BITTEN BY THE BLUES CHICAGO VISIONS AND REVISIONS Edited by Carlo Rotella, Bill Savage, Carl Smith, and Robert B. Stepto

ALSO IN THE SERIES Dirty Waters: Confessions of Chicago’s Last Harbor Boss by R. J. Nelson

Friends Disappear: The Battle for Racial Equality in Evanston by Mary Barr

You Were Never in Chicago by Neil Steinberg

Hack: Stories from a Chicago Cab by Dmitry Samarov

The Third City: Chicago and American Urbanism by Larry Bennett

The Wagon and Other Stories from the City by Martin Preib

Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City by Liam T. A. Ford

The Plan of Chicago: Daniel Burnham and the Remaking of the American City by Carl Smith BIT EN ★ T ★ BY THE

★ THE ALLIGATOR ★ RECORDS STORY

BRUCE IGLAUER AND PATRICK A. ROBERTS

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS Chicago and London The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637 The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London © 2018 by The University of Chicago All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles and reviews. For more information, contact the University of Chicago Press, 1427 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637. Published 2018 Printed in the United States of America

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ISBN-13: 978-0- 226- 12990- 7 (cloth) ISBN-13: 978-0- 226- 58187- 3 (e-book) DOI: https://doi .org /10 .7208 /chicago /9780226581873 .001 .0001

“Give Me Back My Wig,” from Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers. Words and music by Theodore Roosevelt “Hound Dog” Taylor. © 1971 by Eyeball Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

“Now That I’m Down” and “Cotton Picking Blues,” from The Son Seals Blues Band. Words and music by Frank “Son” Seals. © 1973 by Eyeball Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

“That’s Why I’m Crying,” from Koko Taylor, I Got What It Takes. Words and music by Samuel Maghett. Copyright © 2010 Conrad Music, a division of Arc Music Corp. and Leric Music Inc. All rights administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted by permission of Hal Leonard LLC.

“Two Headed Man,” from Living Chicago Blues, Volume 2. Words and music by Lee Baker Jr. kpa Lonnie Brooks. © 1978 by Eyeball Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

“Oreo Cookie Blues,” from Strike Like Lightning. Words and music by Lonnie Mack. © 1985 by Mack’s Flying V Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

“My Woman Has a Black Cat Bone.” Words and music by Harding “Hop” Wilson. © by Cicadelic Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

“Richest Man,” from C. J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Too Much Fun. Courtesy of Blame Music/Little Brother Music.

“Old School,” from Elvin Bishop, Can’t Even Do Wrong Right. Words and music by Elvin Bishop, Willy Jordan, and Jojo Russo. © by Jojo Russo Music and Crabshaw Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

“Lochloosa,” from JJ Grey & Mofro, Brighter Days. Words and music by JJ Grey. © JJ Grey Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Iglauer, Bruce, 1947– author. | Roberts, Patrick A., author. Title: Bitten by the blues : the Alligator Records story / Bruce Iglauer and Patrick A. Roberts. Other titles: Chicago visions + revisions. Description: Chicago ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2018. | Series: Chicago visions and revisions | Includes index. Identifiers: LCCN 2018015312 | ISBN 9780226129907 (cloth : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780226581873 (e-book) Subjects: LCSH: Alligator Records (Firm)—History. | Blues (Music)—History and criticism. | Sound recording industry—Illinois—Chicago—History. Classification: LCC ML3792.A55 I45 2018 | DDC 781.643/149—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018015312

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