The 1962 Blues Compilation That Shaped Keith Richards’ Open G Sound

The 1962 compilation “The Original Blues Archive: Big Bill Broonzy & Blind Willie McTell” was a crucial early exposure for Keith Richards. He’s said that hearing McTell’s slide work and Broonzy’s rhythmic, open‑tuned fingerpicking cracked open a new world of guitar possibilities. The record gathered sides from two very different Delta‑to‑Chicago bluesmen, and for a young Richards it was a direct line to the sounds he’d try to replicate once he picked up a guitar.

Richards has long credited open‑G tuning (D‑G‑D‑G‑B‑D) as the backbone of the Rolling Stones’ swagger. He learned it from watching and listening to players like Broonzy, who frequently used open tunings for slide and chordal rhythm. McTell’s 12‑string slide work on cuts like “Broke Down Engine” and “Travelin’ Blues” showed Richards how a single tuning could produce both dirty slides and ringing chords. The compilation’s raw, unadorned recordings