John Mayall Won’t Tour Anymore, But He Has at Least One More Album in Him

yahoo news ^ | 10/20/21 | David Browne

[Michael.SF.]

There’s a growing list of veteran pop and rock acts who’ve announced an end to touring — Paul Simon, Joan Baez, Elton John — and we can now add another: John Mayall.

The godfather of the British blues scene, who will turn 88 next month, has announced an end to his “epic road-dog days”: “I have decided, due to the risks of the pandemic and my advancing age, that it is time for me to hang up my road shoes,” he says.

[Michael.SF.]

Just saw this. Another legend retires.

I saw him again here in Scottsdale about three years ago. The man still had it.

Also had the brief pleasure of meeting him when we visited his son in west LA (this was '79 or '80). Mayall popped in to say hi to his son and listened to the impromptu jam session. Mayall was very impressed with Fredo, our 19 year old harmonica player (the rest of us, well, not so much). Told him "he had it", but it was not to be.

Mayall had a long great run with a lot of great people brought up under his wing. Sorry that I won't be able to see him again

[BenLurkin]

Electric piano done right....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-CtM8Qt5qU

[bagadonutz]

I was lucky to see him and his band in 2019 at a small theater. His lead guitar player was a very talented red headed woman. He is great on leading a band and letting the talent shine.

[pepsi_junkie]

A lot of people don't know Mayall these days but he was really important in cultivating the British blues scene. From his band sprung Eric Clapton as a guitar god and Fleetwood Mac, which began as a straight blues band.

As a guy who plays guitar a bit I know that his album featuring Eric Clapton was earth shattering. On that album Clapton broke with the trends of the time and played an old Gibson Les Paul (which at the time were out of production because nobody wanted them) into a new-fangled Marshall amplifier and he CRANKED it. The tone he got and his aggressive playing made guitar players stop in their tracks.

After that the way guitarists played and what they played on changed and birthed the rock gods of the late '60s and '70s. Mayall did that. Then he brought in Peter Green and that's a whole 'nuther story but the punchline is "and they went on to form Fleetwood Mac". I have two of his records, the one with Clapton and the one with Green. Good stuff.

[Michael.SF.]

Very nice, thank you Ben.

Was not familiar with that one, reminded me of his USA Union Album (My Pretty Girl, Deep Blue Sea).

Which album was that track originally on?

[Michael.SF.]

Absolutely.

I am sure we must have seen the same girl. She was, in my opinion , a bit uncomfortable to be the focus of attention, but given more time on tour, I am sure she grew out of that.

She was a remarkably good guitarist.

We saw them at the Musical Instrument Museum, which has a 300-350 seat theater. Great venue.

[Michael.SF.]

Good info, Thanks.

He did have a great knack for developing talent.

Did? sorry, I should say: still does.

[FreeReign]

John Mayall Won’t Tour Anymore...

"That's all way in the past".

[BenLurkin]

[jy8z]

Retiring? He'll always have Room To Move

[GOP Poet]

Wonderful story about the impromptu jam session. Nice you were able to see him before his retirement.

[Olog-hai]

Wasn’t just Clapton in the Bluesbreakers, but the late Jack Bruce too. Just like it was not just Peter Green, but also Mick Fleetwood and John McVie in that band.

Also featured in this band were Mick Taylor (more famous for his stint in the Stones), Aynsley Dunbar (too many to count, including Zappa’s band, Journey [original drummer], Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck et al), even Patti Smith as a backing vocalist.

[Michael.SF.]

USA Union was 1970. with Mark-Almond years.

Last Edition was 1974. Larry Taylor on bass on both albums. I will have to look that on up as it sounded great.

[Michael.SF.]

Wikipedia does have some purpose:

List of John Mayall Band members by year

Wow, Lots of very familiar names!

[Billthedrill]

88? Lazy bugger.

Kidding. We are all getting so old, aren't we?

[BenLurkin]

This is the other Mayall album in my collection. Overall it is superior, imo.

[Michael.SF.]

That is another good one from the same era: Jon Mark, Johnny Almond, Larry Taylor.

I don't have that one, but this one is one from the same era (1970-74) and was a favorite as well. In fact I may have liked this one better than USA Union. But I wore them both out.

Hard to read in the image, but it is: Empty Rooms

[lmsii]

I was a Mayall fan since the early seventies. He was aware then and is still aware.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAST3BLgjYE

[pepsi_junkie]

Yes Mayall made a lot of unknowns into household names.

And yeah, Jack Bruce played bass on a couple of tracks on the album with John Mayall. One could argue that it led to the band Cream, which was the next stop for both of them.

When Peter Green was in the band John MacVie was on bass and Mick Fleetwood played drums on a bunch of tracks. Green decided to form his own band and he wanted Fleetwood and MacVie to come along so he names his new bad after them and THEN asked if they would join the band he named after them, Fleetwood Mac. Then Mick Taylor replaced Peter Green in the band, until the Rolling Stones came calling for him.

So right there you have Cream and Fleetwood Mac directly tracing themselves to Mayall and obviously he was an influence on the Stones as well. Bottom line, everyone in the British rock scene was listening to everything Mayall put out and then incorporating it into their own bands.