Long John Baldry

John William "Long John" Baldry (12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an English blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where Let the Heartaches Begin reached No. 1 in 1967 and in Australia where his duet with Kathi McDonald You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' reached number two in 1980. Baldry lived in Canada from the late 1970s until his death; there he continued to make records and do voiceover work. One of his best known roles in voice acting was as Dr. Robotnik in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Early life

Baldry's birth was registered in Brixworth Registration District in the first quarter of 1941. This District includes East Haddon so it appears certain that this was his birthplace. His mother's maiden name was Parker. His early life was spent in Edgware, Middlesex where he attended Camrose Primary School until the age of 11, after which he attended Downer Grammar School. Just before his death, he attended the school's 40th anniversary celebrations.

Blues bands of the 1960s

Baldry grew to 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), resulting in the nickname "Long John". He was one of the first British vocalists to sing blues in clubs. Baldry appeared quite regularly in the early '60s in the Gyre and Gymble coffee lounge, around the corner from Charing Cross railway station, and at the Brownsville R. & B. Club, Manor House, London, also "Klooks Kleek" (Railway Hotel, West Hampstead). He sometimes appeared at Eel Pie Island on the Thames at Twickenham and at the Station Hotel in Richmond, one of the Rolling Stones' earliest venues.

In the early 1960s, he sang with Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated, with whom he recorded the first British blues album in 1962, R&B from the Marquee. At stages, Mick Jagger, Jack Bruce and Charlie Watts were members of this band whileKeith Richards and Brian Jones played on stage, although none played on the R&B at the Marquee album. When The Rolling Stones made their debut at the Marquee Club in July 1962, Baldry put together a group to support them. Later, Baldry was the announcer introducing the Stones on their US-only live album, Got Live If You Want It!, in 1966.

Baldry became friendly with Paul McCartney after a show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in the early 1960s, leading to an invitation to sing on one of The Beatles 1964 TV specials, Around The Beatles. In the special, Baldry performs "Got My Mojo Workin'" and a medley of songs with members of The Vernons Girls trio; in the latter, the Beatles are shown singing along in the audience.

In 1963, Baldry joined the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars with Nicky Hopkins playing piano. He took over in 1964 after the death of Cyril Davies, and the group became Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men featuring Rod Stewart on vocals and Geoff Bradford on guitar. Stewart was recruited after Baldry heard him busking a Muddy Waters song at Twickenham station after Stewart had been to a Baldry gig at Eel Pie Island. Long John Baldry became a regular fixture on Sunday nights at Eel Pie Island from then onwards, fronting a series of bands.

In 1965, the Hoochie Coochie Men became Steampacket with Baldry and Stewart as male vocalists, Julie Driscoll as the female vocalist and Brian Auger on Hammond organ. After Steampacket broke up in 1966, Baldry formed Bluesology featuring Reg Dwight on keyboards and Elton Dean, later of Soft Machine, as well as Caleb Quaye on guitar. Dwight adopted the name Elton John, his first name from Dean and his surname from Baldry.

Baldry was openly gay during the early 1960s, at least amongst his friends and industry peers. However, he did not make a formal public acknowledgement of this until the 1970s—possibly because until 1967 in Britain, homosexuality was still a criminal offence that could lead to forced medication and/or jail time.

Baldry had a brief relationship with lead-guitarist of The Kinks, Dave Davies, and supported Elton John in coming to terms with his own sexuality. In 1978 his then-upcoming album Baldry's Out announced his formal coming out, and he addressed sexuality problems with a cover of Canadian songwriter Bill Amesbury's "A Thrill's a Thrill".

Solo artist

In 1967, he recorded a pop song "Let the Heartaches Begin" that went to number one in Britain, followed by a 1968 top 20 hit titled "Mexico", which was the theme of the UK Olympic team that year. "Let the Heartaches Begin" made the lower reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.

Bluesology broke up in 1968, with Baldry continuing his solo career and Elton John forming a songwriting partnership withBernie Taupin. In 1969, Elton John tried to commit suicide after relationship problems with a woman. Taupin and Baldry found him, and Baldry talked him out of marrying the woman, helping make Elton John comfortable with his sexuality. The song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" from Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was about the experience.

In 1971, John and Stewart each produced one side of It Ain't Easy which became Baldry's most popular album and made the top 100 of the US album chart. The album featured "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll" which became his most successful song in the US. Baldry's first tour of the US was at this time. The band included, Micky Waller, Ian Armitt, Pete Sears, and Sammy Mitchell. Stewart and John would again co-produce his 1972 album Everything Stops For Tea which made the lower reaches of the US album charts. The same year, Baldry worked with ex-Procol Harum guitarist Dave Ball.

