Who was/is Albert Collins ? - CDs, Vinyl LPs, DVD and more

Albert Collins

They called Albert Collins ‘The Master of the Telecaster,’ and he was. Thanks to his early 45s, many of which bore frigid titles, it was decreed that his reverb-drenched guitar sound was ‘icy.’ In reality, a hotter electric blues guitarist never existed. When he strode through an audience, his axe slung low on his shoulder and trailing at least 100 feet of cord, he glowed with a million watts of incandescence. And Frosty was the tour de force he always played in the midst of those crowds.

Born October 1, 1932 in a log cabin in Leona, Texas, Collins mostly grew up in Houston’s Third Ward. Piano was his first instrument, but when his music teacher’s path was blocked by rain, young Albert decided to switch to guitar."My cousin’s the one that taught me how to play, named Willow Young,"said the late Collins."And I had a very good friend of mine, he’s a music teacher name of Henry Hayes, out of Houston, Texas. They taught me quite a bit, you know. But I was listening to John Lee Hooker and Lightnin’ Hopkins at the particular time when I first learned how to start playing guitar."

 Collins’ unorthodox tuning was radically different."It’s a D-minor tuning,"said Collins."From where I come from out of the south, Houston, Texas, they all would call this Spanish tuning."That meant that chords were all but impossible; Albert was by both design and necessity a lead guitarist.He adopted T-Bone and Gatemouth as his idols. "In 1953, I met Gatemouth Brown. I saw him with a new guitar,"said Collins."When the Fenders first came out, he bought the Esquire Fender. So I bought me one." That wasn’t Gate’s only input. "I started out playing with just my fingers,"he said."I tried to use a pick, but I don’t know, it seemed like it was a handicap to me." And like his hero, Collins used a capo. "After I got around Gatemouth, I got hooked on that clamp,"he said."It gave me a good sound." 

Collins formed his first band, the Rhythm Rockers, in 1950. He got the idea for those long mid-song walks from sax wildman Big Jay McNeely. "He used to have a creeper that you work on cars on, a creeper that you lay down on," said Albert. "He’d go all out in the streets, blowin’ his horn." Collins made his first instrumental 45, The Freeze, in 1958 for Hayes’ Kangaroo label, encoring on the Great Scott logo with Defrost. Then he hooked up with Beaumont producer Bill Hall and his partner, ex-Sun A&R man Jack Clement, who ran Hall and Hallway Records. "When I got with Hall and Clement, they told me, ‘Well, man, we’ll just keep you in the icebox. So everything we put out on you will be pertaining to cold!’"Albert said.

The swinging, intricately conceived Frosty came out in 1964 on Hall. "I was just doing mostly instrumentals at that particular time,"Collins said."I wasn’t singing too much then." He was backed by his regular combo: trumpeter Frank Mitchell, Hayes on alto sax, Big Tiny on tenor, organist Walter McNeil, bassist Bill Johnson, and drummer Herbert Henderson. More classic cold-themed instrumentals—Backstroke, the two-part Sno-Cone, Don’t Lose Your Cool—followed. Albert moved over to Imperial for three 1968-70 albums that didn’t quite have the same pizzazz and looked destined to primarily remain a West Coast phenomenon until his 1978 Alligator album ‘Ice Pickin’’ catapulted him into the major leagues of bluesdom and belatedly showed him to be a fine, understated singer as well 

From then until his November 24, 1993 death of lung cancer, Albert Collins was the most exciting electric blues guitarist in the world, cold as ice and hot as fire.

 

Bill Dahl
Chicago, Illinois

PLUG IT IN! TURN IT UP!

Electric Blues 1939-2005. - The Definitive Collection!

 

Copyright © Bear Family Records®. Copying, also of extracts, or any other form of reproduction, including the adaptation into electronic data bases and copying onto any data mediums, in English or in any other language is permissible only and exclusively with the written consent of Bear Family Records® GmbH.

More information about Albert Collins on Wikipedia.org

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Live At Rockpalast - Dortmund 1980 (2-CD, 1-DVD)
Albert Collins: Live At Rockpalast - Dortmund 1980 (2-CD, 1-DVD) Art-Nr.: CDMIG90632

only 2x still available
Ready to ship today, delivery time** appr. 1-3 workdays

(2016/Made In Germany) CDs - 19 tracks, DVD - 10 tracks. DVD:PCM Stereo, :4:3, NTSC, rcode:0;running time: 95 Min. - Quality official release of unreleased 1980 concert recorded for German TV, on both CD & DVD!
$22.58
Cold Snap (LP)
Albert Collins: Cold Snap (LP) Art-Nr.: LPAL4752

only 1x still available
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(Alligator Records) 9 tracks The last Alligator recording by the master of the Telecaster - and his favorite. Jimmy McGriff on organ, Mel Brown on guitar, the Uptown Horns. Grammy-nominated. "Razor sharp attack...funky, slow burning...
$33.89
At Onkel Pö's Carnegie Hall Hamburg 1980 (2-CD)
Albert Collins: At Onkel Pö's Carnegie Hall Hamburg 1980 (2-CD) Art-Nr.: CD77040

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(2017/Delta) 24 tracks. His Onkel Pö concert from 1980, recorded by the NDR. Excellent!
$19.18 $24.84
At Onkel Pö's Carnegie Hall Hamburg 1980 (3-LP)
Albert Collins: At Onkel Pö's Carnegie Hall Hamburg 1980 (3-LP) Art-Nr.: LP78040

