Robert Johnson (Cross Road Blues); Skip James (22-20 Blues); Robert Johnson (I Believe I'll Dust My Broom); Elmore James (Dust My Broom); Robert Johnson (Kindhearted Woman Blues); Robert Johnson (If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day); Muddy Waters (Walking Blues); Sonny Boy Williamson II (Steady Rollin' Man); Eric Clapton (Little Queen Of Spades); Rory Block (Last Fair Deal Gone Down); Alexis Korner (Hellhound On My Trail); Elam McKnight and Keith Carter (Terraplane Blues); Peter Green and The Splinter Group (From Four Till Late); Otis Spann (I Got Rambling On My Mind); Freddie King (Sweet Home Chicago); Robert Johnson (They're Red Hot); Robert Johnson (Me And The Devil Blues).
Nothing But The Blues
Nothing But The Blues #138
(upbeat guitar music) ♪ I went to crossroads ♪ ♪ There's no money ♪ ♪ I went to crossroads ♪ ♪ I sat down on my knees ♪ ♪ As the Lord brother, Mr. Nuff ♪ ♪ Say, poor Father, did you please ♪ ♪ He said to crossroads ♪ ♪ Let the plague arise ♪ (upbeat guitar music) ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Oh, Dr. Brother, Brother ♪ ♪ In your sight, the lonely baby ♪ ♪ Everybody press me by ♪ ♪ Sided to crossroads, baby ♪ ♪ Right as long as I'm going down ♪ ♪ Sided to crossroads, oh, baby ♪ ♪ He's right as long as I'm going down ♪ ♪ I did it 'til I saw her ♪ ♪ Oh, Brother, back it down ♪ ♪ Keep it right, get it wrong ♪ ♪ Tell my friend we're brown ♪ ♪ You can learn, you can learn ♪ ♪ Tell my friend we're brown ♪ ♪ I got closer to this more, Lord ♪ ♪ Save her, I'm slacking down ♪ ♪ I did it 'til I saw a mama ♪ ♪ I let's eat the way ♪ ♪ I would take crossroads, baby ♪ ♪ I let's eat the way ♪ ♪ I ain't gonna sleep on the moon ♪ ♪ Baby, in my disease ♪ - Welcome to Nothing But The Blues, it's Maycliff. That was Robert Johnson with Cross Road Blues, three words. And May the 8th is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Robert Johnson in Hazelhurst, Mississippi. And I started with that track because of the enduring myth that he went to the Cross Road and sold the loose double to the devil in exchange for the ability to play like he could. A few years ago, somebody pretending to be the devil put an item on eBay labeled Robert Johnson's soul, but eBay took it down because of the nobody parts policy. Some people have no sense of humor. A couple of years ago, I managed to track down a 3D box set called "Big Borrow or Steel," the origins, music and influence of Robert Johnson. And the first part of their arguments is that he actually did more than borrow a lot of his stuff. I'm not gonna go into that in any detail, but as an example of the origins, this is Skip James. (gentle music) ♪ Advice is for my baby ♪ ♪ And she don't come ♪ ♪ Advice is for my today ♪ ♪ And she don't come ♪ ♪ All he's knocked up in my scrumption ♪ ♪ He won't help but know ♪ ♪ He'll ask you to give fun of me ♪ ♪ And you so she don't ♪ ♪ My baby gives me a new name ♪ ♪ And she don't want to ♪ ♪ I'll take my son into the 20 ♪ ♪ I'm gonna have you ♪ ♪ You talkin' 'bout to a portable buddy ♪ ♪ I'm gonna do very well ♪ ♪ I'm gonna not do 'bout a good boy today ♪ ♪ I'm gonna do very well ♪ ♪ Advice is for my today ♪ ♪ Lord is a boy in here ♪ ♪ I'm ready for you ♪ ♪ I'm ready for you ♪ ♪ I'll ask you to give fun of me ♪ ♪ I'm ready for you ♪ ♪ I'm ready for you ♪ ♪ I'm ready for you ♪ ♪ I'm ready for you ♪ ♪ I'll take your son into the land ♪ ♪ I'll take your son into the land ♪ ♪ I'll take your son into the land ♪ ♪ I'll take your son into the land ♪ ♪ I'll take your son into the land ♪ ♪ I'll take my son into the land ♪ ♪ I'll take your son into the land ♪ ♪ I, I, I, I ♪ ♪ And I can't take my dress ♪ ♪ I, I, I, I ♪ ♪ I can't take my dress ♪ ♪ At my 42 ♪ ♪ Then I'll put down my dress ♪ Skip James with 22/20 blues, recorded in Grafton, Wisconsin, in February 1931, almost six years before Johnson's 32/20 blues. Mind you, even if he borrowed