Topic: Charlie Poole releases from JSP and Columbia

[frankie]

I'm not sure I'd say that I'm enthusiastic about the releases from either of these labels (except that JSP's prices are attractive), but here are the track listings from two forthcoming sets.

The Columbia set (info and commentary from Kerry Blech):

YOU AIN'T TALKIN' TO ME:
CHARLIE POOLE AND THE ROOTS OF COUNTRY MUSIC

I
1. Shootin' Creek? ? ? ?CO 15286-D? 7/23/28
2. Baltimore Fire? ? ? ?CO 15509-D 5/6/29
3. Leaving Home? ? ? ?CO 15516-D 9/18/26
4. There'll Come a Time? ? ? CO 15516-D 9/20/26
5. White House Blues? ? ? CO 15099-D? ? ? ? ?"
6. Highwayman? ? ? ?CO 15160-D? ? ? ? ? ? "
7. Hungry Hash House? ? ? ?"? ? ? ? "
8. The Letter That Never Came? ? CO 15179-D 7/25/27
9. Take a Drink On Me? ? ? CO 15193-D
10. Husband and Wife Were Angry One Night CO 15342-D 7/23/28
11. Ramblin' Blues? ? ? ?CO 15286-D? ? ? ?"
12. Took My Gal A-Walkin'? ? ?CO 15672-D? ? ? ? ? ? ?"
13. Old and Only in the Way? ? ? ? ? ? ?"? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? "
14. Don't Let Your Deal Go Down? ? CO 15038-D 7/27/25
15. Bill Mason? ? ? ?CO 15407-D 5/6/29
16. A Kiss Waltz? ? ? ?Unissued? 9/18/26
17. Flop Eared Mule? ? ? PM 3171? 5/10/29
18. Trip to NY p.1? ? ? ?Br 324? 5/11/29
19. Sweet 16? ? ? ? CO 15519-D 1/23/30
20. Write a Letter to My Mother? ? CO 15711-D? ? ? ?"
21. If the River Was Whiskey? ? ?CO 15545-D? ? ? ? "
22. Mother's Last Farewell Kiss? ? Unissued? 9/9/30
23. Milwaukee Blues? ? ? CO 15688-D? ? ? ? "
24. Where the Whippoorwill Is Whispering Goodnight? ? CO 15636-D? ? ?"
 
 
II
1. The Girl I Left in Sunny Tennessee- CP? CO 15043-D? ? ? ?7/7/25
2. Sunny Tennessee- Floyd County Ramblers Vi 40307 8/29/30
3. Bulldog Down in Sunny Tennessee- Dock Walsh CO 15057-D? ? ?10/3/25
4. Moving Day-Arthur Collins? ? BB A102 1906
5. It's Moving Day-CP? ? ?CO 15545-D? ? 1/23/30
6. Home Sweet Home-Frank Jenkins? ?Ge 6165 5/27
7. I'm the Man Who Rode the Mule Around the World- CP CO 15043-D? ? ?7/27/25
8. Man That Rode the Mule Around the World - Uncle Dave Macon? ? Vo 5356 6/20/29
9. Lynchburg Town- CP? ? ?Pm 3171 5/9/29
10. Going Down to Lynchburg Town- Blue Ridge Highballers? ? CO 15096-D 3/24/26
11. Some One- Branch and Coleman? ?OK 45568 10/27/31
12. Monkey On a String-Cal Stewart? ?Vi 5144 4/30/07
13. Monkey On a String-CP? ? CO 15099-D? ?9/17/26
14. Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister-CP CO 15038-D? ?7/27/25
15. May I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight, Mister - Red Fox Chasers? ? ?Ge 6547 6/29/28
16. Married Life Blues- Byron Parker? Bb 8708 10/10/40
17. The Infanta March-Fred Van Eps? ?Ed 50195 10/1911
18. Sunset March-CP? ? ?CO 15184-D? 7/26/27
19. Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms- Carter and Young? ? ? ? CO 15690-D 6/26/31
20. Goodbye Eliza Jane-Peerless Quartet? LW 343? ? ? ? 1912
21. Goodbye Sweet Liza Jane-CP? ? CO 15601-D? ?9/9/30
22. Good-Bye Booze-CP? ? ?CO 15138-D? ?9/17/26
23. Goodbye Booze- Gid Tanner/FateNorris CO 15105-D? ? 4/20/26
24. You Ain't Talking to Me-Eddie Morton? CO A777? ? ? ? 12/09
25. You Ain't Talking to Me-CP? ?CO 15193-D? ?7/25/27
 