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(2017/Delta) 24 tracks. His Onkel Pö concert from 1980, recorded by the NDR. Excellent!
$39.55
Live From Austin, TX (2-LP, 180g Vinyl)
Albert Collins: Live From Austin, TX (2-LP, 180g Vinyl) Art-Nr.: LPNW5253

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(New West Records) 9 Tracks - Gatefold Cover - Among Albert Collins' most prominent admirers were Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. Although primarily an entertainer, his influence on entire generations of blues guitarists cannot be...
$30.50
Truckin' With Albert Collins
Albert Collins: Truckin' With Albert Collins Art-Nr.: CDMCAD10423

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One of the most important guitar albums, ever recorded - due to Robben Ford. Collins' early, and probably most creative, instrumental sides recorded for the small Hall record company. Amazing to learn that his style was fully developed...
$12.73
Funky Blues Live 1973
Albert Collins: Funky Blues Live 1973 Art-Nr.: CDRB3275

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(2014/Rockbeat) 10 tracks.
$16.92
Ice Pickin' (LP, 180g Vinyl)
Albert Collins: Ice Pickin' (LP, 180g Vinyl) Art-Nr.: LPAL4713

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(2016/Alligator) 8 tracks. Re-release of his 1978 Alligator LP. All tracks have been remastered for this edition. The re-birth of Texas-style guitar blues. Since the late 1950s, Albert Collins had been performing and recording his...
$24.84
Ice Pickin' (LP)
Albert Collins: Ice Pickin' (LP) Art-Nr.: LPAL2713

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(Alligator Records) 8 tracks All songs have been remastered. Originally released in 1978. Revered as a true blues legend, his greatest success came after signing with Alligator and recording Ice Pickin. It won the Best Blues Album of the...
$29.37 $33.89
Ice Pickin'
Albert Collins: Ice Pickin' Art-Nr.: CDAL4713

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The re-birth of Texas-style guitar blues. Since the late 1950s, Albert Collins had been performing and recording his special brand of Texas guitar blues. No one could copy his style. Collins played with energy, and he a razor-sharp,...
$21.45
Alive And Cool
Albert Collins: Alive And Cool Art-Nr.: CDSJP423

This article is deleted and can no longer be ordered!

1958-69 - 59:51/15. Latest release in a row of re-issues containing the live masters, originally released on a British Red Lightnin' LP. Rather mediocre sound quality. This CD contains the 1969 live recordings from the Fillmore West in...
$11.26 $18.05
Joe's Place, Cambridge, MA January 17th 1973
Albert Collins: Joe's Place, Cambridge, MA January 17th 1973 Art-Nr.: CDECHO2004

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(2014/Echo) 10 tracks. Albert Collins - gtr/voc, B.C. Hill - bass, Mark David - drums, Dave Maxwell - pno.
$11.26 $20.31
Frostbite (LP)
Albert Collins: Frostbite (LP) Art-Nr.: LPAL4725

Ready to ship today, delivery time** appr. 1-3 workdays

(Alligator Records) 7 tracks. Recorded live at the Union Bar, Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 5-8, 1981, the backing band is known as The Icebreakers. His unique "cool sound" cannot be imitated by anyone. The secret lies partly in his...
$20.31 $28.24
Love Can Be Found Anywhere - Trash Talkin'
Albert Collins: Love Can Be Found Anywhere - Trash Talkin' Art-Nr.: CDBGOCD364

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After recording a couple of locally successful releases on the 'Hall' label, he left Texas and through the introduction of Bob Hite from Canned Heat got signed to 'Imperial'. His famous ice cold guitar style is well developed.
$11.03 $16.92
Live From Austin, TX (CD-DVD)
Albert Collins: Live From Austin, TX (CD-DVD) Art-Nr.: CDNW6224

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The 'master of the Telecaster' with a band featuring musicians from Chicago and Austin. Some cuts are rather overlong. Good recording quality. DVD: Region: USA, 4:3 picture format, 5.1 Doly Surround, Stereo, Farbe/color....
$22.58
Truckin' With
Albert Collins: Truckin' With Art-Nr.: LPFRI218002

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2013 'Friday Music' 12 tracks, - 1962/63 'TCFG Hall'
$39.55
Joe's Place, Cambridge, MA, 1973 (LP, 180g Vinyl)
Albert Collins: Joe's Place, Cambridge, MA, 1973 (LP, 180g Vinyl) Art-Nr.: LPLOV2010

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(2016/Live On Vinyl) 11 tracks, recorded 'live' January 17th at 'Joe's Place' in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Pressed on 180g. vinyl.
$33.89
Don't Lose Your Cool Albert Collins: Don't Lose Your Cool Art-Nr.: CDAL4730

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(1983 'Alligator') (40:01/09)
$16.92
Thaw Out At The Fillmore (CD)
Albert Collins: Thaw Out At The Fillmore (CD) Art-Nr.: CD003223

the very last 1 available
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(Snapper Music) 9 tracks
$11.26
Frostbite (LP)
Albert Collins: Frostbite (LP) Art-Nr.: LPAL4719

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(Alligator Records) 8 tracks Flamboyant, funky Texas guitar, powerful, swinging horn section, with A.C. Reed on tenor.
$20.31 $28.24