Author Topic: Songs That Set New Lyrics to Melodies of "Careless Love" or "Corinna, Corinna" (Read 4870 times)

Johnm · « **on:** December 26, 2013, 11:27:58 AM »

Hi all,
Over the years I've noticed that the melodies of "Careless Love" and "Corinna, Corinna" have often been used to set new lyrics, and I thought it might be interesting to think of as many of these songs as we can. Just to start out, the following songs use the melody of "Corinna, Corinna":
* "Hold Them Puppies"--Leroy Carr
* "The Northern Starvers Are Returning Home"--Mississippi Sheiks
These songs used the melody to "Careless Love"
* "Be True, Be True Blues--Henry Sims with Charlie Patton
* "County Jail Blues"--Funny Papa Smith
Can you think of other songs that employ either of these melodies but with different lyrics?
All best,
Johnm

Johnm · « **Reply #1 on:** December 28, 2013, 07:29:06 AM »

Hi all,
The Mississippi Sheiks' recording of "Sweet Maggie" used the melody of "Corinna, Corinna". Any others out there?
All best,
Johnm

harriet · « **Reply #2 on:** January 01, 2014, 10:10:45 AM »

"Blues oh Blues" by Ma Rainey might be another to Careless Love melody:

Johnm · « **Reply #3 on:** January 01, 2014, 01:21:22 PM »

Good find, Harriet! That one certainly fits the job description.
All best,
Johnm

Bob B · « **Reply #4 on:** January 01, 2014, 06:56:03 PM »

How about the Rev.'s powerful "12 Gates to the City (Oh, What a beautiful city)"? Fairly similar to "Careless Love".

Hap-hap-happy new year to all.

Bob

Johnm · « **Reply #5 on:** January 14, 2014, 06:09:39 PM »

Hi all,
Furry Lewis' rendition of "Roberta" that first appeared on his Prestige Bluesville album, "Back On My Feet Again", was done to the tune of "Corinna, Corinna", and even used several of the same verses, just subtituting Roberta for Corinna.
All best,
Johnm

Prof Scratchy · « **Reply #6 on:** January 15, 2014, 08:49:33 AM »

Does this one count for the Corinna Corinna melody?

Johnm · « **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2014, 10:56:15 AM »

It sure sounds like it to me, Prof. Good one!
All best,
Johnm

d. spree · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2014, 07:19:00 AM »

Alberta Alberta is an old song with its own provenance. To me seems like a very different melody indeed.

Johnm · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2014, 08:09:52 AM »

D.Spree
You are wrong. Snooks has some different harmonic touches, but he sings essentially the same melody as John Hurt, Merle Haggard, et al used for "Corinna, Corinna". The Bob Dylan version of "Corinna, Corinna" uses a different melody for "Corinna", as does Taj Mahal's. There is no one set melody commonly in use for "Alberta", and Snooks' version uses the same lyrics as the traditional "Corinna, Corinna", simply substituting Alberta for Corinna in the lyrics.

dj · « **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2014, 08:32:40 AM »

The Mississippi Sheiks (1930) and Jimmie Gordon (1938) use the Corinna Corinna melody for their versions of Alberta. Jazz Gillum's version (1937) is a different song both musically and lyrically, and would seem to be based on DarK Road and related tunes.

uncle bud · « **Reply #11 on:** January 18, 2014, 09:15:13 AM »

Robert Jenkins, Butch Cage and Willie B. Thomas base I Had a Dream Last Night (All I Had was Gone) on Corinna. On the (great) Arhoolie disc, Old Time Black Southern String Band Music. Willie throws in a verse of Alberta for good measure.

btasoundsradio · « **Reply #12 on:** January 19, 2014, 03:21:48 AM »

See that my Grave is kept clean Blind Lemon,
Mississippi County Farm Blues Son House

joebanjo · « **Reply #13 on:** February 15, 2014, 12:33:52 PM »

McTell's melody for the tune he calls "Lay Some Flowers on My Grave" is definitely the same as Careless love:

Prof Scratchy · « **Reply #14 on:** February 16, 2014, 09:26:42 AM »

Good catch joebanjo!

uncle bud · « **Reply #15 on:** March 02, 2014, 10:01:34 AM »

Cl?oma Breaux Falcon did a version of "Careless Love" as "L'amour indiff?rent":

banjochris · « **Reply #16 on:** March 02, 2014, 10:10:53 AM »

I believe Hattie Burleson's wonderful "Bye Bye Baby Blues" qualifies for "Careless Love":

Pan · « **Reply #17 on:** March 23, 2014, 04:12:01 PM »

