Mike Bloomfield (born Michael Bernard Bloomfield in Chicago, Il, on 28 July… Read Full Bio ↴Mike Bloomfield (born Michael Bernard Bloomfield in Chicago, Il, on 28 July 1943; died 15 February 1981) was an American guitarist and composer who became one of the first popular music superstars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his instrumental prowess, since he rarely sang before 1969. Respected for his guitar playing, Bloomfield knew and played with many of Chicago's blues musicians before achieving his own fame and was instrumental in popularizing blues music in the mid-1960s. He was ranked No. 22 on Rolling Stone's list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" in 2003 and No. 42 by the same magazine in 2011. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2012 and, as a member of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.
Bloomfield was an indifferent student and self-described social outcast and immersed himself in the multi-cultural music world that existed in Chicago in the 1950s. He got his first guitar at age 13. Initially attracted to the roots-rock sound of Elvis Presley and Scotty Moore, Bloomfield soon discovered the electrified big-city blues music indigenous to Chicago. At the age of 14, the exuberant guitar wunderkind began to visit the blues clubs on Chicago’s South Side with friend Roy Ruby in search of his new heroes: players such as Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Howling Wolf, and Magic Sam. Not content with viewing the scene from the audience, Bloomfield was known to leap onto the stage, asking if he could sit in as he simultaneously plugged in his guitar and began playing riffs.
Bloomfield was quickly accepted on the South Side, as much for his ability as for the audiences' appreciation of the novelty of seeing a young white player in a part of town where few whites were seen. Bloomfield soon discovered a group of like-minded outcasts. Young white players such as Paul Butterfield, Nick Gravenites, Charlie Musselwhite, and Elvin Bishop were also establishing themselves as fans who could hold their own with established bluesmen, many of whom were old enough to be their fathers.
In addition to playing with the established stars of the day, Bloomfield began to search out older, forgotten bluesmen, playing and recording with Sleepy John Estes, Yank Rachell, Little Brother Montgomery and Big Joe Williams, among others. By this time he was managing a Chicago folk music club, the Fickle Pickle, and often hired older acoustic blues players for the Tuesday night blues sessions. Big Joe Williams memorialized those times in the song "Pick A Pickle" with the line "You know Mike Bloomfield...will always treat you right...come to the Pickle, every Tuesday night." Bloomfield’s relationship with Big Joe Williams is documented in "Me And Big Joe," a moving short story detailing Bloomfield’s adventures on the road with Williams.
Bloomfield's guitar work as a session player caught the ear of legendary CBS producer and talent scout John Hammond, Sr., who flew to Chicago and immediately signed him to a recording contract. However CBS was unsure of exactly how to promote their new artist, declining to release any of the tracks recorded by Bloomfield's band, which included harp player Charlie Musselwhite.
With a contract but not much else, Bloomfield returned to playing clubs around Chicago until he was approached by Paul Rothchild, the producer of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band albums. Bloomfield was recruited to play slide guitar and piano on early recordings (later released as The Lost Elektra Sessions) which were rejected for not fully capturing the sound of the band. Although more competitors than friends ("I knew Paul [and I] was scared of him" remembered Mike), the addition of Bloomfield to the Butterfield Band provided Paul Butterfield with a musician of equal caliber -- Paul and Michael inspired and challenged each other as they traded riffs and musical ideas, one establishing a pattern and the other following it, extending it, and handing it back.
In between recording sessions with the Butterfield Band, Bloomfield backed up Bob Dylan on the classic Highway 61 Revisited album, and appeared with him at the Newport Folk Music Festival in 1965 when Dylan stunned the purist folk music crowd by playing electric rock-and-roll. Declining an offer from Dylan to join his touring band, Bloomfield and the Butter Band returned to the studio; with the addition of pianist Mark Naftalin they finally captured their live sound on vinyl.
The first two Butterfield Blues Band albums, the Dylan sessions, and the live appearances by the Butterfield Band firmly established Bloomfield as one of the most talented and influential guitar players in America. The second album featured the Bloomfield composition "East-West" which ushered in an era of long instrumental psychedelic improvisations.