Baldry had mental health problems and was institutionalised for a brief time in 1975. The 1979 album Baldry's Out was recorded after his release. He played live at Zolly's nightclub in Oshawa, underneath the Oshawa Shopping Centre, shortly after releasing Baldry's Out. In a 1997 interview with a German television program, Baldry claimed to be the last person to see singer Marc Bolan before Bolan's death on 16 September 1977, having conducted an interview with the fellow singer for an American production company, he says, just before Bolan drove away and had his accident.

Canadian citizenship

After time in New York City and Los Angeles in 1978, Baldry settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he became a Canadian citizen. He toured the west coast, as well as the U.S. Northwest. Baldry also toured the Canadian east, including one 1985 show in Kingston, Ontario, where audience members repeatedly called for the title track from his 1979 album Baldry's Out! – to which he replied, "I'll say he is!"

In 1979, he teamed with Seattle singer Kathi McDonald to record a version of The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin", following which McDonald became part of his touring group for two decades. The song made the lower reaches of the US Billboard charts but was a top 5 hit in Australia in 1980. He last recorded with the Stony Plain label. His 1997 album Right To Sing The Blues won a Juno Award in the Blues Album of the Year category in the Juno Awards of 1997.

He played his last live show in Columbus, Ohio, on 19 July 2004, at Barristers Hall with guitarist Bobby Cameron. The show was produced by Andrew Myers. They played to a small group, some came from Texas. Two years previously the two had a 10-venue sell-out tour of Canada. Baldry's final UK Tour as 'The Long John Baldry Trio' concluded with a performance on Saturday 13 November 2004 at The King's Lynn Arts Centre, King's Lynn, Norfolk, England. The trio consisted of LJB, Butch Coulter on harmonica and Dave Kelly on slide guitar.

Death

Baldry died on 21 July 2005, in Vancouver General Hospital, of a chest infection. He was survived by his partner, Felix "Oz" Rexach, a brother, Roger, and a sister, Margaret.

Discography

Albums

• (1964) Long John's Blues - United Artists (ULP 1081)
• (1966) Looking At Long John - United Artists (ULP 1146)
• (1968) Let the Heartaches Begin - Pye Records (NPL 18208)
• (1969) Wait For Me - Pye Records (NSPL 18366)
• (1971) It Ain't Easy - Warner Bros. (WS 1921)
• (1972) Everything Stops for Tea - Warner Bros. (WB 46 160)
• (1973) Good To Be Alive - GM Records (GML 1005)
• (1976) Welcome To Club Casablanca - Casablanca Records (NBLP 7035-V)
• (1979) Baldry's Out! - EMI Capitol (ST 6459)
• (1980) Boys In The Band - Quality Records (SV 2068)
• (1980) Long John Baldry - EMI Capitol (SW 17038)
• (1982) Rock With The Best - EMI Capitol (ST 6490)
• (1982) The Best Of Long John Baldry - EMI Capitol (SN 66124)
• (1986) Silent Treatment - Musicline Records (ML 000l)
• (1986) Long John Baldry & Friends - Musicline Records (ML 0002)
• (1989) A Touch of the Blues - Musicline Records (ML 0005)
• (1991) It Still Ain't Easy - Stony Plain Records (SPCD 1163) / Hypertension-Music (HYCD 200 122)
• (1993) On Stage Tonight - Baldry's Out! - Stony Plain Records (SPCD 1192) / Hypertension-Music (HYCD 200 135)
• (1995) A Thrill's A Thrill: The Canadian Years - EMI (S22Z 29609)
• (1996) Right To Sing The Blues - Stony Plain Records (SPCD 1232) / Hypertension-Music (HYCD 296 167)
• (1998) Let The Heartaches Begin: The Pye Anthology - Sequel Records (42298)
• (1999) Evening Conversation - Stony Plain Records (SPCD 1268) / Hypertension-Music (HYP 0191)
• (2001) Remembering Leadbelly - Stony Plain Records (SPCD 1275)
• (2005) Boogie Woogie: The Warner Bros. Recordings - Rhino Handmade (RHM2 7896)
• (2006) Looking At Long John Baldry: The UA Years 1964-1966 - EMI (0946 3 5o899)
• (2009) Live - Iowa State University 1987 - Angel Air Records (SJPCD310)
• (2014) The Best Of The Stony Plain Years - Stony Plain Records (SPCD 1376)

