John Lee Hooker - Plays & Sings The Blues (Chess Acoustic Sounds Series Vinyl)

VINYL New Preorder
180 gram vinyl, Chess Acoustic Sounds Series; all-analog master cut by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab; pressed at Quality Record Pressings; jacket reproduces Chess LP 1454
Release Date Dec 11, 2026
Pre-order Regular price $39.00
Pre-order Release Date: Dec 11, 2026
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Product details

  • Label Interscope Records
  • Format Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
  • Format details 180 gram vinyl, Chess Acoustic Sounds Series; all-analog master cut by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab; pressed at Quality Record Pressings; jacket reproduces Chess LP 1454
  • Media 1 x Vinyl
  • Album release date 1961
  • This pressing Dec 11, 2026
  • Region US
  • Genres Blues
  • Catalog number ACHE 48440
  • UPC 199957924344
Releases Dec 11, 2026

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Chess Acoustic Sounds Series 180 Gram All-Analog Vinyl

The Chess Acoustic Sounds Series pressing of Plays & Sings The Blues, catalog number ACHE 48440, issued as part of the Chess Records 75 program. Matthew Lutthans cut the all-analog master at The Mastering Lab, and the record is pressed on 180 gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings. The jacket reproduces the original blue-lit cover photograph and its Chess LP 1454 credit line.

Chess assembled the album in 1961 out of sides John Lee Hooker had recorded in 1951 and 1952, several of them first issued as singles. It is a compilation rather than a studio album, and the recordings catch him working alone: electric guitar, voice, and the amplified foot that keeps the time. Joe Von Battle, Leonard Chess and Bernie Besman are the credited producers, and the twelve tracks run just under thirty-six minutes.

Hooker wrote all but two of them. "Worried Life Blues" is Big Maceo Merriweather's, and "Please Don't Go" is credited to McKinley Morganfield, better known as Muddy Waters. Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Bill Dahl gave it five stars and described it as "filled with 1951-1952 gems from the Hook's heyday."

Hooker's recordings from these years appeared on at least twenty different labels, frequently under aliases. The twelve collected here are from his Chess period.

Tracklist

Side A

  1. The Journey
  2. I Don't Want Your Money
  3. Hey Baby
  4. Mad Man Blues
  5. Bluebird
  6. Worried Life Blues

Side B

  1. Apologize
  2. Lonely Boy Boogie
  3. Please Don't Go
  4. Dreamin' Blues
  5. Hey Boogie
  6. Just Me And My Telephone

Complete the Collection (2)

UPC: 199957924344
Label: Interscope Records
Release Date: 12.11.26
Format: Vinyl