the words of which blues men have been doing Grafton long, Johnson's guitar arrangement was obviously original. Since that was one of the few tracks that Skip James only ever played on piano. So Johnson obviously had his origins, but the rest of the show is more dedicated to showing his enduring influence, as well as playing some of his own music. This is him. (upbeat music) ♪ I'm gonna get up in the morning ♪ ♪ I didn't leave out the courtroom ♪ ♪ I'm gonna get up in the morning ♪ ♪ I didn't leave out just my room ♪ ♪ Let me in the blank and you'll be loving ♪ ♪ Good friends can't get my room ♪ ♪ I'm gonna write a letter ♪ ♪ Tell the phone, let me tell her no ♪ ♪ I'm gonna write a letter ♪ ♪ Tell the phone, let me tell her no ♪ ♪ If I can't find what's on her ♪ ♪ She must be in this one row, I know ♪ ♪ I don't want no woman ♪ ♪ Open it down the town, man, she me ♪ ♪ I don't want no woman ♪ ♪ Open it down the town, man, she me ♪ ♪ She don't like her donate ♪ ♪ Let you lie on the street ♪ ♪ I've been it here ♪ ♪ I believe I'll go back home ♪ ♪ I've been it here ♪ ♪ I believe I'll go back home ♪ ♪ You can let me hear me ♪ ♪ But you came when I go home ♪ ♪ And I'm getting up in the morning ♪ ♪ I believe I'll go back home ♪ ♪ I'm getting up in the morning ♪ ♪ I believe I'll go back home ♪ ♪ I've been the black man you've been loving ♪ ♪ A friend can't get in my room ♪ ♪ I'm gonna call up Johnny ♪ ♪ She's my good girl over there ♪ ♪ I'm gonna call up Johnny ♪ ♪ She's my good girl over there ♪ ♪ I can't find Philippines out ♪ ♪ She must be an idiot somewhere ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) ♪ I'm gonna get up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'll believe I'll dust in my room ♪ ♪ I'm gonna get up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'll believe I'll dust in my room ♪ ♪ I'll put the best in the morning ♪ ♪ Now my friends can't get in my room ♪ ♪ I'm gonna die in the morning ♪ ♪ I won't let it drown, I know ♪ ♪ I'm gonna run, I know ♪ ♪ I'm gonna run, I know ♪ ♪ If I don't run, I'm gonna run, I know ♪ ♪ She's an eastward road, I know ♪ ♪ I don't wanna go, I know ♪ ♪ I'll let it downtown miss me ♪ ♪ I don't wanna know my mind ♪ ♪ But let it downtown miss me ♪ ♪ Man, she's an old good donut ♪ ♪ Man, she's lying on the street ♪ ♪ I'll believe, I'll believe my time ain't long ♪ ♪ I'm gonna believe my time ain't long ♪ ♪ I'm gonna believe my time ain't long ♪ ♪ I'm gonna believe my baby ♪ ♪ And bring up my heavy home ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music) Elmo James, who does my broom? That's the arrangement that bands all over the world are still playing, and he recorded it several times, but that's the original. It's the first track every recorded, in fact, in Jackson, Mississippi, in August, 1951. With Sonny Boy Williamson the second on harmonica, and he's coming up later as well. Before that, of course, Robert Johnson, with, I believe, I'll dust my broom, recorded on Monday, November the 23rd, 1936, in San Antonio. But let's have a couple more from Robert now. (upbeat music) ♪ I've gotta count on it, woman ♪ ♪ Anything is worth for me ♪ ♪ I've gotta count on it, woman ♪ ♪ Anything is worth for me ♪ ♪ Let's see you, Lord, and women ♪ ♪ And they will not let me be ♪ ♪ Elmo, my baby ♪ ♪ My baby, don't love me ♪ ♪ I love my baby ♪ ♪ My baby, don't love me ♪ ♪ And I really love that one ♪ ♪ Can't stand to leave a beat ♪ ♪ I ain't but the one thing ♪ ♪ Six months of jobs and dreams ♪ ♪ We're about how you treat me, baby ♪ ♪ I begin to think I'll be ♪ ♪ My life don't feel the same ♪ ♪ You break my heart when you come ♪ ♪ Just don't hold me ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) ♪ She's a kind hearted woman ♪ ♪ She's dirty people all the time ♪ ♪ She's a kind hearted woman ♪ ♪ She's dirty people all the time ♪ ♪ You asked her to kill me ♪ ♪ You asked her to have it on your mind ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ If I ain't possession ♪ ♪ No, I don't have my day ♪ ♪ If I ain't possession ♪ ♪ No, I don't have my day ♪ ♪ Not anyone I'm learning when ♪ ♪ I'm not right to pray ♪ ♪ I went to the mountain ♪ ♪ To the world my eyes would see ♪ ♪ I went to the mountain to the world my eyes would see ♪ ♪ I went to the mountain to the world my eyes would see ♪ ♪ I went to the mountain to the world my eyes would see ♪ ♪ I went to the mountain to the world my eyes would see ♪ ♪ I went to the mountain to the world my eyes would see ♪ ♪ I went to the mountain to the world my eyes would see ♪ ♪ I went to the mountain to the world my eyes would see ♪ ♪ I went to the mountain to the world my eyes would see ♪ ♪ I went to the mountain to the world my eyes would see ♪ ♪ I fell in my mind you never gonna come someday ♪ ♪ I run you baby ♪ ♪ I run you baby ♪ ♪ I run you baby ♪ ♪ Turn on all my me ♪ ♪ I want to tell you about the way they're treating me ♪ Robert Johnson, of course, if I had possession over judgment day, recorded on Friday the 27th of November, the 26th in San Antonio and previously on issue on 78. Before that kind hearted woman blues, it was the first track that Robert Johnson ever recorded. It was on the November 23rd session that also produced, I believe I'll dust my broom. Well, a couple of the Chicago greats now. ♪ ♪ Well, I woke up this morning feeling round ♪ ♪ Round from my shoes ♪ ♪ You could tell by that people I had these over ♪ ♪ This old walking blue I will ♪ ♪ Up this morning ♪ ♪ Round from my shoes ♪ ♪ Well, you can tell by that not people's ♪ ♪ You hear me? I had to walk in blue ♪ ♪ ♪ Well, something without a worry ♪ ♪ Old blue ain't bad ♪ ♪ That's the worst I'm feeling I'm losing ♪ ♪ I'm almost never having ♪ ♪ Some people tell me it ain't without a worry ♪ ♪ Old blue ain't bad ♪ ♪ Well, after worst I'm feeling that sound ♪ ♪ You hear me? I'm going to sell my hair ♪ ♪ Well, I'm leaving this moment behind ♪ ♪ All right, you're blind ♪ ♪ You're not ♪ ♪ I don't mind dying ♪ ♪ But I'm leaving this morning ♪ ♪ But have a ♪ ♪ All right, you're blind ♪ ♪ Well, you know I've been mistreating our people ♪ ♪ You hear me? I don't mind dying ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Well, now, goodbye people are here ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I'll roll for my little boy there ♪ ♪ Both night and day ♪ ♪ ♪ I roll for my little baby ♪ ♪ You know both night and day ♪ ♪ I just wonder why, why she wanna treat me this way. [MUSIC] Sonny Boy Williamson II, a steady rolling man, recorded in Chicago in 1958 with Willie Dickson on bass. And Sonny Boy was actually there playing with Robert Johnson on the night he was poisoned as was her honey-boyhoods. And before that, muddy waters with walking blues. I'm playing this from a compilation called Don't Nest with the Blues, which has absolutely no track information on it whatsoever. But my research suggests that it was recorded at the Newport Folk Festival in July 1968. Well, two people who've dedicated whole album, Mr. Robert Johnson's music are Eric Clapton and Rory Block, something from them next. [MUSIC] She is a little queen of spares, and a man will not let her be. [MUSIC] She is a little queen of spares, and a man will not let her be. [MUSIC] Every time she make a spread, ooh, February cold chill, run all over me. [MUSIC] Don't look at me a gambling woman, if it's the last thing that I do. [MUSIC] Don't look at me a gambling woman, if it's the last thing that I do. [MUSIC] A man will need a woman. A fair brown daddy gotta give all of his money too. [MUSIC] Everybody says you got a more job. This baby you've been using that stuff. [MUSIC] Everybody says you got a more job. Baby you've been using that stuff. [MUSIC] Gotta wear trimming down. Ooh, fair brown and I mean it's more suitable. 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