Topic: John Dudley

[jpeters609]

On October 7, 8, or 9 of 1959 (the exact date is unclear), Alan Lomax recorded an inmate named John Dudley in the "Dairy Camp" portion of the Mississippi prison camp known as Parchman Farms. That is just about all we know of John Dudley, as far as I can tell. Fortunately, he recorded 4 songs (guitar and vocal), and these sides provide a tantalizing ? and remarkably accomplished ? musical mystery. (Actually, he recorded several songs and alternates; only three have been released as of this writing. Editor's note.) One of the songs (Tommy Johnson's "Cool Water Blues") appears on the Atlantic collection "Sounds of the South," which compiles a large cross-section of Alan Lomax's field recordings. A further two songs (a slide-accompanied version of "Po' Boy Blues" and an absolutely astounding interpretation of Charley Patton's "Moon Going Down" called "Clarksdale Mill Blues") are included on the Rounder CD entitled "Southern Journey, Vol.3: 61 Highway."

Frustratingly, Lomax had little to say about Dudley. Indeed, at that time, Lomax must have known precious little about Charley Patton or Tommy Johnson. If he had, he would surely have pursued this matter more thoroughly, as Dudley's "Clarksdale Mill Blues" sounds as if it were learned at Patton's knee. It is of course possible that Dudley was a contemporary of Patton; at the time of his recording (1959) he was supposedly 50 years old and serving the last months of his sentence. As it is, I am unaware of any additional investigation that Lomax (or anyone) did into the background of John Dudley. (In his very brief liner-note comments, Lomax states that Dudley seems to have been influenced by Blind Lemon Jefferson ? a truly flummoxing statement for anyone who has heard Charley Patton alongside Dudley's "Clarksdale Mill Blues"!)

It's possible that Lomax interviewed Dudley to some extent, as the liner notes attribute a single quote to Dudley. I don't have it with me, but it was along the lines of: "Those are the kind of songs we used to play back in the fields." Something like that, anyway! I believe it's in the "Sounds of the South" booklet; my copy has been with a friend for some time. Maybe someone with a copy can look into it.

If anyone knows more about John Dudley, I would love to hear about it. I'll leave you with a little bit more of interest: evidently, Lomax also took two photos of Dudley. I have been able to find one online and have attempted to attach it below (Dudley is just right of center), along with the lyrics to Dudley's "Clarksdale Mill Blues." His spoken asides are in parentheses. (I have since seen another photo of Dudley. It's on the cover of one of the many vinyl albums recently released by the Mississippi label documenting Lomax's 1959 field recordings. It's an excellent shot showing Dudley playing guitar. These Mississippi-label releases contain many unissued alternate takes -- including an alternate version of Dudley's "Clarksdale Mill Blues.")

If you haven't heard him, you need to. Particularly if your tastes run toward the Delta blues of Charley Patton (and whose don't?).

Does anyone know any more?


Clarksdale Mill Blues
(by John Dudley)

Tell me where was you, boy,
when that old Clarksdale Mill burnt down?
[You know where I was]
Tell me where was you when that old,
Clarksdale Mill burnt down?
I was standin? cross the street
with my face all full o' frown.
Woah! Lord have mercy
[Who you telling this?]
on my wicked
On my wicked soul.
[Baby you know I don?t mistreat ya?]
Woah! Lord have mercy now,
on my wicked Soul.
Wouldn?t mistreat my baby now,
for my weight in gold.
Well now when I marry,
I?m gonna get me an Indian ?
Get me an Indian squaw.
Well now when I marry
I?m gonna get me an Indian squaw.
So that old Chief Squaw can be my Father-in-law.
Well now I ain?t goin? down this here dark road by my ?
Dark road by myself.
[Who you gonna carry, boy?]
Well now I ain?t goin? down this here dark road
by myself.
[I?m gonna take me along somebody.]
If I don?t carry you I?m gonna
take me someone else.
Anybody ask you people now, ?Who composed this ?
who composed this song??
[What you gonna tell ?em?]
Anybody ask y?all now,
?Who composed this song??
Oh, Old John Dudley, now. He?s been here and gone.

[dj]

Fancourt and McGrath's "The Blues Discography" only lists the 3 songs you mention.  Were these songs recorded for the Library of Congress?  If so, a search of their online catalog might reveal more.

[jpeters609]

I believe you're right ? after re-checking my notes (and my old copy of "Blues Records, 1943-1970"), it looks like Dudley only recorded those 3 songs I mentioned. Not sure why I thought there was a 4th.

I'm fairly certain that these 1959 field recordings were done by Lomax for Atlantic Records, and not for the Library of Congress. Who knows what might be hiding in the record company's vaults?

[Bunker Hill]

I'm fairly certain that these 1959 field recordings were done by Lomax for Atlantic Records, and not for the Library of Congress. Who knows what might be hiding in the record company's vaults?

I can't locate my copy of Shirley Collins's book 'America Over The Water' but for what it's worth I think she and Lomax embarked on their July-November 1959 trip as a consequence of their romantic liaison rather than with any organisation or record company motivation. Somewhere it's documented how Atlantic came to release the series. Perhaps in Charlie Gillett?s 1975 work 'Making Tracks: The History Of Atlantic Records'?

