Thanks very much for the catch, dj, I re-listened and you are sure enough right about that line. I will make the correction. I share your enthusiasm for the final verse, it's really striking.
All best,
Johnm
All best,
Johnm
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The blues come from a woman wanting to see her man, and a man wanting to see his woman - Furry Lewis
0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic. Thanks very much for the catch, dj, I re-listened and you are sure enough right about that line. I will make the correction. I share your enthusiasm for the final verse, it's really striking.
All best, Johnm ScottN
Great song. Interesting to consider the timing. The recording was sometime in 1940 and Fuller died in 41 before Pearl Harbor. Wonder if the song goes back to WW I or if he is singing in response to the activity in Europe at the time and predicting America's entry into WW II...social commentary from the noted protest singer BB Fuller ;-)
Good point, Scott. I'd guess the latter since the 1930s were an unusually quiet time for the US Military
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_United_States_military_operations#1930.E2.80.931939 dj
I think it's definitely from the Second World War, and it's an amazingly topical song at that. When You Are Gone was recorded on June 19, 1940. By that date, British troops had been forced to evacuate from France, Japan was continuing to advance in China and Southeast Asia, The United States was starting to rebuild and modernize its armed forces, and, most importantly, the Selective Service Act of 1940 was in the news. It was being debated in Congress at that point, and would be signed into law by President Roosevelt in September, initiating the first peacetime draft in US history.
By the end of the year, a number of artists would be singing draft-related songs, like the Nat King Cole Trio's Gone With The Draft. But Fuller's might just be the earliest recorded American World War II song. Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller recorded "Working Man Blues" at a session in New York City on July 12, 1937. He played the song out of D position in standard tuning, and it has some interesting phrasing. He has a signature lick that he plays in response to his vocal phrases, and in the second vocal phrase he is consistently short with it, giving it six beats rather than 8 beats. Fuller shows a lot of nifty moves working out of one of the most under-utilized playing positions in standard tuning. SOLO Somebody done learned my baby how to change gears on a Cadillac 8 Somebody done learned my baby how to change gears on a Cadillac 8 Ever since that happened I can't keep my baby straight I hate to hear that Cadillac whistle blow, boo-hoo Says, I do hate to hear, Cadillac whistle blow, boo-hoo Every time my woman hear it, makes her feel like riding, too A working man ain't nothing but a woman's slave A working man ain't nothing but a woman's slave When she start to lovin', Great God, it just won't 'have I said, hey-hey, Lawdy-Lawdy Lawd I said, hey-hey, Lawdy-Lawdy Lawd Hey-hey, Lawdy-Lawdy Lawd Have my dinner all ready, don't let my coffee be cold I said, have my dinner ready, woman, don't let my coffee be cold And don't forget, baby, save my sweet jellyroll Now, you know my woman, she got something, I don't know what it is Hey-hey, Lord, I don't know what it is When I get in that bed with her, can't keep my black self still All best, Johnm Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller recorded "Worn Out Engine Blues" at a session in New York City on March 5, 1940, backing himself out of a position in standard tuning. Out of all the recordings of "Broke Down Engine" by Blind Willie McTell, Buddy Moss and others, and all of the songs working out of this basic song family, this is my favorite version, mostly by virtue of Blind Boy Fuller's incredibly catchy signature lick. Whoa-ho-ho-ho Lordy-Lord, ah-ha, what more can I do? Whoa-ho-ho Lordy, babe, now, what more can I do? I'm in love with you, lyin' little woman, but I can't get along with you Says, my babe's got a little engine, and I call it my Ford machine Say, my baby got a little engine, I call it my little Ford machine If your generator ain't bad, baby, Great God, you must be burnin' bad gasoline Says, I stepped on your starter, Great God, and your motor turned over slow Says, I stepped on your starter, babe, Great God, and your motor turn over slow If you ain't gettin' your right spark, little woman, Great God, call on Blind Boy Fuller for more Say, they call me a blacksmith, mam', and sometime a mechanic, too Say, they call me a blacksmith, mam', sometime and I'm mechanic, too If my work you okay, little woman, Great God, you know it will have to do Says, I called up in Chicago, I couldn't find my little woman over there Says, I called up in Chicago, couldn't find my baby nowhere I'm gwine take a trip over in Chiny, Great God, see can I find my gal over there Says, now, I'm lonesome here, mama, Great God, I feel lonesome everywhere Says, I'm lonesome here, babe, Great God, I feel lonesome everywhere When I get in my woman's arms, Great God, I can't feel lonesome there All best, Johnm Blind Boy Fuller recorded "Worn Out Engine Blues" at a session in New York City on March 5, 1940, backing himself out of a position in standard tuning. Out of all the recordings of "Broke Down Engine" by Blind Willie McTell, Buddy Moss and others, and all of the songs working out of this basic song family, this is my favorite version, mostly by virtue of Blind Boy Fuller's incredibly catchy signature lick. Fuller's playing on this song is just amazing. The way he floats the A note on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string... wow. It just HANGS there! Fantastic. Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller backed himself out of G position in standard tuning for his recording of "Worried And Evil Man Blues". The piece shows a strong Blind Blake influence, but as most often seems to be the case with Blind Boy Fuller's renditions, it really ends up just sounding like Fuller himself. Fuller goes long in his ninth bar every time, and the more you study him, the more you realize his sense of time was governed by pulse and phrase length, not meter. SOLO Says, I can't see how these worried mens can sleep Yes, I can't see how these worried mens can sleep Says, he bes up all night, mama, like a police on his beat Says, I walk last night, mama, my feet got soakin' wet (Spoken: Aw, pshaw!) Says, I walked last night, mama, my feet got soakin' wet Says, I ain't found the woman I'm lovin', and I ain't stopped walkin' yet Well, I'm gonna find my little woman, don't think she can be found Hey, hey, don't think she can be found (Spoken: Why, boy?) I'm gon' walk this hard, hard road, mama, 'til my mustache drag the ground SOLO (Spoken: Ah, play it a long time now.) Yes, I got a new way of lovin', boy, you know I think it must be best Yeah, hey, think it must be best (Spoken: Why, boy?) 'Cause these here North Carolina women just won't let Blind Boy Fuller rest All best, Johnm Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller accompanied himself out of A position in standard tuning for his version of "Lost Lover Blues". I confess to a fondness for Fuller's songs on which he is joined, as on this one, by Bull City Red on washboard. The song seems to be related to the song the Watson Family recorded as "Honey Babe Blues", and is very closely related to Sam Collins' "Graveyard Digger's Blues". Listening to the George Mitchell Collection on Fat Possum really brought home to me just how influential Blind Boy Fuller was, and not just in the Carolinas. In that set, you find Fuller's songs and arrangements being covered by musicians from the Carolinas and Georgia, and Alabama, and Mississippi, and this tune probably ended up being covered the most of any of his songs (with the possible exception of "Step It Up And Go"). In any event, it's a beautiful and distinctive song and performance, very memorable. INTRO SOLO And I went down, 'bout that freight depot And that freight train, he come rollin' by Lord, and I sure ain't got no lovin' baby now And I sure ain't got no lovin' baby now Then I went off in that far distant land I weren't there long 'fore I got a telegram (Spoken: What it said?) Sayin', "Man, won't you please come home? Now, man, won't you please come home?" Then I went back home, I looked on the bed And that best old friend I had was dead Lord, and I ain't got no lovin' baby now And I ain't got no lovin' baby now Then I'm sorry, sorry, sorry to my heart But that best o' friends someday must part Lord, I ain't got no lovin' baby now And I ain't got -- lovin' baby now (Spoken: Play it for me now!) SOLO Now as sure as the bird range in the sky above Life ain't worth livin' if you ain't with the one you love Lord, and I ain't got no lovin' baby now Lord, I ain't got no lover now If I knowed you didn't love me, and didn't want me to I would take morphine and die Lord, I ain't got no lovin' baby now And I ain't got no lovin' baby now All best, Johnm Lost Lover Blues seems like it belongs in a family of tunes that includes 'Reno Factory' (one of the Foddrells, I think) and Raleigh and Spencer (Fields Ward).
Good call, Frank, that is certainly so! Here is Fields Ward's performance:
It's unusual the way these songs seem to back up on themselves at the end of each verse. All best, Johnm Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller, accompanying himself out of E position in standard tuning, was joined by Sonny Terry on harmonica and Bull City Red on washboard for "Blue and Worried Man", a loosely-structured rollicking number. The trio starts the song as a 12-bar blues, switches to an 8-bar form for the next three verses, returns to a 12-bar form for the refrain, does two more 8-bar verses and concludes with a 12-bar final verse, interspersing four solos along the way, where Fuller really shines. Probably the only drawback on the cut (if it strikes you so) is the tuning between Fuller's guitar and Sonny Terry's harmonica, which is noticeably flat to Fuller's guitar--the effect is pretty bilious. It makes for some difficult listening for me, at least. Hey, hey, baby, what is you tryin' to do? Hey, hey, what is you tryin' to do? Yeah, you're tryin' to quit me but that's all right for you Aw, looky-here, mama, see what you done done Done made me love you, now your man done come SOLO (Spoken: Play it a long time! Yeah!) My baby wears a hat, then again she wears a tam She got great big legs and they shaped like Georgia hams I dreamed last night that the woman I love was dead When I woke up, I was talkin' all out of my head SOLO (Spoken: Yeah!) Hey, hey, baby, what are you tryin' to do? Says, hey, hey, what is you tryin' to do? Says, the way you treat me is comin' back home to you Just as sure as one and, I say, two is three My man laid his head where mine, oh, ought to be SOLO Now if you lose your money, baby, please don't lose your mind If you lose your little woman, please don't you fool with mine SOLO (Spoken: Yeah!) Then I don't see why m' baby don't write to me Said, I don't see why my baby won't write to me Said, I'm very deep lonesome, blue as a man can be All best, Johnm Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller, playing out of C position