Working Girl Blues is an album by the American musician Phillip Walker, released in 1995.[2][3] It was his first album for an American label in seven years.[4] Walker supported the album with a North American tour.[5] Working Girl Blues was a hit on blues radio formats.[6]

Working Girl Blues
Studio album by
Released1995
GenreBlues
LabelBlack Top[1]
ProducerHammond Scott
Phillip Walker chronology
Big Blues from Texas
(1992)
Working Girl Blues
(1995)
I Got a Sweet Tooth
(1998)

Production

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Produced by Hammond Scott, the album was recorded with two different bands, in New Orleans and in Los Angeles.[7][8] It combined regional musical influences from Louisiana, California, and Texas.[9] Walker employed a horn section on some songs.[10]

The title track was written by Jimmy Johnson in the 1960s.[11] "The Hustle Is On" is a cover of the T-Bone Walker song.[12] "Hello, My Darling" is a remake of Walker's 1959 debut single.[13]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [14]
Chicago Tribune    [8]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [15]
MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide     [7]

The Edmonton Journal praised the "beautifully crafted" songs that twist "through R&B, swing, blues and country blues, with a zydeco number thrown in for good measure."[5] The New York Times deemed the album "excellent," and noted that Walker "is part of the Texas and Louisiana school of blues."[16]

Guitar Player determined that Walker's "quick bends and slow, plaintive releases tread the elusive middle ground between big Texas blues and West Coast cool."[17] The Los Angeles Times stated that Working Girl Blues "reaffirms his place as a first-rate bluesman in styles ranging from shuffles and stomps to zydeco and ballads."[18]

AllMusic wrote that "Walker remains in fine form on this recent set, a mix of remakes of past triumphs ... and fresh explorations."[14]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Special Built Woman" 
2."Hey, Hey Baby's Gone" 
3."Working Girl Blues" 
4."Bad Luck" 
5."Brother, Go Ahead and Take Her" 
6."Thanks a Lot (For the Offer)" 
7."Beatrice, Beatrice" 
8."The Hustle Is On" 
9."Hurry Back Home" 
10."A Thing Called the Blues" 
11."I Got a Problem" 
12."How Long Must I Wait?" 
13."Hello, My Darling" 
14."My Baby's Gonna Wash Me Down" 

References

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  1. ^ Komara, Edward M. (October 19, 2006). Encyclopedia of the Blues: K-Z, index. Taylor & Francis US.
  2. ^ "Phillip Walker Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ "Phillip Walker obituary". The Guardian. August 10, 2010.
  4. ^ Convey, Kevin R. (October 20, 1995). "Discs". Boston Herald. p. S15.
  5. ^ a b Levesque, Roger (18 Aug 1995). "Walker, Texas player". Edmonton Journal. p. C10.
  6. ^ "Former Guitarist for Little Richard". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. April 5, 1996. p. 13W.
  7. ^ a b MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 379.
  8. ^ a b Dahl, Bill (21 Dec 1995). "Phillip Walker Working Girl Blues". Chicago Tribune. p. 13C.
  9. ^ Maestri, Cathy (February 23, 1996). "On the Go". The Press-Enterprise. p. AA15.
  10. ^ Kuelker, Michael (December 12, 1996). "A Lifetime of the Blues". Get Out. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 12.
  11. ^ Prentiss, Findlay (19 Oct 1995). "Walker has those 'Working Girl Blues'". The Post and Courier. p. D14.
  12. ^ McLennan, Scott (2 May 1996). "Phillip Walker's back on top". Telegram & Gazette. p. C5.
  13. ^ Boehm, Mike (11 Dec 1995). "Walker: Blues Potency, but No Star Power". Los Angeles Times. p. F2.
  14. ^ a b "Phillip Walker Working Girl Blues". AllMusic.
  15. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 484.
  16. ^ Watrous, Peter (30 Oct 1995). "A Bluesman Reaches Back to a Time Before Rock". The New York Times. p. C16.
  17. ^ Isola, Gregory (Nov 1995). "Phillip Walker's lifetime of blues". Guitar Player. Vol. 29, no. 11. p. 24.
  18. ^ Seigal, Buddy (7 Dec 1995). "His Time to Shine". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 2.