There Must Have Been Something in the Water

If The Beatles never happened, if the British invasion never occurred, then music fans around the world would more than likely never have been exposed to some of the finest white blues singers that the U.K. produced between 1964 and 1970.

- JOHN “JAY JAY” FRENCH

And note, the following piece will only cover the time frame from 1964-70, and only British singers.

There are always caveats and guidelines, so here are mine: As incredible as John Lennon and Paul McCartney were as rock and roll and pop singers (among my all-time faves, of course), they were never blues singers — notwithstanding Lennon’s vocal on “Twist and Shout,” “Please Mr. Postman” and “This Boy,” and McCartney’s on “Oh! Darling” and “Helter Skelter.” There really is a difference in style, even though both styles are steeped deeply in black blues voicings.

Mick Jagger may cast himself as a blues singer, but to me, as good as he is in the way The Rolling Stones do their Chicago blues versions, Jagger just ain’t a great blues singer and is not on my list. Jagger does the Stones perfectly and he’s done wonders with his very limited range, but in truth, the Stones were a better blues band than Jagger was a blues singer during the time that they were a blues cover band.

Neither were Elton John, David Bowie, Ray Davies, Roger Daltrey or Peter Frampton stylistically blues singers.

Also, Pink Floyd may have started out as a blues band (they were named after two blues singers, Pink Anderson and Floyd Council), but Syd Barrett and Roger Waters were never blues singers.