WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.120 Welcome to the Deep Dive. This is where we take, 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:05.200 well, stacks of sources really, pull out the 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:08.339 key bits of information and give you the ultimate 00:00:08.339 --> 00:00:11.919 shortcut to getting up to speed. Today we're 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:14.439 really immersing ourselves in the extraordinary 00:00:14.439 --> 00:00:17.660 career, nearly seven decades, of John Mayall, 00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:21.760 the English musician, songwriter, producer, who 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:24.879 sadly passed away recently in 2024, aged 90. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:28.100 It's a massive story. And our mission really 00:00:28.100 --> 00:00:30.879 is to unpack the sources that detail this life. 00:00:30.980 --> 00:00:33.700 I mean, a life so central to rock history that, 00:00:33.780 --> 00:00:36.170 well. He's rightly called the godfather of the 00:00:36.170 --> 00:00:38.229 British blues. Yeah, that title feels absolutely 00:00:38.229 --> 00:00:40.450 earned. And it's validated. You know, he was 00:00:40.450 --> 00:00:42.130 inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 00:00:42.130 --> 00:00:44.750 just this year, 2024, specifically in the musical 00:00:44.750 --> 00:00:47.090 influence category. That category is key. Right. 00:00:47.170 --> 00:00:48.590 It's not just about hits. It's about impact. 00:00:48.869 --> 00:00:51.429 Exactly. It acknowledges his role as this like 00:00:51.429 --> 00:00:53.909 fundamental pillar holding up the whole structure 00:00:53.909 --> 00:00:56.130 of British blues and rock. Absolutely. And when 00:00:56.130 --> 00:00:58.070 you look at that legacy, the main thing we need 00:00:58.070 --> 00:01:00.549 to explore, I think, is how Mayall functioned. 00:01:00.549 --> 00:01:02.570 He wasn't like a typical band leader just focused 00:01:02.570 --> 00:01:07.069 on his own fame. He was more like a human centrifuge, 00:01:07.069 --> 00:01:09.890 a constant deliberate catalyst for talent. And 00:01:09.890 --> 00:01:12.310 his main vehicle for that was John Mayall and 00:01:12.310 --> 00:01:15.920 the Blues Breakers. Yes. And while. The story 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:18.079 often zooms in on the superstars he launched, 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:20.120 and we'll definitely get to them. We have to 00:01:20.120 --> 00:01:21.780 start with his own talent. He was a master musician 00:01:21.780 --> 00:01:23.939 himself. Oh, for sure. Great singer -songwriter. 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:26.680 And he played multiple instruments, right? Seamlessly 00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:29.640 moving between keyboards, guitar, and that harmonica 00:01:29.640 --> 00:01:32.640 sound, which is so iconic. So for you, the listener, 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:35.799 really understanding Mayall and the Blues Breakers. 00:01:36.620 --> 00:01:38.980 Well, it's the essential shortcut. It's grasping 00:01:38.980 --> 00:01:41.780 the foundation for the whole British blues rock 00:01:41.780 --> 00:01:45.340 scene, how it formed and then, you know, exploded 00:01:45.340 --> 00:01:47.980 globally. That frames it perfectly. OK, so let's 00:01:47.980 --> 00:01:50.019 start right at the beginning. Let's look at the 00:01:50.019 --> 00:01:52.700 blueprint for the man himself. John Brumwell 00:01:52.700 --> 00:01:55.719 Mayall, born in Macclesfield, Cheshire in 1933. 00:01:56.019 --> 00:01:58.420 Right. Grew up just south of Manchester in Cheadle 00:01:58.420 --> 00:02:00.900 Home. And it's important, I think, that his dad, 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:03.560 Murray Mayall, was a guitarist, played locally 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:06.750 in pubs. So music was just. there in the background 00:02:06.750 --> 00:02:09.069 from the start. Yeah, that home environment kind 00:02:09.069 --> 00:02:11.310 of set the stage. But his real musical spark, 00:02:11.389 --> 00:02:14.930 it seems, came from America. Long before the 00:02:14.930 --> 00:02:17.370 British invasion made American music trendy over 00:02:17.370 --> 00:02:19.490 here. Right, he was ahead of the curve. Definitely. 00:02:20.389 --> 00:02:23.849 From early on, Mayall was just drawn to the sound 00:02:23.849 --> 00:02:25.750 of American blues. He specifically mentioned 00:02:25.750 --> 00:02:28.490 people like Lead Belly. Bell legend. And the 00:02:28.490 --> 00:02:31.490 Boogie Woogie Piano Guys, Albert Ammons, Pinetop 00:02:31.490 --> 00:02:35.250 Smith, and even some early jazz guitar. Like 00:02:35.250 --> 00:02:37.469 Eddie Lang. Interesting mix. And the crucial 00:02:37.469 --> 00:02:40.550 thing here, he was completely self -taught. Yeah. 00:02:41.250 --> 00:02:44.250 Painstakingly figured out piano, guitar, harmonica 00:02:44.250 --> 00:02:47.310 all by himself. That self -reliance, that drive, 00:02:47.569 --> 00:02:50.789 it absolutely defined how he ran his bands later. 00:02:50.889 --> 00:02:52.409 You can see that thread running through. Now, 00:02:52.449 --> 00:02:56.210 his early life had this interesting detour. It 00:02:56.210 --> 00:02:58.569 delayed his music career a bit. National service, 00:02:58.669 --> 00:03:00.490 the military. Right, including time in Korea. 