Mike Bloomfield & the Electric Flag

[pooldude]

Official Website

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965)
East-West (1966)
The Original Lost Elektra Sessions (Unreleased recordings from 1964)
East-West Live (Various live versions of the track East-West)

Electric Flag

The Trip (1967)
A Long Time Comin' (1968)
The Band Kept Playing (1974)

Solo

It's Not Killing Me (1969)
Try It Before You Buy It (1973) (Remained unreleased until the 1980s, Additional recordings during these sessions were released on "Bloomfield: A Retrospective" in 1983)
If You Love These Blues, Play 'Em As You Please (1976)
Analine (1977)
Michael Bloomfield (1978)
Count Talent And The Originals (1978)
Between A Hard Place And The Ground (1979)
Bloomfield-Harris (1979)
Cruisin' For A Bruisin' (1981)



One of my favorite Blues / Rock artists & bands from the late '60s was Mike Bloomfield & the Electric Flag (as well as the Paul Butterfield Blues Band).



Bloomfield was the guitarist who played with Dylan when he 1st went electric...& then got even more famous with Paul Butterfield...

...& made quite a splash in '67 when he teamed up with vocalist Nick Gravenites & drummer Buddy Miles (who played with Otis Redding & Wilson Picket & later with Hendrix)...

...& bassist Harvey Brooks (previously with Dylan) & organist Barry Goldberg (previously with Steve Miller & Mitch Ryder)...along with a top notch Blues / Soul Horn Section.

The Electric Flag predated both Blood, Sweat, & Tears & the group Chicago by blending Blues, Psychedelic Rock, & Soul with Horns.

I caught the Electric Flag several times @ the old Fillmore & Avalon Ballrooms & was blown away by songs like "Killin' Floor" & "Groovin' is Easy". I'll never forget heavyweight drummer Miles sweating & singing & slamming his drums, with the American Flag blowing from the wind of a fan behind him.

Here's the late, great Mike Bloomfield in Sept ‘67 when I saw the Flag opening for Cream @ the Fillmore:


Mike Bloomfield & bassist Harvey Brooks:



Here's a link to check out the Blues / Rock / Soul music of the Electric Flag:

Amazon.com: Old Glory: Best of: Music

Did anybody else ever pick up on these guys...or the closely related Paul Butterfield Blues Band?​

 

[AboutAGirl]

I haven't heard much of Mike Bloomfield, but my brother loves him!

You're a fan so you've got to check out Zharth's radio show!! I don't think it's this Thursday yet, but he's going to do two full shows of nothing but Mike Bloomfield material soon!!

http://www.geocities.com/sept25_1980/radioflyer.html

 

[MilesMingus]

I have a recording of The Butterfield Blues Band performing at the Fillmore in 1966, great version of East West, other songs include Shake You Money Maker, The Sky Is Crying, Pretty Woman and Help Me...I also have Bloomfield live with Al Kooper recorded at the Fillmore East in 1968...Super Session also features Bloomfield's guitar prowess, again with Al Cooper...Also have a smokin' version of Born Under a Bad Sign performed by The Electric Flag recored at Winterland in 1967...A Long Time Comin' by The Flag is my favorite LP by the group...Yeah Bloomfield doesn't get the reconition that he deserves...a truly great guitarist

 

[pooldude]

Yea Miles! East West, with Elvin Bishop & Butterfield, kicks butt.

I actually attended a couple of the nights that I believe were utilized for the Super Session album, @ the Carousel Ballroom / Fillmore West.



I remember that Steve Stills never showed up...but Al Kooper & Bloomfield & crew played, along with Its a Beautiful Day.

I liked Kooper on the 1st Blood Sweat & Tears album, as well...after the Blues Project broke up. Once Kooper left BS&T, I lost interest.

 

[AboutAGirl]

http://www.geocities.com/sept25_1980/radioflyer.html

Zharth's doing a full show of Bloomfield right now! And again at this time next week!

 

[AboutAGirl]

He's playing this freaking awesome hardcore jam.... East-West live version #3 is what it's called.... wow, man!

 

[Spike]

I actually attended a couple of the nights that I believe were utilized for the Super Session album, @ the Carousel Ballroom / Fillmore West.



I remember that Steve Stills never showed up...but Al Kooper & Bloomfield & crew played, along with Its a Beautiful Day.

IIRC, the album with Stills was a studio gig. The album that resulted from the Bloomfield/Kooper live gig was the Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper, with cover by Norman Rockwell:

 

[deezee]

Yea Miles! East West, with Elvin Bishop & Butterfield, kicks butt.

I actually attended a couple of the nights that I believe were utilized for the Super Session album, @ the Carousel Ballroom / Fillmore West.



I remember that Steve Stills never showed up...but Al Kooper & Bloomfield & crew played, along with Its a Beautiful Day.

I liked Kooper on the 1st Blood Sweat & Tears album, as well...after the Blues Project broke up. Once Kooper left BS&T, I lost interest.

as far as i'm concerned, "child is father to the man" is the only blood, sweat, and tears album. david clayton thomas didn't do it for me. i loved all of these groups and it's a shame that east/west isn't right up there with most of the classic albums when they are listed on the inevitable best of the 60's lists. the blues project and mike bloomfield lived and rehearsed in the basement of the hotel albert. it was across the street from my house/apartment on university place when i was a kid. the blues project was sort of the house band at the cafe wha? for awhile when they first got started so we saw them a lot. it was one of the only clubs to hold afternoon shows for kids who were too young to get into the bar part at night. then they moved on to the cafe au go go.
the last time i saw mike bloomfield perform is so clear in my mind as it was the day after nixon resigned in august of 1974. i went with jim marshall to the free concert in golden gate park that sunday that he was headlining. he was such an amazing guitarist and deserves so much more recognition. but it seems, like most great blues artists, he's only going to be remembered by a few.

a few months ago i was searching through some old video tapes and came across one i hadn't watched in awhile. at the end of what i was watching, i left it running and on came this blues documentary (or part of it..i had inadvertantly taped over most of it). it had interviews with mike bloomfield amongst others. i think it must have been a pbs thing but i'm not sure. does this sound familiar to anyone?

 

[rickyrat]

Mike was like the Us version of Clapton in music.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smRXnyUWktg

 

[billtjr51]

I love the Supersession album with Bloomfield, Kooper and Stills. I saw Blues Project as a backup to Black Sabbath in 71 but it wasn't the original with Kooper. They were still fairly good.