Topic: Frank Stokes Lyrics

[bleary]

Bleary - you can always use the modify button on the upper right of your post to correct things like that...

oh, I see. I guess I'm going to have to put my reading glasses on and study all these little rectangles.

[GhostRider]

Alexei:

These lyrics are great, just great. Mystery of origin solved.

By substituting guy, fellows or people for the obviously objectionable terms it'll make a great tune played against a variation of Stokes' accompanyment. Add a few of Franks verses not covered, one or two of ones own invention and some instrumental breaks and you'll have a fantastic country blues dance tune. I'm stoked!

I just love the very last line. Best way of sayin' he got a load o' shot in the backside I've ever heard

Again, thanks for the post. Where did you get these lyrics? What key is the original music in? Any other hidden gems.

Thanks again,
Alex

[Alexei McDonald]

I found a scan of the sheet music on the American Memory site [ http://memory.loc.gov ] website a few years ago, and immediately printed off a copy as insurance against the impermanence of the internet.   The original key is G.

[Cambio]

Through a somewhat low-fi set up, I've managed to record my 78 of the Bill Chitwood and Bud Landress version of this song, recorded in 1925 for Brunswick.  It's a pretty old time, peculiar arrangement.

[GerryC]

Thanks guys! This thread has sorted out several difficulties [some of them political] I was having with this song. Although it has not been mentioned, I have a great version of this by Pink Anderson. Unfortunately I cannot give chapter and verse of recording dates etc as it is on a really cheap compilation CD I bought in a motorway service station years ago, which has no liner notes or anything - nothing but a list of artists and titles. I suspect it's one of Pink's later [1950s/60s] recordings as the sound quality is good. He was a pretty hot player too! I'm somewhat ashamed to say I know very little about Pink and have very few of his recordings; the ones I have are on compilations. Howsomever, I'm fairly sure that the Learned Ones of this here forum will avalanche me with dates and who/what/when/how/whys in the not too distant future...

Cheerily,

Gerry C

[dj]

According to Stefan Wirtz's invaluable website, Pink Anderson's version of I've Got Mine was on Riverside LP12-611 "American Street Songs", which was also released as Riverside 148 "Gospel, Blues, and Street Songs".  One side was by Rev. Gary Davis, the other by Pink Anderson.  A different recording of the song by Pink was issued on Bluesville 1051, Medicine Show Man.  Here's a link to Stefan's Pink Anderson all too small discography: http://www.wirz.de/music/andepfrm.htm. 

Mike Leadbitter and Neil Slaven's Blues Records 1943-1966 lists Pink's songs on the Riverside LP as being recorded in Charlottesville, Louisiana on May 29, 1950.  A note on Stefan's site confirms the date, adding that Pink was recorded on that date by Paul Clayton.  The recording for Medicine Show Man was done in New York City in 1961.

The 1961 recording of I Got Mine is on the Juke.

Please note that I'm not one of the "Learned Ones", I just have a few books, knowledge of Stefan's website, and the ability to search the web!

[GerryC]

Hi, dj! ThAnks for all the information about Pink Anderson. I have now, rather belatedly, added Stefan Wirz's amazing site to my favourites. I had a real Homer Simpson moment going there today - like, d'oh!! Now I have to give the plastic another thrashing...

Cheerily,

Gerry C

[uncle bud]

Does anyone know if Fantasy label material is available again? I heard they'd been bought out and when I recently tried ordering the Medicine Show Man disc (my only Pink deficiency) it was not available. Ditto a Jesse Fuller disc.

[GhostRider]

Hi folks:

Just for fun I've taken the Queen-Cartwell version, added some Stokes wording and a couple of new verses to come up with a composite.

See if you can come up with some verses of your own, or reword more effectively the one's below.

Thanks,
Alex

I Got Mine
  John Queen, Chas. Cartwell, Frank Stokes, Alex Knox

(1) I went out to a little crap game, Lord, that was against my will,
The boys took all my money except a greenback dollar bill,
There was a hundred dollar bet upon the table, the shooter?s point was nine,
Just then the police stepped through the back door but I got mine.

Chorus:
I got mine boys, I got mine,
I grabbed that hundred dollar bill thro' the window I did climb,
Ever since then I've worn good clothes, living offa chicken and wine,
I'm the leader of the knockdown society since I got mine.

