Topic: Bo Carter Keys and Tunings

[Chezztone]

Thanks to Waxwing for suggesting I do this. Glad you didn't give me a deadline! Here it is: keys and tunings for all of Bo Carter's songs. "Half Spanish" is DGDGBE. The numbers denote the half-steps (frets or changed pitch) above or occasionally below concert tuning. These are not always exact as he is (and/or I am) not precisely on or off concert pitch, but they should be close; fiddle with your tuners if you're trying to play along with the record. Comments, corrections, questions welcome. Enjoy! And Happy New Year. SC.

I?m an Old Bumble Bee ? Half Spanish + 1
Mean Feeling Blues ? Vestapol  + 3
I?ve Got the Whole World In My Hand ? G std + 1
She?s Your Cook But She Burns My Bread Sometime ? Half Spanish + 4
Same Thing the Cats Fight About -- Half Spanish + 4
Times Is Tight Like That -- Half Spanish + 4
My Pencil Won?t Write No More -- Half Spanish + 4
Banana In Your Fruit Basket ? G std or Half Spanish (no bass)
Pin In Your Cushion -- G std or Half Spanish (no bass)
Pussy Cat Blues ? E std
Ram Rod Daddy ? Vestapol + 2
Loveless Love ? G std or Half Spanish (no bass)
I Love that Thing ? Vestapol + 2
Backache Blues ? Vestapol + 2
Sorry Feeling Blues ? Vestapol + 2
Baby, When You Marry ? Vestapol + 2
Boot It ? Dropped D
Twist It Babe ? Dropped D + 3
So Long Baby So Long -- Half Spanish
The Law Gonna Step on You -- Half Spanish
Pig Meat is What I Crave ? Vestapol + 3
Howling Tom Cat Blues -- Half Spanish + 1
Ants In My Pants ? Vestapol + 2
Blue Runner Blues ? Vestapol + 2
I?ve Got a Case of Mashin? It ? Vestapol + 1
You Don?t Love Me No More -- Half Spanish ? 1
What Kind of Scent Is That? ? E standard
Pretty Baby ? Half Spanish
I Want You to Know ? Half Spanish
Last Go Round ? A standard
I Keep On Spending My Change ? Dropped D
Baby, How Can It Be? ? A std + 1
Bo Carter Special ? Vestapol + 1
Beans ? C std + 1
Nobody?s Business ? C std + 1
Queen Bee ? A std + 2
Tellin You ?Bout It ? A std + 2
Please Don?t Drive Me From Your Door ? A std + 2
Pin In Your Cushion ? Half Spanish
Banana In the Fruit Basket ? Half Spanish
Backache Blues ? Vestapol + 1
Nobody Knows My Baby ? A std + 2
Howlin Tom Cat Blues ? A std + 1
Don?t Cross Lay Your Daddy ? D std + 1
Who Broke the Latch? ? C std
Don?t Do It No More -- Half Spanish
Skin Ball Blues -- Half Spanish ?1
Old Shoe Blues -- Half Spanish
Please Warm My Weiner --
She?s Gonna Crawl Back Home to You ? Dropped D
Let Me Roll Your Lemon ? E std
Mashing That Thing -- Vestapol + 1
Blue Runner Blues -- Vestapol + 1
Fifty Fifty with Me -- Vestapol + 1
To Her Burying Ground ? E std
When Your Left Eye Go to Jumping ? C std
Ride My Mule -- Half Spanish ?1
T Baby Blues -- Half Spanish ?1
I Get the Blues -- Half Spanish
Spotted Sow Blues -- Half Spanish
Rolling Blues ? D std
All Around Man ? A std
Fat Mouth Blues ? A std
You Better Know Your Business ? A std
It?s Too Wet ? Vestapol +2
Dinner Blues ? Vestapol +2
Ain?t Nobody Got It ? Vestapol +2
Cigarette Blues ? Vestapol +2
Pussy Cat Blues ? E std
Ins and Outs of My Gal ? A std +1
All Around Man Part 2 ? A std
Bo Carter?s Advice ? A std
Doubled Up In a Knot ? Half Spanish
Worried G Blues ? Half Spanish
Your Biscuits Are Big Enough For Me ? C std
Don?t Mash My Digger So Deep ? Vestapol +1
Flea On Me ? Vestapol
Got to Work Somewhere ? Vestapol
Sue Cow ? Vestapol
Shake ?Em On Down ? Half Spanish +1
A Girl For Every Day of the Week -- Half Spanish +1
Trouble In Blues ? Half Spanish +1
World in a Jug ? Half Spanish +1
Who?s Been Here ? Half Spanish +1
Whiskey Blues ? Half Spanish +1
Shoo That Chicken ? C std +1
Let?s Get Drunk Again ? C std +1
Old Devil ? E std +1
Country Fool -- Half Spanish +3
Santa Claus Half Spanish +3
Be My Salty Dog ? Half Spanish
Five Dollar Bill ? Half Spanish
Ways Like a Crawfish ? Half Spanish
Brown-Skin Woman ? Half Spanish
Lucille, Lucille ? Half Spanish
The County Farm Blues ? Half Spanish
Border of New Mexico Blues ? Half Spanish
Arrangement For Me Blues ? Half Spanish
Lock the Lock ? Half Spanish
Trouble O Trouble ? Half Spanish
Baby Ruth ? Half Spanish
My Baby ? Half Spanish
Policy Blues ? Dropped D
Tush Hog Blues ? A std
My Little Mind ? E std
Honey ? C std
What Do You Want Your Daddy To Do ? C std



