One of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with B.B. King and Freddie King), Albert King stood 6' 4", weighed 250 lbs and was known as "The Velvet Bulldozer". He was born Albert Nelson on a cotton plantation in Indianola, Mississippi. During his childhood he would sing at a family gospel group at a church. One of 13 children, King grew up picking cotton on plantations near Forrest City, Arkansas where the family moved when he was eight years old. He began his professional work as a musician with a group called In The Groove Boys in Osceola, Arkansas. He had also briefly played drums for Jimmy Reed's band and on several early Reed recordings. Influenced by blues musicians Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lonnie Johnson, but also interestingly Hawaiian music, the electric guitar became his signature instrument, his preference being the Gibson Flying V, which he named "Lucy".
King was a left-handed "upside-down/backwards" guitarist. He was left-handed, but usually played right-handed guitars flipped over upside-down so the low E string was on the bottom. In later years he played a custom-made guitar that was basically left-handed, but had the strings reversed (as he was used to playing). He also used very unorthodox tunings (i.e., tuning as low as C to allow him to make sweeping string bends). Some believe that he was using open E minor tuning (C-B-E-G-B-E) or open F tuning (C-F-C-F-A-D). A "less is more" type blues player, he was known for his expressive "bending" of notes, a technique characteristic of blues guitarists.
He recorded his first record in 1953 for Parrot Records in Chicago, but it had no impact. His first minor hit came in 1959 with Lonely Man written by Bobbin Records A&R man and fellow guitar hero Little Milton, responsible for King's signing with the label. However, it was not until his 1961 release Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong that he had a major hit, reaching number fourteen on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart. In 1966 he signed with the Stax record label. Produced by Al Jackson, Jr., King with Booker T. & the MG's recorded dozens of influential sides, such as Crosscut Saw and As The Years Go Passing By, and in 1967 Stax released the album, Born Under a Bad Sign. The title track of that album (written by Booker T. Jones and William Bell) became King's best known songs and has been covered by many other artists.
Another landmark album followed in Live Wire/Blues Power from one of many dates King played at promoter Bill Graham's Fillmore venues. It had a wide and long-term influence on Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Robbie Robertson, and later Gary Moore and Stevie Ray Vaughan (Criminal World, on David Bowie's 1983 release Let's Dance, features a guitar solo copied note-for-note from his hero Albert King by young session musician Stevie Ray Vaughan).
In the 1970s, King was teamed with members of The Bar-Kays and The Movement (Isaac Hayes's backing group), including bassist James Alexander and drummer Willie Hall adding strong funk elements to his music. Adding strings and multiple rhythm guitarists, producers Allen Jones and Henry Bush created a wall of sound that contrasted the sparse, punchy records King made with Booker T. & the MG's. Among these was another of King's signature tunes with I'll Play the Blues For You in 1972.
Recorded in December 1983, In Session captures an in-concert jam between Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan
As he hit his mid-sixties King began to muse about retirement, not unreasonable given that he had health problems. Nevertheless, when near to death, he was planning yet another overseas tour.
King died on December 21, 1992 from a heart attack in Memphis, Tennessee.
I Almost Lost My Mind
Albert King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I lost my baby, I almost lost my mind
My eyes was full of tears since she left me behind
I pass a million peopleI can't tell who I meet
I pass a million peopleI can't tell who I meet
My eyes are full of tears, where can my baby be?
I went to see a gypsy to have my fortune read
My head hung in sorrow when she said what she said
When I lost my baby, I almost lost my mind
When I lost my baby, I almost lost my mind
When I lost my baby, I almost lost my mind
The lyrics of "I Almost Lost My Mind" by Albert King express the heart-wrenching pain and longing of a man who has lost his love. The repetition of the phrase "when I lost my baby, I almost lost my mind" emphasizes the overwhelming emotions of the experience. It is clear that the singer's grief has consumed him, as he passes through crowds of people without being able to recognize anyone, and his eyes are full of tears.
The desperation of his search is highlighted by his visit to a gypsy to have his fortune read, revealing that he is willing to explore any possible solution to find his lost love. However, the result only adds to his sorrow, with his head hanging in hopelessness after hearing what the gypsy has to say.
The song perfectly captures the pain of losing someone that you love so deeply, to the point where you can barely function. Albert King's soulful delivery and heartfelt emotion only add to its emotional impact.
Overall, "I Almost Lost My Mind" is a timeless classic that tells the story of the power of love and the devastation of its loss.
Line by Line Meaning
When I lost my baby, I almost lost my mind
The pain of losing my soulmate almost drove me to insanity
My eyes was full of tears since she left me behind
My vision had been clouded ever since she abandoned me
I pass a million peopleI can't tell who I meet
I'm lost in my own sorrow to the point that I can't even recognize the people around me
My eyes are full of tears, where can my baby be?
My eyes are constantly tearing up as I search in vain for my lost love
I went to see a gypsy to get my fortune read
I resorted to seeking guidance from a fortune-teller in my desperation
My head hung in sorrow when she said what she said
The fortune-teller's words only added to my sadness and disappointment
When I lost my baby, I almost lost my mind
The repeated refrain underscores the intense emotional distress caused by the loss of a loved one
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IVORY JOE HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Espenschied
My favorite Albert song EVER
MJR Guitar
The Velvet Bulldozer...