00:03:00.669 --> 00:03:02.530 And here's a great bit of trivia. He actually 00:03:02.530 --> 00:03:04.810 bought his first electric guitar while he was 00:03:04.810 --> 00:03:08.030 on leave in Japan. So that direct link between 00:03:08.030 --> 00:03:10.210 being abroad and starting his electric journey, 00:03:10.409 --> 00:03:13.250 it's right there. But it wasn't straight into 00:03:13.250 --> 00:03:15.530 music after that, was it? No, not immediately. 00:03:15.969 --> 00:03:18.550 He came back to England, enrolled at Manchester 00:03:18.550 --> 00:03:22.110 College of Art, a prestigious place. And he actually 00:03:22.110 --> 00:03:24.449 worked as a professional art designer after graduating. 00:03:25.129 --> 00:03:27.150 Which isn't just a side note, is it? No, not 00:03:27.150 --> 00:03:29.849 at all. The sources point out how he used those 00:03:29.849 --> 00:03:32.110 design skills throughout his career. He designed 00:03:32.110 --> 00:03:34.669 loads of his own album covers. Which again speaks 00:03:34.669 --> 00:03:37.650 to that desire for creative control, right, over 00:03:37.650 --> 00:03:40.370 the whole package. Exactly. Total artistic vision. 00:03:40.569 --> 00:03:43.069 He did start playing semi -professionally fairly 00:03:43.069 --> 00:03:45.550 early, though, using that art college network. 00:03:46.169 --> 00:03:49.229 Back in 56, while still studying, he formed the 00:03:49.229 --> 00:03:52.789 Powerhouse Four. Right. By 1962, he was deep 00:03:52.789 --> 00:03:55.289 in the local R &B scene with a band called the 00:03:55.289 --> 00:03:57.810 Blues Syndicate. They played the all -nighters 00:03:57.810 --> 00:04:00.629 at the Twisted Wheel Club in Manchester. Legendary 00:04:00.629 --> 00:04:03.530 venue. Ah, the Twisted Wheel. Yeah, but the real 00:04:03.530 --> 00:04:05.150 turning point, the moment that changed everything, 00:04:05.330 --> 00:04:08.669 was 1963. Alexis Corner. Alexis Corner, often 00:04:08.669 --> 00:04:11.669 called the father of British blues himself. He 00:04:11.669 --> 00:04:14.550 saw mail. Saw the potential and basically persuaded 00:04:14.550 --> 00:04:16.670 him, look, you need to move to London. You need 00:04:16.670 --> 00:04:19.089 to do this full time. A big leap of faith. Huge. 00:04:19.269 --> 00:04:22.129 Yeah. And Corner didn't just advise him. He helped 00:04:22.129 --> 00:04:25.389 him out. Found him gigs. Introduced him to that 00:04:25.389 --> 00:04:27.730 really tight knit circle of London musicians. 00:04:28.029 --> 00:04:31.050 Yeah. The ones who were about to change everything. 00:04:31.189 --> 00:04:35.189 So Mayaw makes the move. Forms the band. Now 00:04:35.189 --> 00:04:37.730 officially called the Blues Breakers. Starts 00:04:37.730 --> 00:04:40.089 playing gigs in London. Places like the Marquee 00:04:40.089 --> 00:04:43.970 Club. Late 63. And the initial lineup was pretty 00:04:43.970 --> 00:04:46.449 solid. You had John McVie on bass. Future Fleetwood 00:04:46.449 --> 00:04:48.910 Mac. Yeah. And Huey Flint on drums. And they 00:04:48.910 --> 00:04:50.709 were building credibility fast. I mean, they 00:04:50.709 --> 00:04:53.149 backed John Lee Hooker on his British tour in 00:04:53.149 --> 00:04:55.350 64. That's a massive endorsement right there. 00:04:55.410 --> 00:04:57.290 Backing Hooker. But it wasn't all smooth sailing. 00:04:57.490 --> 00:04:59.949 Those early days were tough financially. Oh, 00:04:59.970 --> 00:05:02.540 yeah. The sources talk about this key moment 00:05:02.540 --> 00:05:05.019 of commercial failure. Looked like it might derail 00:05:05.019 --> 00:05:07.139 the whole thing. The DECA contract. Exactly. 00:05:07.339 --> 00:05:09.600 They got a deal with DECA, recorded a live album 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:12.660 at Klux Klik in December 64, released a single, 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:16.439 Crocodile Walk, and both just bombed. Didn't 00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:19.339 connect with anyone. Ouch. Yeah. DECA terminated 00:05:19.339 --> 00:05:21.540 the contract. It was a real low point. Mayall 00:05:21.540 --> 00:05:23.379 could have just packed it in then. But instead, 00:05:23.620 --> 00:05:26.779 he changed things up. And thank goodness he did. 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:29.879 Because that setback basically leads us right 00:05:29.879 --> 00:05:33.959 into the definitive era. April 1965. Everything 00:05:33.959 --> 00:05:36.959 changes. Roger Dean is out on guitar. And in 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:39.279 comes Eric Clapton, fresh from the Yardbirds. 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:41.839 And as one source puts it, Mayo's career suddenly 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:44.879 enters its decisive phase. This is where we really 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:47.379 need to look at Mayo's unique role. He wasn't 00:05:47.379 --> 00:05:50.139 just hiring good players. He was maybe consciously, 00:05:50.259 --> 00:05:53.769 maybe not, setting up this kind of... world -class 00:05:53.769 --> 00:05:56.029 finishing school for blues rock guitarists. That's 00:05:56.029 --> 00:05:58.069 a great way to put it. This period, mid to late 00:05:58.069 --> 00:06:00.629 60s, it was the perfect environment for these 00:06:00.629 --> 00:06:02.649 young guys. They could just soak up deep American 00:06:02.649 --> 00:06:06.189 blues, hone their skills, all anchored by Mayall's 00:06:06.189 --> 00:06:08.889 incredible knowledge of the music. He knew it 00:06:08.889 --> 00:06:11.449 inside out. Okay, let's dive into those legendary 00:06:11.449 --> 00:06:14.610 lineups then. Starting with Clapton, 65 to 66. 