Nothing But The Blues
Nothing But The Blues #32
Jay Tamkin Band (Love Don't Keep Me Down); Alex Dixon Band (My
Suspicious Mind); Shemekia Copeland (Sounds Like The Devil); Richard
Ray Farrell and Steve Guyger (Cocaine Blues); Leadbelly (Take A Whiff
On Me); Carey and Lurrie Bell (What My Mama Told Me); Memphis Jug Band
(Cocaine Habit Blues); Victoria Spivey (Dope Head Blues); Reverend Gary
Davis (Cocaine Blues); Champion Jack Dupree (Can't Kick The Habit); Big
Joe Shelton (Cat Fish Alley); Jason Ricci and New Blood (Sweet Loving);
Johnny Shines (Dynaflow Blues); T-Bone Walker (Born To Be No Good); The
Insomniacs (At Least I'm Not With You).
(upbeat rock music) ♪ Love don't beat me down ♪ ♪ I gotta find a way to sit that ground ♪ ♪ Your heart is all I need ♪ ♪ I gotta find a way to set your speed here ♪ ♪ It's the rhythm and the way you're moving up ♪ ♪ The rhythm and the way you just wanna let 'em down ♪ (upbeat rock music) ♪ Love is such a dream ♪ ♪ It's such a thing to think you're ever seeking ♪ ♪ The time and on your side ♪ ♪ The singing color is down to high ♪ ♪ It's the rhythm and the way you're moving up ♪ ♪ The rhythm and the way you just wanna let 'em down ♪ (upbeat rock music) ♪ Love is such a thing to think you're living up ♪ ♪ Love is such a thing to think you're living up ♪ ♪ Love is such a thing to think you're living up ♪ ♪ Love is such a thing to think you're living up ♪ ♪ Love is such a thing to think you're living up ♪ ♪ Love is such a thing to think you're living up ♪ ♪ Love is such a thing to think you're living up ♪ (upbeat rock music) ♪ Love don't keep them down ♪ ♪ I gotta find a way to set the ground ♪ ♪ Your heart is all maybe ♪ ♪ I gotta find a way to set the speed ♪ ♪ It's the rhythm and the way you're moving up ♪ ♪ The rhythm and the way you just wanna let 'em down ♪ (upbeat rock music) ♪ You gotta let me down, girl ♪ ♪ You gotta let me down, girl ♪ ♪ You gotta let me down, girl ♪ ♪ You gotta let me down, girl ♪ ♪ All right, all right ♪ ♪ You gotta let me down, girl ♪ ♪ You gotta let me down, girl ♪ (upbeat rock music) - Welcome to "Nothing But The Blues" with me, Cliff. What a terrific start. That's a guy called Jay Tamkin. I've only just come across him. He's another young British guitar player, 22. And it's great to see young talent in the blues, isn't it? He's got a brand new album out called "Sorted" and it really is Jay Tamkin. I'll be coming back to that one. And this next one is one I'm coming back to as well. The guy's called Alex Dixon, Willie Dixon's grandson. But he's making his own way as a fine piano player. And has assembled a great band, I think. The album is rising up from the bushes, released in a couple of days. And this is "My Suspicious Mind." (upbeat rock music) (upbeat rock music) ♪ I don't try from the same old way ♪ ♪ I read the papers every day ♪ ♪ What's things that people say ♪ ♪ I may drink, and that's okay ♪ ♪ I don't talk on the phone ♪ ♪ They got ways to hear your morning ♪ ♪ I think twice before I say ♪ ♪ Before I sleep, I always pray ♪ ♪ Well, I made up my mind ♪ ♪ All the things I'm gonna leave behind ♪ ♪ When I look around, I just see the sign ♪ ♪ 'Cause that's my suspicious mind ♪ ♪ That's my suspicious mind ♪ ♪ I don't try to fence a car ♪ ♪ You get attention, but then you're fine ♪ ♪ I don't sign anything ♪ ♪ Somebody might try to forge my name ♪ ♪ I pay cash, it's always mine ♪ ♪ Create a car to get you every time ♪ ♪ I don't try to be rude ♪ ♪ I always make a way to chase my food ♪ ♪ Well, I made up my mind ♪ ♪ All the things I'm gonna leave behind ♪ ♪ When I look around, I just see the sign ♪ ♪ That's my suspicious mind ♪ ♪ That's my suspicious mind ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Well, that belly would take a whiff on me. And if it sounded like I was adjusting the sound levels all the way through that, and it wasn't me honest, it really recorded like that. And I can only imagine that he was moving backwards and forwards away from the microphone or something. So you get some horrible peaks occasionally. But if I'd have cut those out, you wouldn't have heard half the rest of it. It's tragic because it's a terrific performance as all the bellies were. It's a song you recorded several times. This one in Wilton, Connecticut in February 1935. And UK listeners might remember Lonnie Darmigan having a hit in the British charts with the somewhat sanitized version, have a drink on me, basically the same song. Before that, Richard Ray Farrell and Steve Geiger with cocaine blues, tremendous stuff. I'm going to change the mood a bit now though, and here's some Carrie and Lori Bell. This is what my mama told me. (upbeat music) (laughs) (laughs) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) (singing in foreign language) (singing in foreign language) (upbeat music) - Victoria Spivey with Dopehead Blues with Lonnie Johnson on guitar, recorded in New York in October 1927. There's been a discussion on one of the Blues list recently about how to pronounce her name. I've always pronounced it Spivey, but there's some suggestion that it should be Speedy. If you know the definitive answer, let me know. Before her Memphis job band with cocaine habit blues, recorded in Memphis in May 1930, and obviously boils some similarity to the lead belly with the wiff on me refrain, which appears all over the place, as does the phrase cocaine's for horses, not for men. While we're on the subject, let's hear from the reverend, this is Gary Davis. - I'm gonna clear you all what you want. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - It's been a long time ago. It's nothing just cocaine, you want snuff along no more. Cocaine's got all around my brain. (upbeat music) - Coming one more, this is about Dorothy Lake. Me and my kid have a cleanly fight. Cocaine's got all around my face. (upbeat music) Got a good morning, about a half day and nine. My kid's got a kid, I'm telling this and nothing's lying. Cocaine's got all around my face. (upbeat music) Then for adopting sin for a freak, this cocaine is a made me sick. Cocaine's got all around my face. (upbeat music) Run you a woman who want you to run you a freak. (upbeat music) Cocaine's got all around my face. (upbeat music) Run you a please, baby, run you a freak. This cocaine is a give me word. Cocaine's got all around my face. (upbeat music) I've been out all night long ain't slipping on you. This cocaine is a give me a term of a freak. Cocaine's got all around my face. (upbeat music) Coming home, I didn't know how to hard-ass. My girl's took me to head with a seven-pound egg. Cocaine's got all around my face. (upbeat music) And then my girl's coming, she's all dressed in red. She has a steady presence to kill me, baby. (upbeat music) Cocaine's got all around my face. (upbeat music) But there's more I feel is there. (upbeat music) What's the feeling I ever want to say? (upbeat music) Cocaine's got all around my face. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) I tell you man, you just ought to be like me. (upbeat music) Okay, and I'll go around my brain. [Music] [Music] I found myself sitting down almost in the lonesome room, sitting myself in dusting all my men for rooming boom. Cocaine have got to go around my brain. Pretty bad when men spend money like that, you know. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Well, I can't kick this habit, and this junk is killing me. [Music] Yeah, that can't kick this habit, and that junk is killing me. [Music] Ever since I started this habit, everything been down on me. [Music] Yeah, and I hung around my friend and smoked ribs, and I thought I was doing alright. [Music] Now I've lost a good woman, and I have no place to sleep at night. [Music] Well, I went to the doctor. See, could he kill this habit for me? [Music] Yes, I went to the doctor. See, could he kill this habit for me? [Music] He looked at me and shook his head and said, "A dope is killing me." [Music] Yes, I know it's killing me. [Music] I pushed out a list of what my mother said. [Music] You told me that dope wasn't no good. I didn't pay it no mind. I thought I was alright. [Music] It don't pay nobody just to live their life so bad. [Music] It don't pay nobody just to live their life so bad. [Music] If you just take it slow and easy, just as long as there's habit left. [Music] Champion Jack Dupree with Carl Kicked Abbott from his album, Blues from the Cutter, originally released in 1958. Wonderful stuff. Before that, Reverend Gary Davis with cocaine blues recorded live in Manchester's free trade hall in May 1964. And I think that's the version that everybody from Johnny Cash, Pop Dylan, Hank Williams III, I think even Papa Chubby recorded a version of it. That's the one that most people know as cocaine blues. Well, let's get away from this now and into something a bit different. This is Big Joe Shelton and Catfish Alley. [Music] With a Saturday night, a dress to the night. Looking mighty good, a feeling so fine driving into Manchester in this business of a town. Man, you know, a Catfish Alley town. Catfish Alley, wrote this place of town. [Music] We start dragging a gambler from the sun to down. [Music] With a truck down the alley. This alley from my feet. Chugging and diving into the body of my feet. You're parking for a whiskey, a razor in my shoe. So let's prove all about a fight. I know just what to do. Catfish Alley, baddest place of town. [Music] We start dragging a gambler from the sun. Go down. [Music] [Music] I bet they were with bones in the back of Jones Cafe. If I had a little sense, I'd walk the other way. I might not sit. Oh, what is going to do? With seven couple lemons, I made the made of past shoes. Catfish Alley, baddest place of town. [Music] We start dragging a gambler after the sun. Go down. [Music] You know Catfish Alley, baddest place in town. [Music] Big Joe Shelton with Catfish Alley. The old one's called Black Prairie Blues. When I saw it, I thought it was going to be reggae. All the borders and all the text in red, yellow and green, classic raster for hurrying colors. But I was definitely wrong. Big Joe. It's got a great voice and blows of mean harmonica. Black Prairie Blues, I'll be coming back to that. Well, let's have some more harmonica, but slightly different style. This is one of the new generation of harmonica players. This is Jason Ritchie and New Blood. [Music] It's a thank you, that