 

[waxwing]

Hey, nice job, Chezz. That's a lot of work.

I know you do Some Day (I've been working on it too) so you probably skipped over it when you were working down the list. You must have forgotten to add it back in latter. I know it's in C standard changing to A minor in the chorus, but, off hand, I don't know where he's pitched.

Is the list in order of the chronology of recording?

I'm sure many will thank you for this great info.

All for now.
John C.

[Slack]

Wow, that's really terrific Steve - thanks for posting this!

[Chezztone]

Good catch, Wax -- dunno how I left out "Some Day." Yes, it's in C std + 1. For those who want a complete (or until someone else finds an omission) list, here it is again with that song added:
Bo Carter Keys
September 10, 2006

I?m an Old Bumble Bee ? Half Spanish + 1
Mean Feeling Blues ? Vestapol  + 3
I?ve Got the Whole World In My Hand ? G std + 1
She?s Your Cook But She Burns My Bread Sometime ? Half Spanish + 4
Same Thing the Cats Fight About -- Half Spanish + 4
Times Is Tight Like That -- Half Spanish + 4
My Pencil Won?t Write No More -- Half Spanish + 4
Banana In Your Fruit Basket ? G std or Half Spanish (no bass)
Pin In Your Cushion -- G std or Half Spanish (no bass)
Pussy Cat Blues ? E std
Ram Rod Daddy ? Vestapol + 2
Loveless Love ? G std or Half Spanish (no bass)
I Love that Thing ? Vestapol + 2
Backache Blues ? Vestapol + 2
Sorry Feeling Blues ? Vestapol + 2
Baby, When You Marry ? Vestapol + 2
Boot It ? Dropped D
Twist It Babe ? Dropped D + 3
So Long Baby So Long -- Half Spanish
The Law Gonna Step on You -- Half Spanish
Pig Meat is What I Crave ? Vestapol + 3
Howling Tom Cat Blues -- Half Spanish + 1
Ants In My Pants ? Vestapol + 2
Blue Runner Blues ? Vestapol + 2
I?ve Got a Case of Mashin? It ? Vestapol + 1
You Don?t Love Me No More -- Half Spanish ? 1
What Kind of Scent Is That? ? E standard
Pretty Baby ? Half Spanish
I Want You to Know ? Half Spanish
Last Go Round ? A standard
I Keep On Spending My Change ? Dropped D
Baby, How Can It Be? ? A std + 1
Bo Carter Special ? Vestapol + 1
Beans ? C std + 1
Nobody?s Business ? C std + 1
Queen Bee ? A std + 2
Tellin You ?Bout It ? A std + 2
Please Don?t Drive Me From Your Door ? A std + 2
Pin In Your Cushion ? Half Spanish
Banana In the Fruit Basket ? Half Spanish
Backache Blues ? Vestapol + 1
Nobody Knows My Baby ? A std + 2
Howlin Tom Cat Blues ? A std + 1
Don?t Cross Lay Your Daddy ? D std + 1
Who Broke the Latch? ? C std
Don?t Do It No More -- Half Spanish
Skin Ball Blues -- Half Spanish ?1
Old Shoe Blues -- Half Spanish
Please Warm My Weiner --
She?s Gonna Crawl Back Home to You ? Dropped D
Let Me Roll Your Lemon ? E std
Mashing That Thing -- Vestapol + 1
Blue Runner Blues -- Vestapol + 1
Fifty Fifty with Me -- Vestapol + 1
