As I mentioned, the rural blues tradition was waning somewhat by the time of World War II, and the new electric blues emerged in Chicago in the mid to 1940s, mid 1940s, early 1950s, and really blossomed through the 50s. These three artists were the holy trinity of Chicago electric blues, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and John Lee Hooker. Their common thread, they were the second generation of artists born in Mississippi, blues artists. They all migrated to Chicago, and they became successful in Chicago, after moving up North. Now this was due not just to their talent, which certainly was formidable, but it also had something to do with timing. Technology and marketing came along at just the right time, to help them along. Now, another thing they had in common is that all three recorded for Chess Records for most of their careers. Chess is an important record company that you need to remember, arguably one of the most successful and monumental independent record labels in history. Chuck Berry also was a check, Chess Records artist, by the way. Another thing is that there's a pattern here. The guys who started it were Leonard and Phil Chess. Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. And throughout this history we see that Jewish peoples role in rock and roll is simply immense. Now the Chess brother's real name was spelled Czyz. And Leonard's real name was Lejzor. And Phil's real name was Fiszel. They immigrated from Poland in 1928. They became involved in the Jazz club scene on the south side of Chicago in the late 30s and Leonard ended up investing some money in Aristocrat Records. The Chess brothers wound up with complete control of Aristocrat and they renamed the company Chess. From there, they went on to create music history. And the history of Chess records is well-documented in this film from 2008. Adrien Brody plays Leonard Chess, and I don't really see any resemblance, but hey. Beyonce played Etta James, who was a blues gospel singer on the Chess Records roster. She died in 2012, by the way. The movie was called Cadillac Records because, Leonard Chess gave a Cadillac as a bonus to his artists when they had their first big hit. We'll watch the trailer for that now. [MUSIC] >> You sing the blues, you don't have to live it. >> What do you know, white boy? >> Chicago, 1950. >> I want to thank old Len Chess here for giving Muddy Water a chance to shine. Sex had a sound. >> Play that for me. >> Danger had a rhythm. >> What's that for? >> Can't see any good guys in these shoes. >> And freedom had a music all it's own. >> I don't bribe DJs. >> I do. >> Based on true events. Of the legends who changed music forever. >> Better make again. >> It don't get no better. Mr. Waters. >> We're big fans. We named our band after one of your songs. Rolling Stones. [MUSIC] >> Welcome to Cadillac Records. Stay around long enough here, everybody get one. >> Car's yours. You earned it. >> [LAUGH] You my white daddy. >> Congratulations. [MUSIC] >> Where'd that baby come from? >> A woman came by today. She said she's yours. [MUSIC] >> This December. >> If I play it, I make you famous and him rich. >> You said me famous and him rich, yeah? >> If you take the ride. >> You must pay the price. [MUSIC] >> What the hell you know about the blues? I gave you a damn good track, you want it, you sing it. [MUSIC] >> Can I take care of you? >> I don't need no man to take care of me. [MUSIC] >> That's the address right there, 2120 South Michigan Ave. It's a very famous address in music history. Several artists came along later and recorded there even though they were not Chess artists, because they wanted to share the ambiance enjoyed by those early electric blues artists. One of those artists was the Rolling Stones. Here's an instrumental song they recorded at 2120 South Michigan, which they dedicated to Chess Records, and the title of the song. 2120 South Michigan Avenue. [MUSIC] Well, Chess moved to some other locations later, but only 2120 is the address that matters, it's the one for you to remember. Now, we said Holy Trinity, so let's talk about the Holy Trinity individually, first Muddy Waters. Muddy was born in 1915 in Mississippi, and he died in Chicago in 1983. He is still regarded by many as the finest blues musician who ever lived. He moved to Chicago for the first time in 1940. Things didn't work out as he wished. So, he moved back to Mississippi. And he was then discovered by Alan Lomax, John Lomax's son. Lomax actually brought his equipment right to Muddy's house. To record him on the front porch. I think the story goes that it was on a Sunday afternoon. Now here's a short video that I shot at the site of Muddy Waters' cabin on the Stoveall plantation just outside of Clarksdale, Mississippi. Muddy Waters moved to a share cropper shack at this site on the Stoveall plantation when he was three years old. He lived here for 30 years, until he was, until 1941, when Alan Lomax, who was traveling the Delta for the Library of Congress, recorded him here on the front porch of the sharecropper's shack. Muddy, of course, went on to become one the famous blues man of all time, most famous blues man of all time. Who knows whether he might of died here in obscurity had Alan Lomax not come by that day. But he did, and it changed Muddy's life. It changed other people's lives, too. Eric Clapton who became a protege of Muddy Waters said, Muddy's music changed my life, whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not, it changed yours too. I know it changed mine. Muddy moved back to Chicago in 1943. Now, both the band, The Rolling Stones and Rolling Stone Magazine, were named after this monumental song written by Muddy Waters. Now some people think it's a Bob Dylan song that the magazine was named after, that's nonsense. [MUSIC] Muddy Waters was one of the first and one of the bestselling artists on Chess. And he opened the door wide open for other blues singers and rock and roll players to emerge. To, if, if you don't mind me using a sports metaphor, Muddy Waters was the franchise player on the Chess label. So, let's listen to a couple of his most famous tunes now. Here's I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man. [MUSIC] Now, part of what makes that particular song so interesting is that, there was a lot of superstition among the black community in the Delta in those early years. And so all those things that Muddy was just singing about are, you know, little trinkets and so on, things to bring you luck or keep you safe or make you rich. Just want to Make Love to You, is another of Muddy's famous songs, which was covered by The Rolling Stones and by Foghat. We'll hear those in just a second. [MUSIC] The version we're going to hear right now, is the Rolling Stones. [MUSIC] Here's the Foghat that version of the song. But you can certainly hear how well, the lyrics to that song are very suggestive, shall we say, as were many of these blues songs in these, during this period. [MUSIC] Again, moving sort of chronologically through Muddy Waters' career here, from 1962 we have You Shook Me. [MUSIC] And that song was, of course, covered by Led Zeppelin in 1969. [MUSIC] Now as you will notice, Led Zeppelin covered a lot of these early blues songs. Here's another muddy piece, You Need Love from 1962, also going to be covered by Zeppelin. [MUSIC] Now if you recognize that lyric as being something from Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin, you're right on the money. And in fact, Whole Lotta Love was the subject of a lawsuit in the 1980s. Not the song itself, but the lyrics of the song, which resemble, You Need Love, just a little too much, and Zeppelin not giving proper credit. Let's listen to it. [MUSIC] Well, it's pretty obvious that it's the same lyric. The lawsuit was settled out of court, and Led Zeppelin credits the original songwriter on all the subsequent pressings of the Led Zeppelin II album. Now by the way, the writer wasn't Muddy Waters, but someone else we will discuss in just a few minutes. Now perhaps Muddys' most enduring song, Mannish Boy, was actually written all the way back in 1955. He performed it during the band's last waltz in 1976. He actually performed it throughout his career. Here's a version of it from 1971. [MUSIC] And so when we come back, we will talk about Howlin' Wolf. [BLANK_AUDIO]
