Origins:That's All Right (Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup)

Subject: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: GUEST,Wesley S at Home
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 07:51 PM

I was looking for the lyrics of the old Big Boy Cruddup {?} song that Elvis covered - That's Alright Mama. If there were any differences between the two versions I'd like to check them out too.

On another note - wasn't there a lyrics website called something like Cowpie that had a lot of country songs ? I had a link but lost it.

Thanks in advance.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: GUEST,Sidewinder
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 08:08 PM

That's Allright Mama That's Allright for You.
That's Allright Mama just anyway you do.
That's Allright,that's allright, that's allright now mama anyway you do.

Well Mama She done told me.
Papa done told me too.
Son that gal you're fooling with she ain't no good for you.
But That's Allright,That's Allright, That's Allright now Mama anyway you do.

I oughtta tell my mama I guess I'm not so smart.
She tried to tell me all along you'd only break my heart.
But That's Allright,That's Allright,That's Allright now Mama anyway you do.

Well I'm leavin' town my baby.
I'm leavin' town for sure then you won't be bothered with me hangin' round your door.
But That's Allright,That's Allright, That's Allright now Mama anyway you do.
Well That's Allright Now Mama Anyway You Do.

Have Fun.

Sidewinder.

Subject: Lyr Add: THAT'S ALL RIGHT (MAMA) (Arthur Crudup)
From: masato sakurai
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 08:10 PM

From Harry's Blues Lyrics Online, Arthur Big Boy Crudup Lyrics, page 1.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT (MAMA)

by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
recording of 1946-1949
from That's Allright Mama (Relic 7036) & That's Allright Mama (RCA 61043-2 or Black Label 2006) & The Father of Rock & Roll (RCA LPV-573) & Look on Yonder's Wall (Delmark 614) & Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 2 (1946-1949) (Document 5202), copyright notice

Well now, that's all right now, mama. That's all right for you.
That's all right, mama, just any way you do.
Now that's all right. That's all right.
That's all right now, mama, any way you do.

[Missing verse]

Well, my mama she done told me. Pap's done told me too:
"Son, that gal you're foolin' with, she ain't no good for you."
But that's all right. That's all right.
That's all right now, mama, any way you do.

I'm leaving town tomorrow, leaving town for sure.
Then you won't be bothered with me hanging 'round your door;
But that's all right. That's all right.
That's all right, mama, any way you do.

I oughta mind my pap. Guess I'm not too smart.
If I was, I'd leave you, go before you break my heart;
But that's all right. That's all right.
That's all right, mama, any way you do.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 08:13 PM

The Cruddup version is available at Harry's Blues Lyrics - Arthur Big Boy Cruddup - That's All Right Mama

The Elvis version can be found on dozens of sites. Here's one with named album as source: Lyrics and songs - That's All Right Mama - Elvis


Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 08:14 PM

Sorry - cross posted there!

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: GUEST,Wewsley S at Home
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 08:40 PM

Thanks folks. We're working on a blues-grass version of this one. It's all coming back to me now.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: sixtieschick
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 09:33 PM

Tracy Nelson did a cover of the song on "Tracy Nelson Country."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: Once Famous
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 10:06 PM

Marty Robbins recorded it 2 years before Elvis did. It's on an album I have by him called "30 years of hits"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: GUEST,Wesley S at Home
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 10:55 PM

Eric Anderson did it on his "Changes" LP. I have it but my turntable is on the fritz.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 08:00 AM

In case you're interested, there are several old blues songs that contain the phrase "That's all right now, mama, any way you do" or something very similar.

WORRIED BLUES by Mississippi John Hurt.

BLACK SNAKE MOAN by Blind Lemon Jefferson.

DUPREE BLUES by Kingfish Bill Tomlin.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: GUEST,Sidewinder
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:54 AM

For Martin :-to quote a great man "If you knew your history you would know where you're comin' from". Marty Robbins heard Elvis' regional hit of That's Allright Mama and because he was on a National label (Columbia I believe) he copied it ( look for the recording dates Elvis' was out 4-6 weeks before Martys ) and sold many more copies to have a national hit. This is confirmed in all serious volumes relating to the musical landscape of the period an was a far from unusual occurrence. Also,I think Marty himself confirmed this on several occassions.

For interested parties:- Big Boy Crudups' version is in the key of E. Whilst Elvis' is in the key of A. The only two versions worthy of consideration.

Regards.

Sidewinder.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 11:13 AM

Well, defending Martin Gibson isn't easy but, I'll have a go at it.

To a casual collector, it would appear that Marty Robbins beat Elvis to the punch. Sure, Evis did record it month or so earlier, but Marty deserves some credit for making it a national hit. It's not as if Robbins was pulling a stunt perfected later by Pat Boone of taking an Elvis song or that of others, cleaning them up (thereby ruining them) and then regurgitating them for a white, middle class audience. I believe Robbins' version plays quite well today. I also like his version of 'singin' the blues.'

Marty Robbins may have gotten bogged down into western story songs later in his career, but early on, he was right there with the best of them. Mind you, I like his story songs. 'El Paso' is such a classic! Still, his flirtation with Blues was refreshing. I am, or course, far too young to have heard any of these in their day. I rediscovered them all by rooting through my Dad's record collection. I might be less charitably inclinded to Robbins' version of 'That's Alright' had I been a radio-listening teenager when those versions were duking it out for airplay.

Back when I worked in film development, I read a fabulous script called RED CAR which I believe remains unproduced. It was set in Los Angeles during the heady days when the raunchier versions of rock n'roll songs were being watered down for the masses. It featured a couple of teens who were obsessed with hunting down the originals. Great Screenplay! I wish I could recall the screenwriters name. I can only recall his agent's name, Dan Ostroff. The writer is a well known fellow, with lots of credits. His name escapes me at present.

