John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers: “Live In 1967 – Volume Three” (2023) CD Review

A lot of musicians have played in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (also known as John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers) over the years, including Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Jack Bruce, Walter Trout, and Colin Allen. And, for a brief moment, the band’s lineup was John Mayall on vocals, harmonica and organ; Peter Green on guitar; John McVie on bass; and Mick Fleetwood on drums. That’s right, John Mayall backed by Fleetwood Mac, minus Jeremy Spencer, a year before the first Fleetwood Mac album was released. A guy named Tom Huissen recorded some of the band’s performances in 1967 on reel-to-reel tapes. And it was nearly fifty years before the public got a chance to hear any of it. The first volume of this series was released in 2015, followed the next year by the second volume. Now the third, and final, volume is being released. And it is a treat.

The album kicks off with “Brand New Start,” a song written by John Mayall and included on his 1967 album The Blues Alone. This track features some great stuff on harmonica. Sure, the sound quality isn’t perfect, but considering the source and age and everything, it seems a seriously good job was done restoring the sound. This release was produced by John Mayall and Eric Corne, and was remastered by Eric Corne. And the music is so good. It is great to get to listen to these performances. In addition to being a John Mayall fan, I’m a Fleetwood Mac fan, and I especially enjoy those first few albums, the early blues stuff when the band was rocking. And the band is rocking here. “Brand New Start” is followed by another John Mayall original composition, “Tears In My Eyes,” a great, slow song with that classic blues sound and rhythm, featuring some really nice stuff by Peter Green on guitar and an excellent vocal performance. Yes, this is a delicious blues number. It was included on John Mayall’s 1967 album Crusade. The version here features some good jamming and is nearly three minutes longer than that record version. It’s a fantastic track, the band really in the groove, and you can hear the enthusiasm of the crowd at the end. Both of the first two tracks were recorded at a venue called The Manor House.

“Stand Back Baby” is a fun, rocking number, also written by John Mayall and also included on Crusade. By the way, of the Fleetwood Mac members playing on this live album, only John McVie is featured on Crusade. The Bluesbreakers were in nearly a constant state of change those days, and so again, it is fantastic that these performances were captured on tape. This track too features some good stuff on guitar. Then we get a delicious jam called “Greeny,” composed by Peter Green. A version of this song was included on the 1971 John Mayall compilation album Thru The Years. The version here is nearly twice the length of that version, and it features some wonderful stuff on both organ and guitar. These guys seriously cut loose here. It must have been something to be at this show, which was at a club called Ram Jam. “Talk To Your Daughter,” usually titled “Mama, Talk To Your Daughter,” is another song that was included on Thru The Years. The version here, recorded at a club called Klooks Kleek, is fairly straightforward, with a good energy. There’s not a whole of jamming, but it’s still a solid rendition.

John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers deliver a stomping rendition of Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Your Funeral And My Trial.” A version of this song was included as a bonus track on an expanded re-issue of Crusade. The version here features some great work on harmonica and an energetic vocal performance. There is a good deal of power here, making this track a seriously fun ride. This one and the track that follows it were recorded at The Manor House. “The Stumble” is an instrumental track. John Mayall included this on his A Hard Road album, which was released in 1967. (Holy moly, was he busy that year!) Both John McVie and Peter Green play on that particular record. This recording includes a brief introduction, and the crowd is excited when John Mayall announces the tune. And again, the energy is high. The band is cooking here, delivering a fiery performance, and the crowd responds. This album then concludes with “Double Trouble.” There is a short introduction to this one too, which is included at the end of the previous track, and where he mentions this song was released as a single. It was also included as a bonus track on that expanded edition of Crusade. The version here is a twice the length of that version. This is a cool, slow blues number with some fantastic, passionate guitar work. And at the end, there are band introductions. Again, this release is pretty damn cool.

CD Track List

1. Brand New Start
2. Tears In My Eyes
3. Stand Back Baby
4. Greeny
5. Talk To Your Daughter
6. Your Funeral And My Trial
7. The Stumble
8. Double Trouble

Live In 1967 – Volume Three is scheduled to be released on September 8, 2023 on Forty Below Records.