III
1. If I Lose, I Don't Care-CP? ? CO 15215-D? ? ?7/25/27
2. Fightin' in the War with Spain-Wilmer Watts PM 3254? ? ? ? ? 10/29
3. Budded Rose- CP? ? ?CO 15138-D? ? ?9/18/26
4. Standing By a Window- North Carolina Cooper Boys? ?CO 15737-D? ? 10/27/31
5. Uncle Dave's Beloved Solo-Uncle Dave Macon Vo 15439? ? ? ? ? 9/8/26
6. Come Take a Trip in My Air-Ship-Billy Murray ED 8874? ? ? ? ? 1/1905
7. I Once Loved a Sailor-CP? ? CO 15385-D? ? ? ?7/23/28
8. Dixie Medley- Sam Moore? ? Vo B14865? ? ? ? ? 8/1924
9. My Wife She Went Away-Kelly Harrell? Vi 21520? ? ? ? 3/23/27
10. My Wife Went Away And Left Me- CP? CO 15584-D? ? ? ?7/23/28
11. Baby Rose-Billy Murray? ? ED 719? ? ? ? ? 6/1911
12. Just You Keep Waiting Till? the Good Time Comes CP? ? CO 15636-D 9/9/30
13. Shuffle Feet, Shuffle - Fisher Hendley? Vi 23528? ? ?11/29/30
14. Coon From Tennessee-CP? ? CO 15215-D? ? ? ?7/25/27
15. Coon From Tennessee-Georgia Crackers OK 45098? ? ? ? 3/21/27
17. On the Banks of the Kaney-? ?Big Chief Henry's Indian String Band? Vi 40195? ? ?10/15/29
18. Dixie Medley-Fred Van Eps? ?ED 50195? ? ? ?10/1911
19. Southern Medley-CP? ? ?CO 15615-D? ? ? ?1/23/30
20. Man Who Wrote Home Sweet Home- Parker and Woolbright? ?CO 15236-D 11/10/27
21. Sweet Sunny South-CP? ? CO 15425-D? ? ? ? ? 5/6/29
22. Take Me Back to the Sweet Sunny South- Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters Ge 6176 5/1927
23. Oh, Didn't He Ramble- Arthur Collins? ?BB 719? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1906
24. He Rambled-CP? ? ?CO 15407-D? ? ? ? ? 5/7/29

Henry "Hank" Sapoznik
Producer
"You Ain't Talkin' To Me:
Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music"
Columbia Legacy C3K92780
Spring, 2005
----------------------
It also has a cover by Robert Crumb. Hank said that he wanted to do several things, one being a reissue of Poole from the best existing copies/masters, etc. , but also to present some of the recordings of tunes that Poole popularized but by other artists, and also to present a bunch of finger-style banjo players on 78 rpm recordings. So it is not quite the same as the JSP set. The booklet here is written by Kinney Rorrer and Hank Sapoznik, so the documentation should be quite good and entertaining.