To Her Burying Ground ? E std
When Your Left Eye Go to Jumping ? C std
Ride My Mule -- Half Spanish ?1
T Baby Blues -- Half Spanish ?1
I Get the Blues -- Half Spanish
Spotted Sow Blues -- Half Spanish
Rolling Blues ? D std
All Around Man ? A std
Fat Mouth Blues ? A std
You Better Know Your Business ? A std
It?s Too Wet ? Vestapol +2
Dinner Blues ? Vestapol +2
Ain?t Nobody Got It ? Vestapol +2
Cigarette Blues ? Vestapol +2
Pussy Cat Blues ? E std
Ins and Outs of My Gal ? A std +1
All Around Man Part 2 ? A std
Bo Carter?s Advice ? A std
Doubled Up In a Knot ? Half Spanish
Worried G Blues ? Half Spanish
Your Biscuits Are Big Enough For Me ? C std
Don?t Mash My Digger So Deep ? Vestapol +1
Flea On Me ? Vestapol
Got to Work Somewhere ? Vestapol
Sue Cow ? Vestapol
Shake ?Em On Down ? Half Spanish +1
A Girl For Every Day of the Week -- Half Spanish +1
Trouble In Blues ? Half Spanish +1
World in a Jug ? Half Spanish +1
Who?s Been Here ? Half Spanish +1
Whiskey Blues ? Half Spanish +1
Shoo That Chicken ? C std +1
Let?s Get Drunk Again ? C std +1
Some Day ? C std +1
Old Devil ? E std +1
Country Fool -- Half Spanish +3
Santa Claus Half Spanish +3
Be My Salty Dog ? Half Spanish
Five Dollar Bill ? Half Spanish
Ways Like a Crawfish ? Half Spanish
Brown-Skin Woman ? Half Spanish
Lucille, Lucille ? Half Spanish
The County Farm Blues ? Half Spanish
Border of New Mexico Blues ? Half Spanish
Arrangement For Me Blues ? Half Spanish
Lock the Lock ? Half Spanish
Trouble O Trouble ? Half Spanish
Baby Ruth ? Half Spanish
My Baby ? Half Spanish
Policy Blues ? Dropped D
Tush Hog Blues ? A std
My Little Mind ? E std
Honey ? C std
What Do You Want Your Daddy To Do ? C std



 

[Len-SoCal]

Chezz

I've been lurking here for a while and I registered just to thank you for this invaluable reference. Thanks for all your hard work and for posting this. It makes me want to grab my guitar and "The Essential Bo Carter" collection and disappear for a few days.

Happy New Year & best wishes to you

Len

[Slack]

Welcome Len!

[banjochris]

Chezz -- Great job, man. It is some work going through all that stuff.

Couple of things to add:

There are 3 Bo Carter tunes on the Document "Too Late" anthologies:

New Auto Blues - vestapol +1 (chronologically it fits between I've Got a Case of Mashin' It and You Don't Love Me No More)

A second recording of Backache Blues - vestapol +1, it fits between Baby, How Can It Be? and Bo Carter Special

A tune called Please Don't Drive Me From Your Door - in B-flat std + 1 that fits between Tellin' You 'Bout It and the second Pin In Your Cushion.

Also:
She's Your Cook...
Same Thing the Cats...
Times is Tight...
My Pencil Won't Write...
Baby, How Can It Be?
Nobody Knows My Baby
Tellin' You 'Bout It
are all in B-flat std.

