INDIANOLA MISSISSIPPI SEEDS

'''Indianola Mississippi Seeds''' is a 1970 album in which B.B. King mixed elements of blues and pop/rock. Producer Bill Szymczyk decided to follow-up on the success of the hit, "The Thrill is Gone" by matching King with a musical all-star cast. The result was one of King's most critically acclaimed albums and one of the most highly regarded blues crossover albums of all time.
The album appeared on several of ''Billboard's'' album charts in 1970, reaching number 26 on the Pop album chart, number seven on the Jazz album chart and eight on ''Billboard's'' listing for "Black Albums." The album also generated several hit singles, "Chains and Things", King's own "Ask Me No Questions" and Leon Russell's "Hummingbird".
King himself, also, views the album as one of his greatest achievements. When asked about his best work, King has said, "I know the critics always mention ''Live and Well'' or ''Live at the Regal'', but I think that ''Indianola Mississippi Seeds'' was the best album that I've done artistically."Jas Obrecht, ''Rollin' and Tumblin': The Postwar Blues Guitarists'', Backbeat Books, 2000, p.328 (ISBN 0879306130)

Contents

Homage paid to a hometown

Critical acclaim

Track listing

Credits

Production

Other

Charts

Album charts

Singles

Awards

Releases

See also

External links

Notes and sources

Homage paid to a hometown

The album title is a tribute to King's upbringing near Indianola, Mississippi. Although King was born on a plantation between two smaller towns, Itta Bena and Berclair, which are actually closer to Greenwood, King has always considered Indianola his hometown.Sebastian Danchin, ''Blues Boy: The Life and Music of B.B. King'', University Press of Mississippi, 1998, p. 1 (ISBN 1578060176)
The album package — which was itself recognized with a Grammy — includes what appears to be a copy of B.B. King's birth certificate with official registration in Indianola. The liner notes also contain a note that reads, "Congratulations Albert and Nora on your son Riley, September 16, 1925."Liner notes referenced are from the 1989 remastered CD, ''Indianola Mississippi Seeds'', (MCA Records, MCAD-31343)
Over time, King's hometown has paid respects back to him. In 2006, the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center was opened in Indianola, with the mission to "preserve and share the legacy and values of B.B. King, to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Mississippi Delta, and to promote pride, hope, and understanding through exhibitions and educated programs."B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, web site, accessed April 2, 2007

Critical acclaim

''Indianola Mississippi Seeds'' is one of three of B.B. Kings recordings listed in ''The Rough Guide to Blues 100 Essential CDs'' (along with ''Live at the Regal'' and ''Singin' the Blues'').Greg Ward, ''The Rough Guide to Blues 100 Essential CDs'', Rough Guides, November 23, 2000, p.97-98 (ISBN 1858285607 ) The album was named # 23 on a list of the best "Album Chartmakers by Year" for 1970.Dave Marsh & Kevin Stein, "Top of the Pops: The Best of the Album Chartmakers by Year", ''Book of Rock Lists", Dell Books, 1981 (reissue November 1982 ISBN 044057580X) (link to list for 1970)

Track listing

# "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother" (B.B. King) — 1:26
#
★ B.B. King — piano & vocal
# "You're Still My Woman" (B.B. King/Dave Clark) — 6:04
#
★ B.B. King — guitar & vocal
#
★ Carole King — piano
#
★ Bryan Garofalo — bass
#
★ Russ Kunkel — drums
# "Ask Me No Questions" (B.B. King) — 3:08
#
★ B.B. King — guitar & vocal
#
★ Leon Russell – piano
#
★ Joe Walsh – rhythm guitar
#
★ Bryan Garofalo — bass
#
★ Russ Kunkel — drums
# "Until I'm Dead and Cold" (B.B. King) — 4:45
#
★ B.B. King — guitar & vocal
#
★ Carole King — piano
#
★ Bryan Garofalo — bass
#
★ Russ Kunkel — drums
# "King's Special" (B.B. King) — 5:13
#
★ B.B. King — lead guitar
#
★ Leon Russell – piano
#
★ Joe Walsh – rhythm guitar
#
★ Bryan Garofalo — bass
#
★ Russ Kunkel — drums
# "Ain't Gonna Worry My Life Anymore" (B.B. King) — 5:18
#
★ B.B. King — guitar & vocal
#
★ Carole King — piano & electric piano
#
★ Bryan Garofalo — bass
#
★ Russ Kunkel — drums
# "Chains and Things" (B.B. King & Dave Clark) — 4:53
#
★ B.B. King — guitar & vocal
#
★ Carole King — electric piano
#
★ Bryan Garofalo — bass
#
★ Russ Kunkel — drums
# "Go Underground" (B.B. King & Dave Clark) — 4:00
#
★ B.B. King — lead guitar & vocal
#
★ Paul Harris — piano
#
★ Hugh McCracken — rhythm guitar
#
★ Gerald Jemmott — bass
#
★ Herb Lovelle — drums
#
★ Joe Zagarino — Engineer
#: The Hit Factory, New York City
# "Hummingbird" (Leon Russell) — 4:36
#
★ B.B. King — guitar & vocal
#
★ Leon Russell — piano & conductor
#
★ Joe Walsh — rhythm guitar
#
★ Bryan Garofalo — bass
#
★ Russ Kunkel — drums
#
★ Sherlie Matthews, Merry Clayton, Clydie King, Venetta Fields — "Angelic chorus"

Credits

Production

★ Produced by Bill Szymczyk

★ Strings and Horns arranged by Jimmie Haskell

★ Recorded at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

★
★ Engineers — Bill Szymczyk & Gary Kellgren

★
★ Assistiant Engineers — Llyllianne Douma, Mike Stone, & John Henning

★ Mastering — Bob Macleod — Artisan Sound Recorders

Other

★ Cover design — Lockart

★ Photography — Ivan Nagy

★ Management — Sidney A. Seidenberg

★ Leon Russell appears with love from Shelter Records

★ Carole King & Merry Clayton appear through the courtesy of Ode 70 Records

★ Congratulations to Albert and Nora on your son Riley, September 16, 1925

Charts

Album charts

year	chart	peak
1970	''Billboard'' Black Albums	8
1970	''Billboard'' Jazz Albums	7
1970	''Billboard'' Pop Albums	26

Singles

year	Singles	chart	peak
1970	"Chains And Things"	''Billboard'' Black Singles	6
1970	"Chains And Things"	''Billboard'' Pop Singles	45
1970	"Hummingbird"	''Billboard'' Black Singles	25
1970	"Hummingbird"	''Billboard'' Pop Singles	48
1971	"Ask Me No Questions"	''Billboard'' Black Singles	18
1971	"Ask Me No Questions"	''Billboard'' Pop Singles	40

Awards

Photographer, Ivan Nagy and cover designer, Robert Lockart won the 1971 Grammy for "Best Album Package - Incl. Album Cover, Graphic Arts, Photography" for ''Indianola Mississippi Seeds''.

Releases

year	format	label	catalog #
1970	LP	ABC	713
1989	CD	MCA	MCAD-31343
1989	CS	MCA	MCAC-31343
1995	CD	Beat Goes On	237
2002	CD	Beat Goes On	237

See also

★ B. B. King discography

External links

★ ''Indianola Mississippi Seeds'' discography page from the official B.B. King website

Notes and sources

1. Martin C. Strong ''The Great Rock Discography'', 7th edition, UK (according to acclaimedmusic.net)
2. ''Music Hound'', USA, 1998-99 (according to acclaimedmusic.net)
3. ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', UK, 2002 (according to acclaimedmusic.net)