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for release and distribution, and became a million-seller. As with Hooker’s other recordings, Besman gave himself a co-writer credit – though Hooker strongly rejected the idea that Besman was creatively involved in writing the songs – as well as the publishing rights. Some of Hooker's
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I knew I had to do something. So first we amplified his guitar. He had an old Stella and no amp. We put a mike onto his guitar, and we put a speaker—this was a tiny two room studio, remember—we put it in a toilet bowl next door, actually in a toilet bowl. Then we put a mike under that so the sound
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All of Hooker's recordings with Besman on
Sensation Records between 1948 and 1952 (not including the material issued on United Artists and Greene Bottle), remastered and including some alternate and unedited takes not previously issued, were released as a
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would bounce off the water—I wanted an echo effect. Then the sound went back into a speaker in the studio, came out of that, and got picked up along with his voice. I put a board under his feet to make his tapping louder, and put a mike down there.
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other early recordings, including "Burnin' Hell" and "Huckle Up Baby", were released on the
Sensation label and became modestly successful. Besman retained the rights to all Hooker's recordings on the label.
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After the war, Besman linked up with accountant John Kaplan to buy an existing company, Pan
American Record Distributing, in 1946. The company sold mostly to the
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The
Sensation label issued its last records in late 1950. After the success of ÂŁBoogie ChillenÂŁ, Besman continued to record Hooker, including "
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144:(October 8, 1912 – January 10, 2003) was an American record producer and distributor who established Sensation Records, an early
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and the small Greene Bottle label. He later sold the remainder of his tapes and acetates to Ace
Records in the early 1990s.
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In the early 1970s, Besman began to license many of his unreleased John Lee Hooker recordings to various labels including
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and dance music in hotels and resorts, leading his own small group, and made recordings in 1936. He began operating a
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In 1952, Besman was diagnosed with a serious illness, sold his share in the
Sensation label, and moved to
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224:. Besman and Kaplan also started Sensation Records, taking its name from the local Sensation Lounge
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and learned piano. The family moved to
Detroit in 1926, and Besman began playing "sweet"
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Boogie Man: The
Adventures of John Lee Hooker in the American Twentieth Century
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Michael Lydon, "Boogie
Lightnin': John Lee Hooker and the Electrified Blues",
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327:. After he recovered, he was involved in his cousin's business, marketing
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kits. Besman retained links with John Lee Hooker, and in 1961 produced a
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number one hit in 1951, on which Hooker performed with second guitarist
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Besman died in Los
Angeles on January 10, 2003, aged 90.
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business, and in the early 1970s held the franchise for
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In 1992, Besman filed a lawsuit against the members of
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418:. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 112–122.
228:. Musicians signed to Sensation Records included
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248:. Some of Rhodes' recordings featured singers
519:"Court Rejects Claim ZZ Top Stole His Song".
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216:market, and Besman established himself as a
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164:Besman was born into a Jewish family in
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339:. He also remained in the children's
588:Soviet emigrants to the United States
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184:where Besman attended school in the
292:The resulting record was leased to
578:American music industry executives
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365:, alleging that their 1973 song "
529:. October 11, 1995. p. A-2.
200:, and then booked bands for the
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485:Biography by Richie Unterberger
1:
462:"John Kaplan: Recording Exec"
152:. He was the first to record
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500:Murray, op. cit., pp.169-170
452:. Retrieved 18 February 2020
320:Hooker's vocals and guitar.
491:. Retrieved 6 February 2020
267:In late 1948, Besman heard
172:. In the aftermath of the
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573:American record producers
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146:independent record label
546:. Retrieved 22 May 2020
509:Murray, op. cit., p.237
337:Culver City, California
220:, promoting records to
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46:Background information
412:Murray, Charles Shaar
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527:The Associated Press
466:Detroit Jewish News
329:painting by numbers
97:, California, U.S.
352:Specialty Records
333:self-titled album
178:Polish-Soviet War
150:Detroit, Michigan
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277:John Lee Hooker
238:The Harmonicats
234:Russell Jacquet
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174:First World War
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154:John Lee Hooker
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356:United Artists
345:Bozo the Clown
318:double-tracked
314:Eddie Kirkland
308:", his second
294:Modern Records
222:radio stations
218:record plugger
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194:booking agency
170:Russian Empire
168:, then in the
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142:Bernard Besman
138:Musical artist
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385:Personal life
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269:demo records
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258:King Records
254:LaVern Baker
250:Connie Allen
246:Milt Jackson
242:T. J. Fowler
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198:World War II
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120:Years active
90:(2003-01-10)
15:
568:2003 deaths
563:1912 births
544:Ace Records
522:The Tribune
379:Ace Records
325:Los Angeles
298:Los Angeles
230:Todd Rhodes
124:1920s–1990s
111:distributor
102:Occupations
95:Los Angeles
39: 1937
557:Categories
393:References
262:Cincinnati
160:Early life
57:1912-10-08
381:in 2020.
367:La Grange
275:musician
271:by local
226:nightclub
132:Sensation
489:AllMusic
448:Ramparts
414:(2000).
186:East End
176:and the
375:box set
310:R&B
196:before
78:Detroit
34:Besman
450:, 1973
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363:ZZ Top
244:, and
208:Career
182:London
129:Labels
74:Origin
273:blues
420:ISBN
252:and
190:jazz
166:Kiev
85:Died
64:Kiev
51:Born
377:by
341:toy
296:in
260:of
148:in
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204:.
66:,
36:c.
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59:)
55:(
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