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Author Topic: Mississippi John Hurt recordings  (Read 3697 times)

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Offline Bunker Hill

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Mississippi John Hurt recordings
« on: March 20, 2007, 11:00:37 AM »
Hi Bunker Hill,
I know Stefan's John Hurt and Robert Pete discographies, but it's not always possible to tell with some of the releases if the titles on them came from  previously recorded material or if they contain new performances recorded expressly for the CD shown.  What Stefan did on this thread is tremendous because you can see the beginning and the end of the George Mitchell recordings of Joe Callicott and where the various releases are duplicative, something that is not always clear just from looking at the titles on a CD--have they been released before, or are they new performances?
Duh, fool that I am! Re-reading your message I obviously read what I wanted to read.  :( Still, let's call it giving Stefan another plug for the benefit of newcomers eh?

Those later MJH Vanguard releases are a nightmare. Originally when there was only the double LP (Best Of) and the two Quicksilver LPs (Shake That Thing & The Candyman) recorded at Oberlin College it was thought that the latter two were just some of the former with extra titles. However, some foolhardy person actually compared those where the titles were the same and found them to be different. Here's the session as given in Blues Records, the layout will go awry but hopefully will be understandable:

V/g. Oberlin College, Oh, 15 April 1966
Here am I, oh Lord, send meVan VSD 19/20
I shall not be movedVan VSD 19/20
Nearer my God to TheeVan VSD 19/20
Baby what?s wrong with you/It ain?t nobody?s businessVan VSD 19/20
Salty dog bluesVan VSD 19/20
Coffee bluesVan VSD 19/20
Avalon my home townVan VSD 19/20
Make me a pallet on the floorVan VSD 19/20
Since I?ve laid this burden downVan VSD 19/20
Sliding DeltaVan VSD 19/20
Monday morning bluesVan VSD 19/20
Richland women bluesVan VSD 19/20
Candy manVan VSD 19/20
StagoleeVan VSD 19/20
My Creole belleVan VSD 19/20
C.C. riderVan VSD 19/20
Spanish fandango [inst]Van VSD 19/20
Talking CaseyVan VSD 19/20
ChickenVan VSD 19/20
You are my sunshineVan VSD 19/20
Hop jointVan CD 79702
Trouble, I?ve seen it all my daysVan CD 79702
Spike driver bluesVan CD 79702
Candy manQuicksilver QS 5007
My Creole belleQuicksilver QS 5007
Make me a pallet on the floorQuicksilver QS 5007
Shake that thingQuicksilver QS 5007
I?m satisfiedQuicksilver QS 5007
Salty dogQuicksilver QS 5007
Nobody?s business but mineQuicksilver QS 5007
The angels laid him awayQuicksilver QS 5007
Casey JonesQuicksilver QS 5007
Baby what?s wrong with youQuicksilver QS 5007
Lonesome bluesQuicksilver QS 5007
Rich(land) woman bluesQuicksilver QS 5042
Trouble I had all my daysQuicksilver QS 5042
C-h-i-c-k-e-n bluesQuicksilver QS 5042
Coffee bluesQuicksilver QS 5042
Monday mornin? bluesQuicksilver QS 5042
Frankie and AlbertQuicksilver QS 5042
Talking CaseyQuicksilver QS 5042
Here I am, oh Lord, send meQuicksilver QS 5042
Hard times (or Hot time) in the old town tonightQuicksilver QS 5042
Spike driver?s bluesQuicksilver QS 5042

(Previously dated as 1965. Above titles were recorded at separate performances.)
« Last Edit: March 20, 2007, 12:46:46 PM by uncle bud »

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Mississippi John Hurt recordings
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2007, 12:28:31 PM »
I split this off into its own topic, since it seemed to be going in an interesting direction not related to the Furry Lewis and Joe Callicott CD.

Bunker Hill, if I understand correctly, the tracks on the Vanguard CD Best of Mississippi John Hurt were in fact recorded 15 April 1966, and not April 1965 as previously claimed (even as recently as the Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings)? And the Oberlin concert that appears on the various non-Vanguard releases was also April 1966, but a different show/set?

