Tony Joe White
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008) |
| Tony Joe White | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tony Joe White |
| Also known as | The Swamp Fox |
| Born | July 23, 1943 |
| Origin | Oak Grove, Louisiana, United States |
| Genre(s) | Swamp Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician Songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Stomp Box |
| Years active | 1968 – Present |
| Website | www.tonyjoewhite.com |
Tony Joe White (born July 23, 1943, Oak Grove, Louisiana) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist best known for his 1969 hit "Polk Salad Annie", and for "Rainy Night in Georgia" which he wrote but was firstly made popular by Brook Benton, and "Steamy Windows" - a hit for Tina Turner in 1989. "Polk Salad Annie" was also recorded by Elvis Presley.
Nicknamed "the Swamp Fox" in France (according to a European documentary), [1] he is regarded[citation needed] as an original exponent of the sub-genre swamp rock. His songs have been recorded by at least 25 major artists.[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Tony Joe and the Mojos performed in Kingsville, Texas for nearly one year, during the mid 60’s. Bass player Robert McGuffie and drummer ‘Whitie’, friends from Louisiana, formed the combo that offered soft rock and R&B. Tony left the combo and moved to Nashville to later record Polk Salad Annie.
White's first album, 1969's Black And White, was recorded with Muscle Shoals musicians David Briggs, Norbert Putnam, and Jerry Carrigan, and featured "Willie And Laura Mae Jones" and "Polk Salad Annie," along with covers of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman." "Soul Francisco" became a hit in France, and "Polk Salad Annie" charted as the album's third single.[2]
In late September 1973, White was recruited by record producer Huey P. Meaux to sit in on the legendary Memphis sessions that became the landmark Southern Roots album of Jerry Lee Lewis.[citation needed]
By all accounts[citation needed], these sessions were a three day, around the clock party, which not only reunited the original MGs (Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn and Al Jackson Jr. of Booker T. and the MGs fame) for the first time in three years, but they also featured Carl Perkins, Mark Lindsay (of Paul Revere and the Raiders), and Wayne Jackson plus The Memphis Horns.
Rory Gallagher did a cover of White's song "As The Crow Flies" on his live album, Irish Tour. Southern Culture On The Skids paid tribute to White in their 1996 song "Voodoo Cadillac" with the first stanza lyric: "Come on baby, take a ride with me / Up the Mississippi, down to New Orleans / Tuck and roll, FM stereo / Got some Tony Joe White on my radio."
In 2005 UK blues singer Elkie Brooks covered White's "Out Of The Rain", releasing it as a single and featuring it on her album Electric Lady. The version is now a staple of Elkie's repertoire[citation needed]. Coincidentally Brooks had recorded an old number of White's, "Aspen, Colorado" with her first rock band, 'Dada' in 1970.
One of his more recent performances was on 14 July 2006 in Magny-Cours, France, as a warm-up act for Roger Waters' Dark Side of the Moon concert. White's album entitled Uncovered was released in September 2006 and featured collaborations with Mark Knopfler, Michael McDonald, Eric Clapton, Waylon Jennings and J. J. Cale.
[edit] Discography
- 2008 - Deep Cuts
- 2006 - Swamp Music: The Complete Monument Recordings
- 2006 - Uncovered
- 2006 - Live from Austin, TX
- 2005 - Hard To Handle
- 2004 - Night of the Mocassin
- 2004 - The Heroines
- 2002 - Snakey
- 2001 - The Beginning
- 1998 - One Hot July
- 1995 - Lake Placid Blues
- 1993 - The Path of A Decent Groove
- 1991 - Closer to the Truth
- 1983 - Dangerous
- 1980 - The Real Thang
- 1976 - Eyes
- 1973 - Home Made Ice Cream
- 1972 - Live in Europe
- 1972 - The Train I'm On
- 1971 - Tony Joe White
- 1971 - Tony Joe
- 1969 - Black And White
- 1969 - ... Continued
- 1968 - Polk Salad Annie
- 1968 - Roosevelt And Ira Lee
The above list includes same albums using different names - the confusion between European releases and North American releases. The following, in reverse order, are the albums TJW officially released in North America along with the CDs that initially only came out in Europe and a few legal Australian releases
- 1968 - Black and White (Monument #18114)
- 1969 - Continued (Monument #18133)
- 1970 - Tony Joe (Monument #18142)
- 1971 - Tony Joe White (Warner Brothers #1900)
- 1972 - The Train I'm On (Warner Brothers #2580)
- 1973 - Home Made Ice Cream (Warner Brothers #92274)
- 1973 - Catch My Soul - movie soundtrack (Metromedia) (released RCA in Europe)
- 1975 - The Best of Tony Joe White (Warner Brothers)
- 1976 - Eyes (20th Century)
- 1980 - The Real Thang (Casablanca)
- 1983 - Dangerous (Columbia)
- 1991 - Closer To the Truth (Remark/Polydor #LC 0309 / 511 386-2)
- 1993 - The Path of a Decent Groove (Remark/Polydor #LC 6298 / 519 938-2)
- 1993 - The Best of Tony Joe White (Warner Brothers)
- 1995 - Lake Placid Blues (Remark/Polydor #LC 6298 / 527 530-2)
- 1997 - Collection (RDM #D31737 - Australian) A collection from his '91 -'95 releases.
- 1998 - Tony Joe White Live in Europe 1971 (WeeBuy #885972) - a reissue of earlier live and possibly bootleg live concert releases
- 1999 - One Hot July (Mercury - no #)
- 2000 - Tony Joe White In Concert (Brilliant BT 33053) - a reissue of earlier live and possibly bootleg material live concert releases
- 2001 - The Beginnings (Swamp Records, no #)
- 2003 - Snakey (Munich Records, no # & Dock Records)
- 2003 - Dangerous Eyes (Reissue of '76's Eyes & '83's Dangerous) (Raven RVCD-159 - Australian)
- 2004 - The Heroines (Sanctuary Records, #06076-88366-2)
- 2006 - Live from Austin, Texas (New West #NW6092)
- 2006 - Uncovered (Swamp Records, No #)
- 2006 - Swamp Music: The Complete Monument Recordings (Rhino Handmade #RHM2 7731)
- 2008 - Deep Cuts (Swamp Records, No #)
[edit] References
- ^ Tony Joe White: Live from Austin City Limits [DVD + CD] - PopMatters Music Review
- ^ Tony Joe White - Swamp Music: The Complete Monument Recordings - from Rhino Handmade
