A1 	Just A Little Bit 	2:20
A2 	Grits Ain't Groceries (All Around The World) 	2:39
A3 	I Can't Quit You Baby 	6:40
A4 	I'll Always Love You 	2:57
A5 	Twenty Three Hours 	2:22
B1 	Spring 	3:53
B2 	Steal Away 	2:52
B3 	You're The One 	2:21
B4 	So Blue Without You 	2:11
B5 	Did You Ever Love A Woman 	2:53

Little Milton – vocals, guitar
Donny Hathaway  - piano
Calvin Carter – arranger, producer

Little Milton's fourth LP for Chess originally released in 1969 features a selection of brassy versions of old R&B hits and original Soul songs, some featuring Donny Hathaway in the studio band. Little Milton Campbell first made impact when he hit #1 on the R&B chart in 1965 with the roaring Soul-Blues of 'We're Gonna Make It' on Chess Records. In a career lasting 50 years, this son of a Mississippi sharecropper also recorded for Sun and Bobbin in the '50s, moving to Stax in the '70s with a Watt Stax movie appearance and more hit singles, then a wealth of LPs on Malaco in the '80s and '90s and finally on Telarc shortly before his sad death in 2005. Shout. ---amazon.com

Sometimes everything comes together on a perfect records and that happened for Little Milton in 1969 with “Grits Ain’t Groceries. “ Songs that professes love of outlandish proportions, if a man sung theese for you, you would swoon indeed.

Shimmering guitar, hard-punching horns, thumping bass, perfectly paced drums and heartfelt singing mix to create as good an R & B records as you can find. Theese songs combines a near Shakespearean chorus with swaggering and braggadocio verses that match incredible claims with a voice ready to back them up. Do not take Little Milton lightly. --- nightlysong.com

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  1. Gonna Find Me Somebody To Love
  2. Let Your Love Rain Down On Me
  3. The Blues Is My Companion
  4. Something Wonderful
  5. Gone With The Wind
  6. I'll Be
  7. Next To You
  8. Think Of Me (Thinking Of You)
  9. Reconsider Me
  10. Second Hand Love
  11. Feel Like A Man
  12. That's Where It's At

Billy Block - Drums
Chuck Burke - Drums
Per Hanson - Drums
Ellis Hooks - Vocals (Background)
Bruce Katz - Organ
Little Milton - Guitar, Vocals
Peter Shoulder  - Guitar
Mark Sorrells - Piano
Kenneth Springs - Vocals (Background)
Jon Tiven - Guitar, Harmonica, Percussion, Producer
Sally Tiven – Bass

For his debut Telarc Blues release, Little Milton continues in the soul-blues vein he helped to popularize starting with his work for the Chess label in the mid-'60s. His impassioned vocals are as strong as ever with guitar chops to match. The 12 tracks that make up Think of Me could be likened to a classic Stax production sans the driving horn section. The first-rate work of organist Bruce Katz keeps the proceedings percolating through Little Milton's soul-blues base liberally mixed with flourishes of country music, swamp pop, R&B, and urban funk. Any fan of Little Milton's Malaco releases of the '80s and '90s will definitely want to add this to his collection. ---Al Campbell, allmusic.com

Little Milton, 71, has co-written ten new songs for this album along with members of his band. Following in the shadow of his trademark anthem "The Blues is Alright," Milton now adds "The Blues is My Companion," where he waxes poetically with an oral biography that suits you and me and everybody else who has ever felt the blues hanging on. He sings, "You see, the blues has been my roommate ever since the day you walked out the door." And his searing guitar drives the message home.

"Feel Like a Man" defines Little Milton's Mississippi Delta manner, as he sings of hope and despair. He builds us up and lets us find the way, reminding us convincingly that, "For so many days, in so many ways, you make me feel like a man." His songs, salve for the soul, are all about the forces that drive us, well, part of the time. Romance, after all, plays a large part in everyone's life.

"I'll Be" extends beyond romantic thoughts—Little Milton sings, "Most folks would have given up" and "I'll be there for ya." These words of encouragement apply to our everyday situations as much as personal relationships.