[Bunker Hill]

Frustratingly, Lomax had little to say about Dudley.

You can say that again. Tidbits thus:

"Lastly, in John Dudley's blues, we meet a country musician of the sophisticated, yet completely folk, tradition of the 1930's. Dudley and Robert Johnson both come from Tunica County, Mississippi and belong to the same school." Lomax notes to 'Southern Journey 10: Yazoo Delta Blues And Spirituals' (Prestige International 25101, 1960) which contains 'Po' Boy'.

In the notes to 'Blues Roll On' (Atlantic SD-1346, 1960) he equates Dudley's technique on 'Cool Water Blues' as "The influence of Texas-born Blind Lemon Jefferson through his recordings gave rise to the fascinating school of blues guitar players in Tunica and Coahoma  counties..."

But what a great CD that is!

[Prof Scratchy]

   just found this, courtesy of Google....wordy but with picture and sound sample (if you can get it to work..?
http://isgreaterthan.net/2008/03/07/clarksdale-mill-blues/

[Bunker Hill]

Very interesting Prof.

I was in the middle of posting a message, which I considered abandoning, but having typed it...what the hell.

'Po' Boy' was included on the 1977 Roots Of The Blues compilation (New World NW252) LP. Lomax in the gatefold sleeve booklet starts his discussion of the song with:

"In his younger days John Dudley, now fifty, and a prisoner..." which makes me think that the booklet was cobbled together from material written at time of recording, or not long after. Be that as it may age 50 in 1959 would mean that he could well have had access to Tommy Johnson and Charlie Patton 78s.

[Stefan Wirz]

anything by Chris Smith on KC 107 ?




P.S. Just found out that my Fred McDowell discography is just as well a John Dudley discography 

[jpeters609]

A portion of recorded interview is included at the end of John Dudley's "Po' Boy Blues" on Rounder's "Southern Journey, Vol.3: 61 Highway Mississippi." Alan Lomax is asking Dudley where he learned these songs, etc., and Dudley replies that he learned them himself, so to speak. Dudley says they would sing these songs "out in the fields." Most interestingly, he says that he was actively playing as early as 1925 or 27 in Tunica. So we was certainly a contemporary of Patton, etc...

[oddenda]

Lomax's fabled "Southern Journey" produced so much good music, it ain't funny. What happened is this. Alan couldn't afford a new stereo tape recorder, and went to Ahmet Ertegun, president of Atlantic Records for help. Ertegun gave him the necessary equipment with the understanding that Atlantic would have first refusal on what he got on his trip. Ergo, the set of LPs on Atlantic; other material from that trip was issued a bit later on LP by Prestige Records, with occasional bits and pieces on other labels. Atlantic has "CD'd" their material, while all the best of the rest is out on Rounder as a part of the ongoing The Alan Lomax Collection of CDs. I highly recommend the series, as it's all good, no matter what the culture presented. I was involved with Alan in the preparation of what became the "Deep River of Song" section of that series. We worked for almost a year at The Library of Congress' Archive of Folksong, as it was known as them (ca. 1980). I got nothing memorable from him regarding John Dudley, though there MAY be a photo of him on one of the LP covers or sleeves. Nice music, though.

[alyoung]

So here I go again, re-opening an aged thread. But with, I think, good reason. I've always enjoyed John Dudley -- his Poor Boy has been in my repertoire for years -- and I've always been intrigued by suggestions that he made several recordings for Alan Lomax that were never issued. Yesterday, I found  the website of Cultural Equity, which includes complete listings of all Lomax's field recording.
Go to http://research.culturalequity.org/get-audio-ix.do?ix=recording&id=327&idType=sessionId&sortBy=abc ... and discover that John Dudley made:
Clarksdale Mill (2 takes)
You Got a Mean Disposition
Big Road Blues
Cool Drink of Water Blues (2 takes)
Poor Boy Blues
I'm Gonna Move To Kansas City
and an interview about "playing guitar at dances".   

You can listen to each, but part only  -- not much more than a sound-bite. I haven't been able to work out how to access the full versions; I guess you'd have to make contact with Cultural Equity ... but if any techminded Weenie has any ideas, I'm sure many us would be interested.   

Al Y

[Rivers]

We actually appreciate it when folks reengage with dormant threads around here, so open away. Fortunately with the new version of the forum software we could easily turn off that silly warning you used to get in red, so Slack got onto doing that pretty quick.

[uncle bud]

Yes, the warning message will not be missed.

The Cultural Equity organization is a separate archive from the Lomax Library of Congress material. With LoC, could one not make special orders of material in their archive? Or am I confusing that with Smithsonian Folkways? Anyway, the point being, has anyone contacted Cultural Equity to see whether custom CDs are something they do?

[uncle bud]

Cultural Equity have been putting some stuff out on MP3, and on LP with Mississippi Records. There is a previously unreleased take of Clarksdale Mill Blues on "I'll Be So Glad When The Sun Goes Down".

If you go here you can see info on the releases, and the Purchase links will take you to Amazon mp3s. http://www.culturalequity.org/features/globaljukebox/SouthernJourney/ce_features_SouthernJourney.php

Too bad that's the only track so far.

[Lyndvs]

john dudley.The second photo.