More so than any other band in British Rock history JOHN MAYALL'S BLUESBREAKERS has been a melting pot par excellence of world class musical talent. John Mayall's keen eye for talent has seen his band ranks gifted by legendary players such as JACK BRUCE, ERIC CLAPTON, the ROLLING STONES Mick Taylor and PETER GREEN provided the catalyst jumping point for acts such as COLOSSEUM, FREE, McGUINNESS FLINT, FLEETWOOD MAC and CREAM.

The Cheshire born Mayall, handling vocals, guitar and harmonica, had created the band with an initial line-up of guitarist Sammy Prosser, bassist Ricky Brown and drummer Sam Stone. Previously Mayall had led the POWERHOUSE FOUR and BLUES SYNDICATE but had relocated to London on the suggestion of the legendary ALEXIS KORNER in order to assemble a fresh act.

Line-up changes, which were to affect the stability of the band throughout its lifespan saw Prosser, Brown and Stone supplanted by John Gilbey, Pete Burford and Brian Myall respectively. The drum stool occupancy would then switch from Keith Robertson to Peter Ward. Yet another round of shuffles found the band sporting a roster of Mayall, guitarist Brian Watson, bass player John McVie and drummer Martin Hart.

JOHN MAYALL'S BLUESBREAKERS opened proceedings with the April 1964 single 'Crawling Up A Hill' on the Decca label. Only McVie had survived earlier turbulences in membership and now the group saw Roger Dean on guitar and former BLUES SYNDICATE man Hughie Flint on the drums.

Suitably the group's inaugural album offering would be the 1965 live affair 'John Mayall Plays John Mayall: Live At Klook's Kleek'. Dean had made way for erstwhile guitar maestro ERIC CLAPTON of THE YARDBIRDS. A single, 'I'm Your Witchdoctor' / 'Telephone Blues', produced by one JIMMY PAGE, was released in October as Clapton would then opt out to found an ad hoc travelling Blues band entitled THE GLANDS in league with Ben Palmer of THE ROOSTERS. Following some chaotic club gigs in Greece Clapton returned home to the UK. McVie was usurped by JACK BRUCE from the GRAHAM BOND ORGANISATION. This ebb and flow would quickly find the band, with Bruce maneuvering over to MANFRED MANN's band, falling back into place though with both Clapton and McVie back on board.

It would during this period that the fan idolatry reached new levels for Clapton's mastery of guitar manifesting itself in graffiti slogans "Clapton is God". Side projects abounded. Clapton, alongside drummer Keef Hartley and John Mayall, recording sessions with American Blues pianist JACK DUPREE. Clapton would also form part of a one off Blues endeavour dubbed ERIC CLAPTON AND THE POWERHOUSE fronted by MANFRED MANN vocalist Paul Jones, JACK BRUCE, Ben Palmer on piano and SPENCER DAVIS GROUP personnel drummer Pete York and STEVE WINWOOD, the latter going under the pseudonym of 'Steve Angelo' for contractual reasons.

Back with JOHN MAYALL'S BLUESBREAKERS Clapton was set to record a live album with the band but poor recording facilities at the London Flamingo Club gig scotched these plans. Instead a studio album 'John Mayall's Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton' emerged in August of 1966. Generally recognised as one of the great British Blues records of the time the record captured Clapton's first public lead vocal undertaking 'Ramblin' On My Mind'. The record was officially credited to JOHN MAYALL WITH ERIC CLAPTON. It gave the group a surprise hit record scoring a no. 6 position in the UK album charts. Tracks included OTIS RUSH's 'All Your Love', the FREDDIE KING instrumental 'Hideaway' and the steaming 'Steppin' Out', later revamped in concert by CREAM.. The record would amply reflect Clapton's Blues purist trip he was extolling in the media and provide portents of things to come with his first lead vocal on ROBERT JOHNSON's 'Ramblin' On My Mind'.

A single, 'Key To Love', was lifted from the album which saw the B side track, the old MOSE ALLISON song 'Parchment Farm', complete with guitar contributions courtesy of PETER GREEN. Clapton, reforging links with ex band colleague JACK BRUCE, would make his exit in order to forge Power Blues Rock trio CREAM. September would witness a further line up shift as former MOJOS man Aynsley Dunbar entered in the stead of a departing Flint. The ex drummer soon bounced back with McGUINNESS FLINT.

The Mayall / Green / McVie / Dunbar axis would come back to the fore with February 1967's 'Hard Road' opus, another British hit. Further recordings had an EP released in union with Paul Butterfield of THE BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND. Once more the group was afflicted by line up fluxes when Dunbar pursued fame with the JEFF BECK group. Dunbar would begin a journey spanning more than three decades through many notable Rock acts including his own AYNSLEY DUNBAR'S RETALIATION, Folk Rock icons JETHRO TULL, American AOR giants JOURNEY and a latter day version of Hard rockers UFO.

