Arzell "Z.Z." Hill (September 30, 1935 – April 27, 1984) was an American blues singer, in the soul blues tradition, known for his 1970s and 1980s recordings for Malaco.
His 1982 album, Down Home, stayed on the Billboard soul album chart for nearly two years. The track "Down Home Blues" has been called the best-known blues song of the 1980s. This track plus the songs "Taxi", "Someone Else Is Steppin' In", and "Open House" have become R'n'B/Southern soul standards.
Born in Naples, Texas, United States, Hill began his singing career in
the late 1950s as part of a gospel group called The Spiritual Five,
touring Texas. Around 1960, he started collecting records by B.B. King,
Freddie King, Sam Cooke, Bobby "Blue" Bland and Wilson Pickett and began
singing and writing songs influenced by these styles.
In 1964, Hill moved to California and recorded "You Were Wrong" on his
brother's M.H. record label. The single charted and Hill released several
more singles for Kent, but none of them charted. He moved labels several
times, including signing with Phil Walden's Macon, Georgia based Capricorn
label, but Hill refused to record for Walden, and his recording contract
was bought by Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams' Mankind label, where Hill
finally fulfilled his end of the deal.
In 1971, Williams recorded Hill in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and they had
hits including "Faithful & True" (Cash Box Top 100) and "Chokin' Kind"
(Cash Box R'n'B #50). With his brother's help, Hill then signed to United
Artists, where he released several successful singles.
During the United Artist period in the mid 1970s, he was aided by
arrangements and compositions by established R'n'B talents like Lamont
Dozier and Allen Toussaint.
One of Hill's biggest selling hits came while signed to Columbia, "Love
Is So Good When You're Stealing It," which spent 18 weeks on the Billboard
R&B chart in the summer of 1977. Signed to Malaco Records in 1979,
Hill's next hit single was "I'm Gonna Stop You From Givin' Me The Blues,"
in 1980.
Hill's recording of songwriter George Jackson's "Cheatin' In The Next
Room," was released in early 1982 and broke into the top 20 nationally,
spending a total of 20 weeks on the charts. He had a number of
best-selling albums on Malaco, the biggest one being Down Home Blues,
which sold in excess of one million copies.
Other Malaco sides that received airplay in the early 1980s were "Someone
Else Is Steppin' In", "Bump And Grind", "Shade Tree Mechanic", and "Get
You Some Business". George Jackson also wrote Hill's signature tune, "Down
Home Blues", which label-mate Denise LaSalle later recorded.
Hill's song, "That Ain't the Way You Make Love", was sampled by
Madvillain in their track, "Fancy Clown".
In 1984, Hill died in Dallas at the age of 48 from a heart attack after a
road accident.
NEW!
2013-Thrill on The (Z.Z.) Hill [Remastered] @FLAC+
Soul Stirring
(LP)
ZZH-1965-Soul Stirring @320
A Whole Lot of Soul
(LP)
>
ZZH-1967-A Whole Lot Of Soul (LP) @192
The Brand New Z.Z. Hill
ZZH-1971-The Brand New Z.Z. Hill @ALAC
Let's Make A Deal
ZZH-1978-Let's Make A Deal @FLAC
Love Is So Good
When You're Stealing It
ZZH-1978-Love Is So Good When You're Stealing It @FLAC
The Mark of Z.Z.
ZZH-1979-The Mark Of Z.Z @FLAC
Down Home
ZZH-1982-Down Home @FLAC
The Rhythum & The Blues
ZZH-1982-The Rhythum and The Blues @FLAC
I'm A Blues Man
ZZH-1983-I'm A Blues Man @FLAC
Bluesmaster
ZZH-1984-Bluesmaster @FLAC
Dues Paid In Full
(LP)
ZZH-1984-Dues Paid In Full (LP) @128
In Memorium
(1935-84)
ZZH-1985-In Memorium (1935-84) @320
Greatest Hits
ZZH-1990-Greatest Hits @ALAC
Faithful & True
Special Music Co. - Blue Dog
ZZH-1991-Faithful & True (Special Music) @FLAC
ZZH-1994-Faithful And True @FLAC
The Down Home Soul of Z.Z. Hill
ZZH-1992-The Down Home Soul Of Z.Z. Hill @320
Friend
ZZH-1994-Friend @320
Z.Z. Hill
ZZH-1995-Z.Z. Hill @ALAC
Turn Back The Hands of Time
ZZH-1996-Turn Back The Hands of Time @FLAC
Blues Business
ZZH-1997-Blues Business @FLAC
This Time They Told The Truth
ZZH-1998-This Time They Told The Truth @FLAC
Thrill On The Z.Z. Hill
2013-Thrill on The (Z.Z.) Hill [Remastered] @FLAC+
That's It!
Complete Kent Recordings
(1964-68)
ZZH-2018–That's It! Complete Kent Recordings (1964-68) @FLAC
Arzell "Z.Z." Hill (September 30, 1935 – April 27, 1984) was an American blues singer, in the soul blues tradition, known for his 1970s and 1980s recordings for Malaco.
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5 comments:
Thank You. I've got it now. GREAT SITE!!!
@hakase
Thanks for your comment. Appreciated & Corrected !
All the Best
Chris-France
thank you Chris your great
Thanks for Down Home Blues!
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