00:06:14.810 --> 00:06:17.129 This is what gave Mayall his big commercial break, 00:06:17.209 --> 00:06:19.629 finally. What made that partnership work so well? 00:06:19.910 --> 00:06:23.100 Freedom, I think. For Clapton, anyway. You gotta 00:06:23.100 --> 00:06:24.459 remember, he'd been in the Yardbirds, right? 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:26.759 Playing R &B, but under pressure to make pop 00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:29.779 singles. He felt stifled. Yeah, he famously hated 00:06:29.779 --> 00:06:33.240 For Your Love. Exactly. May all basically... 00:06:33.579 --> 00:06:35.899 Gave him a license to just play pure, hardcore 00:06:35.899 --> 00:06:38.860 Chicago blues. No compromises. They cut a couple 00:06:38.860 --> 00:06:40.740 of tracks for a single, I'm Your Witch Doctor. 00:06:40.980 --> 00:06:43.680 Great track. Then Clapton did this weird runner 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:45.759 -off to Grease for a bit. The infamous glands 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:48.540 period. Yeah, where Peter Green actually filled 00:06:48.540 --> 00:06:50.759 in temporarily. But Clapton came back in November 00:06:50.759 --> 00:06:53.839 65, and that iconic lineup clicked into place. 00:06:54.180 --> 00:06:56.240 And the result was the album that everyone points 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:58.879 to, Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, the Beano 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:01.199 album. It's almost mythical how quickly they 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.920 recorded it. Three days. At Decca Studios. With 00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:06.819 horns on some tracks, too. There's three days. 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:09.160 And it wasn't just a hit. It went to number six 00:07:09.160 --> 00:07:12.060 in the UK charts. It was a landmark. Technically, 00:07:12.339 --> 00:07:15.220 artistically, it changed the game. Because of 00:07:15.220 --> 00:07:17.980 Clapton's guitar sound? Absolutely. Contemporary 00:07:17.980 --> 00:07:19.920 magazines like Beat Instrumental were raving 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:22.740 about it, describing his playing as having, quote, 00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:26.040 audacious aggressiveness and molten fluidity. 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:28.759 Molten fluidity. Love that. But here's the technical 00:07:28.759 --> 00:07:32.639 bit. The sound itself was revolutionary. Clapton 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:35.600 was using a Gibson Les Paul, a high output guitar 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:39.399 plugged into a Marshall JTM 45 amp, cranked up, 00:07:39.500 --> 00:07:42.279 pushing it right to the edge of distortion. British 00:07:42.279 --> 00:07:44.180 bands just weren't doing that then. And Mayall 00:07:44.180 --> 00:07:46.699 encouraged it. Totally. Apparently he even turned 00:07:46.699 --> 00:07:48.600 his own vocals down in the mix sometimes just 00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:51.319 to let Clapton's raw screaming tone cut through. 00:07:51.540 --> 00:07:54.939 Wow. That is a sound that launched a thousand 00:07:54.939 --> 00:07:58.209 copycats. It was deep blues too. Covers like 00:07:58.209 --> 00:08:00.850 Otis Rush's All Your Love, Freddie King's Hideaway. 00:08:01.050 --> 00:08:03.649 Yeah, pure Chicago stuff. But also their own 00:08:03.649 --> 00:08:06.029 songs, like the Mayall Clapton original Double 00:08:06.029 --> 00:08:08.730 Crossing Time. And crucially, it's the album 00:08:08.730 --> 00:08:11.470 where Clapton first sang lead vocals on Robert 00:08:11.470 --> 00:08:13.850 Johnson's Ramblin' on My Mind. A pivotal record. 00:08:14.029 --> 00:08:16.230 But the pattern starts immediately, doesn't it? 00:08:16.290 --> 00:08:18.589 The talent incubator loses its star pupil. Right 00:08:18.589 --> 00:08:21.589 on cue. July 1966, the music papers break the 00:08:21.589 --> 00:08:24.439 news. Clapton's leaving. He's forming Cream with 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:26.439 Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Who he'd apparently 00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:28.879 met after a Mayall gig. Yeah, the sources say 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:31.120 Clapton was a bit embarrassed because he hadn't 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:34.120 actually told Mayall directly first. But think 00:08:34.120 --> 00:08:36.759 about it. Mayall didn't just provide the training 00:08:36.759 --> 00:08:39.299 ground for Cream. He basically gave them the 00:08:39.299 --> 00:08:42.039 blueprint. The whole heavy blues rock trio idea. 00:08:42.810 --> 00:08:45.850 So how did Mayall handle this, this constant 00:08:45.850 --> 00:08:48.730 cycle of finding genius, polishing it, and then 00:08:48.730 --> 00:08:51.250 watching it walk out the door? Did the press 00:08:51.250 --> 00:08:54.289 see him as a mentor or just someone getting overshadowed? 00:08:54.829 --> 00:08:56.950 That's a really good question. And the sources 00:08:56.950 --> 00:08:59.889 suggest, well, it was complex. Mayall himself 00:08:59.889 --> 00:09:02.570 never seemed to panic. He treated it like, OK, 00:09:02.629 --> 00:09:04.750 this is how it works. We need fresh blood. But 00:09:04.750 --> 00:09:06.509 it must have been frustrating, surely. You'd 00:09:06.509 --> 00:09:08.690 think so. The press definitely recognized his 00:09:08.690 --> 00:09:11.090 role as a talent scout. That's where the Godfather 00:09:11.090 --> 00:09:12.789 nickname came from. But yeah, there was always 00:09:12.789 --> 00:09:14.610 that undercurrent. His side men were becoming 00:09:14.610 --> 00:09:17.830 bigger stars than he was. So what was his immediate 00:09:17.830 --> 00:09:20.590 reaction to Clapton leaving? Classic Mayall. 