Argo/Cadet/Chess "The Blues" series discography

# year of release	title / notes
Vol. 1 (1963)	The Blues   Volume 1 - Don't Start Me To Talking - Sonny Boy Williamson - First Time I Met The Blues - Buddy Guy - Worried Life Blues - Chuck Berry - My Babe - Little Walter - Walkin' The Boogie - John Lee Hooker - Hoochie Coochie - Muddy Waters - Reconsider Baby - Lowell Fulson - Smokestack Lightning - Howlin' Wolf - Juke - Little Walter - When The Lights Go Out - Jimmy Witherspoon - Just Make Love To Me - Muddy Waters - Spoonful - Howlin' Wolf Barclay 844 005 track sequence: - Don't Start Me To Talking - Sonny Boy Williamson (2:33) - First Time I Met The Blues - Buddy Guy (2:10) - It Ain't No Secret - Jimmy Witherspoon (2:55) °° - My Babe - Little Walter (2:34) - Reconsider Baby - Lowell Fulson (3:05) - Hoochie Coochie - Muddy Waters (2:50) - Walkin' The Boogie - John Lee Hooker (2:50) - Smokestack Lightning - Howlin' Wolf (3:03) - So Many Roads - Otis Rush (3:08) °° - When The Lights Go Out - Jimmy Witherspoon (2:50) - Just Make Love To Me - Muddy Waters (2:48) - Spoonful - Howlin' Wolf (2:45) °° not on Argo/PYE/Cadet EP Vol. 1, Part 1 - PYE NEP 44029 - Don't Start Me To Talking - Sonny Boy Williamson - Just Make Love To Me - Muddy Waters - Walkin' The Boogie - John Lee Hooker - When The Lights Go Out - Jimmy Witherspoon EP Vol. 1, Part 2 - PYE NEP 44035 - Spoonful - Howlin' Wolf - First Time I Met The Blues - Buddy Guy - Hoochie Coochie - Muddy Waters - Juke - Little Walter notes by Esmond Edwards Argo LP-4026 (US 1963) = PYE NPL 28030 (UK 1963) notes by Esmond Edwards (=) Cadet LPS-4026 "Electronically altered for STEREO" 45 rpm EP (=) PYE NEP 44029 (UK 1964) "Vol. 1, Part 1" 45 rpm EP (=) PYE NEP 44035 (UK 1965) "Vol. 1, Part 2" (=) Barclay 844 005 (Fr 196?) (série Flash) notes by Esmond Edwards and Bob Schnieders = Chess CH-9253 (US 1984) = Chess/Green Line GCH-8027 (It 1986)
Vol. 2 (1963)	The Blues   Volume 2 - Thirty Days - Chuck Berry - Sugar Mama - John Lee Hooker - Evil - Howlin' Wolf - Got My Mojo Working - Muddy Waters - I'm A Man - Bo Diddley - Blues With A Feeling - Little Walter - Key To The Highway - Little Walter - It Ain't No Secret - Jimmy Witherspoon - Wee Wee Hours - Chuck Berry - Ten Years Ago - Buddy Guy - So Many Roads - Otis Rush EP Vol. 2 - Chess CRE 6011 - Sugar Mama - John Lee Hooker - Key To The Highway - Little Walter - So Many Roads - Otis Rush - Wee Wee Hours - Chuck Berry notes by Esmond Edwards Argo LP-4027 (US 1963) notes by Esmond Edwards = PYE NPL 28035 (UK 1963) notes by Esmond Edwards (=) Cadet LP-4027 45 rpm EP (=) Chess CRE 6011 (UK 1965) "Vol. 2" notes by Esmond Edwards and Bob Schnieders = Chess CH-9267 (US 1984)
Vol. 3 (3/1964)	The Blues   Volume 3 - Diggin' My Potatoes - Washboard Sam - Walking The Blues - Willie Dixon - Lonely No More - Little Milton - I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline) - Howlin' Wolf - Off The Wall - Little Walter - Rollin' Stone - Muddy Waters - It's My Own Fault - John Lee Hooker - Baby Please Don't Go (alt tk) - Muddy Waters [previously unissued] - Fattening Frogs For Snakes - Sonny Boy Williamson - Time Brings On A Change - Jimmy Witherspoon - The Sun Is Shining (alt tk) - Elmore James [previously unissued] - The World's In A Tangle - Jimmy Rogers notes by John Burton Argo LP-4034 (US 3/1964) notes by John Burton = PYE NPL 28045 (UK 1964) (=) Cadet LP-4034 "Electronically altered for STEREO" notes by John Burton and Cary Baker = Chess CH-9276 (US 1988)
Vol. 4 (1964)	The Blues   Volume 4 - Billy's Blues part 2 - Billy Stewart - Last Night - Little Walter - Trouble Trouble - Lowell Fulson - My Baby's Got Soul - Larry Williams - Third Degree - Eddie Boyd - I Don't Know - Willie Mabon & His Combo - I'm A Little Mixed Up - Betty James - She's 19 Years Old - Muddy Waters - Flat Foot Sam - T.V. Slim - Boom Boom - Little Walter - I Guess I'm A Fool - Memphis Slim & House Rockers - Leave My Wife Alone - John Lee Hooker notes by Joe Segal Argo LP-4042 (=) Cadet LP-4042 "Electronically altered for STEREO" notes by Joe Segal = Chess CRL 4003 (UK 1964) = Chess/MCA CH/CHD-9220 (US 1990)
