Topic: Louie Lasky Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Louie Lasky recorded "Teasin' Brown Blues" in 1935, surprisingly late, backing himself with a flat-pick out of G position in standard tuning.  He sure was a nifty flat-picker, and I've often wondered if Big Bill Broonzy got his flat-picking style from Louie, despite the fact that Broonzy recorded his version of "How Do You Want Your Rollin' Done?" before Louie recorded his.  Louie Lasky sounds as though his guitar was in partial courses; the D sounds like a single string, but the A and E sound to be in octave courses.
I find Louie Lasky's singing very winning, and especially like the verse that mentions Gloria Swanson and Priscilla Dean.  That's not something you hear all that often in blues lyrics.  One peculiarity of the rendition is Louie Lasky's quoting of Papa Charlie Jackson's "Papa's Lawdy Lawdy Blues", both instrumentally and vocally.  In his final verse, Louie Lasky pronounces "cling" "cringe".  Here is "Teasing' Brown Blues":



Well, mama, I dream about you night and day
Ah ah, baby, I dream about you night and day
I had my hand on some this mornin' and I swear I let it get away

I love you, mama, and I'll tell the world I do
I love you, baby, and-a I will tell the world I do
'Cause can't nobody treat me, honey, like my rider do

You don't have to cook me no chicken, 'cause your plain old neckbones will do
Don't have to cook me no chicken, 'cause your old neckbones will do
I'm gonna buy you some black-eyed peas, mama, and try to get 'long with you

How, mama?  How do you speak, you little baby?
I hear your daddy calling.  I'm crazy about the way you're doin'
I'm talkin' about your jelly roll
'Cause I know you've got something, will send salvation to your soul, Lordy, Lordy, Lord mmm

She got hair like Gloria Swanson and she walk just like Priscilla Dean
Hair like Gloria Swanson and she walk just like Priscilla Dean
'Cause she's the prettiest woman, old Louie have ever seen

I'm gonna ask the Good Lord to send me an angel down
I'm gonna ask the Good Lord to send me an angel down
But if she ain't not a good one, I'm going to clinge [sic] on to my teasin' brown

All best,
Johnm

[uncle bud]

Hi all,
Louie Lasky recorded "Teasin' Brown Blues" in 1935, surprisingly late, backing himself with a flat-pick out of G position in standard tuning.  He sure was a nifty flat-picker, and I've often wondered if Big Bill Broonzy got his flat-picking style from Louie, despite the fact that Broonzy recorded his version of "How Do You Want Your Rollin' Done?" before Louie recorded his.

Lasky originally recorded in this flatpicking style very early, backing up vocalist Anna Lee Chisholm on Cool Kind Daddy Blues c. April 1924. It's some real nice playing. It would add weight to your suspicion, John, that Broonzy got the style from Lasky.

[frankie]

Lasky originally recorded in this flatpicking style very early, backing up vocalist Anna Lee Chisholm on Cool Kind Daddy Blues c. April 1924. It's some real nice playing. It would add weight to your suspicion, John, that Broonzy got the style from Lasky.

That's definitely true... I think Lasky is also younger than Broonzy as well, although he seems to *sound* older on those later recordings. interesting...

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Louie Lasky recorded "Caroline" at a session in Chicago on April 2, 1935, accompanying himself with a flat pick in C position, standard tuning. I believe Lasky to be the source for Big Bill Broonzy's flat-picking approach despite Broonzy having recorded solo earlier. Lasky's birth surname, according to DG&R, was Leslie--it's interesting but not exactly fruitful to think about how he came to call himself Lasky. I'd very much appreciate help with the lyrics in a couple of places which I just can't hear. Here is "Caroline":



INTRO SOLO

Come here, don't you see? Please bring her back to me
She's the girl they call Caroline
In this repartee, she's always let me see
That she's the girl they call Caroline
And when I'm sleeping, she fell forever on my mind
And she keeps me worried, baby, all the time
In this heart of mine, Lord, you will always find
That she's the gal they call Caroline

SOLO

Only don't you see? Please bring her back to me
That she's the sweetest little thing from above
She's the gal of mine, and they call her Caroline
She's the sweetest little thing I love
And when I'm sleeping, she fell forever on my mind
And she keeps me worried, by me all the time
In this heart of mine, Lord, you will always find
That she's the gal they call Caroline

SOLO

Edited 7/3 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

 

[Blues Vintage]

Some suggestions,


1.3 In repartee she always let me see

1.4 But That she's the girl they call Caroline

1.5 and 2.5 She's forever on my mind sound right

2.1 Could be "lonely" but sounds like "only" to me

2.6 Could be "bothered" as a lot of blues singers sing that line. Or he just misspeaks "baby". Or a little recording gap there.
Edit "mama" could be it.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, Blues Vintage. In the first verse, "reverie" would make more sense, but "repartee" matches his sound really well--good hearing! I think he sings "she FELL forever on my mind" in both verses. In verse, where most people would be "bothered", I think he sings "by me all the time". I will make changes. Thanks!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Louie Lasky recorded "How You Want Your Rollin' Done", accompanying himself with a flat pick in G position standard tuning at the same April 2, 1935 session at which he recorded "Caroline" and "Teasing' Brown Blues". Somewhat surprisingly, he never solos all the way through the form, but instead chooses to do a vocal feature with exciting fills for the full length of his rendition. He had recorded "How You Want Your Rollin' Done" at a session a month prior, but that version was never released. Big Bill Broonzy had recorded essentially the same song, with the same accompaniment in 1930 and again in 1932, and had moreover used the very same accompaniment for "Mistreatin' Mama Blues" in 1932. Here is Loouie Lasky's version of "How You Want Your Rollin' Done":



INTRO

Ahh, tell me, mama, just how you want your rollin' done
Now tell me, baby, just how you want your rollin' done
And just as long as you like it, if it takes the whole night long

My gal got teeth like the lighthouse on the sea
I mean, baby, like the lighthouse upon the sea
And every time she smiles, she throws her lovin' light on me

My rider's got something, and I don't know just what it is
My rider's got something and I don't know, just what it is
And every time she wiggles and wobbles, Papa can't keep his black self still

Lord, I'm wild about her jelly, she put me in the alley, 'cause my gal's name is Sally, and I know she's got good jelly
Tell me, just how you want that rollin' done
And just as long as you like it, if it takes the whole night long

Oh I can get religion, baby, most any day
I mean, hey, 'most any day
But the dice and these women, I swear they won't let me pray

Lord, if you steal my rider, I won't get mad with you
You steal my rider, I won't get mad with you
'Cause she's three times seven, and she knows just 'xactly what to do

CODA

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Almost the same lyrics as the Jazz Gillum version (Tell Me Mama) that I did 'bout a month ago.

[banjochris]

Big Bill Broonzy had recorded essentially the same song, with the same accompaniment in 1930 and again in 1932, and had moreover used the very same accompaniment for "Mistreatin' Mama Blues" in 1932.

Not quite the same – "Mistreatin' Mama" is in C.
Chris

[Johnm]

Thanks, Chris--that's what I get for not re-listening to the Broonzy track!