I never wrote, that I told my mom I sent. Well, it's the good intentions that I started with before I compromised and bent. It material and a model without the meals, wiles or guilt. ♪ Well I'm a clown, hot deals ♪ ♪ Lord I'm falling from my skills ♪ ♪ Sweet love and with my baby ♪ ♪ Sweet love and with my baby ♪ ♪ Sweet love and with my baby ♪ ♪ Sweet love and with my baby ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Never miss me, river or cocaine ♪ ♪ Never battled with my books ♪ ♪ We'll never spend any time in jail ♪ ♪ Lord here sings his own kind of blues ♪ ♪ Well it's a thank you and a love that I've never wrote ♪ ♪ That I told my momma I sent ♪ ♪ Well it's a good intentions that I started with ♪ ♪ Before I compromised the ambiance ♪ ♪ Sweet love and with my baby ♪ ♪ Sweet love and with my baby ♪ ♪ Sweet love and with my baby ♪ ♪ Sweet love and with my baby ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Sweet lovein' is my baby Sweet lovein' is my baby Sweet lovein' is my baby Sweet lovein' is my baby Sweet lovein' is my baby Sweet lovein' is my baby Sweet lovein' is my baby Sweet lovein' is my baby ♪ ♪ Jason Ritchie and New Blood with Sweet Lovein' from his brand new album Done With The Devil. And I have to say that track's not exactly representative of the album as a whole. When we were first listening to it Denise and I thought one track sounded like The Off Spring, who if you don't know them are a kind of American punk grunge band. However, I think we need people pushing the envelope and I think Jason's certainly doing that and he can certainly play the harmonica. So I'll probably be coming back to that one as well. I'm posting this show on Libsyn on 25th of April, which was Johnny Shine's birthday. So I'm gonna play some Johnny Shine's now. This is his Dynaflow Blues. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [MUSIC] [MUSIC] I've been trying to try to get along with you. [MUSIC] I've been trying to try to get along with you. [MUSIC] Fine, you're still acting funny. [MUSIC] Now I don't care what you do. [MUSIC] Just as fast as I make money. [MUSIC] Just as fast as I make money. [MUSIC] You throw every cent away. [MUSIC] I have to do my own cooking. [MUSIC] While you are in the streets all day. [MUSIC] The one that's trying to make you. [MUSIC] He may do you wrong. [MUSIC] The one that's trying to make you. [MUSIC] He may do you wrong. [MUSIC] He will surely forsake you. [MUSIC] When he finds out I am gone. [MUSIC] You promised to do better, baby. [MUSIC] And I really thought you would. [MUSIC] You promised to do better, baby. [MUSIC] And I really thought you would. [MUSIC] But you just can't have it, baby. [MUSIC] 'Cause you were born to be no good. [MUSIC] Mm, T-bone Walker, born to be no good. My number one guitar hero. Except on days when it's Blind Blake. That was recorded in May 1949. And before that Johnny Shines with Dynaflow Blues. Recorded in Chicago in 1965. It's obviously his version of Terraplane Blues. And the Terraplane was actually a car. I looked it up, Dynaflow was a system of automatic transmission. So he's obviously sort of latched onto that as the same sort of scanning right with the words. But I think he actually travelled around with Robert Johnson for a while. So it's probably reasonable that he should do stuff like that. Well, this has been Nothing But the Blues with Maycliffe. And the website is www.nothingputtheblues.co.uk. There you'll find playlists with links to artists and previous shows. And you can email me cliff@nothingbuttheblues.co.uk. And I'm always happy to take suggestions for what to put in the show. Well, it seems to be an enormous amount of musical talent based around Portland, Oregon. And the next band that I'm going to leave you with today are called the Insomnihacks. And they seem to be an example of this talent. The new album they have out is called At least I'm Not With You. And this is the title track. Thanks for listening. I'll catch you next week. Well, I'm lonely, but not sad. And I'm actually kind of glad that you're not here right now. This baby, I'm a man who's good as man who's safe. You're dead, too. 'Cause I might be alone, but at least I'm not with you. Well, now baby, can't you see that alone is good for me? And I think I'll stay here for a while. 'Cause baby, in the meantime, I think that I will be fighting my solitude. 'Cause I might be alone, but at least I'm not. I'm not with you. Seeing that you love me, 'cause I make it true. You know it all depends on the things that you do. So when you tell me, sweetly, it should have been untrue. Well, I've tried, and I know there's nothing I can do. Well, now baby, wish I'd known it's all right to be alone. I wouldn't have gone for so long. Baby, don't you worry, 'cause I'm in no hurry to find. I'm somebody new. 'Cause I might be alone, but at least I'm not with you. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Now baby, wish I'd known it's all right to be alone. I wouldn't have gone for so long. Baby, don't you worry, 'cause I'm in no hurry to find. I'm somebody new. 'Cause I might be alone, but at least I'm not with you. ♪ 'Cause I might be alone, but at least I'm not with you. ♪ ♪