Singles, EP's, Demos

• (1959) Gallows Pole - Unreleased demo
• (1962) How Long Blues - Unreleased demo
• (1964) You'll Be Mine / Up Above My Head - United Artists (UP 1056)
• (1964) I'm On To You Baby / Goodbye Baby - United Artists (UP 1078)
• (1965) How Long Will It Last? / House Next Door - United Artists (UP 1107)
• (1965) Long John's Blues EP [Dimples / Hoochie Coochie Man / My Baby / Times Are Getting Tougher Than Tough] - United Artists (UEP 1013)
• (1966) Unseen Hands / Turn On Your Love Light - United Artists (UP 1124)
• (1966) The Drifter / Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart - United Artists (UP 1136)
• (1966) Cuckoo / Bring My Baby Back To Me - United Artists (UP 1158)
• (1967) Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart / Let Him Go (And Let Me Love You) - United Artists (UP 1204)
• (1967) Cuckoo EP [Cuckoo / You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' / Stop Her On Sight (SOS) / Bring My Baby Back To Me - United Artists (UEP 36.108)
• (1967) Let The Heartaches Begin / Annabella - Pye Records (7N 17385)
• (1967) Let The Heartaches Begin / Hey Lord You Made The Night Too Long - Pye Records (7N 17408)
• (1968) Hold Back The Daybreak / Since I Lost You Baby - Pye Records (7N 17455)
• (1968) When The Sun Comes Shining Thru / Wise To The Ways Of The World - Pye Records (7N 17593)
• (1968) Mexico / We're Together - Pye Records (7N 17563)
• (1969) It's Too Late Now / The Long And Lonely Nights - Pye Records (7N 17664)
• (1969) Wait For Me / Don't Pity Me - Pye Records (7N 17815)
• (1969) When The Sun Comes Shing Thru / We're Together / Mexico / Wise To The Ways Of The World - Pye Records (Pat. 54011)
• (1969) It's Too Late Now / The Long And Lonely Nights / Hold Back The Daybreak / Since I Lost You Baby - Pye Records (Pat. 54016)
• (1970) Well I Did / Setting Fire To The Tail Of A Fox - Pye Records (7N 17921)
• (1970) When The War Is Over / Where Are My Eyes? - Pye Records (7N 45007)
• (1970) Madame - ATV Kirshner Unreleased demo
• (1971) Rock Me When He's Gone / Flying - Warner Bros. (K 16105)
• (1971) Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll / Black Girl - Warner Bros. (GS 45105)
• (1971) Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll / Mr. Rubin - Warner Bros. (WB.16099)
• (1972) Iko Iko / Mother Ain't Dead - Warner Bros. (K 16175)
• (1972) Everything Stops For Tea / Hambone - Warner Bros. (K 16217)
• (1972) Mother Ain't Dead / You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover - Warner Bros. (WB 7617)
• (1973) She / Song For Martin Luther King - GM Records (GMS 9005)
• (1974) Crazy Lady / End Of Another Day - ABC Records (ABC 4016)
• (1975) Let Me Pass / High and Low - Casablanca Records (Casablanca 600)
• (1976) This Boys In Love Again / Song For Martin Luther King - GM Records (GMS 9043)
• (1977) On Broadway / On Broadway (instrumental) - GM Records (GMS 9045) Only available as a single
• (1977) Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock And Roll / Tell Me Something I Don't Know - Atlantic Records (CATX 40011) Only available as a single
• (1979) You've Lost That Loving Feeling / Baldry's Out - EMI Capitol (006-86113)
• (1979) A Thrill's A Thrill / Baldry's Out - EMI Capitol (EA 103)
• (1979) A Thrill's A Thrill / Find You - EMI Capitol (1A 006-860571979)
• (1979) Come And Get Your Love / Lonely Nights - EMI Capitol (72808 1979)
• (1979) Rainbow - Unreleased demo
• (1980) (Walk Me Out In The) Morning Dew / I Want You, I Love You - EMI Capitol (006-86329)
• (1980) Any Day Now / Work For Me - EMI Capitol (72841)
• (1981) Too Late For Crying / 25 Years Of Pain - EMI Capitol (72874)
• (1982) Stay The Way You Are / Midnight Show - EMI Capitol (72878)
• (1984) Run Through The Jungle - Unreleased demo
• (1985) The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore / Mystery To Me - Line Records (LS 1.00005)
• (1986) Silent Treatment / Our Love Is In Limbo - Musicline Records (MLS 002)
• (1986) The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore / Carnival - Musicline Records (MLS 003)
• (1986) Ain't That Peculiar / Spoonful - Musicline Records (MLS 004)
• (1987) This Is Japan / When The World Doesn't Love You - Musicline Records (MLS 005)
• (1987) Silent Treatment / A Life Of Blues - Pläne Records (B-4791)
• (1992) Midnight In New Orleans - Hypertension Music (HYCDS 100 103) Features three exclusive live tracks from 1992
• (1995) ...Some Thrills - EMI (DRPO 1132) 5 track promo with a previously unreleased version of 'Passing Glanes'