"Next To You" changes the pace with a rambunctious arrangement that features Jon Tiven's guitar in a funk-driven background mood, as well as earthy backup vocals by Scat Springs. Together, Little Milton and the band underscore his inspirational messages with powerful musical arrangements that reinforce. He gives his audience good feelings. ---Jim Santella, allaboutjazz.com

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01.It's Amazing
02.Who Can Handle Me Is You
03.Woman, You Don't Have To Be So Cold
04.The Thrill Is Gone
05.Monologue I - That's How Strong My Love Is
06.What It Is
07.Little Bluebird

Little Milton - Guitar, Vocals
Milton Campbell -  Guitar
Johnny Davis - Trumpet
Calep Emphrey - Drums
Willie Hall - Drums
Carl Hampton - Organ, Piano
Charles Hodges - Organ, Piano
Leroy Hodges - Bass
Al Jackson, Jr. - Drums
Raymond Jackson - Guitar
Shane Keister - Organ, Piano
Bobby Manuel - Guitar
The Memphis Horns 	
The Memphis Symphony Orchestra - Strings
Willie Murphy - Bass
Lester Snell - Organ, Piano
The Soul Children - Vocals (Background)
Marvell Thomas - Organ, Piano
Big Joe Turner – Bass

Although Little Milton's Stax recordings aren't as blues-oriented as his classic Chess and Checker recordings, there are still plenty of things to recommend about them. Primarily, they're of interest because they focus on his soulful vocals and those vocals shine on Waiting for Little Milton. On the whole, the album is a little uneven -- the songs aren't always first-rate and the production is a little too smooth -- but the performances make it worthwhile for most dedicated fans. ---Thom Owens, allmusic.com

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1	I'm at the End of My Rainbow			
2	Real Good Woman			
3	Breakaway Clean			
4	Copyright on Your Love			
5	Cheatin' Is a Risky Business			
6	Annie Mae's Cafe See All 2			
7	This Must Be the Blues			
8	Too Hurt To Cry			
9	You're My Strongest Weakness			
10	Why Can't We Be Together

Little Milton (vocals, guitar); 
Dino Zimmerman (guitars); 
Milton Campbell (guitar); 
Brian Gum, John Frantz, Steve Dressler, Bob McNally, Mickey Davis, Peggy Plucker, Janet Dressler, Claudette Hampton (strings); 
Greg "Fingers" Taylor (harmonica); 
Harrison Calloway, Ben Cauley, Charles Rose, Harvey Thompson, Ronnie Eades (horns); 
Ray Griffin (electric bass); 
James Robertson (drums);
Jewel Bass, Thomisene Anderson, Catherine Henderson (background vocals); 
Larry Addison, Carson Whitsett (keyboards).

Annie Mae's Cafe is one of the strongest albums Little Milton recorded for Malaco. Milton's solos are crisp and stinging throughout the album and his vocals are impassioned. Because he's in top form, he can save the lesser material and that's what makes the album so consistent. ---Thom Owens, allmusic.com

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1. Woman Across the River 
2. Behind Closed Doors 
3. Sweet Woman of Mine
4. Worried Dreamer
5. How Could You Do It to Me
6. You're No Good
7. T'Ain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do
8. Hard Luck Blues

Little Milton - guitar, vocals
Lester Snell - piano
Willie Hall - drums
Michael Toles - guitars
Bobby Manuel
William Murphy
David Weatherspoon – bass
Memphis Horns

Having already recorded for both Sun and Chess Records, two of the most historically significant labels in the history of blues and rock, Little Milton signed to Stax in the early '70s, adding yet another heavyweight to his catalog. On Blues 'N' Soul, he is joined by many of the same musicians that backed him on his Stax studio debut, Waiting for Little Milton, including drummer Willie Hall, guitarist Bobby Manuel, bassist Willie Murphy, and pianist Lester Snell. An impassioned singer, Milton's early-'70s output indeed began to walk the fine line between the blues and soul of the album title, a fact accentuated by the sparkling touches of the Memphis Horns. Although there are only two originals in the set, the singer's interpretations of songs popularized by Charlie Rich ("Behind Closed Doors"), Linda Ronstadt ("You're No Good") and Freddie King ("Woman Across the River") are just as convincing. Milton's own "Sweet Woman of Mine" captures the combo in an up-tempo mode, simultaneously tough and swinging. "'Tain't Nobody's Business If I Do" is a tour de force of soul-blues that paces itself exquisitely across six and a half minutes, and "Hard Luck Blues" concludes the set with a hard funk groove. Throughout the album, the arranging skills of James Mitchell demonstrate how strings can be incorporated into a hard blues setting. Though they provide ample color to these productions, they do little to dilute the essential nature of the music. Excluding the singles collection Walking the Back Streets, Blues 'N' Soul may very well be Milton's best set for Stax. ---- Nathan Bush, allmusic.com

