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Post by SweetNadine on Mar 30, 2003 10:55:48 GMT -5
ELVIN BISHOP: A DESTROYER CHRONICLE
Though George Thorogood & The Destroyers have been making records since 1977 they’ve only had four guest artists record with them—late Rolling Stones keyboard player, Ian Stewart, Keith Richards’ Xpensive Winos lead guitarist, Waddy Wachtel (who also co-produced 1997’s Rockin’ My Life Away),Chuck Berry piano legend, Johnny Johnson and longtime friend and guitar virtuoso, Elvin Bishop. For Bishop, Ride ‘Til I Die marks his second appearance with the band, the first having come on the title track of 1995’s live album, Let’s Work Together.
“I first met George back in the late 70s at a PBS TV show,” recalled Elvin recently during a phone conversation from East Lansing, Michigan, where he took time from his busy touring schedule to contribute to Destroyer Chronicles. “It seemed to me that I’d known him forever. He had this way about him I liked right away. Not taking no for an answer. He had that.
” Growing up in Oklahoma, Elvin Bishop cut his teeth listening to the mesmerizing strains of the blues he heard emanating late at night from radio stations as far away as Mexico and Shreveport, Louisiana. His breakthrough, musically speaking, came when he won a National Merit Scholarship to the University of Chicago. It put him right in the middle of the burgeoning Chicago blues scene and he was soon visiting all the local clubs and learning basic blues guitar from Howlin’ Wolf guitarist, Smokey Smothers.
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Post by SweetNadine on Mar 30, 2003 10:57:43 GMT -5
"I remember the first time I heard Elvin playing was in the Butterfield Blues Band,” says George Thorogood. “He was amazing. I don’t think I ever heard anyone play like that before and I immediately became a fan. He’s someone I could sit and listen to play guitar all day long and never get tired,” he continues. Elvin searches his memory: “I’m not sure of the date, but I remember him (George) showing up at one of my gigs (post Butterfield). We had one hell of a jam session. We just hit it off,” he recalls. Elvin’s work with harmonica virtuoso, Paul Butterfield, took them to almost every type of venue imaginable—from college campuses and private homes to parks and nightclubs. When the Butterfield Blues Band took off in 1963, Elvin attracted international attention for his unique signature sound. After leaving that band in 1968, following the release of the In My Own Dream album, Elvin re-located to the San Francisco area and soon began playing at Bill Graham’s legendary Filmore with artists like Jimi Hendrix, BB King and Eric Clapton. George and the Destroyers had always liked Elvin’s Don’t Let The Bossman Get You Down! The song was the title track for Bishop’s 1991 Alligator album and again re-surfaced when the Destroyers got together with Grammy winning producer, Jim Gaines to discuss material for a new record. “I got a call asking if I’d like to come down to L.A. and record “Bossman” with George and the band,” Elvin said, “and I showed up at Rumbo Recorders in late September to cut it with them. We actually recorded a couple of other things too, an old Muddy Waters tune and a slow song I’d written, but we never got them the way we wanted them. I think “Bossman” turned out great and I had a ball singing and playing on it. ” What does the future hold in store for Elvin Bishop and possible Destroyer collaborations? “Well, we’ve toured together in the past—in the Midwest and up into Canada, and that was a lot of fun,” says Elvin. “Anytime I’m around those guys we manage to have a great time, so I’ll be ready if they call again. I’ll be recording again (in early 2003) with new tunes for another album on Alligator and, of course, I’ll be on the road a lot. It seems I’m always working. ” Said Thorogood, of his good friend, “Elvin Bishop is a true original. Just being around him always brings me up and I’m looking forward to the next time we get together, no matter where that might be.” NOTE: For more information about Elvin Bishop, including current and forthcoming tour information, please go to www.Alligator.com/artists/21/bio.html. For a complete discography, please refer to allmusic.com and click on Elvin Bishop in the artists section.
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