John Lee Hooker – Don’t Turn Me From Your Door

Next up in our flurry of John Lee Hooker acquisitions for 2024: this Black Friday Record Store Day reissue of 1963’s “Don’t Turn Me From Your Door.” His only release on ATCO, it brings a version of the ATCO label that I was unfamiliar with, not having any Atlantic releases that early.

This is a mix of recordings, half from 1953, half from 1961. None of these are his signature songs, but it doesn’t matter. John Lee Hooker is John Lee Hooker, no matter what he’s playing, no matter when he’s playing it, no matter who he’s playing it with. I’ve only had it a few weeks as I write this, and it’s gotten lots of play (and then, of course, I just put on some other JLH record. That’s how this works).