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1. If That Ain't A Reason Enough (For Your Woman To Leave You) 3:25
2. I'm Living Off The Love You Give 2:51
3. That's What Love Will Make You Do 3:56
4. Before The Honeymoon 3:30
5. Walking The Backstreets And Crying 5:05
6. Eight Men, Four Women 5:05
7. I'm Gonna Cry A River 3:42
8. Let Me Down Easy (live) 6:35
9. Rainy Day 3:24
10. Little Bluebird 6:34
11. What It Is 3:25
12. Tin Pan Alley 3:34                     play
13. Behind Closed Doors 4:01
14. Woman Across The River 4:15            play
15. Let Me Back In 3:03
16. If You Talk In Your Sleep 2:45
17. Packed Up And Took My Mind 3:58

As part of Stax's Very Best series, Little Milton Campbell is spotlighted on 17 tracks recorded between 1971 and 1975 for the Memphis based label. While Little Milton had previously recorded for Sun, Bobbin, and Checker, it was during his tenure with Stax that he made the transition from gritty electric blues to slickly produced, horn-laden, soul-blues. This set is aimed at the casual listener and includes such R&B charted singles as "If That Ain't a Reason (For Your Woman to Leave You)," "What It Is," "Tin Pan Alley" and Milton's rendition of the Charlie Rich hit of the previous year "Behind Closed Doors." This is a decent sampler for the novice at a mid-line price. ---Al Campbell, allmusic.com

He may not be a household name, but die-hard blues fans know Little Milton as a superb all-around electric bluesman -- a soulful singer, an evocative guitarist, an accomplished songwriter, and a skillful bandleader. He's often compared to the legendary B.B. King -- as well as Bobby "Blue" Bland -- for the way his signature style combines soul, blues, and R&B, a mixture that helped make him one of the biggest-selling bluesmen of the '60s (even if he's not as well-remembered as King). As time progressed, his music grew more and more orchestrated, with strings and horns galore. He maintained a steadily active recording career all the way from his 1953 debut on Sam Phillips' legendary Sun label, with his stunning longevity including notable stints at Chess (where he found his greatest commercial success), Stax, and Malaco.

James Milton Campbell was born September 7, 1934, in the small Delta town of Inverness, MS, and grew up in Greenville. (He would later legally drop the "James" after learning of a half-brother with the same name.) His father Big Milton, a farmer, was a local blues musician, and Milton also grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry radio program. At age 12, he began playing the guitar and saved up money from odd jobs to buy his own instrument from a mail-order catalog. By 15, he was performing for pay in local clubs and bars, influenced chiefly by T-Bone Walker but also by proto-rock & roll jump blues shouters. He made a substantial impression on other area musicians, even getting a chance to back Sonny Boy Williamson II, and caught the attention of R&B great Ike Turner, who was doubling as a talent scout for Sam Phillips at Sun. Turner introduced the still-teenaged Little Milton to Phillips, who signed him to a contract in 1953. With Turner's band backing him, Milton's Sun sides tried a little bit of everything -- he hadn't developed a signature style as of yet, but he did have a boundless youthful energy that made these early recordings some of his most exciting and rewarding. Unfortunately, none of them were hits, and Milton's association with Sun was over by the end of 1954. He set about forming his own band, which waxed one single for the small Meteor label in 1957, before picking up and moving to St. Louis in 1958.

