Saturday

Uncle Tupelo: John Hardy

[purchase]

Last week we heard the Carter Family version. Closing out this week an excellent version by Uncle Tupelo from the seminal alt-country album No Depression. Leadbelly gets the writing credit on this disc, but it seems possible that this traditional number predates Leadbelly. The murderer whose story inspired the song was hung in 1894 when Leadbelly was only six years old.

Discuss...

Friday

Tom Jones: Black Betty

[purchase]

Not much to say about this one. You probably love it or hate it. But, fear not, there are eight more versions of Black Betty over at the Nine Bullets blog, including the original and a good one by Ministry. There's bound to be one you like there.

"The is T.J. deadicating a song to Lead Belly! . . . Bam-a-Lam!"

Discuss...

Thursday

Big Joe Turner: Midnight Special Train

[purchase]

Big Joe Turner from Kansas City is a member of both The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and The Blues Hall of Fame. His style bridges the gap between Leadbelly's blues and the early rockers like Elvis Presley and Bill Haley.

A highlight is the rhyming of "Santa Fe" with "me."

Discuss...

Wednesday

Lonnie Donegan: Rock Island Line

[purchase]

Lonnie Donegan was the undisputed King of the British skiffle revival. According to Wikipedia (our favorite source) "Skiffle is a type of folk music with a jazz and blues influence, usually using homemade or improvised instruments such as the washboard, tea chest bass, kazoo, cigar-box fiddle, musical saw, comb and paper, and so forth, as well as more conventional instruments such as acoustic guitar and banjo. Skiffle and jug band music are closely related. Skiffle was particularly popular in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s."

Two important bands got their start during the British skiffle revival. The Beatles evolved from an unkown skiffle group called the Quarrymen. Britain's loudest band, Spinal Tap, started as a skiffle group called The Lovely Lads.

Discuss...

Tuesday

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Cotton Fields

[purchase]

This one's kind of obvious. Almost went with the Beach Boys version, but I've always loved this CCR version, so that's what you get.

"When those cotton balls get rotten, you can't pick very much cotton..."

Discuss...

Monday

X: Dancing With Tears In My Eyes

[purchase]

This is a Tin Pan Alley song from 1930 that Leadbelly performed on his Last Sessions album. In the liner notes to Under A Big Black Sun, X quotes Leadbelly's remarks from the Last Sessions:

"I didn't make this myself, but I'm gonna do it. 'Twas a man he had a pretty wife ... And she went and losed her mind about her husband. We'd got out & play for the insane asylum people ... & they would dance. She was there and her husband would go and sing to her. And 2 weeks after he sang this song, she come back to her senses and they got back together. That's to show how music can bring you back ... If you ain't too far gone."

-Leadbelly

Discuss...

Saturday

Billie Holiday: Strange Fruit

[purchase]

Southern trees bear a strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.

Pastoral scene of the gallant South,
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh,
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh!

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck,
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck,
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop,
Here is a strange and bitter crop.

Read about it.

Discuss...

Friday

The Carter Family: John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man

[purchase]

This song about a West Virginia coal miner comes from Harry Smith's legendary box set called Anthology of American Folk Music. Not only is the Anthology a treasure trove of early folk, blues, and string band music, but it served as an important influence on Bob Dylan and many artists to follow.

John Hardy was a desperate little man
He carried two guns every day
He shot down a man on the West Virginia line
You ought to seen old John Hardy getting away

Discuss...

Thursday

Leadbelly: It's Tight Like That

[purchase]

Plug this thing in, add some drums, and you've got rock and roll! As the title of the album suggests, this song comes from one of Leadbelly's last sessions, which were recorded in 1948.

Some folks say that a preacher won't steal. I caught two in my corn field. It's tight like that...

Discuss...

Wednesday

Louis Armstrong: St. James' Infirmary

[purchase]

Louis was simply one of the greats. This one was recorded in Chicago in 1928.

