Well now you know my mother told me when I was only six weeks old "You'd best find one o' your six weeks old women now then, Mama's goin' set your clothes outdoors." - John Henry Barbee, Six Weeks Old Blues
Hi all, Johnny Temple was a Mississippi musician who first recorded in the 1930s. He doesn't attract a lot of attention nowadays, probably because most of his recordings featured small combos rather than solo guitar accompaniments, but he was a terrific singer, and was popular enough to have recorded a lot of titles in his day. Several years ago I picked up a 2-CD set, "The Essential Johnny Temple" from Document, in a series that has since been discontinued. There is a lot of really strong material and some surprises, e.g. Johnny Temple being one of the relatively few musicians to cover Skip James' songs, with "The Evil Devil Blues", an eccentric cover of "Devil Got My Woman" and "Cherry Ball" "Good Suzie" is probably my favorite cut on the set, mostly because Johnny Temple sings it so wonderfully well. I'm attaching an .mp3 of the song to this post because I very much doubt that the song is up on YouTube. I originally thought Johnny Temple was singing "good-haired Suzie" in the first verse, but I think, after more listening that it is "good Aunt Suzie". In this context, "aunt" would refer, not to a family member, but to any older woman. I'd appreciate correction or corroboration of that from any of you who listen to the track. Johnny Temple had a way of going to a head tone and cracking his voice at the end of his phrases that really sends me. I don't know if anyone else will have that response to it. His accompanying small combo includes piano and clarinet, played really expertly.
Good Aunt Suzie, now, she got rusty knees, good Aunt Sally, she won't rob and steal, nnnnh Good Aunt Suzie, uhhhh, she got rusty knees Ahhhh, good Aunt Sally, she won't rob and steal
I don't likes no woman that's, mm, got rusty knees, she can't do nothin' but cook black-eyed peas, nnnh Don't like no woman, ahhh, she got rusty knees Ahhh, she can't do nothin' but cook those black-eyed peas
If you get a woman now she got, rusty knees, she bake her biscuits just as brown as she please, nnnh You get a woman, ahh, she got rusty knees Ahhh, she bakes her biscuit just as brown as she please
When she bake her biscuit now she, bakes them brown, suit most any man's appetite in town, nnnhh She bakes her biscuit, nnnh, now she bakes them brown Ahh, it suit most any man's appetite in town
Suzie cook me somethin' they call the Dudlow Joe, ev'y time I taste it, well, I want some more, nnnh She cook me somethin', uhh, she calls the Dudlow Joe Ev'y time I taste it, I swear and I want some more
Wow, John that's a really good track. At first I thought the song must have really influenced Bukka White's version of Shake 'Em On Down but now realize that Shake 'Em On Down was recorded in 1937 and Good Suzie was recorded in 1939. Shake 'Em On Down was supposed to have been a sizable hit record so I guess Johnny got his melody for Good Suzie from Bukka in this case.
Thanks for the mp3, John. Like Lightnin', the first thing that struck me was its strong resemblance to "Shake Em' On Down."
I can't really disagree with your transcription. I think "Aunt" is correct, but it's hardly clear.
Document used "Johnnie" for their "Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order" series (which appear to be available), but "Johnny" for their "The Essential" series. I picked up more than a few of Document's "Essential" series "Twofer's" when they were available, but unfortunately this one wasn't among them.
I used both spellings of his first name when doing a search to see what's out there.
Allmusic has sample of all the songs on "The Essential"
I thought Dudlow or Dudlow Joe was an old term for boogie woogie.
From what I can gather from the ol' Interweb, it has its origins with a pianist named Joe Dudlow, who was one of the first to play in the style known as boogie woogie. I couldn't locate anything beyond that on the web. There is a 1929 song by Lee Green titled "Dud Low Joe."
Maybe Joe Dudlow's name and its variants just became a kind of generic term for boogie woogie, somewhat like "Xerox" is used interchangeably for "photocopy."
Hi all, I think it is much more likely that in this instance "Dudlow Joe" is related to a Sloppy Joe than anything having to do with piano playing. He's talking about something he eats, not something he listens to. Just a thought. All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: June 19, 2015, 07:39:05 PM by Johnm »
Hi all, Johnny Temple recorded a terrific re-working of Little Brother Montgomery's "Vicksburg Blues", entitled "New Vicksburg Blues", backed by a pianist and a guitarist working out of C position in standard tuning (who may very well have been Bill Broonzy, flat-picking). The re-issue I have does not include session information, so I can't say with certainty who his accompanists were. In any event, he was in spectacular voice once again. Johnny Temple was a practitioner of the "intervallic r" from time to time, so in his fourth verse it sounds as though he's singing, "I don't like this old place, baby, rand I never will.". I'll attach an .mp3 of the track for folks who would like to hear the song.
