It's been speculated that Blues in My Heart was recorded in late 1961 right before B.B. King left Modern for ABC, possibly with everything getting cut in one session. If that was the case, it might account for the grind-it-out feel of these ten small-combo sides (probably with Plas Johnson on sax and Maxwell Davis on keyboards), which are lacking in noteworthy songs, with the possible exception of "Downhearted" (aka "How Blue Can You Get?"). King, of course, brings committed singing and playing to the session; he was too much of a pro to give anything less than that to everything he did in the studio back then. Even by the adjusted standards of King's brand of urban blues, however, these songs just sound too similar to each other to rate among his better work, often sticking to a slow to midtempo shuffle and nearly identical chord progressions. Fact is, when "Troubles Don't Last" follows "Got 'Em Bad," the arrangement's so similar that at first you're wondering whether it's "Got 'Em Bad, Pt. 2" (though it isn't). "Downhearted" does have a renowned if slightly cruel lyric, though, especially when B.B. changes to a stuttering tempo and complains, "I gave you seven children/And now you want to give them back!" Still, even that particular song was done more memorably on King's famous concert album Live at the Regal a few years later. Note that the version of "Got 'Em Bad" is different from the one that came out on a Kent single in 1965, which added a Maxwell Davis piano overdub.It's been speculated that Blues in My Heart was recorded in late 1961 right before B.B. King left Modern for ABC, possibly with everything getting cut in one session. If that was the case, it might account for the grind-it-out feel of these ten small-combo sides (probably with Plas Johnson on sax and Maxwell Davis on keyboards), which are lacking in noteworthy songs, with the possible exception of "Downhearted" (aka "How Blue Can You Get?"). King, of course, brings committed singing and playing to the session; he was too much of a pro to give anything less than that to everything he did in the studio back then. Even by the adjusted standards of King's brand of urban blues, however, these songs just sound too similar to each other to rate among his better work, often sticking to a slow to midtempo shuffle and nearly identical chord progressions. Fact is, when "Troubles Don't Last" follows "Got 'Em Bad," the arrangement's so similar that at first you're wondering whether it's "Got 'Em Bad, Pt. 2" (though it isn't). "Downhearted" does have a renowned if slightly cruel lyric, though, especially when B.B. changes to a stuttering tempo and complains, "I gave you seven children/And now you want to give them back!" Still, even that particular song was done more memorably on King's famous concert album Live at the Regal a few years later. Note that the version of "Got 'Em Bad" is different from the one that came out on a Kent single in 1965, which added a Maxwell Davis piano overdub.false2023-05-22 12:14:22Blues in My Heart1019631963-01-011963-01-0133BluesBlues Rock11428521301407b1000cb-cf63-4b37-881c-ed2f619a67f8dcb03ce3-67a5-4eb3-b2d1-2a12d93a38f330fa8a07-f102-41c5-819a-9410e4689679/media/data/media5/Music/B.B. King/Blues in My Heart (1963)/folder.jpgB.B. KingAlbumArtist/config/metadata/People/B/B.B. King/folder.jpgB.B. KingArtist/config/metadata/People/B/B.B. King/folder.jpgB.B. KingB.B. KingRiley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimmering vibrato, and staccato picking that influenced many later blues electric guitar players. AllMusic recognized King as "the single most important electric guitarist of the last half of the 20th century".King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and is one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, earning the nickname "The King of the Blues", and is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and Freddie King, none of whom are related). King performed tirelessly throughout his musical career, appearing on average at more than 200 concerts per year into his 70s. In 1956 alone, he appeared at 342 shows.King was born on a cotton plantation of Berclair near the city of Itta Bena, Mississippi, and later worked at a cotton gin in Indianola, Mississippi. He was attracted to music and taught himself to play guitar and began his career in juke joints and local radio. He later lived in Memphis and Chicago; then, as his fame grew, he toured the world extensively. King died at 89 in Las Vegas on May 14, 2015.