(2) I went to church the other mornin?, that was somthin? that never did suit me
I was sittin? there, seein? my old lad sittin? on some other man?s knee
Well I rapped my baby rap across her head, and the preacher jumped up and cryin'
"Ya even fightin' your old lady, doggone your soul" but I got mine

Chorus:
I got mine, boys I got mine
Standin' 'round here tryin' to get a good woman all the time
Said ever since church I've been tryin? to get by, I've been drinkin? on the fruit of the vine
Said I belong to the bad society but I got mine

(3) I went out to a turkey feast, the vittles were mighty fine,
Half an hour before the table was set, the folks all formed in line,
When they brought that buzzard in, their eyes began to shine,
They wouldn't wait and started to grab but I got mine.

Chorus:
I got mine boys, I got mine,
Getting to that roasted fowl, I had one horrible time,
One man grabbed that turkey right by the neck, I snatched on behind,
He might thought he had the whole fowl and gone, but I got mine

(4) I went uptown to a little crap game, heard some other police was playin'
The man looked at me never cracked a smile I couldn't get that fella to laugh
So he throwed the dice out on the floor, which was made of knotty, old pine
I made my point and won the bet so I got mine

Chorus:
I got mine, boys I got mine
Standin' 'round here tryin' to get some good numbers all the time
Ever since I won I've been livin' high, I've been livin' offa chicken and wine
Said I belong to the craps communitee but I got mine

(5) I went out for to visit my gal, the hour it was ?bout nine,
Dressed up like a millionaire and feeling mighty fine
I caught her kissin? some other guy?s chest, now that ain't a very good sign,
I told them what I thought of him then I got mine.

Chorus:
I got mine boys, I got mine,
That fellow pulled his shotgun out and used it mighty fine,
I tried to get through the window, but I couldn't get through in time,
I eat my meals from a mantelpiece since I got mine.

[uncle bud]

Just thought of another version of "I Got Mine": Big Boy George Owens' "The Coon Crap Game." Pretty much as politically incorrect as the Chitwell and Landress version. The Owens version is on the Juke and on the Document Sinners and Saints CD.

[skip bosco]

Okay, I've been cracking on this one, I have in on repeat as I type....but I am convinced at this point that I can't get any further unless i hold a seance and just ask Frank.

minor points.

I think its "Crump's pot"

I think its "off the L&N track" not "on."

I remember reading somewhere, an interview with Son House, and he was saying half the time he had no idea what Charlie Patton was saying.

Anyway, I think it's on to "Honey Allow Me One More Chance."

[a2tom]

This is a long thread that I missed much of on first run, so bear with me if I repeat anything. 

I've always thought it sounded in the guitar like some John Hurt and have played it similarly in G, assuming Stokes was capoed to the 2nd or 3rd fret (depending on whether he was sharp or flat).  The licks mostly fall right in, including that great bass thing he does (in G, I always did a hammer on the 5th string).

So tonight I decided to try to get more precise and loaded this into Transcribe.  I was floored by what I heard in the attached clip (I have his pitch adjust down a touch to put him capoed at the 2nd fret if he was playing in G (i.e. his guitar was a tuned sharp).  Listen and in the first two measures you'll hear an A bass on 1 and 3 - cool, that's just the expected 6th string bass on a G chord capoed up 2 frets.  HOWEVER, in the 3rd bar he clearly goes down to the bass on the V chord, i.e. to E.  You try and play a low E when capoed on the 2nd fret! 

What that means to me is, he was actually playing in A, no capo, just tuned sharp.   I see no way around it, unless I'm just imagining the low E? - take a listen.  I've messed with this, and I'll be darned if you can't play it all in A.  The bass thing is done by holding the half-bar A chord and using your middle and ring fingers to walk up the 3rd and 4th frets of the 5th string.  The E fingering sends the pinky up to the 4th fret 1st string, which I know John Hurt used, curiously.

How do others play this?  I bet you think I'm crazy, either for missing that it is in A, or for thinking it! 