Bloomfield left the Butterfield Blues Band in early 1967 ostensibly to give original guitarist Elvin Bishop, in Mike's words, "a little space." Undoubtedly he had also become uncomfortable with Paul Butterfield's position as bandleader and was anxious to lead his own band.
That band, The Electric Flag, included Bloomfield's old friends from Chicago, organist Barry Goldberg and singer/songwriter Nick Gravenites, as well as bass player Harvey Brooks and drummer Buddy Miles. The band was well received at its official debut at the Monterey Pop Festival but quickly fell apart due to drugs, egos, and poor management.
Bloomfield, weary of the road, suffering from insomnia, and uncomfortable in the role of guitar superstar, returned to San Francisco to score movies, produce other artists, and play studio sessions. One of those sessions was a day of jamming in the studio with keyboardist Al Kooper, who had previously worked with Bloomfield on the 1965 Dylan sessions.
Super Session, the resultant release, with Bloomfield on side one and guitarist Stephen Stills on side two, once again thrust Bloomfield into the spotlight. Kooper's production and the improvisational nature of the recording session captured the quintessential Bloomfield sound: the fast flurries of notes, the incredible string bending, the precise attack, and his masterful use of tension and release.
Although Super Session was the most successful recording of his career, Bloomfield considered it to be a scam, more of an excuse to sell records than a pursuit of musical goals. After a follow-up live album, he "retired" to San Francisco and lowered his visibility.
In the seventies Bloomfield played gigs in the San Francisco area and infrequently toured as Bloomfield And Friends, a group which usually included Mark Naftalin and Nick Gravenites. Bloomfield also occasionally helped out friends by lending his name to recording projects and business propositions, such as the ill-fated Electric Flag reunion in 1974 and the KGB album in 1976. In the mid-seventies Bloomfield recorded a number of albums with a more traditional blues focus for smaller record labels. He also recorded an instructional album of various blues styles for Guitar Player magazine.
By the late seventies Bloomfield's continuing drug and health problems caused erratic behavior and missed gigs, alienating a number of his old associates. Bloomfield continued playing with other musicians, including Dave Shorey and Jonathan Cramer. In the summer of 1980 he toured Italy with classical guitarist Woody Harris and cellist Maggie Edmondson. On November 15, 1980, Bloomfield joined Bob Dylan on stage at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco and jammed on "Like A Rolling Stone," the song they had recorded together 15 years earlier.
Michael Bloomfield was found dead in his car of a drug overdose in San Francisco, California on February 15, 1981.
Bloomfield was an indifferent student and self-described social outcast and immersed himself in the multi-cultural music world that existed in Chicago in the 1950s. He got his first guitar at age 13. Initially attracted to the roots-rock sound of Elvis Presley and Scotty Moore, Bloomfield soon discovered the electrified big-city blues music indigenous to Chicago. At the age of 14, the exuberant guitar wunderkind began to visit the blues clubs on Chicago’s South Side with friend Roy Ruby in search of his new heroes: players such as Muddy Waters, Otis Spann, Howling Wolf, and Magic Sam. Not content with viewing the scene from the audience, Bloomfield was known to leap onto the stage, asking if he could sit in as he simultaneously plugged in his guitar and began playing riffs.
Bloomfield was quickly accepted on the South Side, as much for his ability as for the audiences' appreciation of the novelty of seeing a young white player in a part of town where few whites were seen. Bloomfield soon discovered a group of like-minded outcasts. Young white players such as Paul Butterfield, Nick Gravenites, Charlie Musselwhite, and Elvin Bishop were also establishing themselves as fans who could hold their own with established bluesmen, many of whom were old enough to be their fathers.
