Topic: Great covers

[uncle bud]

B&GR lists Big Bill Blues as being recorded 12 February 1936

Indeed it was. I have to stop drinking & writing posts.
The V chord on the I in 'Big Bill Blues' is funky. Makes the vocal real tricky too because you're resolving on the V . . . & then beginning on the V!

Not just the eggnog. My version in mp3 format has ID3 tags that also say "(1935)".

[David Kaatz]

Bob Dylan - just about any folk cover he did, but I'm thinking specifically of the album World Gone Wrong.  Broke Down Engine is really good.  Great singing, very respectable guitar playing.

My wife would say Delia as covered by David Bromberg (also on the above Dylan album.)

Dave

[Mr.OMuck]

Big Bill's version of Blind Lemon's CC Rider. Pretty much the same licks, so clearly him deliberately playing Blind Lemon, only........swingin' as only BBB could be.

[Richard]

Casey Bill's version of BBBlues from 27 May '36 also starts with the V chord.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Charlie Patton's cover of Arthur Pettis's "Revenue Man" is a beauty.
All best,
Johnm

[Vidal]

Not exactly a cover, as such, but you get the gist:

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I realized in the course of working on Bob Campbell's "Starvation Farm Blues" this past week that it starts out, at least in its lyrics, as a cover of Blind Blake's "Detroit Bound Blues".  As "Starvation Farm Blues" goes along, its lyrics diverge from the Blake song, and it bears absolutely no resemblance to "Detroit Bound Blues" in either its melody or accompaniment, so I guess you could say it is a cover at some degree of remove from its model, but I like it all the better for that--I'd rather hear Bob Campbell be himself than try to be Blind Blake.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I was recently listening to the Yazoo CD, "Twenty First St. Stomp--The Piano Blues of St. Louis", and found a song covered there that I was amazed to hear covered:  Peg Leg Howell's "Low Down Rounder Blues".  The version on the St. Louis anthology is by Charlie McFadden, who is accompanied by Roosevelt Sykes, I believe, and I think it's interesting to see what McFadden did with Peg Leg Howell's very unusual, sort of flowery-sounding lyrics.  (McFadden sings an altogether different melody than did Peg Leg Howell).  Here are Peg Leg Howell's lyrics:

Just a worried old rambler, with a troublesome mind
Just a worried old rambler, with a troublesome mind
All bundled up from hardships, fates to me have been unkind.

I wouldn't listen to my mother, wouldn't listen to my dad
I wouldn't listen to my mother, wouldn't listen to my dad
And by my reckless living, I've put myself in bad.

(spoken) I wouldn't listen to nobody, I was headlong, wouldn't hear what nobody said.
Mama talked to me all the time, but I was a wil' child, wouldn't listen to her.

I ain't trustin' nobody, I'm 'fraid of myself
I ain't trustin' nobody, I'm 'fraid of myself
I've been too lowdown, liable to put me on the shelf.

My friends have turned against me, smilin' in my face
My friends have turned against me, smilin' in my face
Since I been so disobed'ent, I must travel in disgrace.

I cannot shun the devil, he stays right by my side
I cannot shun the devil, he stays right by my side
Tellin' you there's no way to cheat him, I'm so dissatisfied.

Ain't nobody wants me, they wouldn't be in my shoes
Ain't nobody wants me, they wouldn't be in my shoes
I feel so disgusted, I got them low-down rounder blues.

Here are Charlie McFaddens' lyrics to his "Low Down Rounders Blues"

Just a worried old rounder with a troublin' mind
Just a worried old rounder with a troublin' mind
Bundled up from hard times, that to me have been all times

Wouldn't listen to Mother, wouldn't listen to Dad
Wouldn't listen to Mother, wouldn't listen to Dad
For my rough way of livin', done got myself in bad

I ain't trustin' nobody, I'm so afraid of myself
I ain't trustin' nobody, I'm so afraid of myself
Because I've been so low-down, Liza put me on the shelf

My friends have turned against me, layin' flat in my face
My friends have turned against me, layin' flat in my face
For all my wrong-doing, I just travel in disgrace

I just can't lose the devil, he stays right by my side
I just can't lose the devil, he stays right by my side
Ain't no way I can cheat him, I'm so dissatisfied

Nobody would want me, wouldn't even be in my shoes
Nobody would want me, wouldn't even be in my shoes
Lord, I'm so disgusted, got those low-down rounder's blues

All best,
Johnm

[The Jazzbo Tommy Settler]

I think every cover (including It's A Fight Like That) that Ben Curry and King Solomon Hill did was excellent. Rev. A. Johnson's version of God Don't Like it, Jed Davenport's How Long Blues is one of my favourite harmonica tracks, Monroe Moe Jackson's cover of Hank William's 'Move It On Over', and Peg Leg Howell's Too Tight Blues. To name a few from memory.

[cih]

I'll second Jed Davenport's How Long!!

[devils son in law]

Going out on a limb here....Having found the New York Dolls as a teen, Ive always like David Johansen. His work with the Harry Smith's on 2 CDs nails quite a few old classics, in my opinion. Robert Wilkens (Ill go with her), Jim Jackson ( old dog blue), Rube Lacy ( ham hound crave), Patton ( high sheriff), MJH ( let the mermaids flirt with me). 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I found a cover the day before yesterday that I especially like.  It is the Alabama Sheiks doing "Sittin' On Top of the World", and can be found on "String Bands 1926-1929", Document Records DOCD-5167.  The Alabama Sheiks were Eddie West on violin and vocal and Ad Fox on guitar and vocal.  I don't know which of the two sang lead on "Sittin' On Top of the World".  They do the song in D, and I would assume Ad Fox was doing the singing, actually, because he tracks the way the vocal is sung so closely with a flat-picked guitar (I think) doubling the melody as it is sung, with almost no chordal strumming.  The duo just had a wild sound, and I really recommend them to those of you who like that sort of thing.
All best,
Johnm

[Rivers]

The duo just had a wild sound, and I really recommend them to those of you who like that sort of thing.

Just a wild guess but I suspect everyone here likes that sort of thing.

[Stuart]

Sounds like Frankie to me, John. Says it was recorded in NJ in '31, so...

[mr mando]

The duo just had a wild sound, and I really recommend them to those of you who like that sort of thing.

Document Records DOCD-5167 is among my 20 favorite CDs from the Document Catalog. Apart from the Alabama Sheiks, I especially like Nap Hayes and Matthew Prater, Andrew and Jim Baxter and the Old Pal Smoke Shop Four. Great and very diverse music. They should have included the Three Stripped Gears, then the CD would be close to the top of my list.