AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Long John Baldry

Artist:Long John Baldry

Song:Let the Heartaches Begin

Album:Let the Heartaches Begin/Wait for Me

There was a time when long time blues rocker Long John Baldry thought he could have success as a pop singer. The result was that the 1967 single Let the Heartaches Begin topped the British charts. But then his pals like Elton John and Rod Stewart talked him back into blues rock in the early 70s. He was born Jan. 12, 1941 in East Hampton, Northampshire, England. His father was a police constable and Baldry grew up in the London suburb of Edgware. After graduating from high school, Baldry started hanging around London coffeehouses and he started performing in them. The Long John nickname was because Baldry was 6'7". He joined Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated and that led to a friendship with The Rolling Stones and Baldry frequently opened for them. He also became friends with Paul McCartney and Baldry appeared on one of The Beatles TV specials. Baldry's band Bluesology began when Baldry took over the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars after Davies' 1964 death. The band was called The Hoochie Coochie Men and then Steampacket. Rod Stewart was in those bands. Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll were also in Steampacket. After that band split up, Baldry formed Bluesology with Reg Dwight on piano and Elton Dean on sax along with Caleb Quaye on guitar. Of course Dwight took the name Elton John from Baldry and Dean and Quaye toured with Elton John. Elton Dean was a member of the jazz rock band Soft Machine. Baldry went solo to work the cabaret circuit. He signed with Pye Records and the 1967 single Let the Heartaches Begin topped the British Singles chart. This was followed by the 1968 top 20 hit Mexico which was the theme for the 1968 British Olympic team. Baldry recorded two albums for Pye written and produced by Tony Macauley and John Macleod. They wrote and produced The Foundations chart topper Baby Now That I've Found You. The reissue label Beat Goes On has released Baldry's Pye albums as a twofer. When Baldry tried to perform Let the Heartaches Begin with Bluesology, they walked off the stage and he had to use a backing tape. Eventually, Elton John and Rod Stewart convinced Baldry to return to blues. Stewart got Baldry a record deal with Warner Bros. and they produced his 1971 album It Ain't Easy. I plan to look at the rest of Baldry's career in the future. Here's Long John Baldry performing Let the Heartaches Begin on a 1967 episode of Top of the Pops.