In addition to playing with the established stars of the day, Bloomfield began to search out older, forgotten bluesmen, playing and recording with Sleepy John Estes, Yank Rachell, Little Brother Montgomery and Big Joe Williams, among others. By this time he was managing a Chicago folk music club, the Fickle Pickle, and often hired older acoustic blues players for the Tuesday night blues sessions. Big Joe Williams memorialized those times in the song "Pick A Pickle" with the line "You know Mike Bloomfield...will always treat you right...come to the Pickle, every Tuesday night." Bloomfield’s relationship with Big Joe Williams is documented in "Me And Big Joe," a moving short story detailing Bloomfield’s adventures on the road with Williams.
Bloomfield's guitar work as a session player caught the ear of legendary CBS producer and talent scout John Hammond, Sr., who flew to Chicago and immediately signed him to a recording contract. However CBS was unsure of exactly how to promote their new artist, declining to release any of the tracks recorded by Bloomfield's band, which included harp player Charlie Musselwhite.
With a contract but not much else, Bloomfield returned to playing clubs around Chicago until he was approached by Paul Rothchild, the producer of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band albums. Bloomfield was recruited to play slide guitar and piano on early recordings (later released as The Lost Elektra Sessions) which were rejected for not fully capturing the sound of the band. Although more competitors than friends ("I knew Paul [and I] was scared of him" remembered Mike), the addition of Bloomfield to the Butterfield Band provided Paul Butterfield with a musician of equal caliber -- Paul and Michael inspired and challenged each other as they traded riffs and musical ideas, one establishing a pattern and the other following it, extending it, and handing it back.
In between recording sessions with the Butterfield Band, Bloomfield backed up Bob Dylan on the classic Highway 61 Revisited album, and appeared with him at the Newport Folk Music Festival in 1965 when Dylan stunned the purist folk music crowd by playing electric rock-and-roll. Declining an offer from Dylan to join his touring band, Bloomfield and the Butter Band returned to the studio; with the addition of pianist Mark Naftalin they finally captured their live sound on vinyl.
The first two Butterfield Blues Band albums, the Dylan sessions, and the live appearances by the Butterfield Band firmly established Bloomfield as one of the most talented and influential guitar players in America. The second album featured the Bloomfield composition "East-West" which ushered in an era of long instrumental psychedelic improvisations.
Bloomfield left the Butterfield Blues Band in early 1967 ostensibly to give original guitarist Elvin Bishop, in Mike's words, "a little space." Undoubtedly he had also become uncomfortable with Paul Butterfield's position as bandleader and was anxious to lead his own band.
That band, The Electric Flag, included Bloomfield's old friends from Chicago, organist Barry Goldberg and singer/songwriter Nick Gravenites, as well as bass player Harvey Brooks and drummer Buddy Miles. The band was well received at its official debut at the Monterey Pop Festival but quickly fell apart due to drugs, egos, and poor management.
Bloomfield, weary of the road, suffering from insomnia, and uncomfortable in the role of guitar superstar, returned to San Francisco to score movies, produce other artists, and play studio sessions. One of those sessions was a day of jamming in the studio with keyboardist Al Kooper, who had previously worked with Bloomfield on the 1965 Dylan sessions.
Super Session, the resultant release, with Bloomfield on side one and guitarist Stephen Stills on side two, once again thrust Bloomfield into the spotlight. Kooper's production and the improvisational nature of the recording session captured the quintessential Bloomfield sound: the fast flurries of notes, the incredible string bending, the precise attack, and his masterful use of tension and release.
Although Super Session was the most successful recording of his career, Bloomfield considered it to be a scam, more of an excuse to sell records than a pursuit of musical goals. After a follow-up live album, he "retired" to San Francisco and lowered his visibility.
In the seventies Bloomfield played gigs in the San Francisco area and infrequently toured as Bloomfield And Friends, a group which usually included Mark Naftalin and Nick Gravenites. Bloomfield also occasionally helped out friends by lending his name to recording projects and business propositions, such as the ill-fated Electric Flag reunion in 1974 and the KGB album in 1976. In the mid-seventies Bloomfield recorded a number of albums with a more traditional blues focus for smaller record labels. He also recorded an instructional album of various blues styles for Guitar Player magazine.