The JSP set (info from Malcolm Vidrine):

CD 1:
1. The Girl I left In Sunny Tennessee
2. The Man That Rode The Mule Around The World
3. Can I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister
4. Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues
5. Flyin' Clouds
6. Wild Horse
7. Forks Of Sandy
8. Mountain Reel
9. Goodbye Booze
10. Monkey On A String
11. The Brave Engineer
12. Too Young To Marry
13. Ragtime Annie
14. Leaving Home
15. Budded Rose
16. There'll Come A Time
17. White House Blues
18. The Highwayman
19. Hungry Hash House
20. If I Lose, I Don't Care
21. You Ain't Talkin' To Me
22. From Tennessee
23. The Letter That Never Came
24. Falling By The Wayside
 
CD 2:
1. Take A Drink On Me
2. Sunset March
3. Wreck Of The Virginian No. 3
4. Don't Let Your Deal Go Down
5. Please Papa Come Home
6. The Old Clay Pipe
7. A Letter To My Mother
8. Poor Little Joe
9. We Will Outshine The Sun
10. On The Streets Of glory
11. I Cannot Call Her Mother
12. Pearl Bryant
13. Take Back The Ring
14. Give My Love To Nell
15. My Mother And My Sweetheart
16. She Is Only A Bird In A Gilded Cage
17. Bill Mason
18. Kitty Blye
19. I'm glad I'm Married
20. Sweet Sunny South
21. Blue Eyes
22. The Bluefield Murder
23. I'll Be There Mary Dear
24. Home Without Love
25. There'll Come A Time
 
CD 3:
1. George Collins
2. As We Parted At The Gate
3. There's A Mother Old And Gray Who Needs Me Now
4. Sweet Refrain
5. Budded Roses
6. Take Me Back To Home And Mother
7. A Young Boy Left His Home One Day
8. My Wife Went Away And Left Me
9. I Once Loved A Sailor
10. Husband And Wife Were Angry One Night
11. Ramblin' Blues
12. Took My Gal A Walkin'
13. What Is Home Without Babies
14. Jealous Mary
15. Old And Only In The Way
16. Shootin' Creek
17. Bill Mason
18. Goodbye Mary Dear
19. Leaving Dear Old Ireland
20. Baltimore Fire
21. Sweet Sunny South
22. He Rambled
 
CD 4:
1. Under The Double Eagle
2. Richmond Square
3. Flop Eared Mule
4. Lynchburg Town
5. San Antonio
6. A Home Without Babies
7. Tennessee Blues
8. May I Sleep In Your Barn
9. A Trip To New York Part 1
10. A Trip To New York Part 2
11. A Trip To New York Part 3
12. A Trip To New York Part 4
13. Sweet Sixteen
14. My Gypsy Girl
15. The Only Girl I Ever Loved
16. A Letter To My Mother
17. If The river Was Whiskey
18. It's Movin' Day
19. Southern Medley
20. Honeysuckle
21. Goodbye Sweet Liza Jane
22. Look Before You Leap
23. Just Keep Waiting Till The Good Time Comes
24. Milwaukee Blues
25. Where The Whipoorwill Is Whispering Goodnight

[Muddyroads]

So what we have here are apples and oranges.  One is a  more scholarly look at  Charlie Poole in a possible  context of his musical world.  The other is a presentation of a large catalog of his material.  One juxtaposes Poole's playing with his contemporaries, the other is a budget set of his music.

So the question is,  "What do you want?"

The more academic and serious may chose the Columbia set.  Those who  want more Poole may take the JSP and whatever short comings may inherent in that budget set.  The third group may just say, I have three CDs of Poole, plus a bunch of old LP's and let it go at that.

The completest  should probably buy them all.

Mud

[frankie]

So the question is,? "What do you want?"

Welcome to the forum, Mud!

I guess, if I had to say it...  I want a Charlie Poole box set of the same scope and quality as the sets produced by Bear Family for the Carter Family and Uncle Dave Macon.  In a perfect world, there would also be a non-deluxe version of the set, without the fancy packaging and book (a hardcover copy of Kinney Rorrer's bio of Poole - wouldn't that be great!) - that way poor saps like me could afford it.

It'd be worth paying more than you would for a typical JSP set, you'd be able to get everything and still be contributing to the people that worked so hard to get the mastering right if you opted for the budget set.

