Junior Wells: Hoodoo Man Blues (Live)
“Delmark’s most famous blues release is Mr. Wells’s “Hoodoo Man Blues,” which Mr. Koester produced. Two generations of blues bands have covered nearly every song on that recording, which the All Music Guide describes as “one of the truly classic blues albums of the 1960s” and “absolutely mesmerizing” in its ability to transfer onto tape the feeling of a live performance by a working Chicago blues band.” Larry Rother, New York Times
Audio Only! Irma Thomas: It’s Raining
“A new genre of Web sites that offer an eclectic mix of free music downloads may not be strictly legit, but the sites’ creators say they’re doing the beleaguered record industry a favor.
Named for the MP3 music format and the popular self-published Web sites known as blogs, they are part online mixtape, part diary, and part music magazine.
The tunes are drawn from remixes, forgotten genres and out-of-print albums, usually accompanied by detailed descriptions and reviews.” Adam Pasick, Reuters & USA Today
Dolly Parton: I Will Always Love You (Hee Haw, 1974)
“Last year Parton spent roughly $1 million to launch her own label, Dolly Records, when the industry wasn’t willing to support her. “I thought, ‘It’s an investment in myself,’ ” she says. “If it pays off, great. If not, I’ll count it as a tax loss.” With the release of Backwoods Barbie, Dolly Records recouped its start-up costs in three months.
“The music business is not what it used to be,” says Parton. “After you reach a certain age, they think you’re over. Well, I will never be over. I’ll be making records if I have to sell them out of the trunk of my car. I’ve done that in the past, and I’d do it again.”" Meg Grant, AARP