00:09:20.730 --> 00:09:22.960 Yeah. No drama. He just went out and found the 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:25.899 next guitar genius, Peter Green, convinced him 00:09:25.899 --> 00:09:28.279 to come back. The same Peter Green who'd briefly 00:09:28.279 --> 00:09:30.379 filled in during that Grease trip. Incredible. 00:09:31.059 --> 00:09:33.759 So now we're into the Peter Green era, 66 to 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:36.659 67. Almost as productive as the Clapton time, 00:09:36.759 --> 00:09:39.000 wasn't it? They laid down a lot of tracks. Around 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:41.820 40 recorded tracks, yeah. The key album here 00:09:41.820 --> 00:09:45.299 is A Hard Road, released February 67. Different 00:09:45.299 --> 00:09:47.620 vibe from Clapton. Oh, totally. Clapton was all 00:09:47.620 --> 00:09:50.919 fire and aggression. Green. Yeah. He had this 00:09:50.919 --> 00:09:55.379 incredibly refined, soulful touch, more melodic. 00:09:55.419 --> 00:09:58.200 It was all about tone and feel, not just volume. 00:09:58.620 --> 00:10:01.960 The band also did this really important EP with 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:04.200 the American blues harp player, Paul Butterfield. 00:10:04.340 --> 00:10:06.779 Ah, Butterfield Blues Band, huge influence. Exactly. 00:10:07.389 --> 00:10:09.169 For people maybe not familiar, Butterfield was 00:10:09.169 --> 00:10:11.870 massive in the U .S. scene, taking acoustic blues 00:10:11.870 --> 00:10:14.830 and making it electric, amplified for that Chicago 00:10:14.830 --> 00:10:17.490 sound. So collaborating with him really showed 00:10:17.490 --> 00:10:19.450 Mayall wasn't just copying American blues. He 00:10:19.450 --> 00:10:21.690 was a peer, part of that transatlantic conversation. 00:10:22.129 --> 00:10:25.049 Right. But then history repeats itself. Like 00:10:25.049 --> 00:10:27.250 clockwork. Soon after A Hard Road comes out, 00:10:27.350 --> 00:10:30.009 Peter Green leaves, and he takes John McVie with 00:10:30.009 --> 00:10:32.269 him on bass. And McFleetwood on drums. Who had 00:10:32.269 --> 00:10:34.490 only been a blues breaker for a few weeks. Shows 00:10:34.490 --> 00:10:36.299 Mayall's eye for rhythm section, though. And 00:10:36.299 --> 00:10:39.639 together they form Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. 00:10:39.940 --> 00:10:42.379 Unbelievable, isn't it? That's two of the biggest, 00:10:42.419 --> 00:10:44.840 most influential bands of the late 60s, Cream 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:47.379 and Fleetwood Mac, both born directly out of 00:10:47.379 --> 00:10:50.039 Mayall's band within about a year. It's an unparalleled 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:53.139 record. Finding that level of talent twice in 00:10:53.139 --> 00:10:56.279 a row, what did Mayall do this time? What's really 00:10:56.279 --> 00:10:58.580 interesting is his reaction to losing Green. 00:10:59.179 --> 00:11:01.259 Instead of immediately hunting for another guitar 00:11:01.259 --> 00:11:03.559 hero, he did something very different. He made 00:11:03.559 --> 00:11:07.289 a personal statement. May 1967, he goes into 00:11:07.289 --> 00:11:09.409 the studio and records an album called The Blues 00:11:09.409 --> 00:11:12.669 Alone. In one day. One day. And he played most 00:11:12.669 --> 00:11:15.090 of it himself. Pretty much everything. All the 00:11:15.090 --> 00:11:17.370 tracks are just him, except Keith Hartley played 00:11:17.370 --> 00:11:19.610 drums on about half of them. Wow. It was like 00:11:19.610 --> 00:11:21.289 he was saying to the industry, to the audience, 00:11:21.429 --> 00:11:23.309 OK, the stars leave, but I'm still here. The 00:11:23.309 --> 00:11:25.669 music continues. I am the core. It showed he 00:11:25.669 --> 00:11:27.870 could carry it himself if needed. A powerful 00:11:27.870 --> 00:11:30.860 move. Which then leads us, naturally, to the 00:11:30.860 --> 00:11:34.600 next guitar prodigy. Oh. Mick Taylor. 1967 to 00:11:34.600 --> 00:11:37.960 69. Taylor was just a kid, right? Yeah. Yeah, 00:11:38.019 --> 00:11:40.399 barely out of school. Mayall found him through 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:43.720 a musician's wanted ad in the Melody Maker. Simple 00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:46.860 as that. Amazing. And Mayall, still experimenting, 00:11:47.019 --> 00:11:48.860 put together a slightly bigger band this time. 00:11:49.259 --> 00:11:52.039 A six -piece. Including saxophones for the first 00:11:52.039 --> 00:11:54.919 time. They recorded the album Crusade in July 00:11:54.919 --> 00:11:58.500 67. How did Taylor compare to Clapton and Green? 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:01.840 Different again. Taylor had this incredibly fluid 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:05.360 melodic style, very smooth, and he was a fantastic 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:08.259 slide player. The band toured like crazy through 00:12:08.259 --> 00:12:11.679 67, lots of time abroad. And this led to another 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:14.860 one of Mayall's really unique projects, the live 00:12:14.860 --> 00:12:18.299 album Diary of a Band, Vols 1 and 2. Ah, yeah, 00:12:18.419 --> 00:12:20.799 this story is wild. He recorded it all himself, 00:12:21.100 --> 00:12:24.440 on the road. Over 60 hours of live tape. on a 00:12:24.440 --> 00:12:26.399 portable recorder in the late 60s, remember? 