BLUE BLOT

Blues of international standard, powered by a charismatic and tragic frontman Luke Walter Jr. (real name : Luc Renneboog)

The group made their debut in 1987 with the album "Shopping for love" on the small Ace-label.
It is only with the second album "Bridge to your heart" and the single of the same name of 1990/91 that the group make a breakthrough to the general public. From this record also "September", "Who is he, and what is he to you ?" (a Bill Withers cover), "I'll be home on Christmas Day" (an Elvis cover ?) are released as singles. The song "Bridge to your heart" is a production of Dani Klein (see Vaya Con Dios), the rest of the songs were being produced by their guitarist Marty Townsend.

The album "Where do we go" of 1991 is also of a very high quality and opens quite a number of international doors for the band. Of this record "Pretty good", "Where do we go from here" (Alexander) and "Hold the Line" (Toto) also make it as a single.

In 1993 the groups hears the shocking news that singer Luke Walter Jr. is suffering from leukemia. A whole bunch of canceled shows and non-satisfying replacements put the group to halt. Michael Schack joins Groovemania and later on becomes the live-drummer for the popular group Clouseau.

After a temporary recovery from his disease, Luke Walter Jr. took up singing again and recorded a solo-album in 1996. Through the unmistakable characteristics of his voice, this solo-album didn't sound substantially different from his work with the band. Tony Joe White, Roger Hawkins, David Hood and Jim Horn cooperated to the album.

At about the same time, Blue Blot signed a new singer. "With Steve Clisby, Blue Blot has a technically better, but also average singer in front of the band" as Jacky Huys said. "Blue Blot", their album of 1996, was "dull and uninspired". The record-company doesn't agree with this point of view : "Two years after the late Luke Walter Jr. left the band for a solo career, Flanders' most popular blues band has adapted completely to the voice of singer Steve Clisby. He gives the group a "blacker" sound, closer to R&B and soul than before".

In 1996, the remaining group members (Marty Townsend and Steve Clisby) team up again with the original Blue Blot drummer Michael Schack and form American Gypsy.
Jan Meyers left and formed his own group : Bass Poppa.
Michael Shack also appears a studio-musician for a number of Belgian recordings, and in 2000 becomes the drummer of the band Angelico.

Also in 2000, in november, a "Best of" of Blue Blot's was released, entitled "Blunk", and there was even a single release with "Hold the Line". The remaining members of the band picked the songs for the compilation, and gave an unique concert to present the cd in Antwerp.

Band members :
- Luke Walter Jr. - Steve Clisby (vocals)
- Marty Townsend (guitar)
- Lenny Northover (sax)
- Michael Schack (drums)
- Jan Meyers (bass)

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Albums (Blue Blot):
- Shopping for love (Ariola - 1987)
- Bridge to your heart (BMG Ariola - 1991)
- Where do we go (RCA - 1992)
- Live (RCA - 1993)
- Yo yo man (Ariola - 1994)
- Blue Blot (Klepto - 1996).
- Blunk (the Best Of) (2000)

Albums (Luke Walter Jr.)
- Back to normal (BMG - 1996).

Websites :
- Blue Blot overview on a page by Jeroen Vanderschoot
- Blue Blot bio at Click2Music (BMG). Looked strangely familiar to me ...

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