King Biscuit Boy - 1995 - Urban Blues Re:Newell [320]

Richard Newell grew up in Canada listening to the blues. He learned to play the harmonica as a teenager and joined the Barons in 1961, releasing a single called "Bottleneck." In 1966, Newell left the band (then renamed Son Richard and the Chessmen) to join the Midknights, but then began playing with Ronnie Hawkins, who nicknamed him King Biscuit Boy. After playing with Hawkins for two years, he joined Crowbar and released Official Music (as King Biscuit Boy & Crowbar) in 1970. He recorded solo material sporadically throughout the '70s and '80s (including 1982's Mouth of Steel and Richard Newell A.K.A. King Biscuit Boy in 1988). Poor health due to alcoholism stunted his career through the 90's and on January 5, 2003 Newell succumbed to the disease at his home in Hamilton, Ontario.

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King Biscuit Boy - 1972 - Gooduns [256]

Originally released on LP format in 1972 with a cloth burlap cover,Gooduns is the second album by Richard "King Biscuit Boy" Newell. After the success Official Music the year before, Gooduns was more of the same style with a few left over songs from the previous albums' sessions with Crowbar (although by this time they had officially parted company) and backing from some new musicians that included members of Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band, Seatrainand Canada's Dr. Music. For this album, Newell recorded on a couple of cover songs written by Dr. John,Little Walter and Willie Dixon but the album contained mainly original compositions by Newell. With a harder blues guitar sound and tighter band edge than the debut, "Gooduns" was supported by a successful tour of England in 1971 where King Biscuit Boy and The Real Gooduns Bandwere backed up by the British band The Idle Race. Despite the success of the album and tour, the Daffodil Records label fell on hard times financially and folded with no single or album promotion, leavingKing Biscuit Boy to move to the Epic label for the next release.

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