John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers is a British blues band that was formed in the early 1960s. The band was led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall, who is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the British blues scene.
The classic lineup of the band included Mayall on vocals, harmonica, and keyboards, along with guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist John McVie, and drummer Hughie Flint. This lineup is often referred to as the "Beano" lineup, as the album cover of "Bluesbreakers - John Mayall with Eric Clapton" in 1966 features a photo of Eric Clapton reading a copy of the publication.
Over the years, the Bluesbreakers had many different lineups and featured a number of notable musicians, including Peter Green, Mick Taylor, and Walter Trout. The band's music was characterized by its raw, powerful sound and its emphasis on improvisation.
Some of the Bluesbreakers' most famous songs include "All Your Love," "Hideaway," and "Steppin' Out." The band's influence on the blues and rock music scenes can still be felt today, and John Mayall is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of British blues.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
I (Jan. 1963 - Mar. 1963)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- b. November 29, 1933, Macclesfield, England.
- Sammy Prosser - guitar
- Davy Graham - guitar
- Ricky Brown - bass
- Pete Burford - bass
- John McVie - bass - b. November 26, 1945,
London, England.
- Sam Stone - drums
- Brian Mayall - drums
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
II (Apr. 1963 - Jul. 1963)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Sammy Prosser - guitar
- John Gilbey - guitar
- John McVie - bass
- Keith Robertson - drums
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
III (Jul. 1963 - Apr. 1964)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Bernie Watson - guitar
- John McVie - bass
- Peter Ward - drums
- Martin Hart - drums
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
IV (Apr. 1964 - Apr. 1965)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Roger Dean - guitar
- John McVie - bass
- Hughie Flint - drums
Album:
- "John Mayall Plays John Mayall"
(1965)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
V (Apr. 1965 - Aug. 1965)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Eric Clapton
- guitar - b. Eric Clapp on March 30, 1945, Ripley, England - formerly with
The Roosters, Casey Jones and
the Engineers, and The Yardbirds.
- John McVie - bass
- Hughie Flint - drums
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
VI (Aug. 1965 - Nov. 1965)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Jeff Krobbett - guitar
- Peter Green - guitar
- John McVie - bass
- Jack Bruce - bass
- Hughie Flint - drums
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
VII (Nov. 1965 - Jul. 1966)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Eric Clapton
- guitar
- John McVie - bass
- Hughie Flint - drums
Album:
- "Bluesbreakers
- John Mayall with Eric Clapton" (1966) (with Eric Clapton)
Eric Clapton leaves
to form Cream with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
VIII (Jul. 1966 - Sep. 1966)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Peter Green - guitar
- John McVie - bass
- Hughie Flint - drums
Hughie Flint forms McGuinness Flint (with Tom McGuinness,
formerly of Manfred Mann).
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
IX (Sep. 1966 - Apr. 1967)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Peter Green - guitar
- John McVie - bass
- Aynsley Dunbar - drums
Album:
- "A
Hard Road" (1967)
Aynsley Dunbar later joins The Jeff Beck
Group, Bonzo Dog Band, Frank Zappa's Mothers
of Invention, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Journey, and Jefferson
Starship.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
X (Apr. 1967 - May 1967)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Peter Green - guitar
- John McVie - bass
- Mickey Waller - drums
- Mick Fleetwood - drums
Album:
- "The
Blues Alone" (1967)
Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood form Shotgun Express (with Rod Stewart), and later form Fleetwood Mac.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XI (Jun. 1967
- Sep. 1967)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Mick Taylor - guitar - formerly with
The Gods.
- John McVie - bass
- Keef Hartley - drums
- Chris Mercer - sax
- Rip Kant - sax
- Terry Edmonds - guitar
Album:
- "Crusade"
(1967)
John McVie forms Fleetwood
Mac (with Peter Green and Mick Fleetwood).
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XII (Sep. 1967 - Apr. 1968)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Mick Taylor - guitar
- Paul Williams - bass
- Keith Tillman - bass
- Andy Fraser - bass
- Keef Hartley - drums
- Chris Mercer - sax
- Henry Lowther - trumpet
- Dick Heckstall-Smith - sax
Albums:
- "Diary of a Band, vol. 1" (1968)
- "Diary of a Band, vol. 2" (1968)
Andy Fraser forms Free
(with Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff, and Simon Kirke).
