3 O'Clock Blues: The Early Years 1951-61

B.B. King, the “King Of The Blues” is an undisputed music icon. In a career spanning seven decades, he sold in excess of 50 million records, won 20 Grammy Awards, and played alongside artists such as Bono, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder. A hard-working musician, King toured the world several times over, taking his extraordinary blues from the margins to the mainstream. His emotional and sophisticated soloing on his Gibson guitar, ‘Lucille’, coupled with his subtle vibrato style, influenced a diverse range of artists, including, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Richie Sambora, and even 50 Cent. This fine collection brings together some of King’s greatest early blues numbers. From his first hit single, “Three O’Clock Blues”, timeless tracks such as “Woke Up This Morning” and “Everyday I Have The Blues”, the epic double sider “Sweet Sixteen” finishing with his early sixties classics, “Someday” and “Peace Of Mind”. King was a pioneer from the very beginning, with this collection demonstrating just why the British blues bands of the late sixties revered him as a guitar god. King was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall Of Fame in 1984, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame in 1987, received the National Academy of the Recording Arts and Sciences Lifetime Achievement Award and awarded the Presidential Medal of the Arts in 1990. In 2006 he received the Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honour.

Side A
1) 3 O'CLOCK BLUES - B.B. King (Jules Taub, B.B. King) 1951
2) YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU - B.B. King & His Orchestra (Riley B. King, Jules Bihari) 1952
3) WOKE UP THIS MORNING - B.B. King & His Orchestra (Jules Bihari, B.B. King) 1953
4) PLEASE LOVE ME - B.B. King & His Orchestra (Riley B. King, Jules Bihari) 1953
5) PLEASE HURRY HOME - B.B. King & His Orchestra (Jules Taub, B.B. King) 1953
6) WHEN MY HEART BEATS LIKE A HAMMER - B. B. "Blues Boy" King and His Orchestra (Riley B. King, Jules Bihari) 1954
7) YOU UPSET ME BABY - B. B. "Blues Boy" King and His Orchestra (Maxwell Davis, Joe Bihari) 1954
8) EVERY DAY I HAVE THE BLUES - B. B. "Blues Boy" King and His Orchestra (Peter Chatman) 1955

Side B
1) SWEET LITTLE ANGEL - B. B. "Blues Boy" King and His Orchestra (Riley B. King, Jules Bihari) 1956
2) I WANT TO GET MARRIED - B. B. "Blues Boy" King and His Orchestra (Joe Josea, B.B. King) 1957
3) PLEASE ACCEPT MY LOVE - B.B. King with The Vocal Chords (Saul Bihari, B.B. King) 1957
4) SWEET SIXTEEN PTS.1 & 2 - B.B. King (Joe Josea, B.B. King) 1959
5) GOOD MAN GONE BAD - B.B. King (Jules Taub, B.B. King) 1960
6) SOMEDAY - B.B. King (Joe Josea, B.B. King) 1961
7) PEACE OF MIND - B.B. King (Joe Josea, B.B. King) 1961