In St. Louis, Milton befriended DJ Bob Lyons, who helped him record a demo in a bid to land a deal on Mercury. The label passed, and the two set up their own label, christened Bobbin. Little Milton's Bobbin singles finally started to attract some more widespread attention, particularly "I'm a Lonely Man," which sold 60,000 copies despite being the very first release on a small label. As head of A&R, Milton brought artists like Albert King and Fontella Bass into the Bobbin fold, and with such a high roster caliber, the label soon struck a distribution arrangement with the legendary Chess Records. Milton himself switched over to the Chess subsidiary Checker in 1961, and it was there that he would settle on his trademark soul-inflected, B.B. King-influenced style. Initially a moderate success, Milton had his big breakthrough with 1965's "We're Gonna Make It," which hit number one on the R&B charts thanks to its resonance with the civil rights movement. "We're Gonna Make It" kicked off a successful string of R&B chart singles that occasionally reached the Top Ten, highlighted by "Who's Cheating Who?," "Grits Ain't Groceries," "If Walls Could Talk," "Baby I Love You," and "Feel So Bad," among others.

The death of Leonard Chess in 1969 threw his label into disarray, and Little Milton eventually left Checker in 1971 and signed with the Memphis-based soul label Stax (also the home of his former protégé Albert King). At Stax, Milton began expanding his studio sound, adding bigger horn and string sections and spotlighting his soulful vocals more than traditional blues. Further hits followed in songs like "Annie Mae's Cafe," "Little Bluebird," "That's What Love Will Make You Do," and "Walkin' the Back Streets and Cryin'," but generally not with the same magnitude of old. Stax went bankrupt in 1975, upon which point Little Milton moved to the TK/Glades label, which was better known for its funk and disco acts. His recordings there were full-blown crossover affairs, which made "Friend of Mine" a minor success, but that label soon went out of business as well. Milton spent some time in limbo; he recorded one album for MCA in 1983 called Age Ain't Nothin' But a Number, and the following year found a home with Malaco, which sustained the careers of quite a few old-school Southern soul and blues artists. During his tenure at Malaco, Milton debuted the song that would become his latter-day anthem, the bar band staple "The Blues Is Alright," which was also widely popular with European blues fans. Milton recorded frequently and steadily for Malaco, issuing 13 albums under their aegis by the end of the millennium. In 1988, he won the W.C. Handy Award for Blues Entertainer of the Year, and was also inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. ---Steve Huey, All Music Guide

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1. Beggin' My Baby 
2. Somebody Told Me 
3. Lookin' for My Baby 
4. Alone and Blue 
5. If You Love Me Baby 
6. Homesick for My Baby 
7. Lookin' for My Baby [Take 2]
8. Running Wild Blues 
9. I Love My Baby 
10. If Crying Would Help Me 
11. Oo-Wee, Wee Baby 
12. Homesick for My Baby [Alternate Take]
13. Re-Beat

Little Milton (guitar, vocals), 
Ike Turner (piano), 
C.W. Tate (saxophone).

The unbelievable raw talent of a young Milton Campbell is in grand display on this collection of early-1950s Sun classics. Milton hadn't yet honed his blend of cutting electric blues, New Orleans-style R&B, and deep country soul; he seemed at this point to move from one to the other rather than trying to fuse them into a cohesive style. The payoff here, however, is in his ferocious delivery, both in terms of his vocal performance and his steely guitar work. Fueled by Ike Turner's pumping piano, Milton assuredly blisters his way through a range of his own material, offering buzzing, razor-sharp guitar flurries and soulful vocal moans, and reminding us once again of Sun's prestigious origins as a blues label. ---Marc Greilsamer, allmusic.com

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CD 1 58:39 

01 - Bastard son 05:08 
02 - Guess who 07:32 
03 - Reconsider Baby  05:17 
*** 
04 - Still Some Meat Left on this Bone  04:37 
05 - Just one moment 08:57 
06 - I Don't Believe in Ghosts 07:30 
07 - Catch You On Your Way Down  19:35 

CD 2 45:32 

01 - Shake, Rattle & Roll  08:48 
02 - Shake rattle and roll 11:56 
03 - The blues is alright > audience 12:38 
*** 
04 - I Wouldn't Take Nothing for your Love 12:08 

