Topic: Sleepy John in Japanese charts 1973

[Bunker Hill]

I came across this in a file of 1970s press releases. (click image to zoom in)

[Johnm]

Thanks for that Bunker Hill, that is amazing.  Try to imagine Sleepy John cracking the Pop Charts in the U.S. at that time--not a chance!
All best,
Johnm

[uncle bud]

I was just rereading the excellent interview with Sleepy John and Hammie Nixon in The Voice of the Blues, by Jim O'Neal and Amy Van Singel, and the introduction notes that Trio/Delmark also released two live LPs, the strangely titled Blues Live! Sleepy John and Hammie Meet Japanese People, and Blues Is A-Live! More ruefully, it also notes that despite such successes, Sleepy John lived in poverty in Brownsville until his death.

[jostber]

Even spilled some over to the Manga world:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Bull_34

[JohnLeePimp]

People like him were legendary and must've been loved universally... Sleepy john and Hammie Nixon playing in japan on a random Russian site: http://video.mail.ru/mail/aloha-1/52/2078.html

There was a much better video of them performing careless love in Japan but it got took down

Based on my limited knowledge of modern Japanese popular music taste, I doubt the same thing could be achieved again today though

[Mister Steve]

JohnLee:  Thanks for posting that link,  Great vid and some others I might check out.