00:12:26.580 --> 00:12:28.639 And then he personally edited the whole thing 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:31.639 down himself. That's insane dedication. The art 00:12:31.639 --> 00:12:33.779 school designer turned tape editor. It really 00:12:33.779 --> 00:12:35.299 shows that self -reliance again, doesn't it? 00:12:35.379 --> 00:12:37.039 Most bands would have engineers for that. Mail 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:39.159 just did it. Meanwhile, the bass spot was still 00:12:39.159 --> 00:12:41.200 a bit unstable. Right, the revolving door. Paul 00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:44.600 Williams, Keith Tillman. Then a 15 -year -old 00:12:44.600 --> 00:12:47.600 Andy Frazier, who quickly left to form Free. 00:12:47.779 --> 00:12:50.860 Another huge band. Exactly. Before Tony Reeves 00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:53.000 finally settled in. But that instability didn't 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:54.679 seem to hurt them commercially. They had another 00:12:54.679 --> 00:12:57.320 hit album, right? Bare Wires in 68? Yeah, that 00:12:57.320 --> 00:12:59.840 one hit number six in the UK too. It was a solid 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:01.960 lineup by then with drummer John Heisman and 00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:05.960 Tony Reeves. But you know it's coming. The cycle 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:10.519 continues. Taylor leaves. Yep. June 1969. After 00:13:10.519 --> 00:13:13.480 almost two intense years with Mayall. Learning 00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:16.240 the ropes, touring the world. Mick Taylor gets 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:17.980 the call to replace Brian Jones in The Rolling 00:13:17.980 --> 00:13:21.059 Stones. Good grief. Cream, Fleetwood Mac, free 00:13:21.059 --> 00:13:23.360 The Rolling Stones is just staggering. Mayall 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:25.580 was basically the premier lead training academy 00:13:25.580 --> 00:13:27.740 for British rock royalty. Couldn't put it better 00:13:27.740 --> 00:13:30.559 myself. He was the central hub. But okay, so 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:32.379 we've covered his massive impact on the British 00:13:32.379 --> 00:13:34.580 scene. This is where the story takes a really 00:13:34.580 --> 00:13:37.200 sharp left turn. Right. He rips up the playbook 00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:38.980 completely. Instead of looking for the next guitar 00:13:38.980 --> 00:13:40.759 god to fit the Blues Breakers mold, he just... 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:43.879 walks away from it, abandons the electric British 00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:46.320 blues sound he helped pioneer. And moves to L 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:48.240 .A. Moves to Los Angeles. It wasn't just changing 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:50.019 countries. It felt like a complete rejection 00:13:50.019 --> 00:13:53.840 of that high -volume rock scene his former students 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:55.960 were now dominating. So what was the new plan? 00:13:56.220 --> 00:13:59.779 A totally new format, lower volume, acoustic 00:13:59.779 --> 00:14:03.639 instruments, and the really radical part, no 00:14:03.639 --> 00:14:06.029 drummer. No drummer. Why? Was that a reaction 00:14:06.029 --> 00:14:10.070 against the kind of stadium rock bombast? I think 00:14:10.070 --> 00:14:12.470 that's a big part of it. The sources suggest 00:14:12.470 --> 00:14:14.789 it was partly rejection of that loudness. Yeah. 00:14:15.309 --> 00:14:18.009 Maybe also an homage to the acoustic roots guys 00:14:18.009 --> 00:14:21.590 he loved, like Lead Belly. But updated. Interesting. 00:14:21.669 --> 00:14:24.169 More intimate, maybe. Definitely. Less clutter. 00:14:24.269 --> 00:14:27.100 Forced subtlety. And the musicians he chose reflected 00:14:27.100 --> 00:14:29.679 this shift. This was the start of the Mark Allman 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:32.179 period, 69 into 70. John Mark on acoustic guitar, 00:14:32.379 --> 00:14:35.279 Johnny Allman on flute and sax. Yeah, and Allman's 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:37.639 a familiar name. He played baritone sax way back 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:39.559 on the Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton album. 00:14:39.799 --> 00:14:41.879 Shows Mayall liked bringing back people he trusted. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:44.559 Right. And this new acoustic band, they debut 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:47.840 in the U .S. at the Newport Jazz Festival. That's 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:51.360 a pretty big stage. Huge platform. And the live 00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:53.879 album from that time, The Turning Point, recorded 00:14:53.879 --> 00:14:56.279 at the Fillmore East, plus the studio album, 00:14:56.419 --> 00:15:00.379 Empty Rooms. They really defined this quieter, 00:15:00.460 --> 00:15:03.679 very different chapter. A clean break. But he 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:05.580 didn't stick with just acoustic for long, did 00:15:05.580 --> 00:15:08.100 he? He kept evolving. No, he kept that no drummer 00:15:08.100 --> 00:15:10.720 idea for