Your Favorite Gospel Blues?

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 11:07 PM

Where'd everybody go?!?

~S~

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 07:35 AM

I guess I'll have to count the floating verses for Swing Low Sweet Chariot that got going one memorable day in the car. I didn't know then that sort of singing had a name, floating verses, but I know why it's called floating, for sure. I think it was about two hours worth, and it warn't none too sanitized as to musical form... the longer it went on the bluesier it got. Call it a blues whine, as opposed to a stomp! I can't remember any of the verses, either, but life hasn't been the same since.... I guess I musta been praying too. All that's left of the day is a happy glow with an even loopier grin than usual. Reckon it was another Holy Ghost zap, and if anyone tells you that you can only get that once, well, nope!

DJH, come on over. You and me and Hardiman (my husband) and Dharmabum (a regular visitor) will whip us up a batch of the Real Deal. Any luck we catch Mmario here too. Better come early enough in the week to get a good church set worked up we can all play and sing. Haul out the old bass distortion pedal and turn us all loose. After all it is Pentecost season.

*G*

PM me for directions.

~S~

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 05:19 AM

Charlie Patton singing Prayer of Death

I been 'buked an' I been scorned.
I been 'buked an' I been scorned.
I been 'buked an' I been scorned, Lord.
I seen trouble, jus' as sure as you're born.

Brian

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: gus C
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 03:31 AM

WYSIWYG,
We should get together.

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: gus C
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 03:28 AM

I am with WYSIWYG on the subject of the Blues and Spirituals not being mutually exclusive. Breathing is spiritual, so is everything else. Trails and tribulations occur in every life whether you are Job or a blind sharecropper.
The blues is NOT about sorrow.9/10ths of the time It is about grinning in the face of your troubles or even not necessarily about your troubles at all.The old country Bluesmen frequently sang of their troubles as if in conversation with the Lord "I'm troubled, LORD , I 'm Troubled carrying a heavy load , LORD, LORD....."- Charlie Patton, "stones in my passway" - Robert Johnson, or especially Blind Willie Johnson and Rev. Gary Davis who employed Blues music under spiritual lyrics on most of their songs.
Gospel music itself started as a contrived form invented for the profitable selling of new song books and the Baptist preachers also wanted to usurp the power of the elder women of the congregation, who led the congregation in the singing of spirituals. The spirituals were the parishoners favorite part of the ceremony. Members of Louie Armstrong's band were commissioned to invent Gospel and it was not popular with the congregation until the amazing Mahalia Jackson came along. Most Gospel songs are just Jazzed up Spirituals.
Blues and Spirituals were shared a repertiore, prior to the invention of Gospel.Although the Blues was frowned upon by the church as the Devil's music, A Bluesman was just as likely to play "When I Lay My Burden Down" as "Going Back Down South", Depending on the day of the week.It was only when Gospel was invented that the 2 forms became inextricably seperated.
Sorry for the long winded explanation, I know am preaching to the converted with most folks who chose to read this thread, but, my heart goes out to those who never heard or understood the Gospel Blues. I just wanted to enlighten them as to what they are missing.Maybe now their curiosity will be peaked to "let the light from the lighthouse shine on them, Oh let it shine on, let it shine on........." Blind Willie style.
- djh

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 11:34 PM

Ok that does it. Midnight raid, over at ddw's. Who's in on this with me?

~S~

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: dwditty
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 11:14 PM

Josh Whites's Paul & Silas is another that comes to mind..

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: ddw
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 10:27 PM

If you think the two are mutually exclusive, listen to:

Josh White, particularly his version of "His Eye Is On The Sparrow"
or Big Bill Broonzy's "This Train" or "Hush, Somebody's Callin' Me"
or Misissippi John Hurt's "Oh, Mary, Don't You Weep" and "Prayin' On The Old Campground"
or bunches of things by Rev. Gary Davis.

If I were at home and could flip through my records and CDs, I could probably name a hundred more pretty easily.

The songs are gospel/spiritual in content, but the form is blues.

david

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 10:11 PM

Oh the longer I am around, the more genres I find have their gospel sub-genre or overlap. Blues gospel, yes. All day long, today, lovely.

