Long John Baldry is best remembered for one massive hit in the early 70s – but at the start of his career, he was one of the key artists on the UK scene mixing together blues, soul, R&B, and even a touch of jazz – as you'll hear here in a series of rare BBC material that captures
Baldry with two very hip groups! The first half of the record features
John on vocals as part of Steampacket – a group that also features a very young Rod Stewart, plus the great Julie Driscoll on vocals too – backed by the Trinity combo of organist Brian Auger – who would soon go on to make some great records with Julie. The second half features
Baldry's Hoochie Coochie Men – a group with
John as the sole singer, plus Al Gay and Stan Robinson on saxes, and Geoff Bradford on guitar. Most of the tracks on the record are mod remakes of American tunes – including "How
Long Will It Last", "It's All Right", "Five
Long Years", "Speak Your Piece", "Lord Remember Me", "Going To A Go Go", "Jump For Joy", "Didn't Want To Do It", and "The Drifter".