Hi all

I wonder if Texas Alexander's "Mama I Heard You Brought It Right Back Home" would qualify as a "Careless Love" -like melody? It's note a note to note reproduction, but sounds close enough at least to my ears.
Anyway, it's a really pretty tune, with pianist Eddie Heywood beautifully backing Alexander. Unfortunately the song isn't on YouTube, but those of you who have access to Spotify can hear it here:

http://open.spotify.com/track/0jQE6xnwJm7u8hNoNZRSbs

Cheers

Pan

Edited to add: I see that Johnm has already transcribed the lyrics and analyzed the song form on this thread:
http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=460.30

Johnm · « **Reply #18 on:** May 28, 2014, 08:14:16 PM »

Hi all,
I found this over on YouTube. It's one I'd not previously heard done to the melody of "Careless Love". It's Bob Coleman's "Sing Song Blues", which he played out of F position in standard tuning. It seems like its mis-titled, should be "Sing Sing Blues".

All best,
Johnm

Pan · « **Reply #19 on:** January 30, 2015, 03:58:16 AM »

Hi all.

I've come across two tunes that should fit the Careless Love mold.

Little Hat Jones' very beatiful "Bye Bye Baby Blues"

And the equally pretty "The truth About The Thing" by Leroy Carr

Cheers

Pan

Prof Scratchy · « **Reply #20 on:** February 08, 2015, 12:24:18 PM »

banjochris · « **Reply #21 on:** February 11, 2015, 11:26:31 AM »

Not different lyrics but the Leake County Revelers sneak a pass or two at "Careless Love" into "Leake County Blues."

Prof Scratchy · « **Reply #22 on:** March 17, 2015, 11:08:07 AM »

Johnm · « **Reply #23 on:** April 06, 2015, 09:51:16 AM »

Hi all,
Papa Charlie Jackson does not put new lyrics to it, but he uses the melody of "Careless Love" for his solo on "Mumsy Mumsy Blues", much as did the Leake County Revelers in the "Leake County Blues" that Chris cited.
All best,
Johnm

Blues Vintage · « **Reply #24 on:** June 03, 2015, 12:10:33 PM »

Where's that McTell photo from? Last Session LP? I've never seen it anywhere.

banjochris · « **Reply #25 on:** June 03, 2015, 04:47:19 PM »

Taken at the same time as the Last Session pic. It seems to have surfaced quite recently. I would assume Sam Charters had it from Ed Rhoades.
Chris

frankie · « **Reply #26 on:** June 03, 2015, 06:34:05 PM »

Stefan Wirz has a decent jpeg of the picture on his Blind Willie McTell page, with this attribution:

Blind Willie McTell 1956
source: Robert Langmuir Collection
at Robert W. Woodruff Library, Emory University
photographer: Ed Rhodes

Johnm · « **Reply #27 on:** June 04, 2015, 10:00:50 PM »

Hi all,
Here's another song done to the tune of "Careless Love" that I just found: Josh White's "Southern Exposure" (weird title). He works out of Vestapol here as he did on many of his early Gospel numbers, and he is slick, slick, slick.

SOLO

Well, I work all the week in the blazin' sun
Lord, I work all the week in the blazin' sun
Lord, I work all the week in the blazin' sun
Can't buy my shoes, Lord, when my payday come

I ain't treated no better than a mountain goat
I ain't treated no better than a mountain goat
I ain't treated no better, Lord, than a mountain goat
Boss takes my crop and a poll tax takes my vote

SOLO

I'm leavin' here 'caouse I just can't stay
Yes, I'm leavin' here, just can't stay
Lord, I'm lea-leavin' here 'cause I just can't stay
I'm goin' where I can get more decent pay

All best,
Johnm

Johnm · « **Reply #28 on:** September 14, 2016, 05:22:18 PM »

Hi all,
Here's one that uses the melody of "Corinna, Corinna", "Sweet Alberta" by the Jackson Blue Boys, who were evidently Bo Carter, Walter Vinson and Charlie McCoy. Here is the trio's performance:

All best,
Johnm

Johnm · « **Reply #29 on:** February 24, 2018, 09:13:18 AM »

Hi all,
Random and Rare just posted "Troublesome Mind Blues", by Bert M. Mays, recorded in 1927, on his youtube channel, and it uses the melody to "Careless Love". Here it is:

All best,
Johnm

Thomas8 · « **Reply #30 on:** March 07, 2018, 04:05:09 AM »

Careless Love.

Johnm · « **Reply #31 on:** January 23, 2021, 06:24:02 AM »

Hi all,
The two versions, Part 1 and Part 2 of "Have you Ever Been Worried In Mind", by Sweet Papa Tadpole. They can be found in his lyrics thread.
all best,
Johnm

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Author Topic: Songs That Set New Lyrics to Melodies of "Careless Love" or "Corinna, Corinna" (Read 4870 times)