To Her Burying Ground is in F std
(all these are carry overs from the Sheiks' fondness for flat keys, methinks)

The first recording of Howling Tom Cat is also in A std just like the second one
You accidentally left off the key for Please Warm My Weiner, half Sp. of course
The second version of Pussy Cat Blues should be in A std.
Santa Claus Blues is in A std also (I think Country Fool might be too but I'm not sure on that one)

Happy new year,
Chris

[Johnm]

Nice work, Chezz, and a very nice service to provide players interested in working out Bo's tunes.  I haven't heard all of Bo's songs, but of the ones I have heard and have access to right now, the only correction I could see is one that banjochris mentioned--"Pussy Cat Blues" is played in A standard.  I will check on "Country Fool" tomorrow.  Good on you!
All best,
Johnm

[Slack]

I will check on "Country Fool" tomorrow.

I think this is in half spanish - I remember you teaching this at PT in 1995, my first year at PT and first exposure to Bo Carter - what a revelation! 

[Chezztone]

OK -- Thanks all. There are two different Bo Carter songs (not two versions) called "Pussy Cat Blues." The early one is in E std. The later one is in A std.  Cheers, SC

[Prof Scratchy]

Country Fool is, indeed, in 'Half Spanish'...

[GhostRider]

There are two different Bo Carter songs (not two versions) called "Pussy Cat Blues." The early one is in E std. The later one is in A std.  Cheers, SC

Hey Steve:

You have both "Pussy Cat Blues" songs noted as being in E std. in your list.

Alex

[Chezztone]

Bo Carter Keys
(with updates as of Jan. 3, 2007)

I?m an Old Bumble Bee ? Half Spanish + 1
Mean Feeling Blues ? Vestapol  + 3
I?ve Got the Whole World In My Hand ? G std + 1
She?s Your Cook But She Burns My Bread Sometime ? Half Spanish + 4
Same Thing the Cats Fight About -- Half Spanish + 4
Times Is Tight Like That -- Half Spanish + 4
My Pencil Won?t Write No More -- Half Spanish + 4
Banana In Your Fruit Basket ? G std or Half Spanish (no bass)
Pin In Your Cushion -- G std or Half Spanish (no bass)
Pussy Cat Blues ? E std
Ram Rod Daddy ? Vestapol + 2
Loveless Love ? G std or Half Spanish (no bass)
I Love that Thing ? Vestapol + 2
Backache Blues ? Vestapol + 2
Sorry Feeling Blues ? Vestapol + 2
Baby, When You Marry ? Vestapol + 2
Boot It ? Dropped D
Twist It Babe ? Dropped D + 3
So Long Baby So Long -- Half Spanish
The Law Gonna Step on You -- Half Spanish
Pig Meat is What I Crave ? Vestapol + 3
Howling Tom Cat Blues -- Half Spanish + 1
Ants In My Pants ? Vestapol + 2
Blue Runner Blues ? Vestapol + 2
I?ve Got a Case of Mashin? It ? Vestapol + 1
You Don?t Love Me No More -- Half Spanish ? 1
What Kind of Scent Is That? ? E standard
Pretty Baby ? Half Spanish
I Want You to Know ? Half Spanish
Last Go Round ? A standard
I Keep On Spending My Change ? Dropped D
Baby, How Can It Be? ? A std + 1
Bo Carter Special ? Vestapol + 1
Beans ? C std + 1
Nobody?s Business ? C std + 1
Queen Bee ? A std + 2
Tellin You ?Bout It ? A std + 2
Please Don?t Drive Me From Your Door ? A std + 2
Pin In Your Cushion ? Half Spanish
Banana In the Fruit Basket ? Half Spanish
Backache Blues ? Vestapol + 1
Nobody Knows My Baby ? A std + 2
Howlin Tom Cat Blues ? A std + 1
Don?t Cross Lay Your Daddy ? D std + 1
Who Broke the Latch? ? C std
Don?t Do It No More -- Half Spanish
Skin Ball Blues -- Half Spanish ?1
Old Shoe Blues -- Half Spanish
Please Warm My Weiner --
She?s Gonna Crawl Back Home to You ? Dropped D
Let Me Roll Your Lemon ? E std
Mashing That Thing -- Vestapol + 1
Blue Runner Blues -- Vestapol + 1
Fifty Fifty with Me -- Vestapol + 1
To Her Burying Ground ? E std
When Your Left Eye Go to Jumping ? C std
Ride My Mule -- Half Spanish ?1
T Baby Blues -- Half Spanish ?1
I Get the Blues -- Half Spanish
Spotted Sow Blues -- Half Spanish
Rolling Blues ? D std
All Around Man ? A std
Fat Mouth Blues ? A std
You Better Know Your Business ? A std
It?s Too Wet ? Vestapol +2
Dinner Blues ? Vestapol +2
Ain?t Nobody Got It ? Vestapol +2
Cigarette Blues ? Vestapol +2
Pussy Cat Blues ? A std
Ins and Outs of My Gal ? A std +1
All Around Man Part 2 ? A std
Bo Carter?s Advice ? A std
Doubled Up In a Knot ? Half Spanish
Worried G Blues ? Half Spanish
Your Biscuits Are Big Enough For Me ? C std
Don?t Mash My Digger So Deep ? Vestapol +1
Flea On Me ? Vestapol
Got to Work Somewhere ? Vestapol
Sue Cow ? Vestapol
Shake ?Em On Down ? Half Spanish +1
A Girl For Every Day of the Week -- Half Spanish +1
Trouble In Blues ? Half Spanish +1
World in a Jug ? Half Spanish +1
Who?s Been Here ? Half Spanish +1
Whiskey Blues ? Half Spanish +1
Shoo That Chicken ? C std +1
Let?s Get Drunk Again ? C std +1
Some Day ? C std +1
Old Devil ? E std +1
Country Fool -- Half Spanish +3
Santa Claus Half Spanish +3
Be My Salty Dog ? Half Spanish
Five Dollar Bill ? Half Spanish
Ways Like a Crawfish ? Half Spanish
Brown-Skin Woman ? Half Spanish
Lucille, Lucille ? Half Spanish
The County Farm Blues ? Half Spanish
Border of New Mexico Blues ? Half Spanish
Arrangement For Me Blues ? Half Spanish
Lock the Lock ? Half Spanish
Trouble O Trouble ? Half Spanish
Baby Ruth ? Half Spanish
My Baby ? Half Spanish
Policy Blues ? Dropped D
Tush Hog Blues ? A std
My Little Mind ? E std
Honey ? C std
What Do You Want Your Daddy To Do ? C std



