| 1 | B.B. King With Van Morrison– | If You Love Me
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor [Strings] – Phil Marshall (2)Bass – Pino PalladinoCello – Dane Little, Larry Colbert, Marston SmithDrums – Andy NewmarkGuitar – Neil HubbardKeyboards, Electric Organ [Hammond B3] – Paul CarrackPiano – Jools HollandViola – Robert BeckerViolin – Andrea Byers, Armen Garabedian, Berj Garabedian, Bruce Dukov, Kenneth Yerke, Norman Hughes, Tamara HatwanViolin, Concertmaster – Sid PageWritten-By – Van Morrison | 5:47 |
| 2 | B.B. King With Tracy Chapman– | The Thrill Is Gone
Arranged By [Strings], Arranged By [Horns], Trumpet – Darrell LeonardBass – Reggie McBrideCello – Martin Tillman, Miles TackettDrums, Percussion – Tony BraunagelElectric Organ [Hammond B3] – Paul CarrackElectric Piano [Wurlitzer] – Tommy EyreFrench Horn – Daniel Kelley*, Kurt Snyder, Yvonne Moriarty*Guitar – Johnny Lee Schell, Neil HubbardPercussion – Lenny CastroTenor Saxophone – Joe SublettWritten-By – Rick Darnell, Ray Hawkins* | 5:01 |
| 3 | B.B. King With Eric Clapton– | Rock Me Baby
Bass – Pino PalladinoElectric Organ [Hammond B3] – Paul CarrackGuitar – Eric ClaptonPercussion – Paulinho Da CostaProgrammed By – Paul Waller, Simon ClimieWritten-By – B. B. King*, Joe Josea | 6:37 |
| 4 | B.B. King With Mick Hucknall– | Please Send Me Someone To Love
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor [Strings] – Phil Marshall (2)Bass – Pino PalladinoCello – Dane Little, Larry Colbert, Marston SmithDrums – Andy NewmarkElectric Organ [Hammond B3] – Paul CarrackGuitar – Neil HubbardKeyboards, Piano – Chris StaintonViola – Robert BeckerViolin – Andrea Byers, Armen Garabedian, Berj Garabedian, Bruce Dukov, Kenneth Yerke, Norman Hughes, Tamara HatwanViolin, Concertmaster – Sid PageWritten-By – Percy Mayfield | 4:15 |
| 5 | B.B. King With Bonnie Raitt– | Baby I Love You
Backing Vocals – Sir Harry Bowens*, Terence Forsythe*, Vincent BonhamBass – Pino PalladinoDrums – Steve JordanGuitar – Bonnie Raitt, Hugh McCrackenOrgan – Leon PendarvisPiano – John Cleary*Written-By – Ronnie Shannon | 4:01 |
| 6 | B.B. King With D’Angelo– | Ain’t Nobody Home
Arranged By [Horns], Conductor [Horns] – Wardell QuezergueBaritone Saxophone – Carl BlouinBass – Pino PalladinoDrums – Steve JordanElectric Piano [Wurlitzer] – John Cleary*Guitar – Hugh McCrackenKeyboards – D’AngeloOrgan – Leon PendarvisPercussion – Lenny CastroTenor Saxophone – Joseph Saulsbury, Jr.*Trumpet – Brian Murray, Jamil SharifWritten-By – Jerry Ragovoy | 4:59 |
| 7 | B.B. King With Dr. John– | There Must Be A Better World Somewhere
Arranged By [Horns], Conductor [Horns] – Wardell QuezergueBaritone Saxophone – Carl BlouinBass – James “Hutch” HutchinsonDrums – Jim KeltnerGuitar – Randy JacobsKeyboards – Billy Payne*, Tommy EyrePercussion – Lenny CastroTenor Saxophone – Joseph Saulsbury, Jr.*Trumpet – Brian Murray, Jamil SharifWritten-By – Pomus*, Rebennack* | 4:28 |
| 8 | B.B. King With Marty Stuart– | Confessin’ The Blues
Bass – James “Hutch” HutchinsonDrums – Jim KeltnerElectric Organ [Hammond B3] – Tommy EyreGuitar – Marty StuartKeyboards – Billy Payne*Written-By – Jay McShann, Walter Brown | 4:21 |
| 9 | B.B. King With The Rolling Stones– | Paying The Cost To Be The Boss
Bass – Darryll Jones*Drums – Charlie WattsGuitar – Keith Richards, Ron WoodHarmonica – Mick JaggerKeyboards – Tommy EyreTenor Saxophone – Joe SublettTrumpet – Darrell LeonardVocals – Mick JaggerWritten-By – B. B. King* | 3:33 |
| 10 | B.B. King With Joe Cocker– | Dangerous Mood
Bass – James “Hutch” HutchinsonDrums – Kenny Aranoff*Electric Organ [Hammond B3] – C. J. Vanston*, Tommy EyreGuitar – Dean Parks, Michael LandauPiano – Chris StaintonWritten-By – Candy Parton, Kevin Moore (4) | 4:53 |
| 11 | B.B. King With Heavy D– | Keep It Coming
Bass – Pino PalladinoDrums – Steve JordanGuitar – Hugh McCrackenOrgan – Leon PendarvisPercussion – Lenny CastroPiano – John Cleary*Written-By – B. B. King*, Heavy D | 3:55 |
| 12 | B.B. King With David Gilmour & Paul Carrack– | Cryin’ Won’t Help You Babe
Backing Vocals – Sir Harry Bowens*, Terrence Forsythe, Vincent BonhamBass – Pino PalladinoDrums – Andy NewmarkGuitar – David Gilmour, Neil HubbardKeyboards, Organ – Paul CarrackPiano – Chris StaintonVocals – Paul CarrackWritten-By – B. B. King*, Sam Ling | 3:54 |
| 13 | B.B. King With Willie Nelson– | Night Life
Bass – James “Hutch” HutchinsonDrums – Jim KeltnerElectric Organ [Hammond B3] – Tommy EyreGuitar – Randy JacobsHarmonica – Mickey Rafael*Keyboards – Billy Payne*Written-By – Paul Buskirk, Walter Breeland, Willie Nelson |
I’ve heard of them all, but not much of or from them in the cases of D’Angelo and Hucknall…the latest King album I’ve picked up so far is SIX SILVER STRINGS…well more than half my life ago, now. Sigh.