By the late seventies Bloomfield's continuing drug and health problems caused erratic behavior and missed gigs, alienating a number of his old associates. Bloomfield continued playing with other musicians, including Dave Shorey and Jonathan Cramer. In the summer of 1980 he toured Italy with classical guitarist Woody Harris and cellist Maggie Edmondson. On November 15, 1980, Bloomfield joined Bob Dylan on stage at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco and jammed on "Like A Rolling Stone," the song they had recorded together 15 years earlier.
Michael Bloomfield was found dead in his car of a drug overdose in San Francisco, California on February 15, 1981.
It Takes Time
Mike Bloomfield Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'It Takes Time' by these artists:
Andrew Bryant When you go out walking by yourself There's always time for…
Anne Murray If words won't do it And words are just a waste…
Armin van Buuren I wanna fall to pieces Take another piece of me Take it…
B.B. & the Blues Shacks Please leave your message for eight-three-two-nine Counting …
Benny Goodman and His Orchestra Once I was young Yesterday, perhaps Danced with Jim and Paul…
Bob Revvel and the A-ones 눈을 떠요 그대 크리스마스잖아요 밖을 보면 이렇게 하얀 눈이 내려오는데 하얗게 덮인 세상을 보며…
Brunning Every time baby, I get you off my mind And little…
Buddy Guy & Otis Rush In time baby, I'll get you off my mind Little by…
Buddy Guy And Otis Rush In time baby, I'll get you off my mind Little by…
Coco Montoya In time, baby, I'll get you off my mind Little by…
Doris Day It takes time To get your gal to see the light It…
E.A.S.E. Oh yeah, Move it now "Let's do this y'all get movin' It's…
Ease So we'll say So we'll say our final parting words As the…
Fame-J Drunken nights of drunken dreams, I've tried it all and…
Fleetwood Mac Every time baby, I get you off my mind And little…
Fred No equation To explain the division of the senses No sound t…
Gabrielle Can't go back to right your wrongs, You can't hold…
Glen Phillips The water\'s getting deeper and I can\'t feel my feet I…
Honey B. & T-Bones If morning don't come the skies are gonna break it Evening…
Imogen Rose Give me a sign and I'll forgive you One by one For…
Jen Hver gang skumringen stille seg senker Mine tanker til hjemm…
John Maus Oh my, grandma's peed her pants again Oh my grandma's peed…
Johnny Mercer It takes time To get your gal to see the light It…
Johnny Mercer feat. Benny Goodman & His Orchestra Once I was young Yesterday, perhaps Danced with Jim and Paul…
Johnny Mercer with Benny Goodman & His Orchestra Never thought that you would be Standing here so close…
Keanna Mag Stuck in the ocean Trapped in an old abandoned room No sense…
Kim Carnes You're lookin' right you're walkin' tight You think everybod…
L.S. Dunes Hello, I'm not sure if you remember We connected a long…
Loco 지나간 여름 밤 시원한 가을바람 난 여전히 잠에 들 기가 쉽지않아 뒤척이고…
Louis Armstrong It takes time To get your gal to see the light It…
Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra Now the pale moon's shining on the fields below The folks…
Luna Pines Only me Comfort me Let comfort be Free Symmetry For all to s…
Maddox Theory Not long ago, I had a little kid Who walked the…
Mike Bloomfield With Nick Gravenites And Friends Woo! Woo! Well It's Christmas time in the great outback Sant…
Muck And The Mires She took my money, I'm living on the street She took…
Nicolay & Kay I don't wanna be the one No I don't wanna be…
O-SHiN 遊び半分にこの道は通らない 軽いノリがきく程 丈夫にできてやしない このぼろい MY LIFEに KEY差し込み NIG…
Otis Rush In time baby, I'll get you off my mind Little by…
Otis Rush & Buddy Guy In time baby, I'll get you off my mind Little by…
Patti Smith & Fred 'Sonic' Smith No equation To explain the division of the senses No sound t…
Peter & The Wolves And I'ma take it all back home, yea And I'ma take…
