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George Thorogood and the Destroyers is the self-titled debut studio album by American blues rock band George Thorogood and the Destroyers. It was released in 1977 by the label Rounder Records.[1] Consisting mostly of covers of blues hits, it includes a medley of John Lee Hooker's "House Rent Boogie" and "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer",[2] the latter a song written by Rudy Toombs for Amos Milburn, and later covered by Hooker.
| George Thorogood and the Destroyers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 16, 1977 | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Studio | Dimension Sound Studios, Boston, Massachusetts | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 45:10 | |||
| Label | Rounder | |||
| Producer | Ken Irwin | |||
| George Thorogood and the Destroyers chronology | ||||
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| Singles from George Thorogood and the Destroyers | ||||
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In 2015 Rounder Records released a new remix of the original album was released under the name George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers.[3]
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Rounder Records released George Thorogood and the Destroyers on August 16, 1977.[1][4] The album eventually sold more than 600,000 copies.[5] Three tracks from the album were released as singles.
2015 remix
In 2015 Rounder released George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers,[6] a new remix of the album featuring the three-piece band as originally recorded and mixed. It omits the bass overdubs by Billy Blough, which were added after the original recording sessions. It also adds the previously unreleased Elmore James track "Goodbye Baby".[3]
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George Thorogood and the Destroyers received positive reviews from critics.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[8] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [9] |
| Daily Vault | B[10] |
| PopMatters | 6/10[11] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues | [12] |
| DownBeat | [13] |
A Cashbox reviewer wrote "Thorogood deals strongly in early '50s style rock and timeless blues and this album captures him at his slidin', pickin', wailin' best."[14] Billboard magazine wrote "Rocking rhythm and blues, accented by the slide guitar, gives the album a nostalgic '60s sound. Rhythm section backup is tight while the vocals, though somewhat strained, are distinctive enough to stand out."[15]
AllMusic`s Stephen Thomas Erlewine says "this album isn't about groove and it's certainly not about virtuosity -- it's about bashing out the blues at a punishing volume, and their lack of subtlety is why this 1977 debut still sounds powerful years after its release."[16] David Bowling of Daily Vault wrote "George Thorogood And The Destroyers did not change the course of American blues or rock ‘n’ roll but it made them a bit more enjoyable. It is an album for the beer hall or smoky night club."[17]
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Original release
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You Got to Lose" | Earl Hooker | 3:15 |
| 2. | "Madison Blues" | Elmore James | 4:24 |
| 3. | "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" (*) | John Lee Hooker | 8:20 |
| 4. | "Kind Hearted Woman" | Robert Johnson | 4:21 |
| 5. | "Can't Stop Lovin'" | Elmore James | 3:04 |
(*) The song is titled "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer", but is a medley of that song preceded by "House Rent Boogie", also called "John L's House Rent Boogie". The songwriter is credited as John Lee Hooker, who was indeed the author of "House Rent Boogie". John Lee Hooker's version of the "One Bourbon" half of the medley was used by Thorogood and Rudy Toombs, the writer of the original "One Bourbon" was not credited on the album.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ride On Josephine" | Ellas McDaniel | 4:17 |
| 2. | "Homesick Boy" | George Thorogood | 3:02 |
| 3. | "John Hardy" | Traditional | 3:18 |
| 4. | "I'll Change My Style" | William Parker, Manuel Villa | 3:57 |
| 5. | "Delaware Slide" | George Thorogood | 7:45 |
| Total length: | 45:10 | ||
George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers (2015)
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You Got to Lose" | Earl Hooker | 3:25 |
| 2. | "Madison Blues" | Elmore James | 4:28 |
| 3. | "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" | John Lee Hooker | 8:30 |
| 4. | "Kind Hearted Woman" (*) | Robert Johnson | 4:23 |
| 5. | "Ride On Josephine" | Ellas McDaniel | 4:24 |
| 6. | "Can't Stop Lovin'" | Elmore James | 3:36 |
| 7. | "Homesick Boy" | George Thorogood | 3:16 |
| 8. | "John Hardy" (*) | Traditional | 3:33 |
| 9. | "I'll Change My Style" | William Parker, Manuel Villa | 4:09 |
| 10. | "Delaware Slide" | George Thorogood | 8:05 |
| 11. | "Goodbye Baby" | Elmore James | 3:27 |
| Total length: | 51:16 | ||
(*) Tracks omitted from the vinyl release[18]
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Musicians
- George Thorogood – lead guitar, slide guitar, vocals; harmonica on "John Hardy"
- Ron "Roadblock" Smith – rhythm guitar
- Billy Blough – bass guitar
- Jeff Simon – drums
Technical
- Ken Irwin – producer
- John Nagy – engineer
- Susan Marsh – design
- Henry Horenstein – photography (front cover)
- Sam Clover – photography (back cover)
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[19] | 52 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[20] | Platinum | 80,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[21] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
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