a bit longer, but started blending in 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:12.620 electric instruments again, pushing towards more 00:15:12.620 --> 00:15:14.840 of a jazz fusion sound. He brought in American 00:15:14.840 --> 00:15:17.740 players. Okay, who were the key guys in this 00:15:17.740 --> 00:15:20.559 phase, the USA Union period? Right, he recruited 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:23.320 two guys from Canned Heat, Harvey Mandel on guitar 00:15:23.320 --> 00:15:27.360 and Larry Taylor on bass. Canned Heat, wow, proper 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:29.580 blues rock royalty. And the amazing electric 00:15:29.580 --> 00:15:32.080 violinist Don Sugarcane Harris, who played with 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:34.759 Frank Zappa. as mothers of invention. That's 00:15:34.759 --> 00:15:36.879 quite a lineup. Different. Yeah, and they made 00:15:36.879 --> 00:15:39.320 the albums USA Union and Memories. And what's 00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:42.139 fascinating is on USA Union, Mayall apparently 00:15:42.139 --> 00:15:44.740 made Harvey Mandel, who was known for his feedback 00:15:44.740 --> 00:15:47.360 and sustained techniques play, without relying 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:49.820 on those signature sounds. So even when he's 00:15:49.820 --> 00:15:51.480 collaborating with these American heavyweights, 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:54.179 Mayall is still firmly in charge, setting the 00:15:54.179 --> 00:15:57.080 musical direction. Absolutely. He was the architect. 00:15:57.259 --> 00:15:59.600 Yeah. He wanted their talent, but within the 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:01.679 specific structure he was building at that moment. 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:03.940 The benevolent dictator of the blues, maybe? 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:07.519 Ah, I like that. But then, after all this experimentation, 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:11.299 he does something huge in 1971. The Back to the 00:16:11.299 --> 00:16:15.269 Roots Project. Ah, yes. This was massive. A big 00:16:15.269 --> 00:16:17.149 double album, kind of looking back, bringing 00:16:17.149 --> 00:16:19.490 together loads of his most famous collaborators. 00:16:19.830 --> 00:16:21.950 Sounds like the ultimate class reunion. It really 00:16:21.950 --> 00:16:24.429 was. It cemented his position as the guy who 00:16:24.429 --> 00:16:26.350 connected everyone. You had Eric Clapton back, 00:16:26.529 --> 00:16:28.669 Mick Taylor, Harvey Mandel, Sugarcane Harris, 00:16:28.870 --> 00:16:31.090 Johnny Allman, Keith Hartley, Jerry McGee on 00:16:31.090 --> 00:16:34.389 guitar too. Wow. British 60s meets American 70s. 00:16:34.409 --> 00:16:36.850 Exactly. A real melting pot. And Mayo worked 00:16:36.850 --> 00:16:39.330 tirelessly on it. Wrote all the songs, played 00:16:39.330 --> 00:16:41.669 harmonica, guitar, keyboards, drums, percussion. 00:16:41.889 --> 00:16:44.309 He was all over it. The London sessions with 00:16:44.309 --> 00:16:46.529 Clapton and Taylor were apparently quite something. 00:16:46.590 --> 00:16:49.110 Some of Clapton's last recordings before he really 00:16:49.110 --> 00:16:51.570 went into his shell after the Domino's Layla 00:16:51.570 --> 00:16:54.309 sessions fizzled out. So after that huge reunion 00:16:54.309 --> 00:16:56.750 album, the sources seem to suggest Mayall had 00:16:56.750 --> 00:16:59.669 kind of done his main job for the British scene. 00:17:00.029 --> 00:17:02.570 And he settles into life in L .A. full time. 00:17:02.850 --> 00:17:05.150 This kicks off his American phase through the 00:17:05.150 --> 00:17:07.509 70s, which often gets overlooked. Yeah, it does 00:17:07.509 --> 00:17:09.849 get glossed over. But it was like. Fifteen years 00:17:09.849 --> 00:17:12.750 of constant work. He recorded for different American 00:17:12.750 --> 00:17:15.150 labels, kept changing his style. A lot of the 00:17:15.150 --> 00:17:17.869 music from that decade brought in jazz, funk, 00:17:18.069 --> 00:17:21.130 even pop elements. He even used female vocalists, 00:17:21.130 --> 00:17:23.529 which was a big shift for his sound. Any key 00:17:23.529 --> 00:17:25.250 albums from that time we should know? Well, there 00:17:25.250 --> 00:17:28.190 was Jazz Blues Fusion in 72. which does what 00:17:28.190 --> 00:17:30.710 it says on the tin. The latest edition in 74 00:17:30.710 --> 00:17:33.569 featured the great jazz sax player Red Holloway. 00:17:33.670 --> 00:17:36.029 He was really exploring. So he wasn't just trading 00:17:36.029 --> 00:17:38.710 on his godfather of British blues reputation. 00:17:38.849 --> 00:17:41.329 He was actively engaging with what was happening 00:17:41.329 --> 00:17:43.750 in the U .S. scene. Definitely. Always moving, 00:17:43.829 --> 00:17:45.609 always experimenting. Although there was one 00:17:45.609 --> 00:17:47.349 interesting exception towards the end of the 00:17:47.349 --> 00:17:49.710 70s, an album called The Last of the British 00:17:49.710 --> 00:17:52.960 Blues in 78. Ah, the title says it all. Yeah, 00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:55.039 it was a live album and it was a deliberate brief 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:57.940 return to that earlier electric blues rock sound. 