Vol. 5 (1965)	The Blues   Volume 5 - That's Alright - Jimmy Rogers [Chess 1435] - Honey Bee - Muddy Waters [Chess 1468] - How Many More Years - Howlin' Wolf [Chess 1479] - Ground Hog Blues - John Lee Hooker - Free and Easy Mind - Jimmy Nelson - Double Dealing - Percy Mayfield - Seventh Son - Willie Mabon & his Combo [Chess 1608] - Check Yourself - Lowell Fulson - The Key - Sonny Boy Williamson - Me and My Chauffeur - Memphis Minnie - Confessin' the Blues - Little Walter & the Jukes [Checker 890] - 24 Hours - Eddie Boyd [Chess 1533] notes by Marshall Chess and Willie Dixon     Cadet LP-4051 (US 1965 ff.)   "All Platinum Record Group"   "GRT Record Group"   "Chess Producing Corp." = Chess CRL 45123 (UK 1965) notes by Marshall Chess and Willie Dixon Cadet LPS-4051 (US 1966)   "Electronically altered for STEREO" LP notes by Marshall Chess, Mary Katherine Aldin, Willie Dixon = Chess/MCA CH-9320 (US 1990) CD notes by Marshall Chess, Mary Katherine Aldin, Willie Dixon = Chess/MCA CHD-9320 (US 1990) = Chess/MCA CHC-9320 (cassette)
Vol. 6 (1991)	The Blues   Volume 6 '50s Rarities - Goin' Back Home - Howlin' Wolf [Chess 1648 - 1957 - did not chart] - Juke (U 7437-4) - Little Walter & His Night Cats [Checker 758 - # 1 R&B for 8 weeks September-October 1952] - Funeral Hearse At My Door - Rocky Fuller (real name Iverson Minter - aka Louisiana Red) [originally unissued Checker track circa 1952] - Date Bait - Blue Smitty (real name Claude Smith) [originally unissued Chess track circa 1952] - Lake Michigan - Memphis Minnie [originally unissued Checker side circa 1951] - What Kind Of Gal Is That? - Little Joe E. Lee (real name Jody Williams - aka Little Papa Joe) [originally unissued Chess side circa 1955?] - I Don't Know (alt tk) - Sonny Boy Williamson (real name Aleck Ford, aka Alex "Rice" Miller) [Checker 864 - 1957 - did not chart] - Would You Call Me A Fool? - Percy Mayfield [originally unissued Chess side - circa 1955] - All Night Long - Muddy Waters [Chess 1509 - 1952 - did not chart] - Gary Stomp - John Brim & His Gary Kings [originally unissued Chess side circa 1955] - Overseas - Floyd Jones & His Guitar [originally unissued Chess side circa 1952] - Got Lonesome Here - Eddie Boyd [originally unissued Chess side circa 1953, Teldec/Chess 6.24810] - Messing Around With The Blues - Alberta Adams [previously unreleased] - I'm Mad (alt tk) - Willie Mabon [Chess 1538 - # 1 R&B for 2 weeks May/June 1953] - Alarm Clock Blues - Floyd Dixon [Checker 857 - 1957 - did not chart] - Don't Drive Me Baby - Lowell Fulson [Checker 865 - 1957 - did not chart] notes by Mary Katherine Aldin Chess/MCA CHD-9330 (US 1991) = Chess/MCA CHC-9330 (cassette)
CHD-31315 (1987)	The Best of Chess Blues   Volume One - Rollin' Stone - Muddy Waters - Black Angel Blues (Sweet Black Angel) - Robert Nighthawk - 24 Hours - Eddie Boyd and His Chess Men - Seventh Son - Willie Mabon - Reconsider Baby - Lowell Fulsom - (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man - Muddy Waters - Smokestack Lightnin' - Howlin' Wolf - Juke - Little Walter & His Night Cats - Eisenhower Blues - J.B. Lenoir - Walking By Myself - Jimmy Rogers - Don't Start Me Talkin' - Sonny Boy Williamson - Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) - Little Walter compiled by Andy McKaie Chess CHD-31315 (US 1987)
CHD-31316 (1987)	The Best of Chess Blues   Volume Two - Back Door Man - Howlin' Wolf - Madison Blues - Elmore James - Your Funeral My Trail - Sonny Boy Williamson II - So Many Roads, So Many Trains - Otis Rush - My Time After Awhile - Buddy Guy - You Shook Me - Muddy Waters - Bring It on Home - Sonny Boy Williamson II - Little Red Rooster - Howlin' Wolf - One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer - John Lee Hooker - Baby What You Want Me To Do - Etta James - Stormy Monday - Little Milton - Wang Dang Doodle - Koko Taylor compiled by Andy McKaie Chess CHD-31316 (US 1987)
Additional information appreciated !!!

Sources / Further reading: - own record collection - eBay auctions - diverse internet resources thanks to Keith Randall for additional info