Meantime, with Dunbar out of the picture, Mickey Waller stepped in on drums but would soon relinquish that status to MICK FLEETWOOD.

The Mayall / Green / McVie / Fleetwood combination showed what they were made of on the April 1967 single 'Double Trouble'. The band would then be bolstered by the addition of rhythm guitarist Terry Edmunds in the June but his stay was fleeting, leaving to create FERRIS WHEEL.

The group would then be torn down the middle as both Green and Fleetwood split away to formulate FLEETWOOD MAC.

Replacements came in the form of ex-GODS guitarist Mick Taylor and drummer Keef Hartley, previously with THE ARTWOODS. In addition saxophone players Rip Kant and Chris Mercer augmented the new look band. Despite the almost liquid line-up the fans remained loyal and the September 1967 album 'Crusade' gave Mayall his third UK hit.

Predictably it was soon all change once more. Mayall hung on to Taylor, Hartley and Mercer but lost McVie to FLEETWOOD MAC. His place would be filled by ex-ZOOT MONEY man Paul Williams and Kant too decamped to be superseded by Dick Heckstall-Smith from the GRAHAM BOND ORGANISATION. A further recruit would be trumpeter Henry Lowther. This version of the group only had the chance to release the September 'Suspicions' single before Keith Tillman took Williams role on bass. Williams later joined JUICY LUCY. (Williams also fronted ENGLAND'S GLORY in 1984, the short-lived Los Angeles based outfit formed by BLACK SABBATH drummer BILL WARD).

JOHN MAYALL'S BLUESBREAKERS next release would be an ambitious brace of live albums interspersed with band chat and interviews. Issued simultaneously 'Diary Of A Band', in two volumes, both charted and gave fans something a little out of the ordinary. For the American market the second volume was re-titled 'John Mayall Live In Europe'.

ANDY FRASER had been involved with the band in 1968 but would opt out to involve himself in the formation of Rock legends FREE. The four string role was duly filled by erstwhile MIKE TAYLOR QUARTET and DAVY GRAHAM bassist Tony Reeves. Hartley struck out on a solo career to release a string of KEEF HARTLEY BAND albums and Mayall brought in former GRAHAM BOND ORGANISATION member Jon Hiseman.

With this line up Mayall would score his biggest commercial hit to date with June 1968's 'Bare Wires' album making it all the way to no. 3 in the UK charts. The album would also give Mayall his first Billboard chart presence in America.

The band splintered yet again as Hiseman, Reeves and Heckstall-Smith bade a collective farewell and constructed Jazz Rock giants COLOSSEUM. Lowther jumped ship to the KEEF HARTLEY BAND and Mercer exited too. The sax player would turn up in JUICY LUCY.

Mayall reconstructed the group holding onto Taylor and bringing in ex ZOOT MONEY drummer Colin Allen and bass player Steve Thompson for recording of the 'Blues From Laurel Canyon' album. However, this would signal the official end of THE BLUESBREAKERS, the album simply being credited to JOHN MAYALL.

Taylor was granted a golden opportunity of joining the ROLLING STONES. Both Allen and Thompson would later figure in STONE THE CROWS.

JOHN MAYALL would persevere on the solo trail maintaining his profile in the UK charts and on the touring circuit operating a drummer-less band for many years.

In 1982 Mayall, Taylor, McVie and Allen would come together for a welcome reunion concert tour 'Blues Alive'. High profile guests on this much publicized jaunt would include Blues icons ALBERT LEE and BUDDY GUY. Mayall would resurrect THE BLUESBREAKERS in 1984 using the opportunity to highlight the talents of his latest guitar find WALTER TROUT. Coco Montoya would become Mayall's guitarist and upon his departure in 1993 Buddy Whittington, previously with THE SIDEMEN, took the role.

A further run of accomplished JOHN MAYALL & THE BLUESBREAKERS albums ensued including 'Behind The Iron Curtain', 'Chicago Line', 'A Sense Of Place' and 'Wake Up Call'. The latter, with guests BUDDY GUY, ALBERT COLLINS and MICK TAYLOR, being nominated for a prestigious Grammy award.

JOHN MAYALL & THE BLUESBREAKERS toured the UK in 2000 prompting the release of the 'UK Tour 2K' album. The band in 2001, still going strong with the 'Padlock On The Blues' album, numbered Mayall, guitarist Buddy Whittington, bass player Hank Van Sickle, ex JOHNNY HALLYDAY keyboard player Tom Canning and drummer Joe Yuele.