Topic: What tunes are you working on?

[Slack]

Ooops, I think I'll remove my post unitl I find out who Andy Kim is....

otherwise I foolishly risk stooping to your guys level of judgement and good taste! 

[GhostRider]

John:

Andy Kim was a '60's bubblegum-pop singer, most famous (in my humble opinion) for the classic "Elephant Candy".

Peace, Slack. Rock on, bro',
Alex

[dj]

Andy Kim is also the guy who wrote "Sugar Sugar" for the Archies.  I have that song slowed down on Transcribe and am working on my country blues version right now.  I envision it as a moody "Devil Got My Woman" kind of piece.   

[Slack]

OK, thanks --- I think I'll edit (leaving old whats-his-name out of it) and then restore my post --- don't want folks to get the wrong idea (I should have known coming from Alex).   

---snip---
Simon, yes it is tough and a challenge for sure - especially for learning 25 songs at a time.  We're trying to work on 4 and that is tough enough!

Don't let the dark side tempt you too far either, at least I'm still playing flatted thirds and sevenths!   

Cheers,

[Norfolk Slim]

Im sneaking some nice bent 7ths on my e chords into the mix...  And have added a slide part to Aint no Sunshine 

[Blue in VT]

Weenies,

Well I thought it was time I chime in on this thread as well...everyone seems to be doing so.  I am working through several pieces at this point and trying to clean up some others.  As a relative beginner my ongoing projects are MJH Spike Drivers Blues (I think I have this one down finally) and I've Got the Blues and Can't be satisfied.  I like the way this song sounds play slow but can't quite get it up to tempo just yet. 

In the quest to get my @#$@# F chord down pat I am also working on My Creole Belle.  This song I've gone to as good practice for my C to F transition.  I decided I needed to do this after learning E. Cotten's Mamma Your Pappa Loves You (this is a grat instrumental) and getting to the end where she suddenly switches to the key of C for the exit and found I couldn't get the C to F transition down smoothly...the rest of the piece sounds good though...

that where I'm at

Blue

[Gingergeezer]

I've been working on Yoyo Blues, BBQ Bob, on my National...it's nearly there. After that I think it'll be Chicken You Can Roost Behind the Moon...a great song and what a title!

[Orb Mellon]

Patton's "Boll Weavil Blues" is my current project.  After trying with no satisfaction to work it in Open G capoed up and sliding all over above the neck joint for the "Lordie," primarily because Bob Brozman professed that that is how it is played, I saw John Hammond do it, staying down below the neck joint.  It sounded great and showed itself to be eminently do-able without playing lapstyle. So now it got my guitar tuned to Open D, capo up to B. The song is actually very easy to play. What I'm really working on is sounding like I'm not just reading the hilarious lyrics when I sing them.

     ....."Lordie"

[uncle bud]

Blue -just when you think you have Spike Driver down, you end up seeing John Hurt play it on the video footage from Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest (available from Stefan Grossman on one of the Legends of Country Blues DVDs, and I believe on the John Miller instructional DVD).    I still can't play it like him.

Ginger - there's quite a thread on the Frank Stokes chicken ditty in the forum somewhere...

Orb - did Brozman specify lapstyle?  Anyway, Hammond can pretty much do anything, and is certainly one to go above the neck joint without playing lap - if you needed to. Very cool that you're working on this one. Would love to hear it on the Back Porch one day...

UB

[Blue in VT]

Yeah, I should clarify that I think I have the notes to Spike Drivers down...but when I listen to either the 1920's version or the later Vanguard recording...I realize that I just can't capture that particular feel that Hurt gets...its got a funky rhythm that I just don't think you can put down on paper.  Perhaps it is easier to get that feel when its played up tempo...someday

Blue

[GhostRider]

Hi all:

Here's the "Chicken Roost Behind the Moon" lyrics thread

http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=83&topic=310.0;all

Still not quite resolved. Anybody want to try and finish it off?

alex

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I recently figured out (as much as you can figure it out) Rev. Davis's "I Decided To go Down", an F tune that can be found on "Say No To The Devil".  I haven't played a whole lot of Rev. Davis's music, and working on this tune has been an awakening.  Unlike many of his tunes, it never ventures above the fifth fret, but his coverage of the neck was so amazing, even when confined to the base of the neck.  This is a very funky, raw, sort of tune that is different from anything else I have heard Rev. Davis or anyone else play in F.  I would bet it is on the Juke.
All best,
Johnm

[GhostRider]

Hi all:

Thought I'd record what I'm working on right now so that I'll be forced to finish these.

Hurry Blues - Little Hat Jones
Slightly frenetic tune in C Standard. Think I have the basics (thanks John), now to get it up to speed.

That'll Be Alright - Kansas Joe and Memphis Minnie
Another in C Standard. Been poking away at this one for some time, time to finish it!

Preacher's Blues - Hi Henry Brown
E standard. Again sort of have the basics. The IV (A) chord section is a crippler, have to work out the LH fingering.

Special Rider Blues - Skip James
Learned the basics of this one from Grossman TAB years ago, have recently gone back to the original to fix it. I'm close on this one.

Falling Down Blues - Robert Wilkins
Off the JohnM VHS

Buddy Boy Hawkins
I've been fooling around with a couple of his blues tunes for years. Time to polish/finish them (Aweful Fix Blues etc)

More Bo Carter, Funny Papa Smith

Plus some tunes from 1932.

Alex

[GhostRider]

Ladies, Gentlemen and Unkie Bud:

During a 4.5 hour drive lately, I got to listening to the Proper Memphis Minnie set and I got enthused by a tune "Ice Man (Come On Up)" of her's.

It's in G, Standard tuning. monotonic bass, a little rocker with all sorts of first position G licks. Lyrics are pretty blatant female sexuality, but that's OK. I've got it 99% figured out, a lot of fun to play.

Memphis Minnie was great in G Standard (her favorite key?).

I'll post the TAB here shortly.

Give it a listen,
Alex

[CF]

Cool thread
I've been working on BB Fuller's 'Baby You Don't Have To Worry' in C & capoed up high . . .
Lemon's 'Hangman Blues' & 'Prison Cell' in G & E positions respectively . . .
Sam Collins' 'Lonesome Road Blues'  in C pos which is kind of a version of In The Pines & Freight Train mixed together
& Joe Calicott's 'Traveling Mama Blues' (G)
 . . . actually been tinkering with Mj Hurt's 'Spike Driver' (G) . . .
lots on the plate . . .