Subject: Lyr Add: BLUES IN THE BOTTLE (Prince Albert Hunt^^
From:
Stewie
Date: 05 Nov 99 - 04:25 AM
BLUES IN THE BOTTLE
Blues in the bottle, blues in the bottle
Where do you think you're at, pretty mama
Blues in the bottle, where do you think you're at
You went and kicked my dog
And now you've drowned my cat
Goin' to Chattanoogie, goin' to Chattanoogie
See my ponies run, pretty mama
Goin' to Chattanoogie to see my ponies run
If I win a prize
I'll give my baby some
Rooster chews tobacco, rooster chews tobacco
Hen uses snuff, pretty mama
The rooster chews tobacco and the hen uses snuff
The baby chickens don't take nothin'
But they just strut their stuff
Goin' to Sillypuddie (?), goin' to Sillypuddie
Sorry I can't take you, pretty mama
Goin' to Sillypuddie, sorry I can't take you
I can't abide no woman
Who goes round sniffin' glue
Traditional/ P. Stampfel
Source: The Holy Modal Rounders '1 & 2' Big Beat CDWIKD 170. (Big Beat is an Ace subsidiary).
This is the first track of the first Holy Modal Rounder album back in 1964. 'Acid folk' was a term coined by rock critics to describe an exotic offshoot of the 1960s folk revival movement. The progenitors of the genre were Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber who emerged from such cheery aggregations as Mac Grundy's Old Timey Wool Thumpers, The Temporal Worth High Steppers and the Merry Order of St Bridget String Band to establish the archetypal acid folk group – the Holy Modal Rounders. In the fullness of time, this acoustic duo – fiddle, banjo and guitar – was transmogrified into a full-blown folk rock ensemble that produced time warp classics such as 'The Moray Eels Eat the Holy Modal Rounders'. The impact of this ebullient band of lunatics on the American folk scene was practically zilch. Nevertheless, as they cavorted in their neglected musical corner with sublime indifference to the outside world, they attracted a not inconsiderable number of devotees (yours truly included) whose sensibilities were attuned to their particular brand of insanity. The Rounders inspired the name of an important roots record label, spawned other groups such Jeffrey Frederick and the Clamtones (who at least had the decency to ask their mothers for forgiveness) and collaborated briefly with kindred souls on the fringes of the American rock and underground poetry scene, the Fugs, to produce 'Fugs 4 Rounders Score'. Their most successful collaboration, however, was with Michael Hurley, master chronicler of life in the breakdown lane, and the Clamtones, to form the Unholy Modal Rounders. This combination produced the incomparable 'Have Moicy' album in 1976 which even the stuffy 'New York Times' included in its list of highly recommended albums that year.
I mention all this because there seems to be something of a revival occurring – at least in terms of album reissues etc. The original Holy Modal Rounder albums on Prestige are now reissued back to back on a single CD, much of the Hurley canon is now on CD (alas, not the gloriously mad albums on Jesse Colin Young's long-gone Racoon label) and he has recorded new albums. And the Rounders have a new album 'Too Much Fun' which I have been unable to obtain as yet - I have been told that it is not yet out, but I have seen some mention of it. Does anyone actually have a copy?
The Rounders wrote original songs and refashioned old ones. It was said that Stampfel had a passing acquaintance with every song ever written but that Weber had difficulty in remembering any of the words of a song he had written 5 minutes earlier. Of 'Blues in a Bottle', Stampfel wrote: 'This goody was learned from a tape sent to Luke Faust and us by Bill Barth of Takoma records. It was originally recorded by Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers around 1930. I made up new words to it because it was easier than listening to the tape and writing words down. Besides I prefer saying my own words to saying someone else's, unless I really like someone else's words. The "rooster chews tobacco" verse is an example of someone else's words I really like. I remembered that verse the first time I heard the song. I still can't remember any of the other verses'. Stampfel's fractured fiddling is always a joy.
I have no idea of the place in the last verse of the Rounders version, but 'Sillypuddie' is what it sounds like.
Prince Albert Hunt's version follows. Hunt's records are marvellous – particularly, 'Wake Up Jacob' on the Smith 'Anthology'. He was a wonderful fiddler who often appeared in rural medicine shows. Although he was only 27 when he recorded 'Blues in a Bottle', his unusual, gravelly voice made him sound like he was going on 70. He was shot and killed in 1931. 'Tadinoodie' is what it sounds like in the last verse – he does not seem to be saying 'Chattanoogie'. The change in protagonist from verse 1 to verse 3 is just how it is. Stampfel was right: the song is worth preserving for the inspired 'rooster' verse alone - and the fiddle parts are great as well.
BLUES IN THE BOTTLE
Blues in the bottle, blues in the bottle
Trouble in my hands, pretty mama
Blues in the bottle, trouble in my hands
I'm goin' back to Fort Worth
Find me another man
Dig your taters, o dig your taters
It's tater diggin' time, pretty mama
O dig your taters, it's tater diggin' time
Old man Jack Frost
Done an' killed your vine
Asked my baby, asked my baby
Could she stand to see me cry, pretty mama
Asked my baby could she stand to see me cry
She said, whoa black daddy
I can stand to see you die
Rooster chews tobacco, rooster chews tobacco
The hen uses snuff, pretty mama
That rooster chews tobacco and the hen uses snuff
The little chickens don't take nothin'
But they strut their stuff
Went to Tadinoodie (?), went to Tadinoodie
See my pony run, pretty mama
Went to Tadinoodie, see my pony run
If I win some money
Gonna give my baby some
Traditional
Source: Prince Albert Hunt 'Blues in the Bottle'. Recorded in San Antonio 1927. Reissued on CD on Various Artists 'Times Ain't Like They Used To Be: Early American Rural Music Vol 1' Yazoo 2028.
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