 

[uncle bud]

Chezz -- Great job, man. It is some work going through all that stuff.

Couple of things to add:

There are 3 Bo Carter tunes on the Document "Too Late" anthologies:

New Auto Blues - vestapol +1 (chronologically it fits between I've Got a Case of Mashin' It and You Don't Love Me No More)

A second recording of Backache Blues - vestapol +1, it fits between Baby, How Can It Be? and Bo Carter Special

A tune called Please Don't Drive Me From Your Door - in B-flat std + 1 that fits between Tellin' You 'Bout It and the second Pin In Your Cushion.

Also:
She's Your Cook...
Same Thing the Cats...
Times is Tight...
My Pencil Won't Write...
Baby, How Can It Be?
Nobody Knows My Baby
Tellin' You 'Bout It
are all in B-flat std.

To Her Burying Ground is in F std
(all these are carry overs from the Sheiks' fondness for flat keys, methinks)

I'll add my thanks to Chezztone for putting together the Bo Carter keys. It's also reminded me of the holes in my Bo Carter collection (the shame!), and going by Malcolm's post in the Document thread, the volumes that have been unavailable for a long time are now available.

While I don't have all the tunes, I agree with Banjochris that there are some tunes that follow the Walter Vinson/Mississippi Sheiks model in their use of flat keys. I started to work on She's Your Cook awhile back, and this is one of them, in B-flat position as Chris suggests IMO, using a wraparound F-shaped chord at the 6th fret as the root chord. The solo has the familiar chordal bits from some of Bo's Half-Spanish tunes, but I am pretty sure this is still played in Bb. I haven't actually played along with them, but Baby How Can It Be and Tellin You 'Bout It sound like they use the same style of closed position chords.

I don't actually recall coming across the term Half Spanish for Bo's tuning before, but I like it! A new one for me.

[dj]

I'll add my thanks, too.

I'd always written off Bo Carter, based on hearing "Banana In Your Fruit Basket" on a reel-to-reel tape that a friend had back in high school.  One of the big revelations I had when I discovered Weenie Campbell was what an excellent singer and player Bo was.