Appearances On Other Albums

• (1960) 6 Out Of 4 ~ The Thames-Side Four - Folklore (F-EP/1) Live recording of the group with LJB on guitar and vocals.
• (1962) R&B from the Marquee ~ Blues Incorporated - Decca (ACL 1130) Baldry provides lead vocals on three tracks including 'How Long, How Long Blues.'
• (1970) The First Supergroup ~ The Steampacket - BYG Records (529.706) Recorded December 1965 the album features tracks with LJB on lead vocals
• (1971) The First Rhythm & Blues Festival In England ~ Various Artists - BYG Records (529.705) Recorded live in Feb 1964 Baldy sings '2.19' and 'Mojo Working'
• (1971) Every Picture Tells A Story ~ Rod Stewart - Mercury (6338 063) LJB provides backing vocals on the title track and 'Seems Like A Long Time'.
• (1972) Mar Y Sol: The First International Puerto Rico Pop Festival ~ Various Artists - Atco Records (SD 2-705) Baldry sings a live version of the self-penned 'Bring My Baby Back To Me'.
• (1975) Dick Deadeye: Original Soundtrack ~ Various Artists - GM Records (GML 1018) Soundtrack to the animated film of the same name with LJB taking lead vocals on three tracks.
• (1975) Sumar Á Sýrlandi ~ Stuðmenn - Egg (EGG 0000 1/13) Rare Icelandic album. Baldry sings the track 'She Broke My Heart'.
• (2002) For Fans Only! ~ Genya Ravan - AHA Music Features a rare duet with Ravan and Baldry on 'Something's Got A Hold On Me'. Recorded in 1978.
• (2011) The Definitive Steampacket Recordings ~ The Steampacket - Nasty Productions Features two previously unreleased Steampacket tracks with LJB on lead vocals.
• (2013) Radio Luxembourg Sessions: 208 Rhythm Club - Vol. 5 ~ Various Artists - Vocalion (CDNJT 5319) October 1961 recording. LJB sings 'Every Day I Have The Blues'
• (2013) Radio Luxembourg Sessions: 208 Rhythm Club - Vol. 6 ~ Various Artists - Vocalion (CDNJT 5320) October 1961 recording of LJB singing 'The Glory Of Love'.

TV Specials

• (1965) Rod The Mod
• (1974) The Gospel According To Long John
• (1985) Long John Baldry: Rockin' The Blues
• (1987) Long John Baldry At The Maintenance Shop
• (1993) Long John Baldry In Concert
• (1993) Leverkusen Blues Festival '93: The Long John Baldry Band
• (1993) Waterfront Blues Festival: Long John Baldry
• (1997) Leverkusen Blues Festival '97: Long John Baldry & Tony Ashton
• (1998) Café Campus Blues with Long John Baldry
• (2001) Happy Birthday Blues: Long John Baldry & Friends
• (2007) Long John Baldry: In The Shadow Of The Blues

