 | This article needs additional citations for
verification. (April 2011) |
| King Bee | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Recorded | May 1980 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Length | 39:54 | |||
| Label | Blue Sky | |||
| Producer | Johnny Winter | |||
| Muddy Waters chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  
[1] |
| Blender |
[2] |
| The Village Voice | A− [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings |
[4] |
King Bee is the fourteenth and final studio album by blues singer and guitarist Muddy Waters. Released in 1981, it is third in a series of records done for the label Blue Sky Records under producer/guitarist Johnny Winter. Recorded in three days (and in the wake of Muddy's failing health) some of the band members, namely Winter and guitarist Bob Margolin, were not happy with the result. As his health deteriorated, Muddy was forced to cancel an increasing number of shows. He died of a heart attack on April 30, 1983.
The album was recorded in May 1980. A salary dispute between the band and Muddy Waters's manager, Scott Cameron, halted the session. Eventually the album was completed by using a couple of outtakes from 1977's Hard Again.
David Michael Kennedy was the photographer for the King Bee album, providing photos for the front cover, back cover, and the inside album sleeve. The photo for the inside album sleeve was a picture of Muddy and his large family sitting in the living room of his home in Westmont, Illinois, which is a western suburb of Chicago.
Track listing
All songs written by McKinley Morganfield, unless noted otherwise.
- "I'm A King Bee" (James Moore) – 3:49
- "Too Young to Know" – 4:28
- "Mean Old Frisco Blues" ( Arthur Crudup) – 3:44
- "Forever Lonely" – 4:33
- "I Feel Like Going Home" – 3:42
- "Champagne & Reefer" – 4:36
- "Sad Sad Day" – 5:22
- "(My Eyes) Keep Me in Trouble" (Hap Walker) – 3:16
- "Deep Down in Florida #2" ( James Burke Oden) – 4:06
- "No Escape from the Blues" (Charles Williams) – 2:04
Personnel
- Muddy Waters – vocals, guitar
- Bob Margolin – guitar
- Pinetop Perkins – piano
- James Cotton – harmonica on "Deep Down in Florida" and "Clouds in My Heart"
- Jerry Portnoy – harmonica
- Willie "Big Eyes" Smith – drums
- Charles Calmese – bass on "Deep Down in Florida" and "Clouds in My Heart"
- Calvin Jones – bass
- Johnny Winter – guitar, producer
References
- ^ Koda, Cub. "Review: King Bee". Allmusic. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2004). "Muddy Waters: 'Hard Again'; 'I'm Ready'; 'King Bee'". Blender. New York (June/July). Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (October 5, 1981). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ^ Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. p. 484. ISBN 978-0-140-51384-4.
