Jerry McCain, often billed as Jerry "Boogie" McCain (June 18, 1930 – March 28, 2012), was an American electric blues musician, best known as a harmonica player.
Born near Gadsden, Alabama, United States, he was one of
five children of a poor family. Jerry began playing his harp and singing along
with jukebox records at his father’s barbecue stand, the Green Front Cafe. Many
of his siblings also became involved in music. In his teens he earned a regular
gig at a local station WETO fronting a jug band, for which Jerry made a
homemade bass. The strings were made out of an inner tube.
McCain with Christopher Collins 1951 |
Jerry McCain signed with Ernie Young's Nashville-based
Excello logo in 1955, cutting "That's What They Want" with his usual
sidekick Christopher Collins on guitar. "Run, Uncle John! Run,"
"Trying to Please," the torrid "My Next Door Neighbor" and "The Jig's Up" ranked with McCain's best 1955-1957 Excello efforts.
"Trying to Please," the torrid "My Next Door Neighbor" and "The Jig's Up" ranked with McCain's best 1955-1957 Excello efforts.
The harpist is probably best-known for his two-sided 1960
gem for Rex Records, "She's Tough"/"Steady." The Fabulous
Thunderbirds later appropriated the insinuating mid-tempo A-side, while
McCain's harp chops were strikingly showcased on the flip. McCain waxed three 45s
for OKeh in Nashville in 1962, utilizing Music Row mainstays Floyd Cramer,
Grady Martin, and Boots Randolph as his backup for "Red Top" and
"Jet Stream." A series of 1965-1968 sides for Stan Lewis'
Shreveport-based Jewel Records included a tailor-made tribute to the company,
"728 Texas (Where the Action Is)" (Jewel's address).
McCain never lacked self-belief. In his youth he drove
round Gadsden in an old Ford truck with the titles from his first record
painted on the side, and in later years his voicemail message ran: "You've
reached the blues man Jerry 'Boogie' McCain, the baddest harmonica player in
the world." He bore a striking resemblance to Sammy Davis Jr, and dressed
for the stage in black and bling, sometimes wearing a holstered gun.
He could play two harmonicas at once, one with his mouth and
the other with his nose. So could the better-known Sonny Boy Williamson II, who
said he invented the technique, but McCain always contested that. Less of a
harmonica virtuoso than Williamson, he was happiest when playing medium-tempo
instrumentals, such as Steady and Red Top, with a fat sound like that of a
saxophone or, as on 728 Texas (the title was the address of Jewel Records), an
accordion.
Throughout the 1960s McCain gigged around Alabama and
Georgia with lesser known bands, but music could not support him so he became a
bounty hunter, delivered furniture, and worked at a foundry in Gadsden. Welfare
Cadillac Blues (1970), a response to an implicitly racist country song, put his
name back on the
jukeboxes, but soon afterwards his recording career faded. not to be fully revived until many years of obscurity he rejuvenated his fortunes in 1989 by signing with Ichiban Records and releasing Blues 'n' Stuff He followed this three years later with Struttin' My Stuff and Love Desperado.
jukeboxes, but soon afterwards his recording career faded. not to be fully revived until many years of obscurity he rejuvenated his fortunes in 1989 by signing with Ichiban Records and releasing Blues 'n' Stuff He followed this three years later with Struttin' My Stuff and Love Desperado.
In 1996 McCain was selected by the Etowah Youth
Orchestras as the most well-known musician from Gadsden. He performed the solo
harmonica part of the "Concerto for Blues Harmonica and Orchestra" at
the Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts in New York City in June 1997, with
McCain, the EYSO, and Julius Williams conducting.
In 2000, McCain released an all-star album This Stuff
Just Kills Me for the Jericho label featuring Johnnie Johnson, John Primer,
Anson Funderburgh, Jimmie Vaughan, along with the Double Trouble rhythm section
of Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton. McCain resurfaced on Ichiban in 2002 with the
release of American Roots: Blues.
The City of Gadsden honoured McCain by including his own
day at their annual Riverfest Event; a four-day music event. The addition of
The Jerry McCain Broad Street Blues Bash rounded out the entertainment and
allowed many local citizens to experience McCain.
He continued to work on his home ground, and in 2007 he received an Alabama folk heritage award. Since 2008 he had appeared several times at First Friday, a monthly Gadsden street festival. Jerry “Boogie” McCain died March 28, 2012 in Gadsden, Alabama, aged 81.
He continued to work on his home ground, and in 2007 he received an Alabama folk heritage award. Since 2008 he had appeared several times at First Friday, a monthly Gadsden street festival. Jerry “Boogie” McCain died March 28, 2012 in Gadsden, Alabama, aged 81.
(Edited from AllMusic, The Guardian & Wikipedia)
2 comments:
For “ Jerry McCain - Absolutely the Best:
The Complete Jewel Singles 1965-1972 (2000 comp)” Go here:
https://www.upload.ee/files/11893962/Jerry_McCain-Absolutely.rar.html
1. Honky Tonk Part 1(Previously Unissued, Overdubbed Version)
2. She's Crazy 'Bout Entertainers
3. Midnight Beat
4. I Don't Care Where I Get My Loving
5. 728 Texas (Where The Action Is)
6. Homogenized Love
7. Honky Tonk Parts 1 & 2 (Previously Unissued, Unedited & Undubbed Version)
8. Love Ain't Nothing To Play With
9. Put It Where I Can Get It
10. Sugar Baby
11. Stick 'Em Up
12. Juicy Lucy
13. Somebody's Been Talking
14. Soul Splash
15. Honky Tonk Part 2 (Previously Unissued, Overdubbed Version)
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For “Rock‘n’Roll Ball” (1997) go here:
https://www.upload.ee/files/11855596/JerCane_RnRBall.rar.html
01 The Jig's Up
02 A Cutie Named Judy
03 It Must Be Love
04 I'm A Ding Dong Daddy
05 What About You
06 My Next Door Neighbor (alt)
07 Fall Guy
08 Geronimo's Rock And Roll
09 Tuff Stuff
10 Rock'n'Roll Ball
11 Cryin' Like A Fool
12 Choo Choo Rock
13 Middle Of The Night
14 Wine-O-Wine
A Big Thanks to Jake @ Jukebox City for the above link.
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More here:
I've Got The Blues All Over Me (1993)
https://yadi.sk/d/LCTTG9Dv3MqgLr
Turn Your Damper Down With Jerry Boogie McCain (1996 comp)
https://yadi.sk/d/oQynbadp3MqhQA
Love Desperado (1991)
https://yadi.sk/d/H7WS3ZfD3Mqf93
This Stuff Just Kills Me (1999)
https://yadi.sk/d/nmnmhJNN3MpFuW
All above active links thanks to muddyw123 @ plazeman blogspot
Good memories
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