00:17:58.059 --> 00:18:00.240 Yeah. Almost like closing a chapter or acknowledging 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:02.640 where he came from before moving on again. Now, 00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:05.339 before we leave the 70s, we have to mention that 00:18:05.339 --> 00:18:09.480 awful event in 1979, the fire. Oh, the Laurel 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:12.579 Canyon Brush Fire. Devastating. It just destroyed 00:18:12.579 --> 00:18:14.700 his house. And the loss. It wasn't just the house, 00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:16.859 was it? No, it was incredible personally and 00:18:16.859 --> 00:18:18.839 historically. The sources list what he lost. 00:18:19.230 --> 00:18:21.970 2 ,000 hours of video movies he'd collected, 00:18:22.150 --> 00:18:25.789 priceless 16th century antiques, and 25 years 00:18:25.789 --> 00:18:28.990 of his personal diaries. His 25 years, just gone. 00:18:29.269 --> 00:18:31.569 Think about that. All his notes, thoughts, experiences 00:18:31.569 --> 00:18:34.130 covering the move to London, the Blues Breakers 00:18:34.130 --> 00:18:36.950 lineups, Clapton, Green, Taylor, the move to 00:18:36.950 --> 00:18:40.609 America. Everything from 54 to 79, wiped out. 00:18:40.730 --> 00:18:43.230 It's unimaginable. So much history lost. It really 00:18:43.230 --> 00:18:44.990 highlights how much we rely on the music itself 00:18:44.990 --> 00:18:48.430 and interviews to piece his story together. Okay. 00:18:48.779 --> 00:18:51.619 Moving into the later years, we see Mayall kind 00:18:51.619 --> 00:18:53.599 of consolidate things and finally start getting 00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:56.299 the recognition he deserved right, starting with 00:18:56.299 --> 00:18:58.079 bringing back the Blaze Breakers name. Well, 00:18:58.119 --> 00:19:01.240 there was a brief reunion tour first in 82. That 00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:03.579 got Mick Taylor, John McVie, and drummer Colin 00:19:03.579 --> 00:19:05.779 Allen back together for a couple of years. That 00:19:05.779 --> 00:19:09.460 sort of paved the way. Then in 1984, the Blues 00:19:09.460 --> 00:19:12.019 Breakers name was officially back, properly restored 00:19:12.019 --> 00:19:14.920 after, what, nearly 15 years on the shelf. And 00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:17.259 the new lineup was interesting. Two lead guitars. 00:19:18.009 --> 00:19:21.000 Walter Trout and Coco Montoya. Yeah, that twin 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:23.519 guitar attack defined the band through the 80s 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:25.880 and into the early 90s, when Buddy Whittington 00:19:25.880 --> 00:19:28.400 eventually took over as the sole lead guitarist. 00:19:28.759 --> 00:19:31.220 It felt like Male was consciously going back 00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:33.180 to that high -energy electric sound he'd left 00:19:33.180 --> 00:19:35.700 behind in 69. He'd done the experimenting, now 00:19:35.700 --> 00:19:38.140 it was back to the core brand, maybe. Perhaps. 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:41.339 And this historical importance really started 00:19:41.339 --> 00:19:43.619 to get cemented with some big anniversary projects. 00:19:43.900 --> 00:19:47.400 For his 40th anniversary as a pro in 2001, there 00:19:47.400 --> 00:19:49.990 was the album Along for the Ride. Credited to 00:19:49.990 --> 00:19:52.190 John Mayall and friends. Exactly. It was a real 00:19:52.190 --> 00:19:54.670 celebration. 20 guests, old blues breakers side 00:19:54.670 --> 00:19:56.930 by side with people like Gary Moore, Steve Miller, 00:19:57.170 --> 00:20:00.569 Otis Rush, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top. Wow, quite 00:20:00.569 --> 00:20:02.750 the guest list. A statement of respect across 00:20:02.750 --> 00:20:06.009 generations. Totally. And that continued. For 00:20:06.009 --> 00:20:09.289 his 70th birthday in 2003, he put on that big 00:20:09.289 --> 00:20:12.630 Unite for UNICEF concert in Liverpool. That must 00:20:12.630 --> 00:20:14.230 have been incredible. Didn't Clapton and Mick 00:20:14.230 --> 00:20:16.869 Taylor both play? They did. Clapton, Taylor, 00:20:17.029 --> 00:20:19.680 and the jazz legend Chris Barber. We're special 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:22.559 guests. Imagine that. Two of his most famous 00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:25.160 guitar protégés on stage with him. Peter Green 00:20:25.160 --> 00:20:28.240 couldn't make it, sadly, but still. What a moment. 00:20:28.339 --> 00:20:30.339 Captured on DVD, too, thankfully. Yeah, that 00:20:30.339 --> 00:20:34.539 moment is preserved. But Mayall, ever the pragmatist, 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:37.099 eventually decided to retire the Blues Breaker's 00:20:37.099 --> 00:20:40.119 name again in 2008. Why was that? He said he 00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:42.299 needed to simplify things, reduce the workload, 00:20:42.539 --> 00:20:44.960 and maybe wanted the freedom to work with different 00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:47.359 musicians without the weight of expectation that 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:49.160 came with the Blues Breakers tag. Makes sense. 