook County Jail (ABC 723, 1971)
Disc 5, Tracks 13-16 from Live in Japan (ABC Japan 841, 1971)
Disc 6, Track 1 from L.A. Midnight (ABC 734, 1971)
Disc 6, Tracks 2-4 from In London (ABC 730, 1971)
Disc 6, Tracks 5-6 from Guess Who (ABC 759, 1972)
Disc 6, Tracks 7-8 from To Know You is to Love You (ABC X794, 1973)
Disc 6, Track 9 from Friends (ABC S825, 1974)
Disc 6, Track 10 from Together for the First Time (ABC-Dunhill DSY-50190, 1974)
Disc 6, Tracks 11-13 from Lucille Talks Back (ABC D898, 1975)
Disc 6, Track 14 from Together Again...Live (ABC-Impulse ASD-9317, 1976)
Disc 6, Tracks 15-17 from King Size (ABC AB-977, 1977)
Disc 7, Tracks 1-3 from Midnight Believer (ABC AA-1061, 1978)
Disc 7, Tracks 4-6 from Take It Home (MCA 3151, 1979)
Disc 7, Tracks 7-8 from Now Appearing at Ole Miss (MCA 2-8016, 1980)
Disc 7, Tracks 9-11 from There Must Be a Better World Somewhere (MCA 5162, 1981)
Disc 7, Track 12 from Love Me Tender (MCA 5307, 1982)
Disc 7, Tracks 13-16 from Blues 'N Jazz (MCA 27119, 1983)
Disc 8, Tracks 1-2 from Six Silver Strings (MCA 5616, 1985)
Disc 8, Track 3 from Rattle and Hum (Island 91003, 1988)
Disc 8, Tracks 4-6 from King of the Blues 1989 (MCA 42183, 1989)
Disc 8, Track 7 from Live at San Quentin (MCA 6455, 1990)
Disc 8, Track 8 from Air America soundtrack (MCA 6467, 1990)
Disc 8, Track 9 from Live at The Apollo (GRP GRD-9637, 1991)
Disc 8, Tracks 10-13 from There is Always One More Time (MCA 10295, 1991)
Disc 8, Track 14 from Garfield: Am I Cool or What? (GRP GRD-9641, 1991)
Disc 8, Track 15 from "Parisienne Walkways '93" CD single (Virgin VSCDT 1456, 1993)
Disc 9, Tracks 1-3 from Blues Summit (MCA 10710, 1993)
Disc 9, Track 4 from Heart to Heart (GRP GRD-9767, 1994)
Disc 9, Track 5 from All Blues (GRP GRD-9800, 1995)
Disc 9, Track 6 from How Blue Can You Get? Classic Live Performances 1964-1994 (MCA 2-11443, 1996)
Disc 9, Tracks 7-8 from Deuces Wild (MCA 11711, 1997)
Disc 9, Tracks 9-12 from Blues on the Bayou (MCA 11879, 1998)
Disc 9, Tracks 13-16 from Let the Good Times Roll: The Music of Louis Jordan (MCA 088 112 042-2, 1999)
Disc 10, Tracks 1-2 from Riding with the King (Reprise 47612, 2000)
Disc 10, Tracks 3-6 from Making Love is Good for You (MCA 088 112 241-2, 1999)
Disc 10, Track 7 from A Christmas Celebration of Hope (MCA 088 112 756-2, 2001)
Disc 10, Track 8 from Reflections (MCA B0000532-02, 2003)
Disc 10, Track 9 from Genius Loves Company (Concord 13431 2248-2, 2004)
Disc 10, Tracks 10-11 from 80 (Geffen B0005263-02, 2005)
Disc 10, Tracks 12-13 from A Touch in Common: One Touch EP (Geffen, 2005)
Disc 10, Track 14 from Live (Geffen B0009770-02, 2006)
Disc 10, Tracks 15-19 from One Kind Favor (Geffen B0011971-02, 2008)
mark schlesinger says
Obscene money grab by one of the world's most prosperous companies. This might be acceptable behavior from an unknown artist and/or an independent company--but not from UNIVERSAL, which gobbles up the music industry!
Shaun says
Have to agree... Total money grab, and we're not even told what the track listing is?
Picking one track per album from his most popular years doesn't strike me as a selling point. This means a lot of great, classic songs are going to be left off. I realize even a ten-disc set merely scratches the surface of B.B.'s output, but I don't like anything I'm reading about this.
ronfwnc says
Utilizing "PledgeMusic, a Kickstarter-esque site," to raise money is nothing more than a clumsy attempt to have motivated fans pick up some of the pre-release production costs. Shameful, but what else would you expect from Universal?
mark schlesinger says
yeah, those guys should be running for office. They act just like a bunch of donkeys & elephants. On second thought, they should be running from me!
ronfwnc says
Yeah, I know what you mean. If the government ran a record company it would be Universal.
Kevin says
The government does run a record company. It is called Smithsonian. And it is an excellent company. All reissues, pretty much, but excellent.
mark schlesinger says
granted.
mark schlesinger says
JSP or Proper would sell this thing for $50.
Kevin says
A compilation? One song from every record? Well maybe a couple here and there.
I am totally done buying hit and miss compilations.
Put it all out, even if you want to make several volumes.
License it to Bear Family who would do it right.
Forget about it.
ronfwnc says
MCA released a relatively decent career-spanning 4-disc box set 20 years ago called King of the Blues (which remains available) which properly places the emphasis on King's triumphant recordings of the '50's and '60s. Including one song from every album - and there certainly have been some less than great ones - seems arbitrary and pointless.
Robert Lett says
I may be in the minority, but I'm all over this.
Todd R. says
I've met the man. Had conversations with him. But more importantly , I've heard him play. ANY B.B. King is better than none. Period. I will admit, my KING OF THE BLUES (mentioned above) does hold a special place in my heart.
Tom says
Looks good, but I wish the song from "Thelma & Louise" called "Better Not Look Down" had been included. Love that song! It's the one that got me interested in Mr. King.