OK not even joking over the weekend I remembered this song and was like "Hey i'm gonna use it" and then i saw you post about this song earlier and I was like "oh no he's gonna do it". I LOVE this song.
I can't claim to be a good singer but I do enjoy when musicians sing in a register I am capable of replicating, this has gotten some car-aoke time. Doc Watson is always a salve for my soul.
My dad loves JJ Cale, I am glad to see he got some play last week! Keep it up Derek!
In a way, I love that I still don't know very much Doc Watson because it's such fun to discover these tunes on Blue Wednesday. AND I love bluegrass as well.
But yes, this is a wonderful little mix of a song. The lyrics are blues and bluegrass at the same time while the music itself is strictly bluegrass. Watson's guitar picking is really incredible. Thanks for this.
And I was glad to see JJ Cale come about too. If I have any say in the matter, he will appear again...
OK I was lookin' for an excuse to nerd out on blues lineage and you've given me the narrowest of openings so here I go running off.
If you listen to Irish music, you will find basically the same instrumentation you find in Bluegrass, which is sensible for the scotch-irish poor populated the Appalachians and set the musical culture there. The irish have a long history of being put under the thumb of the British and feuding with them, and their own unique cultural trials and sufferings. Irish music, right from the heart of ireland, rhymes with blues without being blues. They are cousins--Irish music can be humorously self deprecating, can be poignantly sad, can be invigoratingly lively.
The Scotch-Irish brought this to America and lent their unique american flavor to it.
The other lineage of blues, I believe, is African spirituals from enslaved communities. We have some of the same elements: A long-suffering people, a kind of transcendent resolve, a light hearted self deprecation that comes less from self-abasement and more from spiritual detachment, if I can generalize. African spirituals form a HUGE part of the direct lineage of Blues and it was the mixing of the Jazz era and radio with this music that brought Blues to the forefront.
I believe, but cannot prove, that it's the intermingling of Appalachian Bluegrass and this early blues sourced in African spirituals that gives us modern blues as we know it. Two peoples, oppressed and long suffering (in very different ways), commiserating over their shared Americanness and their relatable human sufferings, that produces some incredible music. So bluegrass, it is fair to say, is NOT blues but it is proudly in the blues family!
Nerd out anytime Scoot! You paint an interesting picture and you might be on to something. I've not delved very deeply into the history of either bluegrass of the blues in that sense but what you've laid out makes sense.
No matter how we got to modern blues, I certainly agree that the blues is a wonderful way for people of many different walks of life to relate to each other. If there is anything we all have in common, it's that we all go through hard times. And what better way to express a bit of despair and hope than with beautiful music.
Thank you for bringing this to the surface! I knew it existed but have never listened. I'll have it playing throughout the day. We'll see what song I settle on to add to the playlist haha.
You can’t omit the fantastic Guitar Slim, with a 20 year old Ray Charles on piano and and an even younger Jimi Hendrix peeking through the blinds.
Blues from Seattle, Guitar Slim was most influential because once, his amp broke and the speaker started distorting with a fuzzy tone, he liked it and said “don’t fix it. I like it like that.”
Young Jimmy heard that and learned how to make his guitar amp sound the same way without busting up the speakers or circuitry.
Jimi was an electronics whiz. He invented many effects pedals just by tinkering.
Well, legend has it.
Guitar Slim songs of note:
The Things I Used to Do.
Something to Remember you by.
Suffering Mind.
I Done Got Over It.
I think Slim only got to record little more than 20 songs, but like Robert Johnson, many of his songs are classics.
Thank you for a great story and all these suggestions. I'll definitely be listening to these throughout the day. And I'll will add all of these to the playlist but they may get shuffled around a bit as to not have too many by one artists too close to each other. I'm a stickler for having space between the same artist on the same playlist.
I've managed to listen to all the tracks you suggested and have really enjoyed all of these songs. All have been added and shuffled into the mix of the playlist. Thanks again!
Speaking of songs referencing rain, here's my contribution: I heard it on an episode of Designated Survivor once. "I think It's Going to Rain Today", Randy Newman.
What a performance! Thank you Cork. That was really fun. Bonnie Raitt really killed it with that slide guitar! I obviously haven't listened to enough of her music.
Hey Derek, get a bunch of guys singing; what could be better?! Great pic and story. Not good at genres myself, and was trying to find if The Righteous Brothers, Unchained Melody, from the movie Ghost, fit that bill. Then I thought of that classic O Happy Day, sung by The Edwin Hawkins Singers, which has a long history, and probably doesn't fit either--so fail! But it's a great listen: (!!)
Love this!! It brought back great memories! Also, here is my contribution this week. “Feels Like Rain” by Buddy Guy.
https://youtu.be/ClpR3fOKPRA?si=jfSTy2x1ZSyBAhQ8
I love this song and have been waiting for it to be mentioned! Thanks Daniel!
I was reminded of this great song while watching Pulp Fiction last weekend, which highlights bluesy piano playing over the guitar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55_9o8LoWiw
OK not even joking over the weekend I remembered this song and was like "Hey i'm gonna use it" and then i saw you post about this song earlier and I was like "oh no he's gonna do it". I LOVE this song.
Haha, sorry to steal your thunder, Scoot! It is an excellent song, though.
How can I complain?? The song is a bop, i'm glad i'm not the only one listening!
Excellent! I've been waiting for Chuck Berry to make an appearance! Thanks Josh for sharing this. Such a wonderful and underrated song.
Here's my contribution this week! Back into Bluegrass, which is blues adjacent but comes at it via a separate lineage which is fascinating to me.