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:51.119 So he started touring just under his own name, 00:20:51.160 --> 00:20:53.759 with a really solid, consistent backing band. 00:20:54.059 --> 00:20:57.140 Often Greg Rezab on bass, Jay Downport on drums, 00:20:57.240 --> 00:20:59.660 but let him just focus on playing. And even late 00:20:59.660 --> 00:21:01.539 in his career, he was still finding new talent, 00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:03.759 wasn't he? Bringing in Carolyn Wonderland on 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:07.440 guitar. Yeah, in 2018. His first female lead 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:10.259 guitarist. He was 85 years old and still shaking 00:21:10.259 --> 00:21:12.460 things up, looking for the best players, challenging 00:21:12.460 --> 00:21:14.980 norms. This says a lot about him. It really does. 00:21:15.180 --> 00:21:17.559 And this later period from around 2013 onwards 00:21:17.559 --> 00:21:20.160 was important for his recorded legacy too, wasn't 00:21:20.160 --> 00:21:22.700 it? Working with 40 Below Records. Yes, that 00:21:22.700 --> 00:21:25.099 collaboration with producer Eric Korner was key. 00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:28.500 It resulted in four new studio albums, like Talk 00:21:28.500 --> 00:21:31.539 About That, which had Joe Walsh guesting. Nice. 00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:34.059 But just as importantly, that label did the vital 00:21:34.059 --> 00:21:36.480 work of properly remastering and releasing those 00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:39.269 old live recordings. from the crucial mid -60s 00:21:39.269 --> 00:21:43.230 period. Yeah. The live in 1967 volumes. Ah, finally 00:21:43.230 --> 00:21:45.269 getting good quality recordings of the Peter 00:21:45.269 --> 00:21:47.690 Green era out there. Exactly. Making sure that 00:21:47.690 --> 00:21:49.730 sound, the sound that launched Fleetwood Mac, 00:21:49.930 --> 00:21:52.450 was properly documented and available. And alongside 00:21:52.450 --> 00:21:54.829 the music, the official honors started rolling 00:21:54.829 --> 00:21:58.109 in, too. He got an OBE in 2005. Officer of the 00:21:58.109 --> 00:22:00.509 Board of the British Empire, yep. And then, as 00:22:00.509 --> 00:22:02.230 we said right at the start, the ultimate nod. 00:22:03.049 --> 00:22:04.789 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 00:22:04.789 --> 00:22:08.230 in 2024. Musical influence category. A long time 00:22:08.230 --> 00:22:10.609 coming, many would say. Perhaps, but fitting. 00:22:10.869 --> 00:22:13.230 He passed away peacefully at home in California, 00:22:13.490 --> 00:22:18.279 July 22nd, 2024. 90 years old. lived an incredibly 00:22:18.279 --> 00:22:21.180 full life dedicated to the blues, married twice, 00:22:21.319 --> 00:22:24.480 six kids, six grandkids. His second wife, Maggie, 00:22:24.599 --> 00:22:26.099 was a blues singer herself and helped manage 00:22:26.099 --> 00:22:28.599 him. Music was just woven into the fabric of 00:22:28.599 --> 00:22:31.480 his entire life. He's interred at Hollywood Forever 00:22:31.480 --> 00:22:34.619 Cemetery. So looking back over this immense career, 00:22:34.819 --> 00:22:37.880 nearly 70 years, from playing R &B in Manchester 00:22:37.880 --> 00:22:41.720 clubs to global tours in his 80s, Mayall's legacy 00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:44.269 is just unique, isn't it? It really is. His importance 00:22:44.269 --> 00:22:46.470 isn't just his own music, though, with over 40 00:22:46.470 --> 00:22:48.609 studio albums. That's a massive body of work 00:22:48.609 --> 00:22:50.769 in itself. Right. But it's also maybe even more 00:22:50.769 --> 00:22:53.430 so his unbelievable knack for spotting, nurturing 00:22:53.430 --> 00:22:55.829 and then launching generation defining talent. 00:22:55.950 --> 00:22:58.029 He was the connector, the central point for that 00:22:58.029 --> 00:23:00.529 whole British blues rock family tree. Exactly. 00:23:00.670 --> 00:23:02.809 A constant force in a scene that was constantly 00:23:02.809 --> 00:23:04.769 changing, often because of the people he'd found 00:23:04.769 --> 00:23:07.809 and trained and his own adaptability. Incredible. 00:23:07.809 --> 00:23:10.809 From art school to electric blues pioneer, then 00:23:10.809 --> 00:23:13.430 that radical acoustic shift in L .A., then jazz 00:23:13.430 --> 00:23:16.390 fusion. He was never content to just stand still, 00:23:16.549 --> 00:23:19.869 always chasing a new sound. Which brings us to 00:23:19.869 --> 00:23:22.589 a really interesting final thought, I think. 00:23:22.670 --> 00:23:25.069 We know he provided the platform for Cream for 00:23:25.069 --> 00:23:27.170 Fleetwood Mac. He was the finishing school for 00:23:27.170 --> 00:23:29.349 Clapton Green, Taylor. We've established that. 00:23:29.549 --> 00:23:32.069 But given his own constant drive for change, 00:23:32.329 --> 00:23:34.369 his move to the U .S. to experiment for over 00:23:34.369 --> 00:23:36.960 a decade with sounds way beyond tradition. additional 00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:39.759 blues. Where does his deepest influence actually 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:43.259 lie? Is it more in the megastars he launched 00:23:43.259 --> 00:23:46.299 onto the world stage? Or is it in his own relentless, 00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:48.940 decades -long personal quest for new sounds, 00:23:49.079 --> 00:23:51.400 pushing the boundaries of blues itself? That's 00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:53.660 a great question. Was he the launchpad or the 00:23:53.660 --> 00:23:56.400 lifelong explorer? Yeah. Or somehow both? Something 00:23:56.400 --> 00:23:58.279 for you to think about next time you hear a classic 00:23:58.279 --> 00:24:00.279 Clapton lick or a Fleetwood Mac track or even 00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:02.500 one of Mayo's own incredibly diverse recordings. 00:24:03.259 --> 00:24:05.880 Where did that energy ultimately make the biggest 00:24:05.880 --> 00:24:06.299 waves?