Oscar Brown, Jr.

Subject: Oscar Brown, Jr.
From: DWDitty
Date: 23 Oct 97 - 06:27 AM

I realize this is a folk/blues site, but I have arranged several Oscar Brown songs for acoustic guitar and voice. Among them: Signifying Monkey, The Snake, Rags and Old Iron, and Somebody Buy Me a Drink. These songs always get a strong response from the audience. Although OBJ is usually classified under Jazz Vocalists, many of his songs come from the chants and chances of the urban black experience and translate into great folk/blues. If anyone has any other arrangements or chord progressions for other of his songs, I would appreciate hearing from you.

If you haven't heard OBJ before, it is worth checking him out - mostly on Columbia (circa 1960-65). Some reissue on CD is available.

Subject: RE: Oscar Brown, Jr.
From:
Date: 24 Oct 97 - 06:01 AM

Top floor, please.

Subject: RE: Oscar Brown, Jr.
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 24 Oct 97 - 09:33 AM

Brings me back! He was a fine singer, with real bite. I still sing "Worksong" unaccompanied when the chance arises and think "Bid 'em in" is another great song that suits the treatment.

Regards

Subject: RE: Oscar Brown, Jr.
From: dwditty
Date: 25 Oct 97 - 06:58 AM

There is a pretty good OBJr. site at
http://www.chitown.com/http/word/OBjr.html

There are lyrics to many songs - no chords or music though.

Subject: RE: Oscar Brown, Jr.
From: dwditty
Date: 25 Oct 97 - 06:59 AM

Of course that's "www.chitown" not "www,chitown"

Subject: Oscar Brown, Jr.
From: dwditty
Date: 06 May 98 - 06:50 AM

In answer to Martin Ryan's question, Sin & Soul is available on CD. Try Borders or CD Now at www.cdnow.com.

Subject: RE: Oscar Brown, Jr.
From: Martin Ryan
Date: 06 May 98 - 07:05 AM

Thanks!

Regards

Subject: RE: Oscar Brown, Jr.
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Aug 98 - 02:10 PM

Say, dwditty, that Oscar Brown, Jr. site doesn't have his lyrics to "Signifyin' Monkey." Might you be able to post them for us? I posted a different version in another thread a while back. I like the Oscar Brown, Jr., version better but I can't make out the words well enough to come up with a good transcription.
The site DOES have the lyrics to "Brother, Where Are You?" which has always been one of my favorite social-action songs.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: ADD: BROTHER WHERE ARE YOU - Oscar Brown, Jr.
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Apr 01 - 04:15 PM

I found thes lyrics on the site dwditty linked to above. Somebody mentioned the song in another thread, so I thought I'd post the lyrics. I first heard the song on a short movie I saw in the 1960's - don't recall the name of the song.
-Joe Offer-

---

BROTHER WHERE ARE YOU?
(Oscar Brown, Jr.)

A small boy walked down a city street
And hope was in his eyes
As he searched the faces of the people he'd meet
For one he could recognize

CHORUS
Brother where are you?
They told me that you came this way
Brother where are you?
They said you came this way

The eyes of the people who passed him by
Were cold and hard as stone
The small boy whimpered and began to cry
Because he was all alone

CHORUS

Now there are many who will swear it' s true
That brothers are we all
And yet it seems there are mighty few
Who will answer a brother' s call

CHORUS

Subject: RE: Oscar Brown, Jr.
From: LR Mole
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 09:14 AM

It was a black-and-white social action thing that also had someone repeating, "Vanity, all is vanity, saith the preacher". Can't recall the title of the film. Lots of panning around grainy inner-city photography.I used to play it around Em-Am for the verses into C-G for the choruses. Relevance. Church work. I was, however, so much older then.