To record Born Under a Bad Sign, King walked "Lucy," his well-worn Flying V, down Memphis' McLemore Avenue and straight into Stax Studios. Once inside, he enlisted the aid of Booker T. and the MGs as well as the Memphis Horns.  Talk about a backing band!  The combination proved absolutely explosive as the MGs solid groove allowed King to lay down stinging solos with abandon.  Though rightly hailed for his guitar prowess, King was also an incredibly soulful singer as he definitively demonstrates throughout the album.  Often, he used his guitar as an extension of his voice, answering a vocal line with an equally descriptive lick.  Just listen to the back-and-forth of "Laundromat Blues" for a prime example.  The album's title track, which became King's signature song, also features fiery vocal and guitar interplay.  For the "velvet" side of the bulldozer, try King's tender treatment of the Tin Pan Alley chestnut, "The Very Thought of You."

Upon release in 1967, Born Under a Bad Sign was hailed as an instant classic.  It has since been recognized as one of the all-time great blues albums, with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, placement in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and induction into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame's "Classics of Blues Recordings" among its many accolades.  No thorough blues or rock collection is complete without it.  Fortunately, Sundazed Music has sourced this edition directly from the original Stax analog masters to ensure that every lick, every line, every shout is captured.  In addition to the album's eleven original tracks, this Sundazed release adds two King rare mono single sides, "Funk-Shun" and "Overall Junction."  This "bad sign" ain't nothin' but good!