Canned Heat 1967 - 1970
Alan "The Blind Owl" Christie Wilson
Bob "The Bear" Hite
Henry "The Sunflower" Vestine
Larry "The Mole" Taylor
Adolfo "Fito" De La Parra
Harvey "The Snake" Mandel
Antonio "Tony" De La Barreda
Going Up The Country
I LOVE MY BABY - SLIDE GUITAR by Alan is something else it sends shivers everytime!!
I LOVE MY BABY
EARLY BLUES - HENRY THOMAS - SON HOUSE - TOMMY JOHNSON - WILLIAM HARRIS - WALTER "BUDDY BOY" HAWKINS - BLIND WILLE Mc TELL - HAMBONE WILLIE NEWBERN - TOMMY McCLENNAN - ROBERT JOHNSON - CHARLEY PATTON - SKIP JAMES - ST LOUIS JIMMY ODEN - TAMPA RED - CASEY BILL WELDON - ARTHUR CRUDUP - BLIND LEMON JEFFERSON - ROBERT PETWAY - CRIPPLE CLARENCE LOFTON - BAREFOOT BILL - HENRY SIMS - TWO POOR BOYS - JOHN LEE HOOKER - LITTLE WALTER - BIG BILL BROONZY - SCRAPPER BLACKWELL - BLIND BLAKE - BARBECUE BOB - SUNNYLAND SLIM - LONNIE JOHNSON - LEADBELLY - BLIND BOY FULLER - BLIND BLAKE - MUDDY WATERS - ROBERT PETE WILLIAMS - SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON 1&2 - BIG JOE WILLIAMS - BUKKA WHITE - PEETIE WHEATSTRAW - T BONE WALKER - BIG JOE TURNER - RAMBLIN' THOMAS - FRANK STOKES - HENRY STUCKEY - DAVID & LOUIS MYERS - CHARLEY JORDAN - ALEXANDER 'PAPA GEORGE' LIGHTFOOT - ROBERT 'JUNIOR' LOCKWOOD - BLIND WILLIE JOHNSON - JAMES 'KOKOMO' ARNOLD - BLACK ACE - BESSIE SMITH - ISHMON BRACEY - BO CARTER - WALTER "SHAKEY" HORTON - JOEL & SAM "LIGHTNING" HOPKINS - HOMESICK JAMES - ROOSEVELT HOLTS - HARMONICA FATS - LITTLE WILLIE FOSTER - REV GARY DAVIS - FURRY LEWIS - JOHN LEE HENLEY - SISTER ROSETTA THARPE - SLIM HARPO - ROOSEVELT SYKES - MEMPHIS SLIM - LEOTHUS 'PORK CHOPS' GREEN - WILLIAM McKINLEY 'JAZZ' GILLUM - CIFFORD GIBSON - MISSISSIPPI FRED McDOWELL - MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT - WILLIE DIXON - J.T. ADAMS - GARFIELD AKERS - WOODROW ADAMS - JOSH WHITE - ALGER 'TEXAS' ALEXANDER - PINKY 'PINK' ANDERSON - BILLY BOY ARNOLD - KID BAILEY - JOE 'MR GOOGLE EYES' AUGUST - IDA COX - MA RAINEY - LOVIE AUSTIN - ALBERTA HUNTER - CHAMPION JACK DUPREE - ROOSEVELT 'BOOBA' BARNS - ALBERT AMMONS - MEADE 'LUX' LEWIS - PETE JOHNSON - PAPA CHARLIE JACKSON - JOHN FAHEY(Who named Alan "BLIND OWL")
Sounds Like
SOME OF THE BEST BOOGIE MUSIC YOU HAVE EVER HEARD IN YOUR LIFE!
Alan "Blind Owl" Christie Wilson (July 4, 1943 – September 3, 1970) was the leader, singer, and primary composer in the American blues band Canned Heat. He played guitar and harmonica, and wrote most of the songs for the band.
