Originally posted by johncorrigan
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Magnificent, John. The Spirit moves in mysterious ways: the Queen of 'Gospel' was a mighty blues singer, and here she is with a piano and a handclap getting that crowd on the move that would be the envy of many a Rock'n Roll outfit. -
Tommy Johnson died this day, 1956 in Crystal Springs, Mississippi aged 60. Hope someone was around to give him a wee drink of water to ease his passing...such a wonderful voice.
'Cool Drink of Water Blues'
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5th November is the death day of Robert Lee McCollum aka Robert Nighthawk, who passed away in 1967 in Helena, Arkansas. Here's that brilliant bit of film of him from '64. He'll be back again at the end of the month if I do my duty.
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Booker T. Washington White was born 12th November, 1906 in Houston, Mississippi. He was named after the African-American educator, Booker T. Washington, but came to be known as Bukka. John Lomax recorded him in Parchman Farm, and 'Parchman Farm Blues' became one of his most famed songs. Bukka was a skilled singer/songwriter and was renowned for his energetic bottleneck slide technique. He settled in Memphis in the 40s, but would find fame again on the folk circle of the 60s. I first heard of him when a local Glasgow band used to close their evening with a rousing version of 'Fixing to Die Blues'.
Here he is at Newport in July '66, recorded by Alan Lomax with Howling Wolf and others...it just gets better and better as it goes as Bukka gives us 'World Boogie'.
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Thank you JC.
Here's Country Joe paying tribute via the title....
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Reading a book about people who search out, collect and preserve rare old 78s (includes Mr John Heneghan, you won't be surprised to hear GT). Thought I might post the odd delight as I'm going through. Here's Geeshie Wiley singing the amazing 'Last Kind Words Blues'. Wow!
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Sounds fascinating JC. Always good to hear this song and this version....Comment
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According to the book I'm reading about old 78 collectors, if you have a copy of Charley Patton's 'High Water Everywhere parts 1 and 2' on 78 keep it close to your chest, or head for the Antiques Roadshow next time it swings into town. Charley, the King of the Delta Blues, recorded in Paramount's Grafton studios in Mississippi, that doubled as a furniture store. The original Paramount tracks are pretty poorly recorded even by the standards of the time. Here's that great record about the Mississippi floods of 1927...with subtitles, fortunately.
...and, of course, His Bobness did a great updated version on 'Love and Theft'.
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Well I mis-read that completely - I've now realised as I go through the book that the Paramount Studio and chair company was in Grafton, just out of Milwaukee in Wisconsin, and until about '34 some of the most famous and sought after performers made their way from the South to cut sides - Son House, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Willie Brown, Skip James, among others. These Paramount records are some of the most valuable 78s, largely because many have disappeared. The guy who puts the ole Blues calendar together is John Tofteller and there's an interview with him in the book about rare 78 collectors. He's the guy who uncovered the only known photo of Charley Patton, for example, and in 2002 he also uncovered this rarity by King Solomon Hill written on hearing of the death of Blind Lemon Jefferson - 'My Buddy Blind Papa Lemon'Originally posted by johncorrigan View Post
Here's a picture of the original disc:
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Actually we do have one or two.Originally posted by johncorrigan View PostWell I mis-read that completely - I've now realised as I go through the book that the Paramount Studio and chair company was in Grafton, just out of Milwaukee in Wisconsin, and until about '34 some of the most famous and sought after performers made their way from the South to cut sides - Son House, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Willie Brown, Skip James, among others. These Paramount records are some of the most valuable 78s, largely because many have disappeared. The guy who puts the ole Blues calendar together is John Tofteller and there's an interview with him in the book about rare 78 collectors. He's the guy who uncovered the only known photo of Charley Patton, for example, and in 2002 he also uncovered this rarity by King Solomon Hill written on hearing of the death of Blind Lemon Jefferson - 'My Buddy Blind Papa Lemon'
Here's a picture of the original disc:
http://www.tefteller.com/html/78_kin...mhillful2.html
I'll have to dig them out.
Mrs GT picked them up many years back in a junk shop.
There is an original Elvis LP (not 78rpm obv) too. Poor condition though. (Presley not McGonagall)
It's those photos of Robert Johnson though that we really want to see... didn't he ever visit your neck of the woods JC?Comment
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Well there is a Crossroads just up the road from here, Global, where demonic presences continue to this very day, I am led to believe. No Motel, mind you. Here's an article by Amanda Petrusich that explains things with Crumb's pal, John, part of it.Originally posted by Globaltruth View Post
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Great article JC. Thanks for posting. Certainly makes me want to listen to those v rare ones (Shenachie label are good at releasing them) but I don’t need to own them. Which is lucky...
There isn’t really a European musical equivalent that I know of.Comment
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I don't, cloughie. Mrs C and I had a great friend who lived down in Girvan. I recall going to the beach with him a few times with the portable 78 player and a wee box of 78s, which was a great novelty between dips. Wouldn't mind trying one of them out again, I have to say, and this book about collectors of rare 78s is making me fancy a listen.Originally posted by cloughie View Post
I think that Harry Smith's Anthology set in motion a real desire to start to protect a lot of these records and see the value of them. And, of course in the all-American way, they followed the Bible too, walking in the footsteps of Noah, the original collector.Originally posted by Globaltruth View PostComment
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That fine harmonica player, Alexander Donaldson Lightfoot, aka Papa George died this day in 1971 in Natchez, Mississippi. In the words of his obituary, 'he was prophetically correct when he recorded'Wine, whiskey and women - sho' gon' be the death of me'...he lived hard, played hard, and no doubt died hard, but he was a really beautiful cat.' Seems he died from complications following being stabbed by a jealous husband who mistook him for someone else.
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