I've got those Vicksburg Blues and I, sing 'em anywhere I go I've got those Vicksburg Blues and I, sing 'em anywhere I go And the reason I sing 'em, my baby don't want me no more
I've got those Vicksburg Blues and I, sing 'em anywhere I please I've got those Vicksburg Blues and I, sing 'em anywhere I please That's the onliest thing to give my poor heart ease
Cryin', mama, I ain't gon' be your low-down dog no more Cryin', mama, I ain't gon' be your low-down dog no more And I been your dog ever since I entered your door
I don't like this old place, baby, and I never will I don't like this old place, baby, and I never will I can sit right chere and see Vicksburg on the hill
Vicksburg on a high hill, Lou'siana just below Vicksburg on a high hill, Lou'siana just below If you take me back, baby, I won't be bad no more
Hi all, I think it is much more likely that in this instance "Dudlow Joe" is related to a Sloppy Joe than anything having to do with piano playing. He's talking about something he eats, not something he listens to. Just a thought. All best, Johnm
The usage in the last lines of "Good Suzie" definitely indicates that it was a kind of food and not a piano playing style in this context (unless there's a double or hidden meaning at work here that I'm too dense to figure out). However, I couldn't find anything about about it as a kind of food on the web. It might have been invented for the song--or perhaps it really was some kind of dish, but there just isn't information available about it via the web.
"New Vicksburg Blues", backed by a pianist and a guitarist working out of C position in standard tuning (who may very well have been Bill Broonzy, flat-picking). The re-issue I have does not include session information, so I can't say with certainty who his accompanists were.
New Vicksburg Blues was recorded in Chicago on November 12 1936. B&GR has Joshua Altheimer on piano and either Temple himself or Charile McCoy on guitar.
Thank you for that session information, dj. If the choices for guitar are Johnny Temple and Charlie McCoy, I think I'll go with Charlie McCoy, since we know from his mandolin playing that he was adept with a flatpick, and I think Johnny Temple's singing would have been much easier for him to do so effectively if he wasn't playing at the same time. All best, Johnm
Hi all, On "Lead Pencil Blues", Johnny Temple recorded one of the earliest shuffles in blues, with what must have been a very modern sound at the time the song was recorded. I believe Johnny played the shuffle walking bass part out of E position in standard tuning and Charlie McCoy provided fills out of G position in standard tuning. The song has a lot of drive, and Johnny sure was a great singer. Here is the song:
INTRO (Spoken: Lord have mercy. I want to write a letter so bad I don't know what to do.)
I laid down last night, couldn't eat a bite, the woman I love, don't treat me right REFRAIN: Lead in my pencil, babe, it's done gone bad And it's the worst old feeling, baby, that I ever had
I woke up this morning, my baby says she mighty mad, 'cause the lead in my pencil, it's done gone bad REFRAIN: Lead in my pencil, babe, it's done gone bad And that's the worst old feeling that I ever had
My baby told me this mornin', she's feelin' mighty blue, lead in my pencil, just wouldn't do And she said, "Been ready all night. Lead in your pencil, daddy, just won't write." REFRAIN: Lead in my pencil, babe, it just won't write And that's the worst old feeling, baby, that I ever had
SOLO
Uh, my baby said she going to quit me, I tell you for this reason why, lead in my pencil, gone bye-bye Laid down last night, couldn't help but cry, wanted to write so bad, I's about to die REFRAIN: Lead in my pencil, babe, it's done gone bad And it's the worst old feeling, baby, that I ever had
All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: June 24, 2015, 06:35:13 PM by Johnm »
Hi all, Johnny Temple was backed once again by a pianist and a guitarist for his recording of "Louise Louise Blues", with the guitarist flat-picking out of G position in standard tuning. The song would end up being a big hit, and over the years has been covered by a host of blues musicians, with probably the most singular cover having been done by Robert Pete Williams. A certain trend is emerging in Johnny Temple's cuts--they almost never have instrumental solos in the middle of the renditions. There's no way of knowing if this was Johnny's preference or a production decision. Johnny Temple was in fine voice, as ever, for his recording, and his singing is almost certainly what made the song catch on to such an extent in the first place. When he comes back in singing "Louise" after the lyric break at the front end of each verse after the first verse, it's really stellar singing, wow! Here is his recording:
INTRO
Louise is the sweetest gal I know Louise is the sweetest gal I know She made walk from Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico
Now, look-a-here, Louise, what you tryin' to do? You tryin' to give some man my lovin', and me too, now, You know, Louise, baby, that will never do Now, you know you can't love me and love some other man, too
Louise, I believe somebody, baby, is fishin' in my pond They catchin' all my perches, grindin' up their bones Louise, baby, whyn't you hurry home? I ain't had no lovin', oh, since Louise been gone
Louise, you know you got ways like a rattlesnake in his quirl Ev'y time you go to lovin', I swear it's out of this world Louise, baby, whyn't you hurry home? I ain't had no lovin' since my Louise been gone
Now Louise, the big boat is up the river, on a bank of sand If she don't strike deep water, I swear she'll never land Louise is the sweetest gal I know She made me walk from Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico
Edited 5/15/23 to pick up correction from Blues Vintage
John, Your current "what is this musician doing?" puzzler, Andrew Dunham's "Hattie Mae," is also a rendition (albeit a very individualized one) of Johnny Temple's "Louise, Louise." I wonder if one led you to the other?
Hi Jeff, No, I don't think so. In fact, I don't think it would have occurred to me that "Hattie Mae" is a cover of "Louise Louise Blues", apart from the name change. That's pretty neat. Andrew Dunham's sound is so strong and unusual it tends to sweep everything else out of my mind when I hear him. I think once I started transcribing Johnny Temple lyrics I just figured you have to do "Louise Louise". All best, Johnm
Here is a scan of the original release of Louise Louise released on Decca in 1936 on their race series. It was released as the B side of New Vicksburg Blues and Johnnie is credited with authorship. Between being a hit record and the many covers I hope he made some good royalty money on that one.
« Last Edit: June 26, 2015, 11:19:55 AM by Lignite »