Topic: Charley Patton Decoded Videos

[1894blues]

I made some videos to help understand Charley Patton's lyrics, using subtitles.  Here's a link:


Going to do all his songs, if I can.   If there's anything wrong, feedback is welcome!

Enjoy

@fcdworkshop

twitter.com/fcdworkshop

[hms]

My only suggestion would be to change the font, it's distracting and not the easiest of fonts to read.
Other than that, good stuff.
H

[beljum]

Good idea and nice job.
Only suggestions I have are to:
?   Mount the video camera on a tripod for a stable image.
?   Maybe a top view of the record.
?   Scroll the lyrics from bottom to top (the entire frame).
?   Different font (as already suggested) size is good.

[1894blues]

Thanks for the feedback.  I will keep improving on the camera work for sure, but I think the typography gives it a fun feel.  I tried a more 'standard' approach with these, but I think they're less successful:

Rattlesnake Blues


Hammer Blues


When Your Way Gets Dark


I recommend listening to these songs the next time it's incredibly hot and humid where you live - songs like 'When Your Way Gets Dark' take on a special character when the weather is sweltering.  In Mississippi it can be over 110F with 100% humidity during the summer, and that feeling comes through in the music's slow, conservative pace.

Sadly, it seems I'm unable to keep the videos ad-free.  Although these recordings should be in the public domain,  many have claimed ownership of the audio content.  Presumably, none of these companies are the George H. Buck Jr. Jazz Foundation, who is challenging Third Man Records Paramount reissues in court.  We'll see how that plays out.

Enjoy

[waxwing]

I challenged ads on the most recent version of Down the Dirt Road Blues that I posted, stating that Patton had died in 1934, more than 75 years ago and therefore the songs were PD. It's also questionable in my mind whether many at all of pre-war race records had their mechanicals renewed in the appropriate time frame. The ads came down almost immediately and the claimants had 30 days or something to respond, which they declined to do.

Perhaps there is a difference because you are publishing lyrics, but I don't think so.

As far as I can tell there is no penalty for challenging a copyright claim even if the challenge is denied.

Wax

[Blues Vintage]

Nice job indeed, did you get the lyrics from the revenant set or transcribed it yourself.

[1894blues]

I used the Revenant set, and to a lesser extent the Fahey book and the Yazoo vinyl set's liner notes, along with my own 'corrections' - i.e. the first couplet of High Water Everywhere (part 1).  I got the box set when it came out, and have spent a significant amount of time with all this material, so the contributions of earlier researchers must be acknowledged.  Calt, Wardlow, Fahey, Charters, Evans, Strachwitz, even H.C. Speir had a role in bringing us what we know about Charley today, among many others.  However, I don't know if a transcribed copy of Charley's work is copyrightable by the transcriber.  I just think these videos should be ad-free for the benefit of anyone who cares enough to want to learn what Charley says.  I have both won and lost against claims of the rights for the videos, but some of my protests have been challenged, and ads are currently displayed on the videos. 

Wax, love your stuff, great interpretations of the songs.  I'm pretty sure I found this site by searching for your videos.

Thanks

[waxwing]

Thanks for the kind words, 1894. (can I call you 1894? (wink))

I meant that the original lyric sheets may be under a separate copyright than the recording itself and may follow different laws. I definitely don't think a transcriber can claim any copyright, but it's always nice to credit others' work within the community. I actually doubt that original lyric sheets were published, but, who knows...?

You don't mention that you have perused the Charley Patton Lyrics topic here, which many people have put a lot of listening and research time into. I think there are quite a few dang close transcriptions, but they are still so hard to confirm that we haven't put many up on Weeniepedia. Y'oughta give it a look.

Wax