That's what I want.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Does anyone know if the old County re-issues of Charlie Poole on vinyl made it onto CD?  I had three of the four of them and they were very good, with excellent notes.  I don't know if I would want all of Charlie Poole--I find some of the parlor songs pretty heavy going, but some stuff, like "Milwaukee Blues" and"Gypsy Girl" I'm crazy about.  He certainly had a great band and they deserved every bit of their popularity.
All best,
Johnm

[Muddyroads]

I have all three volumes  of  Charlie Poole on CD.  They cover the old LP's  and then some. 

The tracks included on them are listed below:

CHARLIE POOLE & THE NORTH CAROLINA RAMBLERS 'Old-Time Songs' CO-3501-CD

WHITE HOUSE BLUES
SWEET SUNNY SOUTH
SHOOTIN' CREEK
HE RAMBLED
LETTER THAT NEVER CAME, THE
MOUNTAIN REEL
YOU AIN'T TALKIN' TO ME
SWEET SIXTEEN
LEAVING HOME
TOOK MY GAL A WALKIN'
MONKEY ON A STRING
RAMBLIN' BLUES
FLYING CLOUDS
FALLING BY THE WAYSIDE
DON'T LET YOUR DEAL GO DOWN BLUES
TAKE A DRINK ON ME

CHARLIE POOLE 'Old-Time Songs, Vol. 2' CO-3508-CD

IF THE RIVER WAS WHISKEY
BILL MASON
BALTIMORE FIRE
HONEYSUCKLE
MY GYPSY GIRL
RAGTIME ANNIE
IT'S MOVIN' DAY
BUDDED ROSE
KISS WALTZ, A
JEALOUS MARY
WILD HORSE
IF I LOSE, I DON'T CARE
THERE'LL COME A TIME
SOUTHERN MELODY
MOTHER'S LAST FAREWELL KISS
ONE MOONLIGHT NIGHT

CHARLIE POOLE 'The Legend of Charlie Poole, Vol. 3' CO-3516-CD

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP
GOODBYE LIZA JANE
LEAVING DEAR OLD IRELAND
HUNGRY HASH HOUSE
MILWAUKEE BLUES
GOODBYE BOOZE
TOO YOUNG TO MARRY
THE HIGHWAYMAN
WRITE A LETTER TO MY MOTHER
THE GIRL I LEFT IN SUNNY TENNESSEE
MY WIFE WENT AWAY AND LEFT ME
OLD AND ONLY IN THE WAY
I ONCE LOVED A SAILOR
FORKS OF SANDY
I'M THE MAN WHO RODE THE MULE AROUND THE WORLD
GOODBYE MARY DEAR.

Here is the uURL
http://www.countysales.com/php-bin/ecomm4/search.php?PHPSESSID=56760df4086087b9b6b43329594d86ef&custom_search=Artist&keyword=Charlie+Poole&image.x=18&image.y=14

[Johnm]

Thanks for posting the info on the County Charlie Poole releases, Muddy Roads.  They appear to cover a major portion of his repertoire and County always does a great job.  Looking at the titles I recognized another favorite, "Monkey On A String".  I will have to get caught up on this.
All best,
Johnm

[outfidel]

Charlie Poole gets his due

[Mike Billo]

  There is a 4 CD Box Set of Charlie Poole on JSP that came out around Dec. and is *very* reasonably priced at around $25.

  However, if you already own the three volumes on County, then you have the very best of Poole.

  The JSP box set has a lot of stuff sung by other band members who seem to specialize in the "Mother is Dying" and "The Orphan is Dying" type of songs that are so prevalent in Old-Time Music.

    Now don't get me wrong, I'm just as amused and delighted by "dying orphans" as much as the next guy , but these are a lot of "sound alike" waltzes, sung by guys who have nowher near Poole's brilliance,  that I could have done without.
   It looks like the Columbia set might more accurately reflect Poole's best in one collection for those who don't wish to buy the three volumes on County (which are well worth the price in my opinion).