I do have an essay from a book from 1940 that sez what is the diff between blues and spirituals, and how they are mutually exclusive, but I think it's wrong.

~S~

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 09:43 PM

I'm with pattyclink --- blues? gospel? I think Mahalia Jackson said that in blues there is no hope as opposed to gospel where there is hope.

For bluesy sound --- Mahalia Jackson singing "There is a Balm in Gilead"

For gospel --- medleys --- New Born Again/Standin' in the Need of Prayer --- We Shall Walk Through the Valley/Precious Lord (Take My Hand)

(New Born Again and We Shall Walk Through the Valley are in the 1975 Baptist Hymnal)

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: dwditty
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 08:31 PM

Patty,
When a blues singer does Jesus On The Mainline, you get Gospel Blues.

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: dwditty
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 08:30 PM

Patty,
When a blues singer does Jesus On The Mainline, you get Gospel Blues.

dw

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 05:21 PM

Thanks dwditty!

~S~

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: pattyClink
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 05:01 PM

Gospel is Gospel, and Blues is Blues, I don't know of a Gospel Blues genre. Well, there's always something new...

"White Wings" is fine old Gospel.

"In my wildest dreams" is a newer one that has a great melody/harmony structure..only heard it on the radio. Anybody have a link to lyrics/tune, please post it?

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: dwditty
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 04:48 PM

BTW, on a recent weekend a friend from Eastchester Presbytarian had this book. Got everyone singing.

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: dwditty
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 04:47 PM

Hey WYSIWYG and DJH, I'm right over the line in CT. WYS (as in the WIZ), just search on Songs of Zion. It's there.
Click Here for Songs of Zion
dw

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 04:32 PM

Hey DJH, I think you oughtta just come over and visit for a bit. Can ya get away? Weekend or longer? Have us a songwriting frenzy.... campfires.... laffs. I know hubby Hardiman would love it.

E-mail me. [e-mail]

~S~

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 04:26 PM

DJH, we are an hour south of Elmira NY. Come on over. It's a small congregation within a bigger, more traditional one. Hahhh! Trad = folk? Not in this context... What do we mean by traditional now?!?!?! Sunday AM is regular Episcopalian broad church. Saturday night is Come As You Are. As should all things be including Sunday mornings...... hmmm... hard to keep the paradigms straight here.

It helps to be married to a pastor raised on Chicago's south side. *G*

[e-mail]

~Susan

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: GUEST,djh
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 04:21 PM

oops, that was me in the last post, accidentally incognito.

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 04:14 PM

WYSIWYG,
I am in Rockland county NY. 25 miles North of NYC. If that is not near you I am going in the studio with the band next week to start production on an album that will contain a couple of my Blues Spirituals.I can't wait. Where are you , I wanna attend your church.

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 03:58 PM

"He Never Said A Mumblin' Word"   —   Lead Belly.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 03:53 PM

Sure be nice if a MudVolunteer would close that parens for me. *G*

~S~

Subject: Add: God Don't Never Change
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 03:51 PM

Benjamin, I dunno any of those! Who wrote/did them?

Here's my version of "God is a God" or "God Don't Never Change."

GOD DON'T NEVER CHANGE
by Blind Willie Johnson & Traditional
(Edited and last verse by Susan O. Hinton)

CHORUS:
Yes God is God,
God don't never change...
He's God
Always will be God.

God before creation,
God when Adam fell.
God way up in heaven,
God way down in hell.

God in the middle of the ocean,
God in the middle of the sea.
God in the green green forest,
God in all we see.

Spoke right up to the mountain;
Said, "How great I am.
Want you to get up this mornin',
Skip around like a lamb."

God in the middle of the happy time,
God in the misery.
God when we tell Him our troubles,
God in the victory.

God in the time of sickness,
God in the doctor too.
In the time of the influenzy
He truly was God to you.

God up in the pulpit,
God way down at the door.
He's God in the amen corner,
God all over the floor.

Made the stars to shine by night,
The sun to shine by day.
Made the moon to show the light,
The sun to show the way.

The whole creation all His own,
His promises never fail.
The earth His footstool, heaven His throne,
His love and power will prevail!

God in the power of the Spirit
God in the love of the Son.
God in the mighty Father,
God all three in one.


