Hi all,
The Song of the Month that I've selected is "Milk Cow Blues", which has been performed and recorded by a host of musicians, some of them really surprising. Like some other oft-recorded blues numbers ("Red River Blues" comes to mind), it was recorded in several different versions that were musically and lyrically quite different from each other before the version was recorded that seemed to be the primary influence on subsequently recorded versions
The earliest version by a Country Blues musician that I've been able to find is the one recorded by Freddie Spruell in 1926. Freddie was a Mississippian who decamped to Chicago early on, and his version shows a bit of the "Hernando A" sound of Garfield Akers in his timing and phrasing. I like Freddie's insistence that his milk cow is "real". Freddie's lyrics can be found at: https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=3633.msg27931#msg27931 . Here is his version:
Four years later, in 1930, Sleepy John Estes recorded his "Milk Cow Blues" with the backing of Yank Rachell on mandolin and Jab Jones on piano. Sleepy John's version is notable insofar as the lyrics make no mention of a milk cow--perhaps Sleepy John normally sang a milk cow verse that didn't make it on to the recorded version. The lyrics can be found at: https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=64.msg13619#msg13619 . Here is his "Milk Cow Blues":
Four years after Sleepy John's version, Kokomo Arnold recorded his version of "Milk Cow Blues", which was to become the most influential version of the song on subsequent versions, though his slide approach was not copied, just his melody, lyrics and vocal phrasing. It's not hard to see why other folks wanted to copy his version--what a vocal! The lyrics to this version can be found at: https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=7145.msg93150#msg93150 . Here is Kokomo Arnold's version:
Josh White's duet version with a pianist, from 1935, was clearly a cover of Kokomo Arnold's version, but re-worked the feel to suit Josh's strengths. Here it is:
Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys had a big cross-over hit with "Milk Cow Blues" in 1946. Tommy Duncan does the really nice lead singing, and Bob Wills did the lead talking and annoying. Here is the Texas Playboys' version, still clearly based on Kokomo Arnold's version:
Elvis Presley converted the song, still recognizably based on Kokomo Arnold's version, into "Milk Cow Blues Boogie", in 1955. Here is Elvis' version:
Bluegrass singer Red Allen did a nice version in the mid-60s, joined by Craig Winfield on dobro, Porter Church on banjo and a very young David Grisman on mandolin. Here it is:
Any other versions of "Milk Cow Blues" out there that people like?
All best,
Johnm
The Song of the Month that I've selected is "Milk Cow Blues", which has been performed and recorded by a host of musicians, some of them really surprising. Like some other oft-recorded blues numbers ("Red River Blues" comes to mind), it was recorded in several different versions that were musically and lyrically quite different from each other before the version was recorded that seemed to be the primary influence on subsequently recorded versions
The earliest version by a Country Blues musician that I've been able to find is the one recorded by Freddie Spruell in 1926. Freddie was a Mississippian who decamped to Chicago early on, and his version shows a bit of the "Hernando A" sound of Garfield Akers in his timing and phrasing. I like Freddie's insistence that his milk cow is "real". Freddie's lyrics can be found at: https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=3633.msg27931#msg27931 . Here is his version:
Four years later, in 1930, Sleepy John Estes recorded his "Milk Cow Blues" with the backing of Yank Rachell on mandolin and Jab Jones on piano. Sleepy John's version is notable insofar as the lyrics make no mention of a milk cow--perhaps Sleepy John normally sang a milk cow verse that didn't make it on to the recorded version. The lyrics can be found at: https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=64.msg13619#msg13619 . Here is his "Milk Cow Blues":
Four years after Sleepy John's version, Kokomo Arnold recorded his version of "Milk Cow Blues", which was to become the most influential version of the song on subsequent versions, though his slide approach was not copied, just his melody, lyrics and vocal phrasing. It's not hard to see why other folks wanted to copy his version--what a vocal! The lyrics to this version can be found at: https://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=7145.msg93150#msg93150 . Here is Kokomo Arnold's version:
Josh White's duet version with a pianist, from 1935, was clearly a cover of Kokomo Arnold's version, but re-worked the feel to suit Josh's strengths. Here it is:
Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys had a big cross-over hit with "Milk Cow Blues" in 1946. Tommy Duncan does the really nice lead singing, and Bob Wills did the lead talking and annoying. Here is the Texas Playboys' version, still clearly based on Kokomo Arnold's version:
Elvis Presley converted the song, still recognizably based on Kokomo Arnold's version, into "Milk Cow Blues Boogie", in 1955. Here is Elvis' version:
Bluegrass singer Red Allen did a nice version in the mid-60s, joined by Craig Winfield on dobro, Porter Church on banjo and a very young David Grisman on mandolin. Here it is:
Any other versions of "Milk Cow Blues" out there that people like?
All best,
Johnm