Mariner*

[Mariner*]

Bonnie Raitt - Bonnie Raitt (Full Album) 1971

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPSK33hCu-k

Bonnie Raitt's first few albums largely comprised traditional blues material and introduced Raitt's supple phrasing, feminist stance, and abilities as a slide guitarist. Her career declined somewhat in the 1980s as she struggled with alcoholism but soared again when her 1989 release, Nick of Time, reached the top of the charts. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

Bonnie Lynn Raitt was born in Los Angeles, California, on November 8, 1949, to Broadway singer John Raitt and pianist Marge Goddard. The daughter of bohemian parents, Raitt was raised in the Quaker tradition and from an early age showed an interest in social activism as well as music. When she was only 8 years old, the soon-to-be blues musician was given a Stella guitar for Christmas. Despite her natural talent for the instrument, Raitt had a wide variety of interests as a teenager.

Raitt headed to the East Coast for college at Radcliffe, eager to leap into the social turmoil of the 1960s. She once said, "I couldn't wait to get back to where there were folkies and the antiwar and Civil Rights movements. There were so many great music and political scenes going on in the late '60s in Cambridge."

Alongside her interest in social issues of the day, Raitt kept up with her music and often played at local coffeehouses between classes, fine-tuning her signature style — a gritty, passionate voice coupled with skillful interpretations on the bottleneck guitar. Soon a staple of the Boston folk-and-blues circuit, she met blues promoter Dick Waterman, who would in turn introduce her to the likes of Sippie Wallace, Son House and Muddy Waters. It wasn't long before her reputation and insights into the blues guitar attracted the attention of record executives at Warner Bros.

By 1971, Raitt had released her self-titled debut album, which consisted mostly of carefully chosen covers. Her contemporary interpretations of songs like Del Shannon's "Runaway" and others by Randy Newman, John Prine and Eric Kaz impressed critics who hailed her as a prodigy. Despite her newfound status as a critical darling, Raitt struggled to find commercial success. It wasn't until 1977's Sweet Forgiveness that the singer had a hit. Soon thereafter, Warner Bros. and Columbia Records were locked in a bidding war to sign the rising star.

Tracks:
01. Bluebird (Stephen Stills) -- 3:24
02. Mighty Tight Woman (Sippie Wallace) -- 4:17
03. Thank You (Bonnie Raitt) -- 2:47
04. Finest Lovin' Man (Bonnie Raitt) -- 4:38
05. Any Day Woman (Paul Siebel) -- 2:19
06. Big Road (Tommy Johnson) -- 3:27
07. Walking Blues (Robert Johnson) -- 2:35
08. Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead (Ivy Hunter, Clarence Paul, William Stevenson) -- 2:50
09. Since I Fell For You (Buddy Johnson) -- 3:03
10. I Ain't Blue (John Koerner, Willie Murphy) -- 3:33
11. Women Be Wise (Sippie Wallace) -- 4:10

Personnel:
- Bonnie Raitt - female vocals, acoustic & slide guitar, piano (03)
- Junior Wells - harp
- A.C. Reed - tenor saxophone
- Willie Murphy - piano, guitar (03), vocals (05)
- Freebo - fretless bass, tuba (06)
- Peter Bell - guitars, hambone (07)
- Douglas "Toad" Spurgeon - trombone
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The Bumblebees:
- Russell Hagen - electric guitar
- Steven Bradley - drums
- Voyle Harris - trumpet
- Maurice Jacox - flute, baritone saxophone
- Eugene Hoffman - tenor saxophone, cowbell (01)
- John Beach - piano
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- Paul Pena - bass background vocals (01)
- Reeve Little - background vocals (01)
- Chris Rhodes - background vocals (08)
- Steve Raitt - percussion, sound effects, background vocals (10)

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use"