George Thorogood

Party of One

Rounder Records

George Thorogood was born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1950. He began as a solo acoustic performer in 1970 and soon later formed his band The Delaware Destroyers. Thorogood signed with the roots oriented Rounder Records label in 1976. It was a departure from the labels usual folk and bluegrass catalogue. His debut album was “George Thorogood and The Destroyers” which included rocking Thorogood covers of Elmore James’ “Madison Blues”; Bo Diddley’s “Ride on Josephine”; and John Lee Hooker’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer”. His 1978 Rounder Records follow-up “Move It On Over” included the title track, a rocking version of the Hank Williams classic and it became a huge hit on FM radio.

Thorogood gained an even larger audience when he became the opening act during The Rolling Stones 1981 tour. The band has played in all fifty states. Thorogood left Rounder and released 1982’s “Bad To The Bone”, the title track became his first official hit single. Thorogood released “Maverick” in 1985 and the album included the original “I Drink Alone” which reached #13 on the Billboard rock chart. In 1988 he released “Born to Be Bad” and it included the original title track and Elmore James’ “Shake Your Money Maker”. All five of these albums were certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Two of these albums have since been certified Platinum. George Thorogood and The Destroyers recorded twenty albums and have sold over 15 million copies worldwide.

“Party of One” marks Thorogood’s return to Rounder Records. It is his first solo acoustic recording and it is raw and stripped down. Thorogood plays all instruments including slide guitar, Dobro, and harmonica. The album is produced by the Grammy award winning Jim Gaines. The Executive Producer is Scott Billington.

Selected covers include two Robert Johnson songs, “I’m A Steady Rollin’ Man” and “Dynaflow Blues”; two Elmore James classics “Got To Move” and “The Sky is Crying”; two John Lee Hooker tunes “One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer” and “Boogie Chillen”; Willie Dixon’s “Wang Dang Doodle”; Brownie McGhee’s “Born With The  Blues”; Hank Williams “Pictures From Life’s Other Side”; The Rolling Stones “No Expectations” and songs from Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and others. There are a total of fifteen songs.

Thorogood has done more to popularize the blues than almost anyone. This recording is proof he can do it all.

Richard Ludmerer

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