Honey Babe Blues by Doc Watson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPwJQPQI5KQ
I can't claim to be a good singer but I do enjoy when musicians sing in a register I am capable of replicating, this has gotten some car-aoke time. Doc Watson is always a salve for my soul.
My dad loves JJ Cale, I am glad to see he got some play last week! Keep it up Derek!
In a way, I love that I still don't know very much Doc Watson because it's such fun to discover these tunes on Blue Wednesday. AND I love bluegrass as well.
But yes, this is a wonderful little mix of a song. The lyrics are blues and bluegrass at the same time while the music itself is strictly bluegrass. Watson's guitar picking is really incredible. Thanks for this.
And I was glad to see JJ Cale come about too. If I have any say in the matter, he will appear again...
OK I was lookin' for an excuse to nerd out on blues lineage and you've given me the narrowest of openings so here I go running off.
If you listen to Irish music, you will find basically the same instrumentation you find in Bluegrass, which is sensible for the scotch-irish poor populated the Appalachians and set the musical culture there. The irish have a long history of being put under the thumb of the British and feuding with them, and their own unique cultural trials and sufferings. Irish music, right from the heart of ireland, rhymes with blues without being blues. They are cousins--Irish music can be humorously self deprecating, can be poignantly sad, can be invigoratingly lively.
The Scotch-Irish brought this to America and lent their unique american flavor to it.
The other lineage of blues, I believe, is African spirituals from enslaved communities. We have some of the same elements: A long-suffering people, a kind of transcendent resolve, a light hearted self deprecation that comes less from self-abasement and more from spiritual detachment, if I can generalize. African spirituals form a HUGE part of the direct lineage of Blues and it was the mixing of the Jazz era and radio with this music that brought Blues to the forefront.
I believe, but cannot prove, that it's the intermingling of Appalachian Bluegrass and this early blues sourced in African spirituals that gives us modern blues as we know it. Two peoples, oppressed and long suffering (in very different ways), commiserating over their shared Americanness and their relatable human sufferings, that produces some incredible music. So bluegrass, it is fair to say, is NOT blues but it is proudly in the blues family!
Nerd out anytime Scoot! You paint an interesting picture and you might be on to something. I've not delved very deeply into the history of either bluegrass of the blues in that sense but what you've laid out makes sense.
No matter how we got to modern blues, I certainly agree that the blues is a wonderful way for people of many different walks of life to relate to each other. If there is anything we all have in common, it's that we all go through hard times. And what better way to express a bit of despair and hope than with beautiful music.
Dozens of songs by Robben Ford. “Chevrolet” for example. https://open.spotify.com/track/3wFhY7dmKE6hrEJfFLFavB?si=SimkDjaqTHWpl73WpW5Xeg
A song called Chevrolet by a man named Ford.... I'm in. AND it's a fun tune. Thanks Alan!
His sister married into the "Chrysler" family. They always try to get Mr. Ford to pay when they meet for lunch, I guess they are jeep-skates.
Well done! And quick work too haha..
Oh, and basically the whole Blues Breakers first album. https://open.spotify.com/track/43FVOV48LHhXOhZ0t5picb?si=FNxpKj_tQbSow0N5krI9Xg
Thank you for bringing this to the surface! I knew it existed but have never listened. I'll have it playing throughout the day. We'll see what song I settle on to add to the playlist haha.
You can’t omit the fantastic Guitar Slim, with a 20 year old Ray Charles on piano and and an even younger Jimi Hendrix peeking through the blinds.
Blues from Seattle, Guitar Slim was most influential because once, his amp broke and the speaker started distorting with a fuzzy tone, he liked it and said “don’t fix it. I like it like that.”
Young Jimmy heard that and learned how to make his guitar amp sound the same way without busting up the speakers or circuitry.
Jimi was an electronics whiz. He invented many effects pedals just by tinkering.
Well, legend has it.
Guitar Slim songs of note:
The Things I Used to Do.
Something to Remember you by.
Suffering Mind.
I Done Got Over It.
I think Slim only got to record little more than 20 songs, but like Robert Johnson, many of his songs are classics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj33EGMbazY
Thank you for a great story and all these suggestions. I'll definitely be listening to these throughout the day. And I'll will add all of these to the playlist but they may get shuffled around a bit as to not have too many by one artists too close to each other. I'm a stickler for having space between the same artist on the same playlist.
I've managed to listen to all the tracks you suggested and have really enjoyed all of these songs. All have been added and shuffled into the mix of the playlist. Thanks again!
Speaking of songs referencing rain, here's my contribution: I heard it on an episode of Designated Survivor once. "I think It's Going to Rain Today", Randy Newman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk0Ys_pzASw
I did not have Randy Newman on my blues bingo card but happy to have him here! Thanks Michael!
Bonnie Raitt has been around for a long time. First listened to her in the early '70s when she came out with her first album.
In this submission, she is performing 'In the Mood' with John Lee Hooker:
https://youtu.be/lE4P8r8FENY?si=fW0CcG-QKCfv9NTP
What a performance! Thank you Cork. That was really fun. Bonnie Raitt really killed it with that slide guitar! I obviously haven't listened to enough of her music.
Hey Derek, get a bunch of guys singing; what could be better?! Great pic and story. Not good at genres myself, and was trying to find if The Righteous Brothers, Unchained Melody, from the movie Ghost, fit that bill. Then I thought of that classic O Happy Day, sung by The Edwin Hawkins Singers, which has a long history, and probably doesn't fit either--so fail! But it's a great listen: (!!)
https://youtu.be/zXq6fdOXdLg?si=LQF_KsoG5OiUKRf4
Maybe s listen after the blues!
I feel there is enough blue influence in each of these tunes to count for today. Thank you for jumping in!
🎵