Lovejoy (CD - 1971)

Personnel: Albert King (vocals, guitar); Jesse Edwin Davis, Tippy Armstrong, Wayne Perkins (guitar); John Gallie, Barry Beckett (keyboards); Donald "Duck" Dunn, David Hood (bass); Jim Keltner, Roger Hawkins (drums); Sandy Konikoff (percussion); Jeanne Green, The Mt. Zion Singers (background vocals).

Recorded at Skyhill Studios, Hollywood, California in December 1970 & January 1971. Originally released on Stax (2040).

Digitally remastered by Kirk Felton (1990, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley).

Personnel: Albert King (vocals, guitar); Jeanie Greene, Mount Zion Singers (vocals); Jesse Ed Davis , Michael Toles, Tippy Armstrong, Wayne Perkins (guitar); John Gallie, Barry Beckett (keyboards); Jim Keltner, Roger Hawkins (drums); Sanford Konikoff (percussion).

Unknown Contributor Roles: David Hood; Donald "Duck" Dunn; Mount Zion Singers; John Gallie; Jesse Ed Davis ; Jim Keltner; Roger Hawkins; Tippy Armstrong; Barry Beckett; Wayne Perkins; Sanford Konikoff.

This 1970 studio effort teamed up Albert with producer Don Nix, who supplied the majority of the original material here. Kicking off with a typical reading of the Stones' "Honky Tonk Woman" and including Taj Mahal's "She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule to Ride," the session is split between a Hollywood date with Jesse Ed Davis, Jim Keltner, and Duck Dunn in the band and one at Muscle Shoals with Roger Hawkins, David Hood, and Barry Beckett in the lineup. Although all of this is well-produced, there's hardly any fireworks out of Albert or any of the players aboard, making this an unessential addition for any but Albert King completists. ~ Cub Koda

Lovejoy is a rock-tinged departure from his usual Memphis sound. ~ Bill Dahl minimize