All About That (Jack) Bruce: Stormy Monday

For a short time, Jack Bruce was a member of John Mayall’s legendary Blues Breakers, but like his tenure in Manfred Mann, it was short lived. What survived are some live cuts that were recorded at London’s Flamingo Club on March 17, 1966. Mayall’s original intent was to record a live LP that featured the soaring guitar solos of Eric Clapton.

Because the quality was not the best, Mayall scrapped the idea of a live album and began recording the legendary “Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton” LP that same month. John McVie, who would later be a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, replaced Jack Bruce on bass.

While many of the recordings featuring Jack Bruce have been released over time, the first to see the light of day was Mayall’s interpretation of T-Bone Walker’s legendary “They Call It Stormy Monday,” which has been covered by a countless number of artists. “They Call it Stormy Monday” was first released in 1969 on Mayall’s “Looking Back” album.

Besides Bruce’s bass and Clapton’s guitar, “Stormy Monday” featured John Mayall on organ and vocals and Hughie Flint on drums. Besides Bruce’s solid bass, the guitar leads of Eric Clapton reinforce the idea that he is one of best guitarists of all time.