The Styrous® Viewfinder: 101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes 33: Paul Butterfield Blues Band ~ The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw

January 22, 2014

101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes 33: Paul Butterfield Blues Band ~ The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw

The Butterfield Blues Band ~ The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw

detail photo of reel-to-reel tape box by Styrous©

In addition to my 20,000 Vinyl LP collection I'm selling, I have reel-to-reel, pre-recorded tapes I am selling as well. This entry is about the reel-to-reel tape, The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw, by The Butterfield Blues Band. Interested? Contact me by email but please, not through a comment.

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The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw is a 1967 album by The Butterfield Blues Band. Its name refers to a nickname of Elvin Bishop, whose role shifted to lead guitarist after Mike Bloomfield left to form Electric Flag. Pigboy marked a slight shift in the band's sound towards R&B and features a horn section that included Gene Dinwiddie (tenor sax), David Sanborn (alto sax) and Keith Johnson (trumpet).. The album moved away from Chicago blues towards an R&B/soul sound, most notable on the opening track, a cover of the Motown song One More Heartache (written by The Miracles and first recorded by Marvin Gaye).

The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw

The Butterfield Blues Band

photo by Styrous©

Also known as The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, the group was formed in 1964 in Chicago, IL. It disbanded in 1971 and became Paul Butterfield’s Better Days, in 1972, at Woodstock, New York. This lineup disbanded a year later in 1973.

The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw

The Butterfield Blues Band

back of reel-to-reel tape box
photo by Styrous©

One More Heartache is a bouncey, great-for-dancing tune with a great hand-clapping and guitar intro by Elvin Bishop that is outstanding. The Bishop guitar and Butterfield harmonica playing is WAY cool! In spite of the lyrics, it's a really fun song.

Driftin' and Driftin is a slow and bluesy piece that just meanders along very nicely with no particular need to hurry.

I remember I Pity the Fool was a favorite strip song of one of the girls I performed with on the same program when I was dancing on Broadway (see: Beemer Memory 5). It was a perfect song for her and her bump and grinds were sensational! She let me use the song in my act once and it brought down the house. What fun!

Double Trouble is another beautiful bluesy tune with the fantastic harmonica of Butterfield and the fantastic, mournful tenor sax of Gene Dinwiddie joining in on the fun. Of course, Bishop's guitar work lays it on as well. VERY nice!. Trouble kind of fits into the strip category as well but without the bump and grind, just slow and erotic for gracefully easing out of one's clothes.

Links to songs on YouTube below.