Little Milton: guitar, vocals 
Paul Gomez: guitar 
Bruce Bears: guitar, piano 
Rena Beavers: bass 
Peter McDonell: drums

Little Milton 
Bellinzona Piazza Blues 
24 june 2005

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01. Little Milton - Losing Hand (2:36) 
02. Little Milton - Life Is Like That (2:40) 
03. Little Milton - Blind Man (3:24) 
04. Little Milton - Stand by Me (2:52) 
05. Little Milton - We're Gonna Make It (2:39) 
06. Little Milton - Who's Cheating Who (2:59) 
07. Little Milton - You're Welcome to the Club (2:45) 
08. Little Milton - I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town (3:03) 
09. Little Milton - Can't Hold Back the Tears (2:32) 
10. Little Milton - Grits Ain't Groceries (All Around the World) (2:41) 
11. Little Milton - Let's Get Together (3:00) 
12. Little Milton - Your Precious Love (2:45) 
13. Little Milton - Kansas City (3:12) 
14. Little Milton - Things I Used to Do (3:52) 
15. Little Milton - If Walls Could Talk (3:07) 
16. Little Milton - Blues Get Off My Shoulder (3:11) 
17. Little Milton - Good to Me as I Am to You (2:39) 
18. Little Milton - Poor Man (2:43)

Vocals, Guitar – Little Milton

Blues Hall Of Famer Little Milton is simply one of the greatest bluesmen of the modern era- every bit as deserving of the acclaim a B.B. King enjoys. Blessed with a thick, hearty soul/blues voice Milton also proved to be a top guitarist and songwriter. James Milton Campbell was born September 7, 1934, in Inverness, MS, and grew up in Greenville. (He would later legally drop the "James" after learning of a half-brother with the same name.) His father Big Milton, a farmer, was a local blues musician. At age 12 he began playing guitar and by 15 he was performing for pay in local clubs and bars. He got a chance to briefly back Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller). Ike Turner, who was also a talent scout for Sun Records introduce Little Milton to Sam Phillips, who signed him to a contract in 1953. With Ike Turner and band band backing him, Milton cut various Sun sides. Unfortunately, none of them were hits, and Milton's association with Sun was over by the end of 1954. He set about forming his own band, which waxed one single for the small Meteor label in 1957, before picking up and moving to St. Louis in 1958.

In St. Louis, Milton and DJ Bob Lyons set up their own label, Bobbin, which, by Milton's doing, signed Albert King. Little Milton's first Bobbin single, "I'm a Lonely Man," sold 60,000 copies. Although none of his, Albert King's or Fontella Bass' Bobbin singles charted they sold well enough to strike a distribution deal with Chess Records. Milton himself switched over to the Chess subsidiary Checker in 1961 and scored his first hit, "So Mean To Me" (#14 R & B) in 1962. After subsequent singles failed to chart he hit the big time in 1965 when "We're Gonna Make It" hit number one on the R&B charts and even managed #25 on the pop charts. Some say it was aided by the civil rights movement. Milton hit the R & B charts 13 more times for Checker, most notably with "Grits Ain't Groceries" (13 R & B), "Who's Cheating Who" (#4 R & B), "Feel So Bad" (#7 R & B), "Baby I Love You" (#6 R & B) and "If Walls Could Talk" (#10 R & B).

In 1972 Milton Memphis-based soul label Stax ."That's What Love Will Make You Do" returned Milton to the R & B Top 10 (#9) and Milton had several more soul blues hits with the label. Nevertheless, Stax went bankrupt in 1975, upon which point Little Milton moved to the TK/Glades label, which was better known for its funk and disco. His music was funked up like most artists of the time, but managed a #15 R & B placing for the classic"Friend of Mine" and scored a few other minor charters. TK/Glades folded soon after as well and Milton recorded one album for Evidence, which contained a rough version of his great "The Blues Is Alright" and then cut one LP for MCA.

In 1984 Milton signed with Malaco, perfectly filling the void created at Malaco with the death Z.Z. HIll. Milton's recordings continued the soul blues revival Hill had started in 1980. Over the next two decades Milton cut 14 albums for Malaco- all of generally high quality full of crispy soul blues, down home soul & even standards. Milton passed away in 2006.

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