John Mayall A Hard Road [LP]

Hailing from Macclesfield, Cheshire, and growing up in Cheadle Hulme, John Mayall had already made a name for himself on the Manchester blues scene before relocating to London in 1963 at the urging of Alexis Korner.

In the summer of 1966 Clapton left, partnering off with sometime Bluesbreaker Jack Bruce to form Cream. Mayall did not look back, re-employing East London guitarist Peter Green, who had previously filled in for Clapton. Undoubtedly equal to Clapton, with a marked difference in style, Green's signature sound enlivens 1967's A Hard Road. Hughie Flint had been replaced by Aynsley Dunbar on drums, and the trademark take on Chicago blues became heavier.