Discuss...

Tuesday

Jimmie Rodgers: Blue Yodel No. 9

[purchase]

Here's an amazing track featuring an early pioneer of country music, Jimmie Rodgers, singing the blues with early jazz great Louis Armstrong blowing behind him.

This song was recorded in 1930. Jimmie Rodgers died three years later, in 1933. Years later, Louie Armstrong told the story of the recording session during an appearance on the Johnny Cash show.



Discuss...

Monday

Robert Johnson: 32-20 Blues

[purchase]

This week's theme is "the old days," which we have arbitrarily defined as before 1950. Was there any good music made way back then? There had to be, right? Let's find out...

First up is Robert Johnson, the bluesman who sold his soul to Satan to learn how to play. This song was recorded 72 years ago in 1936.

If I send for my baby, and she don't come,
All the doctors in Hot Springs sure can't help her none...

Discuss...

Saturday

The Cowboy Junkies: To Live Is To Fly (Townes Van Zandt Cover)

[purchase]

We're playing requests now on the bandstand. This one comes from a half-Canadian anonymous commenter who chimed in on Monday's post. Thanks to all!

Six Songs isn't the only blog to love The Cowboy Junkies or Townes, but we've got them both covered in one great song.

I'll miss the system here
The bottom's low and the treble's clear
But it don't pay to think too much
On the things you leave behind...

Discuss...

(Any ideas for next week's theme?)

Friday

Nomeansno: Rags And Bones

[out of print]

Because we love our commenters and a good jazzcore tune. This one comes from the classic album Wrong by Nomeansno. This songs really rocks. Really.

"I am married to a cigarette butt lying in the gutter."

Discuss...

Thursday

The Band: Across The Great Divide

[purchase]

Rock music does not get better.

Now Molly dear, don't ya shed a tear, your time will surely come,
You'll feed your man chicken ev'ry sunday,
Now tell me, hon, what-cha done with the gun...

Discuss...

Wednesday

Joni Mitchell: Coyote

[purchase]

Here is the lead track from Joni's underrated Hejira album. It's got a great laid-back feel. And Joni is a giant in our eyes.

He had those same eyes - just like yours
Under your dark glasses
Privately probing the public rooms
And peeking thru keyholes in numbered doors
Where the players lick their wounds
And take their temporary lovers
And their pills and powders to get them thru this passion play

Discuss...

Tuesday

Leonard Cohen: The Future (Single Version)

[purchase]

Here's one from another great Canadian songwriter.

I've seen the future brother, it is murder.

Discuss...

Monday

Neil Young: Crime In The City (Sixty To Zero Part 1)

[purchase]

In an effort to add a bit more continuity to the presentation, Six Songs is going to start having theme weeks. This week's theme: CANADA! We love Canada. Nice people. Trees. Clean cities. Moose. And good music, eh?

All songs this week will be from artists associated with the "Great White North."

The artist looked at the producer
The producer sat back
He said, "What we have got here
Is a perfect track
But we don't have a vocal
And we don't have a song
If we could get these things accomplished
Nothin' else could go wrong."
So he balanced the ashtray
As he picked up the phone
And said, "Send me a songwriter
Who's drifted far from home
And make sure that he's hungry
Make sure he's alone
Send me a cheeseburger
And a new Rolling Stone."
Yeah.

Discuss...

Saturday

The Pretty Things: Get The Picture?

[purchase]

According to All Music Guide, The Pretty Things are the most under-appreciated British Invasion band. Do you agree?

Discuss...

Friday

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble: Texas Flood

[purchase]

Thanks to Matt for the nice comment yesterday. The "ribbon of continuity" (nice phrase) is the goal, but we hit a dead end yesterday. So today we are starting a new ribbon with some hard-ass 1980s blues. Dig it.

Well there's floodin' down in Texas, all of the telephone lines are down
And I've been tryin' to call my baby, Lord and I can't get a single sound

Discuss...