For the March SOTM I chose a song known by many names, most popularly ?Frankie and Johnny.? I won?t go into the real life history behind the song but it?s worth exploring if you haven?t already. The general consensus is that the song, then known as ?Frankie Killed Allen?, originated with song writer Bill Dooley in St. Louis shortly after the events that inspired it occurred in 1899. The first published version of the melody came in 1904 with ?He Done Me Wrong (Death of Bill Bailey)? by Hughie Cannon. This in turn inspired the version more closely resembling the song as it was later recorded, ?Frankie and Johnny, or, You'll Miss Me in the Days to Come?, published by the Leighton Bros & Ren Shields in 1912. A pdf of the sheet music is available here: http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/catalog/levy:152.019
The first recording comes from 1912 and was made in London by Americans Gene Greene and Charley Straight based on the Leighton Bros version. The only video I could find includes an introduction by author and blues historian Dr. Peter Muir. The intro is well worth your time but if you want to skip straight to the song it kicks in at around the 4 min 54 sec mark.
The first recording made in America was by Al Bernard in either 1919 or possibly March 1921 depending on where in the web you look.
Next up seems to be the Frank Crumit, Paul Biese Trio recording from 1921.
The song, in recordings at least, seems to have been popular with old time musicians. One of the first to record the song was Roba Stanley in this version from 1925.
Also from 1925 comes a stripped down ukulele version from Harry Frankel aka Singin? Sam.
One of the better known old time versions (aside from the Jimmie Rodgers recording) is ?Leaving Home? by Charlie Poole. I found it interesting how closely his lyrics follow the Leighton Brothers version. I'd love to know where he learned it (from an earlier recording or perhaps straight from the sheet music) but searching found nothing.
A wonderful old time version I hadn?t heard until researching is the Dykes Magic City Trio?s ?Frankie? from 1927.
One of the first country blues recordings appears to be Coley Jones? ?Frankie and Albert? from 1927 but unfortunately it was never issued., despite much digging, I was unable to find a video for the song and even more surprising I couldn?t locate a collection on LP or CD that contains the track. I?m hoping that?s not actually the case and that maybe someone here can point us to a place where we can hear it.
And finally, in 1928 we get Mississippi John Hurt?s classic ?Frankie?.
And the following year we get Charley Patton?s 'Frankie and Albert'.
There were many jazz recordings of the song but I went with a version by one of my favorites, King Oliver.
A great piano blues version was recorded by Nick Nichols and Alex Moore near the end of 1929.
I had hoped to link to the first recording Leadbelly made of the song while still in Angola but aside from a medley containing the song toward the end I couldn?t find a video. So I went with this version from 1935. I?d be curious to hear others favorite Leadbelly versions, it seems he recorded it a handful of times.
And last but not least comes a Cajun version. I stumbled on the fact that Leo Soileau had recorded the song early on in my research but it seemed there was nowhere to hear it until I somehow stumbled on a message board where someone had kindly posted an mp3. I took it upon myself to make my first upload to Youtube so I could include it here.
The first recording comes from 1912 and was made in London by Americans Gene Greene and Charley Straight based on the Leighton Bros version. The only video I could find includes an introduction by author and blues historian Dr. Peter Muir. The intro is well worth your time but if you want to skip straight to the song it kicks in at around the 4 min 54 sec mark.
The first recording made in America was by Al Bernard in either 1919 or possibly March 1921 depending on where in the web you look.
Next up seems to be the Frank Crumit, Paul Biese Trio recording from 1921.
The song, in recordings at least, seems to have been popular with old time musicians. One of the first to record the song was Roba Stanley in this version from 1925.
Also from 1925 comes a stripped down ukulele version from Harry Frankel aka Singin? Sam.
One of the better known old time versions (aside from the Jimmie Rodgers recording) is ?Leaving Home? by Charlie Poole. I found it interesting how closely his lyrics follow the Leighton Brothers version. I'd love to know where he learned it (from an earlier recording or perhaps straight from the sheet music) but searching found nothing.
A wonderful old time version I hadn?t heard until researching is the Dykes Magic City Trio?s ?Frankie? from 1927.
One of the first country blues recordings appears to be Coley Jones? ?Frankie and Albert? from 1927 but unfortunately it was never issued.
And finally, in 1928 we get Mississippi John Hurt?s classic ?Frankie?.
And the following year we get Charley Patton?s 'Frankie and Albert'.
There were many jazz recordings of the song but I went with a version by one of my favorites, King Oliver.
A great piano blues version was recorded by Nick Nichols and Alex Moore near the end of 1929.
I had hoped to link to the first recording Leadbelly made of the song while still in Angola but aside from a medley containing the song toward the end I couldn?t find a video. So I went with this version from 1935. I?d be curious to hear others favorite Leadbelly versions, it seems he recorded it a handful of times.
And last but not least comes a Cajun version. I stumbled on the fact that Leo Soileau had recorded the song early on in my research but it seemed there was nowhere to hear it until I somehow stumbled on a message board where someone had kindly posted an mp3. I took it upon myself to make my first upload to Youtube so I could include it here.