Looking Back (John Mayall album) explained

Looking Back
Type:	Compilation album
Artist:	John Mayall
Cover:	Looking Back John Mayall.jpg
Released:	August 1969^[1]
Recorded:	February 1963 – May 1969
Genre:	Blues
Length:	37:54
Label:	Decca (UK) (Single L.P.) Decca (TELDEC) (GER) (Double L.P.)
Producer:	John Mayall, Mike Vernon
Prev Title:	Blues from Laurel Canyon
Prev Year:	1968
Next Title:	Thru the Years
Next Year:	1969

Looking Back is the seventh album released by John Mayall in August 1969 by Decca Records. The album features songs by both John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and John Mayall solo work. The album reached No. 79 on the Billboard 200.^[2] Confusingly, there are two different albums with the title "Looking Back": a Decca UK release as a single album (SKL 5010)^[1] and a Decca Germany (issued by TELDEC) release as a double album (DS 3104/1-2).^[3] Later issues on CD would use the Deram label.

Album description

The German Decca release was a double album, whilst the UK Decca release only featured Eric Clapton on one track. However, the German release did not have the title track in its track listing, and the songs are not as rare, with several songs ("Parchman Farm", "Double Crossing Time", "The Super-Natural", "Steppin' Out", "Ramblin' on my Mind", "The Death of J. B. Lenoir", "Checking Up on my Baby", and "I Can't Quit You Baby") already released on The Bluesbreakers' studio albums (Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, A Hard Road, and Crusade).

Track listings

Decca Germany release

Personnel

• John Mayall – Lead vocals, piano, organ, guitar, harmonica

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

• Bernie Watson – Guitar on "Mr. James"^[4]
• Roger Dean – Guitar on "Blues City Shakedown"
• Eric Clapton – Lead guitar on "Stormy Monday"
• Peter Green – Lead guitar on tracks 4 to 8, 10, and steel guitar on "Picture on the Wall"
• Mick Taylor – Lead guitar on "Suspicions (Part Two)"
• John McVie – Bass guitar on tracks 1, 2, and 4 to 8.
• Jack Bruce – Bass guitar on "Stormy Monday"
• Paul Williams – Bass guitar on "Suspicions (Part Two)"
• Martin Hart – Drums on "Mr. James"^[4]
• Hughie Flint – Drums on "Blues City Shakedown" and "Stormy Monday"
• Aynsley Dunbar – Drums on "So Many Roads", Looking Back", and "Sitting in the Rain"
• Mick Fleetwood – Drums on "It Hurts Me Too" and "Double Trouble"
• Keef Hartley – Drums on "Suspicions (Part Two)" and "Picture on the Wall"
• Dick Heckstall-Smith – Tenor and soprano saxophones on "Suspicions (Part Two)"
• Chris Mercer – Tenor saxophone on "Suspicions (Part Two)"

Additional musicians

• Malcolm Poole – Bass guitar
• Colin Allen – Drums
• John Almond – Flute, saxophone

Production

• John Mayall – Producer
• Mike Vernon – Producer
• Tony Clarke – Producer on "Blues City Shakedown"^[5]
• Bob Gordon – Photography

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1969	Billboard 200	79
	UK Top 40 Albums	14^[6]

Notes and References

1. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r12578|pure_url=yes}} ''Looking Back'']. Unterberger, Richie . . 11 January 2012.
2. Web site: Billboard 200 - 3 October 1969 . . 2 March 2024 .
3. Web site: John Mayall – Looking Back (Vinyl, LP) at Discogs . Discogs.com . 11 January 2012.
4. Book: Tobler , John . 1992. NME Rock 'N' Roll Years. 1st. Reed International Books Ltd. London. 134. CN 5585.
5. Web site: John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers – Blues City Shakedown . YouTube . 23 August 2008 . 11 January 2012.
6. Web site: Search the UK Top 40 Hit Database . everyHit . Type in "John Mayall" under "Name of Artist" and change Format to Albums .