John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

Released: July 22, 1966

Songwriter: John Mayall Eric Clapton

Producer: Mike Vernon

It's a mean old scene
When it comes to double crossing time
It's a mean old scene
When it comes to double crossing time
When you think you got good buddies
They will spin around and cheat you blind

Double crossing man is mean

He will try to make it so you lose
Double crossing man
He will try to make it so you lose
You'll fill your mind with worry
You know he hurt me with the blues

John Mayall and his Bluesbreakers were never superstars in America, but were probably the most influential of the English blues bands on either side of the pond. In the early to mid 1960s, England was undergoing a sort of Blues-inspired musical renaissance, known now as the British Blues. The first keystone band of this era was Blues Incorporated, a live act through which much of the future British Invasion filtered. But as those musicians grew up to become recording artists, they moved on, and one of them, John Mayall, formed a band band that took up the mantle of incubator for much of the movement.

His Bluesbreakers included, at one time or another, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and Peter Green (who later formed Fleetwood Mac together), Aynsley Dunbar (who played with pretty much everyone else), Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce (later to form Cream), Larry Taylor (Canned Heat), Paul Butterfield (the Butterfield Blues Band, itself a blues-rock birthing center), and others.

The Bluesbreakers had few hits themselves, especially on other side of the Atlantic. But without them, the music world would be a different place, today.

more tracks from the album

Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton

From the album

Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton (1966)

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers popular songs

Double Crossing TimeJohn Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton