Hi all, Elmore James was born in Mississippi, and began to record in the post-War period. He died of a heart attack at the age of forty-five. For no particular reason, he's barely had a mention on the Weenie site. He certainly merits recognition. He was an electrifying singer, and his wonderful screamy vocal tone was perfectly matched by his tone on his accompanying slide guitar. He played "The Sky Is Crying" (what a wonderful title!) in Vestapol with his slide. I know nothing about the personnel of his band here, so any session information would be much appreciated. Here is "The Sky Is Crying":
INTRO
The sky is crying, look at the tears roll down the street The sky is crying, look at the tears roll down the street I'm waiting and still looking for my baby, and I wonder, where can she be?
I saw my baby one morning, and she was walking on down the street I saw my baby one morning, yes, she was walking on down the street Made me feel so good, until my poor heart would skip a beat
I got a bad feeling, my baby, my baby don't love me no more I've got a bad feeling, my baby don't love me no more Now the sky's been crying, the tears rolling out my door
Elmore James - Vocals, Guitar Johnny Jones - Piano J.T. Brown & Possibly Boyd Atkins - Saxophone Probably Ransom Knowling or Homesick James - Bass Odie Payne or Sam Myers - Drums
On his King of The Blues box set, it has Odie Payne on drums and J.T Brown on sax, otherwise as Blues Vintage has it, and refers to these as the Fire/Fury sessions of November 1959. No source for this though. He has pretty serious slide tone!
Hi all, I first heard Elmore James' "Dust My Broom" on Chris Strachwitz's Blues Classics label, on "Blues Classics, Volume 1". I think Elmore James' version of the song is the reason anybody plays the song today; it was so exciting that all of a sudden people were in a rush to cover it, which was certainly not the case with Robert Johnson's original recording of the song. Elmore James played it in Vestapol with a slide, as was his practice. Once again, I don't know the personnel in his band, and I'd also appreciate help with any blank spots in the lyrics or mistakes I've made in transcribing them. Here is Elmore James' "Dust My Broom":
INTRO SOLO
I'm gettin' up soon in the morning, I'll believe I dust my broom I'm gettin' up soon in the morning, I'll believe I dust my broom I'll quit the best gal I'm lovin', uh, now my friends can get my room
I'm gonna write a letter, telephone every town I know I'm gonna write a letter, telephone every town I know If I don't find 'er in Mississippi, she's over in West Memphis I know
And I don't want no woman, want every downtown man she meet No, I don't want no woman, want every downtown man she meet Man, she's a no-good doney, they shouldn't 'low her on the street there
I believe, I believe my time ain't long I believe, I believe my time ain't long Now I gotta leave my baby, and break up my happy home
SOLO
Edited 3/6 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage and banjochris
All best, Johnm
« Last Edit: March 06, 2024, 12:07:17 PM by Johnm »
Thanks for the help with the lyrics, Blues Vintage, I made the changes you suggested. In that line in the last verse, the vowel sound is right for "ain't", but there is no "t" sound at all. I think he smeared the vowel transition from "I" and "am", giving "am" the long A sound.
It almost sounds to me like that last line is "Now I gotta leave my baby," with the N sound being swallowed and a bit off-mike. I hear "gotta" rather than "gonna" there. Whatever he's doing, he starts off-mike somewhat.