Peter Green Splinter Group Every time, baby, I got you off my mind Little by…
Rory Gallagher Well, my babe I had you on my mind, Well, by…
Rush Otis In time baby, I'll get you off my mind Little by…
Shirley Eikhard It takes time to move a mountain, it takes time…
Sugarplum Fairy To make our comeback You better come back To make our comeba…
T-Bear & The Dukes of Rhythm Take it easy Stay don't leave me Take it easy…
The Band That Doesn't Exist Every now and then I think back To the good times we…
The Brunning Sunflower Band Every time baby, I get you off my mind And little…
The Hi-Jivers The morning comes with such pain But it's nothing like The d…
The Marshall Tucker Band When you're feeling down and low And you don't know which…
The Red Pears Well it takes time To be free Everything changes Nothing but…
The Stills In your mouth In the moment In your soul, your apartment …
Trippie Redd Cuz, I'ma keep it G real, I don't fuck with…
Various Artists Can't close my eyes They're wide awake Ev'ry hair on my body…
Walter Trout In time, baby, I'll get you off my mind Little by…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Mike Bloomfield:
Bad Luck Baby kailan nga ba tayo unang nag ka kilala mula noong akoy…
Blues Medley: Sweet Little Angel / Jelly Jelly Hello baby, I had to call you on the phone Hello…
Born In Chicago I was born in Chicago at nineteen and forty-one I was…
Cherry Red Run here pretty baby, sit down on your daddy's knee I…
Death In My Family There's a death in my family And my mother died last…
Don Oh, baby Girl, don't pull the rug from under my feet…
Don't Lie to Me Oh, baby Girl, don't pull the rug from under my feet…
Don't You Lie To Me Oh, baby Girl, don't pull the rug from under my feet…
Feel So Bad I feel so bad, just like a ballgame on a…
Feel So Good Half man Half machine Half abstract with attractive sheen a …
Killing Floor I should of quit you, a long time ago I should…
Mary Ann Fare thee well, my own true love Fare thee well a…
Mood Indigo You ain′t never been blue; no, no, no, You ain't never…
The Sky Is Cryin' The sky is crying, Can you see the tears roll down…
You Don't Love Me Oh, baby Girl, don't pull the rug from under my feet…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Gerard Ross
The whole album is great, and this track gets it off to a unbecredible start!
Michael Green
Michael Bloomfield is my number one favorite blues guitar player EVER!!!!!!!! When I hear Michael's solo on the Moon Tune it makes me weep, that's how good he is, he makes the guitar cry. Let's face it, any art endeavor is about emoting and making their audience feel what the artist has created.
Nick G. Is phenomenal vocalist and song writer, think Borne in Chicago with the Paul Butterfield Blues band here.
Both learned from the Blues masters on the Southside of Chi town, like Muddy and Wolf as well as Little Walter, etc.
awol2602
Better version of the song in my opinion even though nothing can beat P Green's playing in the solo.
Tim O.
When ever I see this:nick gravenites-vocal
mike bloomfield-guitar
mark naftalin-pianoI must check out the song.I don't always love every song, but most times they are pretty spectacular.
skipwaytube
Mike sizzles on this Otis Rush tune! Great vocal by Nick too! great post. 'o)
polymath7
Yeah, they're both superb but in my estimation the best cover is by Rory Gallagher.
Johnnie Guitar
Coool! Thanks for posting zinedineo05 ! NIce tribute to Otis Rush.
termikesmike
first, great song and Nick's vocal is superb - wonder if Otis version is around here (and wonder who stole my copy of this back in the day ... thanks, real treat, gotta wonder too if Nick was lookin for a fight wearing those checkered pants !!
Savadorason1
-Try as they all might, they just can't get it as good as his 50s original.
Omar Evans
Savadorason1 the intro on the original Is godly