RED CAR was a perfect little diamond of nostalgia not very well served by a somewhat weak mystery plot. Still, I lobbied hard to try and get it produced for Cable. It was the hook of the music that grabbed you when you read it and you could just imagine the referenced songs playing in each scene. I suppose I should go back and try and find that script and see if the rights are still available. What with all the nostalgia shows on US television these days such as AMERICAN DREAMS and those silly NBC mini-series about various decades such as THE SIXTIES and THE SEVENTIES...perhaps RED CAR could be turned into a swell limited run series.

Since the Mudcat is searchable, perhaps some other development exec will happen across this post some day. If they do, they should call Dan Ostroff!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: Stewie
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 07:49 PM

What about Arthur Crudup who wrote the song? In his lifetime, he received merely a few dollars for his songs. At page 96 of his 'Between Midnight and Day: The Last Unpublished Blues Archive' [Thunder's Mouth Press 2003], Dick Waterman tells the story of trying to reach a settlement in 1972 of $60 000 for Crudup with Hill & Range. The publishing rights lay with Lester Melrose who had recorded Arthur's early material for Bluebird. When he retired to Florida, Melrose turned his company, Wabash Music, over to Hill & Range. He died a few years later leaving his wife as heir to his estate. Waterman enrolled Crudup with the American Guild of Authors and Composers and its New York City head, John Carter, worked hard to gain Crudup some royalty moneys. However, Hill & Range reneged on a $60 000 settlement saying that 'it gives away more in settlement than you can hope to get through litigation'.

It was left to Waterman to explain it to Crudup outside the Hill & Range building: 'Look, Arthur, they are refusing to give you money in settlement and they are saying you can sue them if you want. But that means going after an old, white widow who lives in Florida. We wouldn't have a chance of winning a case against her'. Waterman told Crudup how sorry he was and vowed to continue the fight:

.
Arthur reached out and took my hands and folded them inside of his own huge hands. He looked me in the face and spoke slowly. 'I know you done the best that you could. I respects you and I honours you in my heart. But it just ain't meant to be'. He motioned his head upwards at the building above us. 'Them people got their ways of keeping folks like me from getting any money. If they was to bring me green money and say, "Take this and fold it up in your hand", well, then I guess I'd know that I had me something. Naked I come into this world and naked I shall leave it. It just ain't meant to be. I know you done your best and I honour you in my heart for everything'. ['Between Midnight and Day' p 96]

Crudup died the following spring. On his way home to Cambridge from the funeral in Virginia, Waterman stopped in at the NY City office of the lawyer he had used to negotiate Bonnie Raitt's contract with Warner Brothers. Waterman indicated his disgust about the treatment of Crudup. The lawyer devised a plan and ultimately arrived at a settlement for back royalties with the ownership of the songs going to Crudup's estate when they came up for copyright renewal. The first payment was for slightly over $248 000 - more than 4 times what Hill & Grange had refused to pay. Over the subsequent 30 years, Crudup's estate was paid around 3 million dollars. Waterman:

People ask me if I am happy about how it turned out. I tell them that, honestly, I don't give it much thought. I just think back to that cold afternoon when a very gentle man held my hands in his and said he honoured me in his heart because I had done the best I could for him. ['Between Midnight and Day' p98]

.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: That's Alright Mama
From: GUEST,Sidewinder
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 02:02 AM

I read that Elvis paid for Big Boy Crudup to record some of his songs on Fire records in the late sixties as a gesture and also claimed one of his proudest moments was when he helped Crudup to change a flat tyre on Beale Street when Elvis was a teenager.Thanks for the information Stewie I have read many articles over the years about Bluesmen and Women who have been robbed and cheated by business associates or Managers and it is sickening but let us not forget Old Colonel Parker who helped himself to 50% of Elvis' earnings in life and after death and Brian Epstein who through inexperience lost The Beatles millions in merchandising revenue and misjudged contractual agreements. There are downsides to most legendary artists financial arrangements.

Regards.

Sidewinder.

Subject: ADD: That's All Right (Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Oct 14 - 02:28 AM

This is what I hear on the Arthur Crudup recording.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT, MAMA
(Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup)

That's all right now Mama, that's all right with you
That's all right now Mama, any way you do
But that's all right, that's all right
That's all right now Mama, anyway you do

Well my Mama she done told me, Papa told me too
The life you're living, son, now women be the death of you
But that's all right..

Baby, one and one is two, two and two is four
I love that woman but I got to let her go
But that's all right..

Babe, now if you don't want me, why not tell me so
You won't be bothered with me round your house no more
But that's all right..

That's all right, that's all right
That's all right now Mama, anyway you do

Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup, published by Hill & Range Songs

Subject: RE: Origins:That's All Right (Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Oct 14 - 02:32 AM

That's All Right, Mama
(Arthur Crudup, as sung by Elvis Presley)

CHORUS
Well, that's all right, mama, that's all right for you
That's all right mama, just any way you do, well
That's all right, that's all right
That's all right now, mama, any way you do

Well, Mama she done told me, papa done told me too
"Son, that gal you're foolin' w/ she ain't no good for you" but…

I'm leaving town, baby, I'm leaving town for sure, well then
You won't be bothered w/ me hanging 'round your door well...

Subject: RE: Origins:That's All Right (Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup)
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 25 Oct 14 - 11:36 AM

Marty Robbins' version is regrettably dire compared with the Elvis version, feeble fiddle solo for a start!!