Topic: First Vocal Sample

[harriet]

Hi All,
I've been working on singing and this is my first youtube video with an attempt at an actual performance,loosely based on Fred Mcdowell's "Let Me Lay Down Your Cool Iron Bed" the lyrics are a combination of two versions of Fred Mcdowell's masterpiece. Thanks for any time you lend your ear to it and apologies if there are any artifacts from the bass... below are lyrics from the several versions he recorded.

Lawd lawdy,
Harriet




Levee Camp Version
Recorded in1968

Please let me lay down, darling
Let me lay down in yo cool iron bed
Well, let me lay down, baby
Let me lay down in yo' cool iron bed
Lord, I been drinkin' white lightnin'
It's-a done gone to my head

Well, I been drinkin' white lightnin', darling
It done gone to my head
Well, I b'lieve to my soul
Yeah, the whiskey bottle 'on kill me dead
Lord, I b'lieve to my soul, baby
This a-whiskey gonna kill me


Lord, I ain't got nobody, baby
Hold my worried?
Lord, I ain't got nobody
Baby, to hold my worried head
I want you tell me
Baby, what have I done wrong?

Tell me, baby
Honey, what have I done wrong?

Lord, bring me a Christmas present, darling
Baby, I'm in jail, again
Lord, bring me a Christmas present, baby
Baby, I'm in jail again.
.......
Mississippi Fred McDowell 1904-1972
1972
Bass ? Jerry Puckett
Drums ? Durin Lancaster

Lawd I heard my baby
Lawd I heard my baby call

Lawd I heard my baby
Lawd I heard my baby

Please let me lay down
Please let me lay down in your cool iron?.
Lawd let me lay down baby
Let me lay down in in your cool iron bed
I been drinking white lightning darling
Lawd it gone gone to my head

Lawd take me for your workhorse baby
Lawd baby hitch me at your door
Lawd take me for your workhorse darling
Lawd baby hitch me at your door
Everytime you turn
Lawd baby I be ready to go

Everybody crying mercy
Lawd tell me what do mercy mean
Everybody crying mercy baby
Lawd  please tell me what do mercy mean
If it means any good baby

Lawd have mercy
Lawd if it mean
Lawd if it means any good
Lawd have mercy
If it mean any good baby
Lawd have mercy on me

Lawd come here baby
Let me have a few words with you
Come here baby
Lawd let me have a few words with you
if I don?t  love you
Lawd baby tell me who will

Lookout! (Spoken)

[Vermonter]

Happy to hear this, Harriet!! Good for you.

[Johnm]

I agree with Vermonter--nice job, Harriett!  Your vocal has a cool, wary sound.
All best,
Johnm

[harriet]

Thank you for your kind words

[Pan]

What they said!

Cheers

Pan

[harriet]

Thanks Pan I am glad to hear from you about it. Been using the schatten dualie I think you recommended in a weeniecampbell thread for small soundholes awhile back - like it alot - so thanks for that as well.

[uncle bud]

Sounding good, Harriet. I like John's description "wary".

Here's to the Fred-heads.

[Kadens]

I like it - interesting voice/singing that catches attention. Thanks!

[harriet]

Thank you uncle bud and Kadens very much for the kind words..it was an interesting song to work on!

[Rivers]

Very cool, real blues, you sound like a hundred year old Mississippi blues lady. I mean that in a good way!

I really like the vocal accent where you go up high at the end of some of the lines, reminds me of something or someone, I can't remember what or who at present. Solid pulse on the thumb, great licks, all good.

[Prof Scratchy]

Reminded me a bit of Precious Bryant's voice. Very good!

[harriet]

Thank you very much for any time you spent on it and your kind words Rivers and Professor Scratchy.

[Rivers]

You're very welcome harriet. And that's right Prof, Precious Bryant was the artist I was trying to recall re the vocal accents. She was at my first year at Port Townsend.

[Norfolk Slim]

I didn't comment when I first listened, but I thought of Precious Bryant too....

[harriet]

Thanks for the very flattering comparison Prof Scratchy, Rivers and Norfolk Slim, a very happy accident - or perhaps I picked up something from listening to her a year ago?

I'll probably try several other songs with vocals and then revisit her CD to see if the resemblance still holds true. I have heard the PB comparison on another site as well.

Lucky you Rivers to have seen her at Port Townsend!

H

[Mr.OMuck]

Excellent Harriet! Very nuanced and true to the music. Cool sounding too.

[harriet]

Thank you very much Mr. OMuck - to the music

[Rivers]

Lucky you Rivers to have seen her at Port Townsend!

That year with Precious, Jerry Ricks, Othar Turner and many others, was the genesis of weenie campbell. A few of us attendees exchanged contact info before splitting time and put together the first simple email based mailing list that has grown into this forum. It was a magic year for me.

or perhaps I picked up something from listening to her a year ago?

Hell, if you can do that high break end of line thing, you should just keep doing it. Memphis Minnie's"woo hoo" as well!

[harriet]

Thanks again and for the info about Weenie Campbell

[obrigadotony]

Great job Harriet!  Very pleasing vocals.  Singing this music brings a whole other level of enjoyment doesn't it?

[harriet]

Thank you obrigadotony!

 I just started singing a year or so ago thanks to skype slide guitar lessons with Michael Messer, and that was the way he presented the material, demoing the vocal and guitar together so I got the idea of singing into my head as the song was presented to me straightoff with a vocal.

It changed my way of looking at the music and  I start a song now by finding my singing pitch for it and learning the vocal concurrent with the guitar, so that  the study of the song is of both the vocal and guitar.  Especially with slide (unless an instrumental) the vocal  leads and is often differently handled than the solo guitar  - most of the artists I study do not IMHO sacrifice the vocal delivery to the guitar, they'll force the guitar to serve the need of the vocal.

So I would say, if not enjoyment, it has brought the study to a new level of satisfaction in the endeavor.

Harriet

[Stuart]

Hi Harriet: Well done! You sound very authentic, without sounding like you're trying to do so. Sorry for the delay in the response. I listened when you first posted the link, but didn't get around to saying that I enjoyed your singing and playing. Very nice!

I agree with your approach. For people like me who can't sing, the guitar (or other instrument) is our voice, but for those who can, there's a balance and integration between the voice and instrument. From this one clip, you sound like you have it dialed in.

[harriet]

Thank you Stuart - I appreciate your putting your ear to it and your kind words  That's a beautiful way of expressing the study of the guitar in your phrase above, some pieces I work on the guitar is my voice as well.

Harriet