BTW, lyrics thoughts:

I hear the more obvious "cook pot" - I don't get Crump or Crumb at all.

he grabs the chicken by the "nape"

tom

[Johnm]

Hi Tom,
The low root you are hearing on the V chord is being played by Dan Sane, the second guitarist.  In the arrangement the Sheiks most often used, Stokes is playing out of a position five frets higher (capoed) than Dan Sane.  In some instances, the capo distance was reduced to three frets by having Sane tune a whole step low (or Sane may have routinely tuned a whole step low).  On "Chicken", Frank Stokes is playing out of a G position, pitched at approximately B flat, which would put him with a capo on the third fret.  Dan Sane is tuned a whole step low and playing out of the C position, with no capo, sounding in B flat.  Tuned as low as he is, Sane easily has available low roots for his V chord (fingered G but sounding F) and his IV chord (fingered F but sounding E flat).
I don't know what recording you have "Chicken" on, but on the old Yazoo album, "Frank Stokes--Creator of the Memphis Blues", L-1056, there is a great photograph of Stokes and Sane that beautifully captures their normal playing approach.  In the photo, Stokes is capoed to the third fret and fingering a C chord, which assuming he was tuned to pitch, would sound as an E flat chord.  Sane is playing without a capo, and is clearly fingering an F chord with a wrapped thumb fretting the 6th string.  Sane's fingering matches up perfectly with the chord Stokes is fingering, provided Sane is tuned a whole step low.  I reckon they used the same tuning set-up and relative capo placement for "Chicken", but with Frank playing out of the G position and Dan playing out of the C position.
I spent a lot of time working on their duet set-up last summer in preparation for classes that I taught at Port Townsend and the European Blues Association Blues Week.  Their duet sound is beautifully worked out, and because they are playing out of different positions and registers, they never get in each other's way.  I would love to have seen them in person, or just heard Frank Stokes sing, for that matter.
All best,
Johnm

[a2tom]

ah!  Showing my ignorance, as usual.  I suppose I knew that about the Sane Stokes thing in general, but I had it in my mind when I  listened to this that it was one guitar.  I must say, other than these occassional "how could he do THAT" moments, it is amazingly seemlessly intertwined!  Fantastic duet work.  It makes the playing a lot easier too - I imagine Sane is doing most/all of the more involved bass work and Stokes is doing most of the allternating bass/strums and high melody?

Actually, since my post, I found a place where there is a low D/Eb i n the bass (!).  But you really have to listen close to catch this stuff.  Although its funny, now that you say it, those bass pickups DO sound like a low-tuned guitar, giving that real loose snapping sound in the strings.

I suppose Sane says the initial "boy you ever done anything like stealing chickens?"

I have the tune downloaded (legally, money paid) from eMusic.  I really like this route for ease (check it out), but you do miss things like pictures on jackets and liner notes!

Someday (don't hold your breath) I'll try and post a version showing what this sounds like played by one guitar in A position...

Thanks much!


tom

[Slack]

OK PT Workshop Weenies - a month to go before the workshop and here is a little last minute project and/or challenge to work on (you folks that cannot make it this year, can work on it too).

Last year John Miller taught the great Frank Stokes tune "What's the Matter Blues" and so I thought it might be fun for as many of us as possible to practice it, learn some or all of the parts, so that we could play it together in pairs and also record it as a group and put it on the Back Porch when we get back from camp.... call it a "Discordance of Weenies" 

To try and increase our chances, and in case you cannot find your recording or did not attend John's class, I've done a 'quick and dirty' lesson of the tune.  It is a relatively simple tune to learn I think, and even a beginner can pick up one or more of the parts (at least the basic parts, if played at a reasonable speed).  There are 6 parts - three belong to Frank Stokes (high guitar part, break and vocal) and three to Dan Sane (low guitar part and two variations).  I'll post a quick and dirty lesson for the high guitar, and the low guitar and the words to the tune.  I'll post the simple break and two low variations later -- after I learn them. 

Good practice it to record one part and play the other against it.  Learn them all.



What's the Matter Blues

Oh now I wonder what's the matter, I can't rest at night (x2)
A good woman that I'm loving, done took my appetite

And she quit me she left me, to sing this song (x2)
You never miss your friend, till you caught your train and gone

And I'm going downtown, going to stay right there till fall (x2)
Don't get the gal I want, I don't want no girl at all

Say you talk about Sally, talk about Sally Lou (x2)
Well the woman that I'm crazy about, she knows just what to do

What's the matter now baby, that I could not treat you kind (x2)
You give me a bad‑luck deal, kept something on my mind

Cheers,
slack

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