SOURCES:
CD, Yazoo 1058, "PRAISE GOD I'M SATISFIED" track titled "God Don't Never Change," (Blind Willie Johnson), and American Negro Songs, spiritual titled "God is a God." John W. Work; Dover Publications; 1998, Mineola, NY. (orig. 1940 Crown Publishers, Inc., NY.


SH

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: Benjamin
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 03:20 PM

Let Your Light Shine On Me!
Church I'm Fully Saved
Woke Up This Morning

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 02:46 PM

dwditty, now yer makin' me drool. And I have an Amazon gift certificate pending online but I don't think it will credit Max. Who is the author or editor, in case there is more than one in that title?

DJH, where you at? I want to learn your songs. Me, I add verses. Haven't made up any yet.. have to listen to more first, then they will pour out I think.

Hardiman does a PALMS OF VICTORY blues-style instead of southern gospel. Well I did the arrangement, but he sings it while I bang on the autoharp in seventh chords. Well he doesn't sing it, he growls it very energetically. I found three versions and edited and wrote verses till it told a whole story. Congregation loves it. I must have posted it already....?

Today, Blind Willie Johnson is "up." We had also bought a book of spirituals at Hogeye, and dang if one of Willie's isn't related to one in there, with more verses. I'll post it in a bit, here. I'm hoping for more overlaps like that, as we work through the songbook. (The song titles do not always transfer, so I can't just look them up.)

Yesterday and the day before it was Rev. Davis, and I did some operatin' on one, and posted the verses in a thread titled "I Will Do My Last Singing in This Land."

Any tapes I get will go in the Gospel Tape Library... do you-all know about that project BTW?

~S~

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: GUEST,DJH
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 02:10 PM

Anything by Reverand Gary Davis.
The time I went Blind
Children of Zion
Fred and Annie Mae Mcdowell 'WHEN I LAY MY BURDEN DOWN' 'KEEP YOUR LAMP TRIMMED AND BURNING
Blind Willie Johnson 'come and go with me','JOHN TH REVALATOR', 'CITY OF REFUGE', and every other song he recorded
Jaybird Coleman 'Im GONNA CROSS THE RIVER JORDAN'
I could go on all day , I LOVE the Gospel Blues!
Anyone here write their own Gospel Blues? I write about one a month, it's good for the soul.

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: dwditty
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 02:06 PM

Oops. The real name of the book is "Songs of Zion" Available through your friendly Mudcat connection to Amazon.com. They're all in there...music, words, and, in some cases, guitar chords. Check out Hush, Hush...

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 01:52 PM

Heard all those listed so far except these:

"Hush, Hush, Somebody's Calling My Name" (who???!) (LOL! I mean, BY whom?) (*G*G*)

"Ain't No Grave can Hold My Body Down" sung by Bosie Sturdivant

Words here somewhere? You have 'em?

We do three new pieces EVERY WEEK, on average. Our people are tune hounds! C'mon..... I need SONGSHEETS....

~S~

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 12:29 PM

........I'd tearrrrrrr this building downnnnnnnnn....

"Ain't No Grave can Hold My Body Down" sung by Bosie Sturdivant.....whoooeeee!

Rick

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: mousethief
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 12:25 PM

If I haaaaaaaaaad my waaaaaay......

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: dwditty
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 12:01 PM

Hush, Hush, Somebody's Calling My Name
Since I Lay My Burden Down
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Jesus is on the Mainline

to name a few. Get a book called Zion Songs. It's great.

dw

Subject: Your Favorite Gospel Blues?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 11:57 AM

Thanks to the good folks at Hogeye Music in Evanston, IL, who set me up with some good CDs a few weeks ago, I am wallowing in new material for church!

I have a short list of favorites developing.... and just three CDs... and a tape on the way (thanks ddw!)...

What do YOU like? I want to learn them ALL.

If your favorites are posted here, how about a link? And if not, how about posting them, with a link to their source?

Chords couldn't hurt! (Keep 'em simple for autoharp and country blues style arrangements please!)

(Hee hee... giggligligliglglglglglglglllll.... just think of our next MudGathering here! That'll be a Saturday Night Service to remember! LOL!)

~Susan