in standard tuning, capoed up, is joined by Bull City Red on washboard and Rev. Gary Davis on backing guitar, in F position, for "Baby, You Gotta Change Your Mind". The song utilizes a ragtime progression that Fuller recorded many times, but Davis's stellar work really gives the track some special excitement, as does the trio's steady acceleration over the course of the rendition. Wow! SOLO Baby, if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, you got to change your mind Baby, if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, you got to change your mind I woke up this morning, 'bout half past four Somebody knockin' at my back door But if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, mama, you got to change your mind, I mean, You got to change your mind Baby, if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, you got to change your mind Baby, if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, you got to change your mind What you're doin', mama, you'll do it again Stay out at night 'til about half past ten But if you think I'm crazy 'bout you mama, you better change your mind, I mean, You got to change your mind SOLO (Spoken: Play that thing, boy!) Baby, if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, you better change your mind Baby, if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, you better change your mind Up before the judge, my eyes full of tears For beatin' up my gal I got four, five years But if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, mama, you got to change your mind, I mean, You got to change your mind SCAT CHORUS But if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, mama, you got to change your mind, I mean, You got to change your mind SOLO (Spoken: Play that thing, boy! Do it a long time.) Baby, if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, you got to change your mind Baby, if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, you got to change your mind My gal like whiskey, like her rye and gin We can't get her whiskey, drink most anything she can Baby, if you think I'm crazy 'bout you, you got to change your mind, I mean, You got to change your mind SOLO All best, Johnm Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller accompanied himself out of E position in standard tuning for "Baby You Got To Do Better", a 12-bar chorus blues covered later by Dan Pickett. Fuller's playing on this song shows a strong Buddy Moss influence. SOLO My woman went out this mornin', stayed out 'til both day and night Come back jivin' me, say, "Daddy, I'm treatin' you right." REFRAIN: Mama, you got to do better, babe, you got to do better Babe, you got to do better, let another mama move in I'm not rough, don't like to fight Next woman I get she got to treat me right REFRAIN: Baby, you got to do better, mama, you got to do better Baby, you got to do better, let another mama move in I met a gal this mornin', she was sixteen years old Say, if I would beat your woman she would satisfy my soul REFRAIN: Baby, you got to do better, (Spoken: Yes you is) baby, you got to do better Baby, you got to do better, let another mama move in SOLO (Spoken: Play that thing now, boy!) Mama, you know you been talkin', 'bout you goin' and goin' This mornin' will be your movin' time REFRAIN: Babe, you got to do better, (Spoken: That's what I'm talkin' 'bout) babe, you got to do better Baby, you got to do better, let another mama move in Get out of my kitchen, stop your hangin' around You know a man gets tired of one woman all the time REFRAIN: Baby, you got to do better, baby, you got to do better Baby, you got to do better, let another mama move in All best, Johnm Hi all,
Blind Boy Fuller was in C position in standard tuning for his recording of "Throw Your Yas Yas Back In Jail". The song is one of the many 16-bar (18 bars with the tag) raggy progressions that he recorded. He passes through an E7 chord on his way to A7 and hits a notable "sick" bend when he gets to A7. He was either bending the second string at the first fret, a move that always amazes me, or reefing on the third string at the fifth fret, a much easier bend but less "under the hand". If I catch you doin' I caught you doin' last night, throw your yas yas back in jail If I catch you doin' what I caught you doin' last night, throw your yas yas back in jail Says, you told that man you were sixteen years old Had him 'round the window tryin' to see your jellyroll, now, If I catch you doin' what I caught you doin' last night, throw your yas yas back in jail, I mean, Your yas yas back in jail (Spoken: Yeah!) SOLO If I catch you doin' what I caught you doin' last night, throw your yas yas back in jail If I catch you doin' what I caught you doin' last night, throw your yas yas back in jail Said, a-when I'm on my wagon tryin' to sell a little coal You was in the street, hollerin', "Who wants jellyroll?", now If I catch you doin' what I caught you doin' last night, throw your yas yas back in jail, I mean it, Throw your yas yas back in jail (Spoken: Yeah!) SCAT BREAK If I catch you doin' what I caught you doin' last night, throw your yas yas back in jail If I catch you doin' what I caught you doin' last night, throw your yas yas back in jail Says, it's early this mornin', 'bout half past four Seen a man runnin' out my woman's back door, now If I catch you doin' what I caught you doin' last night, throw your yas yas back in jail, I mean it, Throw your yas yas back in jail (Spoken: Yeah!) SOLO (Scat singing on bridge) All best, Johnm
Tags: Blind Boy Fuller Bull City Red Sonny Terry Death Alley Walter Coleman Floyd Council Rev. Gary Davis
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