Hell of a Spell

Hell of a Spell is an album by singer-songwriter Doug Sahm released by Takoma Records in January 1980. Sahm was signed to the label in 1979 after it was acquired by Chrysalis Records the same year. Upon request of the president of Takoma, Sahm recorded blues numbers and he dedicated the record to Guitar Slim. While the album was well received by the critics, it was a commercial failure.

Hell of a Spell
Studio album by
Doug Sahm
ReleasedJanuary 1980
Recorded1979
Studio
Genreblues
Length36:58
LabelTakoma Records
ProducerDan Healy
Doug Sahm chronology
Texas Rock For Country Rollers
(1976)		 Hell of a Spell
(1980)		 Juke Box Music
(1989)

Background

After the release of Texas Rock For Country Rollers, Sahm's sales and live performances decreased.[1] Sahm coached a local softball team in Austin, Texas and he hosted a jazz show at a local radio.[2] Sahm was unhappy with the growth that the city of Austin experienced since his move in 1971, and he grew interested in the musical scene of the East coast. With Roy Bechtol, Sahm started Rolling Stranger Productions in 1979.[3]

In 1979, the label Chrysalis Records purchased Takoma Records and it expanded its lineup of artists.[4] Doug Sahm and the Sir Douglas Quintet were added to the lineup.[5] Sahm recorded Hell of a Spell with sound engineer Dan Healy, his friend and collaborator of the Grateful Dead.[1] The sessions took place at Sonoma Recorders in Santa Rosa, California under the production of Healey. Upon request from Takoma Records president Denny Bruce, the songs consisted in blues numbers. Sahm dedicated the album to Guitar Slim.[6]

Release and reception

Hell of a Spell was released in January 1980.[7] With the release of the album, Sahm started a national tour.[8] The album received positive reviews, but it failed to succeed commercially.[9] The Los Angeles Times regarded the album as Sahm "returning to the basics" and defined him as "the reigning master" of the "Texas Blues style".[2] Rolling Stone gave the album three stars out of five.[10] the Austin American-Statesman considered that Sahm "archived a near time-warp effect of returning to a golden age of modern music".[11] The Morning Call defined the release as a "worthwhile trip into the past" that "delivers the goods".[12] AllMusic gave the album three-and-a-half stars out of five. Critic Bob Gottlieb commented that Hell of a Spell "shows off some of the remarkable range of Sahm's abilities and genius".[13]

The album was reissued by the label in 1980, and then in 1988.[14] The catalog of the Takoma label was purchased by Fantasy Records in 1995.[4] Hell of a Spell was re-released by the label in July 1999.[15]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tunnel Vision"Doug Sahm2:29
2."Ain't into Letting You Go"Doug Sahm5:17
3."All the Way to Nothing"Doug Sahm3:13
4."Hangin' on by a Thread"Doug Sahm2:37
5."I'll Take Care of You"Brooke Benton4:19
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Things That I Used to Do"Guitar Slim5:17
2."I Don't Mind at All"Doug Sahm1:18
3."Nothin' But the Blues"Doug Sahm2:15
4."Hell of a Spell"Doug Sahm3:30
5."Can't Fake It"Doug Sahm4:12
6."Next Time You See Me"Earl Forest, Bill Harvey3:23

Personnel
Musicians[6]

References
  1. Reid, Jan & Sahm, Shawn 2010, p. 141.
  2. Cromelin, Richard 1980, p. 88.
  3. Shahim, Jim 1980, p. 16, p17.
  4. Morris, Chris 1995, p. 56.
  5. Reid, Jan & Sahm, Shawn 2010, p. 147.
  6. Takoma Records staff 1980.
  7. Hume, Martha 1980, p. 15-L.
  8. Shahim, Jim 1980, p. p17.
  9. Reid, Jan & Sahm, Shawn 2010, p. 142.
  10. Brackett, Nathan & Hoard, Christian David 2004, p. 713.
  11. Bentley, Bill 1980, p. 26.
  12. Zucco, Thomas 1980, p. 63.
  13. Gottlieb, Bob 2010.
  14. Reid, Jan & Sahm, Shawn 2010, p. 188.
  15. CMJ 1999, p. 38.
Sources
  • Bentley, Bill (February 16, 1980). "Record reviews". Austin American-Statesman. Vol. 110, no. 209. Retrieved March 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  • Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-743-20169-8.
  • CMJ (July 19, 1999). "New Releases". CMJ New Music Report. Retrieved March 2, 2021 – via Google Books. open access
  • Cromelin, Richard (February 17, 1980). "Sahm Shifts into a Lower Gear". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  • Gottlieb, Bob (2010). "Hell of a Spell – Doug Sahm". AllMusic. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  • Hume, Martha (January 6, 1980). "New albums for the year". New York Daily News. Vol. 59, no. 36. Retrieved March 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  • Morris, Chris (October 14, 1995). "Double Fantasy Label Purchases". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 41. Retrieved March 2, 2021 – via Google Books. open access
  • Reid, Jan; Sahm, Shawn (2010). Texas Tornado: The Times & Music of Doug Sahm. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-72196-8.
  • Shahim, Jim (February 9, 1980). "Austin's No Longer paradise for Doug Sahm; N.Y.'s where it's at". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved March 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  • Takoma Records staff (1980). Hell of a Spell (LP). Takoma Records. TAK 7075.
  • Zucco, Thomas (March 29, 1980). "Records". The Morning Call. No. 180. Allentown, Pennsylvania. Retrieved March 2, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.