   Poole has been a *very* under-rated guy for far too long.
   When at his best, he was a true Giant.   

[frankie]

There was a CD release party for the Columbia set under the stalls at Mt. Airy - the set is pretty handsome and looks to have some very good music on from Poole (of course) and other musicians in his "orbit".  I didn't buy a copy - not yet anyway - but it's on the list.

[Montgomery]

I have the County set and the Columbia set.  I don't think you can go wrong with the County, these are probably the best Poole releases on CD.  The Columbia I have is a pre-release version, and I was warned that the sound may not have been finalized.  It does sound a little tinny.  However, it was remastered by Chris King, who did the Patton Revenant set, so overall it sounds good, I'm sure it's better than the JSP.  I tend to stay away from Columbia releases, but I got this one for free so I can't complain.  Overall, it's pretty fascinating.  As someone said above, it could be thought of as a "scholarly" or "academic" approach to Poole's music.  Obviously, this is the intent, but somehow that sounds kind of perjorative.  I think it's not only fascinating and informative, but also immensely entertaining.  The other music is worth hearing--Poole's wasn't the only great string band of course.  And there are the ragtime tunes, such as Arthur Collins' "He Rambled" which of course became one of Poole's signature songs.  I think there's quite a few recordings on here that aren't available on CD, so it ends up being a good compilation of string band, country, and some ragtime music.

[frankie]

One thing that's nice about the set is that it was put together by people who, over the years, have invested a lot of time in Charlie Poole's music and clearly have a lot of affection for it.  Hank Sapoznik (compiler) has been playing old-time music for years and years, Kinney Rorrer (who wrote the notes) is related to both Posey Rorer and to Poole, plus has been playing and singing Poole's music for ages.  It was great to see everybody at the release party (the Poole party - hah!), playing those tunes and songs...  some of those folks have been Poole fans for longer than Poole was actually alive!  Kinney wasn't there (at least I didn't see him), but Kirk Sutphin did show for a little while.

So, you can save 15 bucks going with JSP, I guess.  Could buy a pizza - maybe two...

[BlindSockeyeSalmon]

Well, I have all 3 sets (County, JSP, Columbia) -- I've had the Countys for years, bought the JSPs as soon as they came out & was sent a promo copy of the Columbia set.

They're all good, but if I could only have one I would have to go with the JSP set, simply because it has the greatest number of songs -- I think it's a superset of what's on the 3 County discs. Haven't had a chance to listen side by side to compare sound quality. I recall that the JSPs were quite good -- I think as good as the County stuff, and I was pleased that the Columbia folks hadn't gone overboard on their noise-reduction techniques like they did on their "Roots & Blues" reissuses.

My Columbia advance doesn't have all the nifty artwork but I should point out that the images here:

http://www.commotionpr.com/charliePoole.html#charliePhotos

make dandy desktop wallpaper for your computer. [/geek]

John

P.S. I'm steering clear of the is-the-JSP-set-a-bootleg issue...

P.P.S. You'll come for the Charlie Poole, you'll stay for the Roy Harvey!

[Montgomery]

Blind Sockeye-
Agree about Roy Harvey!  An amazing player all around.  The Harvey-Copeland guitar duets (not on any of these sets, unfortunately) are some of my favorite pre-war performances ever.

[Rivers]

Just thought I'd revive this... any further thoughts on the best Charlie Poole set to own? The Columbia's in my local Borders and I kinda dig the packaging!

[unezrider]

hey rivers,
i would consider giving the columbia box a chance. i think their remastering has gotten better over the last few years. robert johnson's king of the delta blues singers vol. 1 & 2 are good examples. plus i thought they did a wonderful job w/ satch's hot five & hot seven (a 3 vol. set that came out in '03 or '04). they sound more 'open' to me than say, the jsp set does.
as for the poole, i own the 3 cd's on county records. ya can't go wrong w/ that label.
chris