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XIII (Apr. 1968 - Aug. 1968)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Mick Taylor - guitar
- Tony Reeves - bass
- John Hiseman - drums
- Chris Mercer - sax
- Henry Lowther - trumpet
- Dick Heckstall-Smith - sax
Album:
- "Bare
Wires" (1968)
Tony Reeves, John Hiseman, and Dick
Heckstall-Smith form Colosseum.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XIV (Aug. 1968 - May 1969)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Mick Taylor - guitar
- Steve Thompson - bass
- Colin Allen - drums
Album:
- "Blues
From Laurel Canyon" (1968)
Mick Taylor joins The
Rolling Stones.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XV (Jun. 1969 - Jun. 1970)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Duster Bennett - guitar/vocals
- Jon Mark - guitar
- Johnny Almond - sax
- Steve Thompson - bass
- Alex Dmochowski - bass
- Larry Taylor - bass
Albums:
- "The
Turning Point" (1969)
- "Empty
Rooms" (1970)
Jon Mark and Johnny Almond form The Mark-Almond Band.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XVI (Jul. 1970 - 1971)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Harvey Mandel - guitar - b. March 11,
1945, Detroit, Michigan - formerly with Canned
Heat.
- Don "Sugarcane" Harris - violin - b.
June 18, 1938, Pasadena, California; d. November 30, 1999.
- Larry Taylor - bass - formerly with Canned Heat.
Album:
- "USA
Union" (1970)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XVII (1971)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Eric Clapton
- guitar
- Mick Taylor - guitar
- Keef Hartley - drums
- Harvey Mandel - guitar
- Don "Sugarcane" Harris - violin
- Larry Taylor - bass
Album:
- "Back
to the Roots" (2-CDs) (1971)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XVIII (1971)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Harvey Mandel - guitar
- Don "Sugarcane" Harris - violin
- Larry Taylor - bass
Album:
- "Thru
the Years" (1971)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XIX (1971)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Jimmy McCulloch - guitar - b. 1953, Glasgow,
Scotland; d. September 27, 1979, London, England - formerly with Thunderclap Newman and Stone the Crows.
- Larry Taylor - bass
Album:
- "Memories"
(1971)
Jimmy McCulloch later joins Paul McCartney's Wings and The
Small Faces.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XX (1971)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Freddy Robinson - guitar
- Blue Mitchell - trumpet
- Ron Selico - bass
- Clifford Solomon - saxes
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXI (1971 - 1972)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Freddy Robinson - guitar
- Blue Mitchell - trumpet
- Clifford Solomon - saxes
- Keef Hartley - drums
Album:
- "Jazz-Blues
Fusion" (1972)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXII (1972)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Freddy Robinson - guitar
- Blue Mitchell - trumpet
- Clifford Solomon - saxes
- Keef Hartley - drums
- Victor Gaskin - bass
- Fred Jackson - saxes
- Charlie Owens - flutes
- Ernie Watts - sax
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXIII (1972 - 1973)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Freddy Robinson - guitar
- Blue Mitchell - trumpet
- Red Holloway - flute/saxes
- Keef Hartley - drums
- Victor Gaskin - bass
- Fred Jackson - saxes
- Charlie Owens - flutes
- Ernie Watts - sax
Album:
- "Moving On" (1972)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXIV (1973 - 1975)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Freddy Robinson - guitar
- Blue Mitchell - trumpet
- Red Holloway - flute/saxes
- Keef Hartley - drums
- Victor Gaskin - bass
- Don "Sugarcane" Harris - violin
Album:
- "Ten Years Are Gone" (1973)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXV (1975)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Hightide Harris - bass/guitar
- Red Holloway - flute/saxes
- Randy Resnick - guitar
- Soko Richardson - drums
Album:
- "The Latest Edition" (1975)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXVI (1975 - 1977)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Don "Sugarcane" Harris - violin
- Larry Taylor - bass
- Dee McKinnie - vocals - b. 1950
- Rick Vito - guitar - b. October 13, 1949,
Darby, Pennsylvania.
