After regional success for labels like Parrot and Bobbin, Albert King [rn: Albert Nelson (Born 25th April 1923)] was newly signed to the Stax label in 1966 when he put out a couple of singles. Those were the core of an album whose title track was written by William Bell and Booker T. Jones to match the vogue for astrology: "Born Under A Bad Sign". The unique combination of King with Booker T and the MGs with the Memphis Horns marked a change in direction for blues at a time the genre was in danger of being centred solely on the white-boy revival. It was also the last time Stax would issue a single with a generic staff production credit, thereafter the actual producer's name was used.
The piece was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985 and has inspired many cover versions. STAR BLUES on 6th March 2011 drew the track from "King of the Blues Guitar" (Rhino) - a survey of Albert King recordings made for Stax and distributed by Atlantic. The cd version of "Born Under A Bad Sign" is still available.
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