Hi all,
It's a mysterious process by which a recorded blues becomes a "Blues Standard". A prerequisite, I suppose, is that the song speaks to enough musicians that they choose to add it to their repertoires, and that it speaks to enough of the blues-listening audience that they continue to support new versions of the song. Leroy Carr had a genius for coming up with such songs, and "Prison Bound Blues", recorded December 20, 1928 has certainly come to qualify as a Blues Standard over the years. One of the interesting things about the song is that there is nothing harmonically, melodically or formally innovative about the song--it wouldn't be unfair to describe it as "generic", but it is a tribute to the strength of its lyrics and Leroy Carr's delivery of them that so many other musicians have wanted to play and sing it, too, over the years. Here is Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell's version of "Prison Bound Blues":
INTRO
Early one morning, the blues came falling down
Early one mornin', the blues came falling down
All locked up in jail, and prison bound
All last night I sat in my cell alone
All last night, whooo, I sat in my cell alone
Thinking of my baby and my happy home
Baby, you will never see my smiling face again
Baby, you will never see my smiling face again
But always remember, your daddy has been your friend
Sometimes I wonder, why don't you write to me?
Sometimes I wonder, why don't you write to me?
If I have been a bad fellow, I did not intend to be
When I had my trial, baby, you could not be found
When I had my trial, baby, whooo, you could not be found
So it's too late now, mistreating mama, I'm prison bound
A fairly early cover of the song was recorded by "unknown", one of the mysterious musicians recorded by Lawrence Gellert. Whoever "unknown" was, he was an ace guitarist!
Tampa Red thought enough of the song to record a solo instrumental version of "Prison Bound Blues". Here it is:
For Bumble Bee Slim's version, he chose to channel Leroy Carr vocally.
Josh White gave the song his characteristic sound. Indeed, one of the characteristics of a Blues Standard is that it accommodates different artists' interpretations--it's sort of "style-proof". Here is Josh's version:
Big Joe Williams did a version with a very inward opening solo.
Pianists covered the song, too. Here is Little Brother Montgomery's "Prisoner Bound Blues":
John Lee Hooker recorded a solo acoustic version in 1960, singing it as "Prisoner Bound Blues", though calling it "Prison Bound Blues".
Here is Robert Nighthawk's version:
I've to post videos that will be viewable by non-U.S. residents. Feel free to add favorites I've missed to the thread.
All best,
Johnm
It's a mysterious process by which a recorded blues becomes a "Blues Standard". A prerequisite, I suppose, is that the song speaks to enough musicians that they choose to add it to their repertoires, and that it speaks to enough of the blues-listening audience that they continue to support new versions of the song. Leroy Carr had a genius for coming up with such songs, and "Prison Bound Blues", recorded December 20, 1928 has certainly come to qualify as a Blues Standard over the years. One of the interesting things about the song is that there is nothing harmonically, melodically or formally innovative about the song--it wouldn't be unfair to describe it as "generic", but it is a tribute to the strength of its lyrics and Leroy Carr's delivery of them that so many other musicians have wanted to play and sing it, too, over the years. Here is Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell's version of "Prison Bound Blues":
INTRO
Early one morning, the blues came falling down
Early one mornin', the blues came falling down
All locked up in jail, and prison bound
All last night I sat in my cell alone
All last night, whooo, I sat in my cell alone
Thinking of my baby and my happy home
Baby, you will never see my smiling face again
Baby, you will never see my smiling face again
But always remember, your daddy has been your friend
Sometimes I wonder, why don't you write to me?
Sometimes I wonder, why don't you write to me?
If I have been a bad fellow, I did not intend to be
When I had my trial, baby, you could not be found
When I had my trial, baby, whooo, you could not be found
So it's too late now, mistreating mama, I'm prison bound
A fairly early cover of the song was recorded by "unknown", one of the mysterious musicians recorded by Lawrence Gellert. Whoever "unknown" was, he was an ace guitarist!
Tampa Red thought enough of the song to record a solo instrumental version of "Prison Bound Blues". Here it is:
For Bumble Bee Slim's version, he chose to channel Leroy Carr vocally.
Josh White gave the song his characteristic sound. Indeed, one of the characteristics of a Blues Standard is that it accommodates different artists' interpretations--it's sort of "style-proof". Here is Josh's version:
Big Joe Williams did a version with a very inward opening solo.
Pianists covered the song, too. Here is Little Brother Montgomery's "Prisoner Bound Blues":
John Lee Hooker recorded a solo acoustic version in 1960, singing it as "Prisoner Bound Blues", though calling it "Prison Bound Blues".
Here is Robert Nighthawk's version:
I've to post videos that will be viewable by non-U.S. residents. Feel free to add favorites I've missed to the thread.
All best,
Johnm