Left My Blues in San Francisco

Left My Blues in San Francisco is the debut studio album by American blues artist Buddy Guy, released in 1967.^[4][5] Future Rotary Connection producer and keyboardist Charles Stepney provided orchestration and drums on some tracks. The album is a mix of older blues tunes and three Buddy Guy originals.

Left My Blues in San Francisco
Studio album by Buddy Guy
Released	1967
Recorded	1962, 1965 - 1967, Chicago, IL
Studio	Ter-Mar Studios, Chicago
Genre	Blues
Length	32:03
Label	Chess (#LP 1527/LPS 1527)
Producer	Gene Barge
Buddy Guy chronology
Left My Blues in San Francisco (1967) A Man and the Blues (1968)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[2]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide	[3]

Critical reception

Reviewing a reissue, The Advocate wrote that "the album’s hodgepodge of styles—soul, rhythm and blues, pop and blues—forms a fascinating time capsule from which Guy’s irrepressible personality and fiery guitar do emerge."^[6]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Keep It to Myself"	Sonny Boy Williamson	2:30
2.	"Crazy Love"	Willie Dixon	2:20
3.	"I Suffer With the Blues"	Guy	2:44
4.	"When My Left Eye Jumps"	Willie Dixon, Al Perkins	3:53
5.	"Buddy's Groove"	Gene Barge	3:42

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Goin' Home"	Willie Dixon	2:39
7.	"She Suits Me to a Tee"	Guy	2:14
8.	"Leave My Girl Alone"	Guy	3:25
9.	"Too Many Ways"	Willie Dixon	2:14
10.	"Mother-in-Law Blues"	Gene Barge	2:41
11.	"Every Girl I See"	Willie Dixon, Michael M.P. Murphy	3:41

Personnel

• Buddy Guy - lead guitar, lead vocals
• Gene Barge - tenor saxophone on tracks 1, 2, 7, 9, 10 and 11, production & orchestration
• Lefty Bates - rhythm guitar on track 4
• Milton Bland - tenor saxophone on track 8
• Reggie Boyd - bass guitar on tracks 2, 9, and 11
• Jarrett Gibson - tenor saxophone on track 4
• Lafayette Leake - Hammond organ on track 4
• Abe Locke - tenor saxophone on track 4
• Jack Meyers - bass on track 4
• Matt "Guitar" Murphy - guitar on tracks 2, 8, 9 and 11
• A.C. Reed - tenor saxophone on track 8
• Leroy Stewart - bass guitar on track 8
• Charles Stepney - orchestration, drums on tracks 1, 7, and 10
• Phil Thomas - drums on tracks 2, 4, 9, and 11
• Sonny Turner - trumpet on track 4
• Phil Upchurch - bass guitar on tracks 1, 7, and 10
• Murray Watson - trumpet on track 4

A number of the names of the musicians who contributed to these sessions have been lost to posterity. These are the baritone saxophonist on tracks 1, 7 and 10; bassist on tracks 3, 5 and 6; drummer on tracks 3, 5, 6 and 8; rhythm guitarist on tracks 1, 5, 7 and 10; organist on tracks 3 and 8; pianist on tracks 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11; and tenor saxophonist on tracks 1, 5, 6, 7 and 10

Technical

• Ron Malo - recording supervisor, engineer
• Max Cooperstein - supervision
• Jerry Griffith - album design, cover photography
• Bill Utterback - illustration

References

1. Koda, Cub. "Buddy Guy: I Left My Blues in San Francisco > Review". AllMusic.
2. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 49.
3. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. pp. 352–353.
4. "Buddy Guy | Biography & History". AllMusic.
5. Harmon, Rod. "Buddy Guy to headline Sarasota Blues Festival". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
6. WIRT, JOHN. "Album review: Buddy Guy's debut, 'Left My Blues in San Francisco,' gets quality, Vinyl Me, Please reissue". The Advocate.