Alan was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He majored in music at Boston University and often played the Cambridge coffeehouse folk-blues circuit.Bob "The Bear" Hite of Canned Heat from the begining called Alan a "MUSICAL GENIUS" Bob went on to say "ALAN HAS PERFECT PITCH HE CAN STAND IN FRONT OF A RECORD PLAYER AND WRITE DOWN THE NOTES AS THEY COME OUT" Bob added also "ALAN'S ALWAYS WANDERING AROUND WITH HIS HARMONICA AND A BIT OF PAPER AND PENCIL IN CASE HE CAME ACROSS A NEW NOTE SEQUENCE"
He acquired the nickname "Blind Owl" owing to his extreme nearsightedness; in one instance when he was playing at a wedding, he laid his guitar on the wedding cake because he did not see it.
With Canned Heat, Alan performed at two prominent concerts of the 1960s era, the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and Woodstock in 1969. Canned Heat appeared in the film Woodstock, and the band's "Going Up the Country," which Alan sang, has been referred to as the festival's unofficial theme song.
Going Up The Country
Alan was a fanatical conservationist who loved reading books on botany and ecology. He often slept outdoors to be closer to nature. In 1969, he wrote and recorded a song, "Poor Moon", which expressed concern over potential pollution of the moon. He wrote an essay called 'Grim Harvest', about the coastal redwood forests of California, which was printed as the liner notes to the Future Blues album by Canned Heat.
After Eddie 'Son' House's 'rediscovery' in 1964, Alan taught him how to play again the songs House had recorded in 1930 and 1942 (which he meanwhile had forgotten). On the double album Hooker 'N Heat (1970), John Lee Hooker is heard wondering how Alan blowing Harmonica is capable of following Hooker's guitar playing so well."I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU FOLLOW ME BUT YOU DO" John says John was known to be a difficult performer to accompany, partly because of his disregard of song form. Yet Alan seemed to have no trouble at all following him on this album. Hooker concludes that "you [Alan] musta been listenin' to my records all your life".John Lee Hooker also said after Alan died that he was "The GREATEST HARMONICA PLAYER EVER !! You hear John Lee Hooker call out "ALAN ALAN BLOW YOUR HARMONICA SON" & "HEAR THAT CAT ON THE HARMONICA THAT'S THE CANNED HEAT I KNOW YOU DIG IT"
It sure can be a mean old world darlin'! I have been sending my mama some of your videos (I may have mentioned) and she was like..."WOW...I so remember them and we hung out together!" That made her very happy....and we all need happy~
Yeah Roxy is a kewl woman alrighty. Chit I have so many harps. I got two new ones for my Birthday and can't play em right now because Norton split to Heaven. He'd kick my ass if he knew and most likely does know. The others, I blew the reeds out on. Bendin' too many notes? Dunno darlin'. I sent some of your videos to my family and clan. I know she & they will SMILE! Thank you so very much Blind (and seeing) Owl~
Hey Hey darlin' I just got off a Chat and Air with one amazing Blues woman from NYC. Roxy Perry. Whoooo can she blow that harp and has got that soul. I needed to split and come spend some more time here and with you and your pals and music b-4 I TRY & sleep! Love you cats. Muahz'ahhhhh!
Shannon
P.S. I don't do "apps" so ya won't be gettin' that stuff from me.
Hooooo Hooooo Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson. I grew up with you and Canned Heat. Wow..I was a flower child but came to most all your shows with my mama. So let's RIDE! So nice and comforting to be back to a place I call home. ABUNDANT BLESSINGS~
Thank you for the add! Canned Heat will always be one of my favorite bands and one of the ten most influential bands for my music. Canned Heat is the least respected and least honored bands from the late 60's! They were the most responsible of all the White bands for bringing the Black Blues to the masses! Twister
Alan Wilson and Shakey Horton were the TWO most underrated and forgotten harp artists of all time. The first of 2 songs I learned on harp were the Blind Owl's Goin' Down Slow and Rollin' & Tumblin' by Jack Bruce. Alan was one of the most unique players and had one of the very best vibratos. With Canned Heat he took the harp to some of the most adventurous and original places, not the standard Chicago Blues sound that 8 billion have copied. Oh he could play that style too. I apologize for taking so long to comment on this site, not that Alan ever needed my validation!
Craig Twister Steward - former harp artist with Frank Zappa and others...
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