John The Revelator-Wild Blues (1970)

Taking its name from a 1930s gospel/blues song popularized by Son House, John The Revelator was a short-lived Dutch band from the early 1970s that, with just one album, garnered significant critical and public acclaim, becoming a fixture on the Dutch blues circuit. Originally formed by bassist Tom Huissen, who had previously played on the London blues circuit in the late 1960s, the band returned to his homeland to form a blues group in the style of British blues bands. He named this band John The Revelator. Its initial lineup consisted of Joseph DeWilde (guitar), Charles Van Den Heuvel (piano), Henno Van Donselaar (saxophone), Fred Huissen (drums), Tom Huissen (bass), Frans Ten Kleij (guitar), and Charles Van Der Steeg (saxophone and flute). In 1970, the band won first prize at the prestigious Loosdrecht Jazz & Blues competition and were immediately signed to the Phonogram label, releasing their debut album, "Wild Blues". In 1971, they returned to the studio to record a second album, which was never officially released. Their debut album features a high-quality repertoire of tasteful blues. This debut opens with "John The Revelator", a traditional blues song sung a cappella. Throughout the album, they also include covers of blues standards such as "I Can't Stop Love You", "Talk to Me, Baby", and "Bleeding Heart", all by Elmore James, as well as "Worried Dreams" by B.B. King and "Personnel Manager" by Albert King. Among their own compositions, "Wild Blues", "No Woman", and "Charlie's Drive-In" stand out.