The Penguin Guide sorts out the numerous currently available versions of the non-Vanguard recordings. Essentially they say skip the following:

In Concert (Blue Moon/Magnum America)  (Magnum is the version I have, sound is not great)
Satisfying Blues (Collectables)
Lonesome Blues (Blitz)
Revisited (Fuel)
Live (Columbia River)

They say the best versions are on:

Frankie and Albert (Tomato)
Ain't No Tellin' (Aim)
Kings of the Blues: Mississippi John Hurt (Pulse)

These include all 21 tracks and have better sound according to Chris Smith, with Tomato getting the nod overall.

It's amazing what a decent recording/remastering can do. The Vanguard "Best of" concert is one of my favourite Hurt discs, while the Magnum/America "In Concert" one of my least listened to.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2007, 01:37:13 PM by uncle bud »

Offline Bunker Hill

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Re: Mississippi John Hurt recordings
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2007, 12:41:54 PM »
I split this off into it's own topic, since it seemed to be going in an interesting direction not related to the Furry Lewis and Joe Callicott CD.

Bunker Hill, if I understand correctly, the tracks on the Vanguard CD Best of Mississippi John Hurt were in fact recorded 15 April 1966, and not April 1965 as previously claimed (even as recently as the Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings)? And the Oberlin concert that appears on the various non-Vanguard releases was also April 1966, but a different show/set?
Yes, in about 1988 or 89 somebody came up with a March 1966 magazine announcement for a forthcoming MJH April two show event at Oberlin. The 1965 year that appears on the original 1971 double LP (and each subsequnt reissue) is since thought to be either a typo on sleeve or in original Vanguard logs. 

Offline uncle bud

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Re: Mississippi John Hurt recordings
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2007, 12:50:40 PM »
I split this off into it's own topic, since it seemed to be going in an interesting direction not related to the Furry Lewis and Joe Callicott CD.

Bunker Hill, if I understand correctly, the tracks on the Vanguard CD Best of Mississippi John Hurt were in fact recorded 15 April 1966, and not April 1965 as previously claimed (even as recently as the Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings)? And the Oberlin concert that appears on the various non-Vanguard releases was also April 1966, but a different show/set?


Yes, in about 1988 or 89 somebody came up with a March 1966 magazine announcement for a forthcoming MJH April two show event at Oberlin. The 1965 year that appears on the original 1971 double LP (and each subsequnt reissue) is since thought to be either a typo on sleeve or in original Vanguard logs. 

So a little detail missed by the Penguin Guide, which lists the Vanguard material as 4/65 and the rest as "4/65?" with a question mark.

(BTW, I took the liberty of table-izing your original list with my spiffy table generator. Hope you don't mind.)

Offline Bunker Hill

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Re: Mississippi John Hurt recordings
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2007, 12:54:17 PM »
Hopefully, the forthcoming biography by Delta Dan will put this matter to rest once and for all....table-ize to your heart's content, I'm all for it!

Offline Johnm

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Re: Mississippi John Hurt recordings
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2007, 01:24:35 PM »
Thanks so much, Bunker Hill and Uncle Bud for addressing this issue, because it has bugged the hell out of me for some time.  Considering how small the audience for Country Blues is purported to be, it is amazing how many times the same tracks by various artists have been re-released around the world.  I am not particularly interested in buying multiple versions of the same renditions (except in special instances like Patton and Jefferson, where you always hope for a cleaner copy), so it is of great benefit to know just how many "one-time" performances are out there, and the most cost-efficient way to pick them up.  This is great stuff!
All best,
Johnm 

nancyel

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Re: Mississippi John Hurt recordings
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2007, 06:04:14 AM »

Hi. This is john4y, Mississippi John Hurt's nephew. If you go: msjohnhurtmuseum.com, you'll see a copy of The Oberlin Review newspaper dated April 15, 1966. On the very front page is the announcement of MJH's concert at Oberlin with Son House as well. They appeared at the Wilder Main Lounge at 8pm that night. I was able to obtain a copy of that paper through my local library and Mr. Frank Delaney posted it for me. Go to the forum section and look under photos.

That museum site is a great place to go, if you're a John Hurt fan. I've posted nearly 125 stories about the fun times John Hurt and I had. Come on down. Also, I've put up some new photos. One was left with me by MJH in 1964 and only recently have I revealed it to the public. Come on down.

 


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