Best Of Chief Records Volume 1

Chief Records (together with its Profile and Age subsidiaries) was an independent record label that operated from 1957 to 1964. Best known for its recordings of Chicago blues artists Elmore James, Junior Wells, Magic Sam, and Earl Hooker, the label had a diverse roster and included R&B artists Lillian Offitt and Ricky Allen.

Chief Records was founded in Chicago in 1957 by Mel London, a twenty-five year-old R&B entrepreneur.[1] London served as producer and wrote several of the label's best-known songs. Earl Hooker, one of the most well-regarded blues guitarists of his era,[2][3] was an important contributor to the label. He worked closely with London and "was involved in over a dozen recording sessions, and his playing was featured on some forty titles and twenty-five singles, a dozen of which were released under his own name, the rest being ascribed to Junior Wells, A.C. Reed, Lillian Offitt, and Ricky Allen."[1] Among Hooker's recordings are several several slide-guitar instrumentals, including the 1961 Age single "Blue Guitar," on which Muddy Waters would later overdub a vocal and call it "You Shook Me."

"Little by Little," written by Mel London, was a hit for Junior Wells, reaching #23 in the Billboard R&B chart in 1960.[4] Wells would continue to perform and record several of his Chief and Profile songs ("Messin' with the Kid," "Come on in This House," and "It Hurts Me Too") during his career. "Cut You Loose," another London composition, was a hit for Ricky Allen; the song reached #20 in 1963.[5] Next to Wells, Allen had the most singles on the label (all on Age).

As with many independent blues labels in the early 1960s, Chief was plagued by financial problems.First to be discontinued were the Chief and Profile labels; finally the Age label was discontinued in 1964 and the company went out of business.During its seven years of operation, Chief/Profile/Age released about eighty singles (including reissues) from approximately thirty-seven artists. Later, various singles (including reissues) by Chief artists would be released by All-Points Records, Mel/Mel-Lon Records, Bright Star Records, and Starville Records, but none had the impact of the originals





01 - Serenaders - A Sinner In Love
02 - Junior Wells - Messin' With The Kid
03 - G Davy Crockett - Look Out Mabel
04 - Elmore James - Knocking At Your Door
05 - Elites - Dapper Dan
06 - Junior Wells - I Need Me A Car
07 - Lillian Offitt - Will My Man Be Home Tonight
08 - Elites - Come On Dance
09 - Elmore James - It Hurts Me Too
10 - Lillian Offitt - My Man Won't Work
11 - Junior Wells - Lovey Dovey Lovely One
12 - Serenaders - Pajama Song
13 - Earl Hooker - Universal Rock
14 - Elites - Darling What About You
15 - Terri Anders - Come Back My Love
16 - Junior Wells - Galloping Horses and a Lazy Mule
17 - Elmore James - Take Me Where You Go
18 - Terri Anders - All In My Mind
19 - Magic Sam - Do The Camel
20 - Earl Hooker - Rockin' Wild
21 - Lillian Offitt - My Man Is A Lover
22 - Elmore James - Calling All Blues

Best Of Chief Records Vol 1.rar - 69.5 MB