Long John Baldry - It Ain't Easy (1971 UK British Rock Blues)

According to extensive notes about Long John Baldry's career in the re-release 2005 CD, Rod Stewart was brought on board to produce "It Ain't Easy" for Warner Brothers. Soon after in 1970, Stewart met Reg Dwight (later taking the name Elton John) at a party and the piano player joined on, too. Stewart and John each produced half of this bluesy album, with John contributing much of the piano work. Stewart brought in mate Ron Wood to play guitar, as well as many others who would appear on Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story, released later in 1971.
The Baldry album features his biggest U.S. hit, "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll." In the liner notes, Baldry notes how Stewart's loose and late-night recording sessions affected the tracks, "especially those recorded on my thirtieth birthday when he showed up with cases of Remy Martin cognac and several measures of good quality champagne!" Baldry points out that "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of the Rock and Roll" was recorded "whilst laying on the floor.'

L.J.Baldry - vocals

Ian Armit - piano

Sammy Mitchell - guitar

Pete Sears (Jefferson Starship) - bass

Mickey Waller - drums

The 1971 release also features "Black Girl," the centuries-old American folk song most associated with Lead Belly, though covered by the likes of Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton and Nirvana. Baldry does an impressive version singing with Maggie Bell, who also appeared on Every Picture Tells a Story.
"It Ain't Easy" also includes Willie Dixon's classic "I'm Ready" and an Elton John-Bernie Taupin song, "Rock Me When He's Gone". The story goes that John, a budding star in the early 1970s, took his last name from Long John Baldry.

John William Baldry, popularly known as Long John Baldry, (January 12, 1941 – July 21, 2005) was a blues singer from England. He sang with many notable British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry at various stages of the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where "Let the Heartaches Begin" reached No. 1 in 1967 and in Australia where his duet with Kathi McDonald "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" reached No. 2 in the charts in 1980. Baldry lived in Canada from the late 1970s until his death, where he continued to make records and do voiceover work. He is known by a younger generation as the voice of Dr. Robotnik in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Long John Baldry

IN LOVING MEMORY OF LEGENDARY LONG JOHN BALDRY

(january .12.1941 - july .21.2005)

http://www.johnbaldry.com/

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