- Jay Spell - keyboards
- Soko Richardson - drums
Albums:
- "New
Year, New Band, New Company" (1975)
- "Notice
to Appear" (1975)
- "A
Banquet in Blues" (1976)
Rick Vito later joins Fleetwood Mac.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXVII (1977)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Larry Taylor - bass
- Jay Spell - keyboards
- Red Holloway - flute/saxes
- Gary Rowles - guitar
- Frank Wilson - drums
- Warren Bryant - percussion
- Pepper Watkins - vocals
- Patty Smith - vocals
Album:
- "Lots
of People" (1977)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXVIII (1977 - 1978)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- James Quill Smith - guitar
- Steve Thompson - bass
- Soko Richardson - drums
Albums:
- "A
Hard Core Package" (1977)
- "The
Last of the British Blues" (1978)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXIX (1979)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
Album:
- "Bottom Line" (1979) (with various
studio musicians)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXX (1979 - 1980)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- James Quill Smith - guitar
- Rick Vito - guitar
- Chris Cameron - piano/clavinet
- Christian Mostert - saxes/flutes
- Angus Thomas - bass
- Ruben Alvarez - drums
- Maggie Parker - vocals
Album:
- "No More Interviews" (1979)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXXI (1980 - 1981)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- James Quill Smith - guitar
- Maggie Parker - vocals
- Kevin McCormick - bass
- Soko Richardson - drums
Album:
- "Road
Show Blues" (1980)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXXII (1981 - 1982)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Don McMinn - guitar
- Bobby Manuel - guitar
- Jeff Davis - bass
- Mike Gardner - drums
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXXIII (1982) (Reunion)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- John McVie - bass
- Mick Taylor - guitar
- Colin Allen - drums
Album:
- "The
1982 Reunion Concert" (1994)
Group disbands.
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXXIV (1984 - 1985) (reformed)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Coco Montoya - guitar
- Kal David - guitar - formerly with Illinois Speed Press.
- Willie McNeil - drums
- Walter Trout - guitar
- Bobby Haynes - bass
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXXV (1985 - 1990)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Joe Yuele - drums
- Coco Montoya - guitar
- Walter Trout - guitar
- Bobby Haynes - bass
Albums:
- "Behind
the Iron Curtain" (1986)
- "The
Power of the Blues" (1987)
- "Chicago Line" (1988)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXXVI (1990 - 1991)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Joe Yuele - drums
- Coco Montoya - guitar
- Freebo - bass
Album:
- "A
Sense of Place" (1990)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXXVII (1991 - 1994)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Joe Yuele - drums
- Coco Montoya - guitar
- Rick Cortes - bass
Album:
- "Wake
Up Call" (1993)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXXVIII (1994 - 1995)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Joe Yuele - drums
- Buddy Whittington - guitar
- Rick Cortes - bass
Albums:
- "Spinning
Coin" (1995)
- "Blues
for the Lost Days" (1997)
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
XXXIX ( ? - Present)
- John Mayall - vocals/keyboards/harmonica/guitar
- Joe Yuele - drums
- Buddy Whittington - guitar
- Greg Rzab - bass
- Tom Canning - keyboards
Album:
- "Padlock
On The Blues" (1999)
- "Along
For The Ride" (2001) - John Mayall & Friends
Compilations:
- "The Best of John Mayall" (1973)
- "Archives
to Eighties: Featuring Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor" (1988) (with
Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor)
- "Looking
Back" (1990)
- "John
Mayall: London Blues, 1964-1969" (2-CDs) (1992)
- "John
Mayall: Room to Move, 1969-1974" (2-CDs) (1992)
- "Cross
Country Blues" (1994)
- "As
It All Began: The Best...1964-69" (1998)
- "Drivin'
On: The ABC Years (1975-1982)" (2-CD box set) (1998)
- "Silver
Tones: The Best of John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers" (1998)
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Last Revised: February 5, 2005
© 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005 by Gary S. Hartman.
All rights reserved.
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