Topic: Billiken Johnson

[dj]

As part of my first order from Document's current Summer sale, I bought DOCD 5225, Texas Piano Volume 2.  It's a good collection of material, but I want to focus on just one of the artists included:  Billiken Johnson.

Billiken (or Billikin, apparently label copy includes both forms) Johnson was probably from around Dallas, Texas.  At least all his appearances in the recording studio occurred in Dallas.  Johnson recorded six sides at three different sessions in 1927, 1928, and 929.  Apart from that, I know nothing about him.

The interesting thing about Billiken Johnson is that, at least on record, he neither sang, spoke, nor played an instrument - he was a specialist in whistling and "vocal effects".  Johnson had a whistling technique that allowed him to obtain two notes at once, and thus harmonize with himself.  His "vocal effects" included imitating a train whistle, imitating a trumpet/clarinet/kazoo with just his voice and cupped hands, and, most memorably, braying like a mule.  He must have been fairly well known, at least in the Dallas area, as he received co-billing with the singer on all the records on which he appeared, and in fact on two of the three he received first billing: "Billikin" Johnson And Fred Adams for the record resulting from his 1927 session and Billiken Johnson With Neal Roberts for the record from his 1928 session.  For his 1929 session, his star seems to have dimmed a bit, but he still managed to get his name on the label: Texas Bill Day And Billiken Johnson.

Why am I pointing all this out?  Partly because it's such a sharp reminder of how different times were 80 years ago, when someone known for honking like a train whistle and braying like a mule could get his name on a record label.  And partly because it's yet another reminder how amazingly varied this thing we call "the blues" really is.  I treasure oddballs like this for making the tapestry of the blues so much richer and more complex.            

[Johnm]

Hi dj,
Thanks so much for bringing Billiken Johnson to our attention.  I had never heard of him before.  I would especially be interested to hear his feat of being able to whistle two parts in harmony.  The greatest stunt of that type that I've heard is Sam Hinton's ability to whistle and hum in harmony with his whistling at the same time.  Sam can also do some unearthly things on the diatonic harmonica, like play rounds.  He's an amazing musician.  
I'd love to hear Billiken's donkey bray, too.  I'm a big fan of spot-on impressions of animal sounds.
All best,
Johnm

[uncle bud]

There are a couple Billiken Johnson songs on the Juke - Interurban Blues, and Sunbeam Blues. from the Catfish double CD Texas Blues. I can't recall which vocal techniques these contain - whistling or donkey sounds or others - offhand.

FYI, I have heard at least one person in this thread do a spot-on impression of a sheep.

[oddenda]

Imitation of a sheep? Must be a New Zealander!

Peter B.

[Parlor Picker]

Imitation of a sheep? Must be a New Zealander!

Peter B.

You've been Down-Under too long Peter!

[Slack]

FYI, I have heard at least one person in this thread do a spot-on impression of a sheep.

...and of a bluegrass fan - oh, but that is purely a visual effect.

Vocal effects are a lost art, I've been listening, from the 1920's, to Billy "Uke" Carpenter and his scat singing, or "eefin" singing, which is really weird stuff, an incredible assortment of vocal sounds.

Anyone think of other vocal effects on country blues recordings?  Lots of bells and train whistles made with guitars and harmonicas... the Tommy Johnson yodel, but I'm hard pressed to think of others...

[dj]

There's Leroy Carr doing a whole menagerie on "Carried Water For The Elephant".

[Johnm]

Hi all,
There is also a terrific impression of a wolf howling, then whimpering at the end of Willie Lane's "Howling Wolf Blues", which can be found on the old Yazoo anthology, "Blues From the Western States".  For that matter, Willie Lane was terrific, really a wheel hoss.
All best,
Johnm

[uncle bud]

I listened to Sunbeam Blues and heard Billiken Johnson's impressive train whistle. This reminds me of Jimmie Rodgers doing Waiting for a Train. For years, I thought the train whistle in the intro was one of those wooden train whistles, but then I saw this:

[Johnm]

Hi all,
On the Sleepy John Estes cut, "Poor Man's Friend", Brownsville Son Bonds imitates a flivver running and steam escaping--pretty cool!
All best,
Johnm

[unezrider]

hello friend,
another spot to hear johnson's work is on the yazoo release, "dallas alley drag". it was part of their wonderful series of piano releases. a series i think that was cut short by the passing (i swear i read this awhile back. but after doing a quick search on the google, i can not verify this) of the producer francis wilford-smith.

[hortig78rpm]

there had been many blues-artists to do so, especially harmonica -players ( hounds, trains etc) and at least pianist bert mays who imitated a wild oax....

regards
mike

[dj]

Browsing through Paul Oliver's Blues Off the Record, I came across the following, from the notes to Magpie LP 4415 (1980):

"Billiken Johnson is a pivotal figure though he did not play piano.  His forte was vocal effects, and he was considered rather a clown by his blues musician friends.  A roly-poly figure who died long ago, he was a natural entertainer..."

This short quote just about quadruples the amount of information I have on Billiken Johnson.

 

[dj]

This just in from Bob Eagle via the pre-war-blues list:

"I fondly imagined that Billiken was some sort of diminutive variation of Bill, but I've just found out that it was the name of a doll which was the subject of a "pet rock" type craze in about 1906.   It was supposed to bring good luck, and is still a mascot for St. Louis University.

...

So, presumably Johnson was known as Billiken either because he looked like the doll, or because he held himself out as the bringer of good luck."

Considering that Johnson was apparently pretty rotund, I'd assume he looked like the doll.

[frankie]

google yielded this in 0.29 seconds:

Horsman Company Dolls