Acting

LONG JOHN BALDRY’S acting career! "To break up the boredom of watching TV at home in Muswell Hill, Baldry accepted the invitation of his friend, director Joan Littlewood, to make his West End debut in the rural blues-themed stage musical Big Rock Candy Mountain. The show had been written by Alan Lomax-the son of John Lomax, the man who discovered Leadbelly-and for Baldry going to work every night at the Joan Littlewood theatre to celebrate the msic he loved seemed like a holiday. The gig was challenging for him, though, as he told Chris Salewicz: “I’ve played the Palladium in front of the Queen, but I was shitting myself going out in front of five hundred children.” Baldry had always been a theatrical performer, and he was more than happy to act like someone else from time to time. He’d expressed his interest in movies and TV to interviewer George Tremlett in 1968, and since then he had made his screen debut as “Little John” in comedian Frankie Howard’s Robin Hood farce, Up The Chastity Belt. Although he was eager to act in more movies, he told Melody Maker’s Roy Hollingworth that he didn’t much care for the hours. “Great fun, but you have to get up early,” said Baldry. “One morning I had to be up at six, and doing a fight scene with John Gorman. Wow!” Andrew Loog Oldham says he always felt that Baldry was first and foremost an actor. “John could have done any kind of theatrical thing,” he suggests, “but he happened to have adopted the blues idiom because he loved it.” in 1972, Baldry had said much the same thing in the Melody Maker. “Theatre and rock is something I’ve always believed in,” he told Roy Hollingworth. “At heart, I’m an actor, far more than anything else. No matter where I’ve sung throughout the world, when I get on the wooded boards… the pressing of two thousand people against you, and the smell of those old, old boards. Its then that I’m home.” In 1975, foreshadowing the vocation he would take up in his later years, Baldry lent his voice to the animated feature film Dick Deadeye, produced by Peanuts animated Bill Melendez and based upon drawings by Ronald Searle." - Paul Myers, It Ain't Easy, Long John Baldry & The Birth Of The British Blues.

Acting Credits

• (1971) Up The Chastity Belt [Film] - as Little John
• (1973) The Big Rock Candy Mountain [Play] - as The Cowboy aka Narrator
• (1975) Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done [Animated film] - as The Major General / Monarch Of The Sea
• (1985) Star Wars: Droids [Animated TV series] - as Proto One / The Great Heep
• (1988) Peter Pan: The Musical [Play] - as Captain Hook
• (1989) Captain N: The Game Master [Animated TV series] - as King Charles
• (1989) Dragon Warrior [Animated TV series] - as Narrator
• (1990) The New Adventures of He-Man [Animated TV series] - as Treylus (uncredited)
• (1990) Angel Square [Film] - as Radio Announcer
• (1990) A Klondike Christmas [Animated TV special] - as Bear-Paw
• (1991) Captain Zed and the Zee Zone [Animated TV series] - as Captain Spring
• (1991) MacGyver [TV series] - as Man #2
• (1991) Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars [Animate TV series] - as KOMPLEX
• (1991) Captain N And The New Super Mario World [Animated TV series] - as Little John / Clock Man / The Poltergeist King
• (1991) Nilus The Sandman [Animated TV series] - as Nilus
• (1992) Bucky O'Hare: The Arcade Game [Game] - as KOMPLEX
• (1993) Jack's Place [TV series] - as Tall Man
• (1993) Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog [Animated TV series] - as Doctor Robotnik
• (1993) Madeline [Animated TV series] - as Greybeard The Pirate
• (1994) ReBoot [Animated TV series] - as Captain Capacitor / Old Man Pearson
• (1995) Blame It One The Blues [Film] - as Bartender
• (1996) Hurricanes [Animated TV series] - as Additional Voices
• (1997) The Original Story Of Winnie The Pooh [Audiobook] - as Narrator
• (1998) Camelot: The Legend [Animated film] - as Merlin
• (1998) Pocket Dragon Adventures [Animated TV series] - as Additional Voices
• (1998) Robocop: Alpha Commando [Animated TV series] - as The Premier
• (1999) Sabrina the Animated Series [Animated TV series] - as Captain Jean Lafitte
• (2001) Fat Dog Mendoza [Animated TV series] - as The Golden Volcano God
• (2002) The New Beachcombers [TV special] - as Member Of JJ's Jugband
• (2002) Toad Patrol [Animated TV series] - as Mistle-Toad
• (2002) Snow Queen [Film] - Rutger The Reindeer (voice)
• (2003) Ben Hur [Animated film] - as Balthazar

Bibliography

• Bob Brunning (1986) Blues: The British Connection, London: Helter Skelter, 2002, ISBN 1-900924-41-2
• Bob Brunning, The Fleetwood Mac Story: Rumours and Lies - Omnibus Press, 2004, foreword by B.B.King
• Dick Heckstall-Smith (2004) The safest place in the world: A personal history of British Rhythm and blues, Clear Books, ISBN 0-7043-2696-5 - First Edition: Blowing The Blues - Fifty Years Playing The British Blues
• Christopher Hjort Strange brew: Eric Clapton and the British blues boom, 1965-1970, foreword by John Mayall,Jawbone (2007)ISBN 1-906002002
• Paul Myers: Long John Baldry and the Birth of the British Blues, Vancouver 2007 - GreyStone Books
• Harry Shapiro Alexis Korner: The Biography, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, London 1997, Discography by Mark Troster