Sheltering at home, while important, can be tough for everyone. Days and weeks seem to morph into a big long blur and we all seem to be looking for little things to help cure our blues. Luckily for us we have some great friends at Malaco Records down in Jackson, MS who are experts in curing the blues. Our staff at Distant Horizons put together their Top 10 Favorite Malaco Records Songs to help you jam out (and maybe even dance a bit) while we are all sheltering at home. Malaco Records, which we visit on our Civil Rights tours, is an independent record label which defines the state of contemporary southern rhythm and blues, soul, and gospel, focusing on local artists and songwriters. Started in the 1960’s by Wolf Stephenson and Tommy Couch, their studio in Jackson, MS was the first state-of-the-art recording studio in Mississippi. It has since been home to various major blues and gospel acts, such as Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, Z. Z. Hill, Denise LaSalle, Benny Latimore, Dorothy Moore, Little Milton, Shirley Brown, Marvin Sease, and the Mississippi Mass Choir. In 1976, they gained national success with Dorothy Moore’s “Misty Blue,” followed by the unexpected success of Z.Z. Hill’s LP Down Home in 1982-83 that launched Malaco on a trajectory to become the dominant label in its field.
Wolf Stevenson guiding our group through the famous Malaco Studios during our Civil Rights Trip © Photo by Savannah Fortis
Our Top 10 Favorite Malaco Records Songs
Dorothy Moore – Misty Blue (1976)
Z.Z. Hill – Down Home Blues (1981)
Denise LaSalle – Give Me Yo’ Most Strongest Whiskey (1985)
Little Milton – The Blues is Alright (1984)
Bobby (Blue) Bland – Members Only (1985)
Johnnie Taylor – Last Two Dollars (1996)
Little Milton’s – Annie Mae’s Café (1986)
Dorothy Moore – Funny How Time Slips Away (1976)
Bobby (Blue) Bland – Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone (1989)
Queen Emily – Still Crazy (2010)