Todd, B.B. King’s “The Thrill is Gone” holds a high position on my Favorite Songs of All Time list.
As well it might.
The SIX SILVER STRINGS playlist:
“Six Silver Strings” (David Crawford, Luther Dixon) – 4:22
“Big Boss Man” (Dixon, Al Smith) – 4:48
“In the Midnight Hour” (Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett) – 3:24
“Into the Night” (Ira Newborn) – 4:12
“My Lucille” (Newborn) – 3:42
“Memory Lane” (Crawford, Dixon) – 4:35
“My Guitar Sings the Blues” (Crawford, Dixon) – 3:39
“Double Trouble” (Crawford, Dixon) – 5:14
Noting it’s King’s 30th studio blues album, WIKIPEDIA quotes a fair review:
In a retrospective review: AllMusic criticized the lackluster “pop rock” work shown in the Crawford-produced tracks, with uninspired performances from King, but praised the tunes from the Landis/Newborn session, calling “My Lucille” an “underrated signature classic.”[1] “My Lucille” was used in the film Into the Night in a scene where the lead male character walks into a bar.
–My major exception to that would be the film’s theme song, “Into the Night”, which is an incompletely successful but still decent bluesy ballad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HatuaA7pemQ John Landis’s bookending this video is unsurprisingly obnoxious (Landis directed INTO THE NIGHT, and is probably most of the reason this Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer film is less than it should be), but this the theme song tor the film.
An interesting selection—and I probably wouldn’t stop listening to any of them—but my favorite BB King “duet” isn’t really a duet at all: it’s the 1996 song “Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand” by the Primitive Radio Gods. It’s a melancholy late-20th century gem which samples BB’s 1964 song, “How Blue Can You Get” to great effect.
Deb, I’ll have to check out “Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money in My Hand” by the Primitive Radio Gods. I am familiar with “How Blue Can You Get.”
Also, I can’t believe I forgot to mention “When Love Comes to Town” by U-2 and BB King. A real banger from the late 1980s.
Deb, I have heard “When Love Comes to Town” by U2 and King! Great song!
Good stuff.
I do have a B. B. King duets album, so.it could be this one. (We’re not home to check.) We’re first saw him at the Fillmore East in 1969, and last saw him at 85 (on a bill with Re. Al Green) at Radio City, where he had to sit the entire concert.
I also love “Sweet Sixteen” and, ” Nobody Loves Me But My Mother, And She Could Be Jiving Too.”
Jeff, I wish I’d seen B. B. King when I had chances over the years.
OK, I’m home. I checked, and it was a totally different duets album, though some songs and some singers were the same.
B.B. King & Friends – 80
Van Morrison – Early in the Morning
Billy F. Gibbons – Tired of Your Jive
Eric Clapton – The Thrill is Gone
Sheryl Crow – Need Your Love So Bad
Daryl Hall – Ain’t Nobody Home
John Mayer – Hummingbird
Mark Knopfler – All Over Again
Glenn Frey – Drivin’ Wheel
Gloria Estefan – There Must Be A Better World Somewhere
Roger Daltrey – Never Make Your Move Too Soon
Bobby Bland – Funny How Time Slips Away
Elton John – Rock This House
Jeff, that duet album looks good! I’m ordering it!
Seeing Paul Carrack’s name as one of the collaborators sent me to Amazon to see if his 3-cd COLLECTED is still available. It appears to be out of print (it looks like the whole line is), but there are sellers offering it for a reasonable $30 or so. This is a really nice collection, with tracks by Ace, Squeeze, Mike + the Mechanics and others, as well as his extensive solo career. I really enjoy playing this set.
Jeff, I’ll have to check out Paul Carrack’s 3-CD COLLECTED!
I like blues but have to take it in small doses! Hearing it for hours on end makes me damn near suicidal!
Bob, same here. I tolerate Blue music best in small doses, too!