Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: GUEST,Rapaire
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 10:46 AM

Music does that, indeed.

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: olddude
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 10:23 AM

Gosh you know Jerry, that is a wonderful statement about time smoothing out the songs. There has to be 50 versions of the Wabash ... and St. James Infirmary and the list goes on an on. Some faster, some slower, original versions, heck what are they. Probably we all will never know. I hear some old time artist doing their own songs and they are quite a bit different from the 50's when they originally recorded. Music takes on a life of its own.

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 08:13 PM

Aw shucks. I don't think you've written a bad song, Dan. One thing I have to do, myself, is to live with a song. I'm working on one now that is taking its time coming. There's a lot more to writing songs than making words rhyme at the end of the lines. I think most songwriters know when something isn't right. I'm a couple of lines short, yet. Maybe four lines. If I don't like to sing it, I don't know why anyone would want to listen to it.

Now, the old stuff has been tempered by time. Awkward lines have been smoothed out and singers have added or changed lines to meet their own sensibilities. I've tried to discuss this in the True Traditional Music thread but people have difficulty getting beyond definitions. All that's an aside... maybe I'll try a different thread title.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: olddude
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 08:00 PM

I always treasure when he listens to one of my songs. Jerry will always be absolutely honest - no pulls punches either. If it is bad ... boy I will know it is bad... I wrote a cowboy song once that he said "no no no - bottom shelf drawer Dan" LOL

If Jerry said, hey that is not bad ... then I am usually pretty comfortable with sharing it. Love it , thank you.   his book, wow can he write

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: RWilhelm
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 07:35 PM

I agree on both counts.

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: olddude
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 06:52 PM

I think that is the only song on the CD that Jerry didn't write. Every original is a masterpiece ... and dang the guy can pick a geetar! not to mention an outstanding voice .. I am so jealous

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 06:46 PM

Scratchy? :-)

You don't have to live a good life to make good music. Look at the rock singers...

Jerry

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: RWilhelm
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 06:38 PM

As I understand it, he lived pretty much the way he sounds on that record.

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 06:28 PM

Stone cold in de market, you say? I didn't know that.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: RWilhelm
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 05:58 PM

Prince Albert Hunt was shot to death at age 30 for stealing another man's wife. That's pretty cool.

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 06:35 AM

Genie: Listening to Prince Albert Hunt's version, I am reminded that I only used about half of the verses... the ones I really liked.

There's a small conversation goi8ng on on Youtube about the video of the song. Most people either knew the song from the Loving Spoonfull, which was a rather whacked out version done by the Holy Modal Rounders. The Jim Kweskin Jug Band also did a version of the song, changing lyrics to talk about Silly Putty (substitued for Chillicothe) and sniffing glue. I stuck with Prince Albert's verses. I never had any interest in sounding "cool." :-) Old Prince Albert was "cool" enough for me.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: Genie
Date: 28 Nov 09 - 06:08 AM

Looking forward to hearing your version, Jerry.

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 11:05 PM

I just checked Youtube... yep, it is Prince Albert Hunt. Great to hear it again. I'll have to check out the CD.

Jerry

Not that my version is an exact copy, but the words are the same. The Loving Spoonful may have drawn from the Hunt recording but it became a Loving Spoonful version... which is fine.

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: olddude
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 11:00 PM

al good question   i don't know maybe it is, i will check youtube

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: Abdul The Bul Bul
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 10:45 PM

I have a version of Blues in the Bottle on a LOvin Spoonful album. Is that the one?
Al

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: olddude
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 10:41 PM

love ya my friend
God Bless

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 10:35 PM

I was the "Guest". The power went off on my computer when I was on Mudcat and I became cookieless.

Hey, olddude: I have a dvd recorder now. I'll see if I can record me doing Blues in the Bottle, slowing down the picking so you can see it and get a copy off in the mail to you. Let me know if there are any other songs you want help on.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 10:23 PM

Feel free to post it on soundclick, olddude. I have no way of doing it.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: olddude
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 07:10 PM

Genie
I will see if I can talk the big guy into letting me post some on soundclick like Captain did. We are going to have music on his website when I finish it. Right now I am moving my servers but I will have it up soon. Jerry did a jaw dropping version of this song

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: Genie
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 06:57 PM

You can also hear Prince Albert Hunt's recording at YouTube. I posted some links .

But how can I hear your version, Jerry?   Is it out on iTunes?

Genie

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 06:20 PM

Yes, it is from Prince Albert Hunt from Texas readily available on CD

Hoot

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 04:43 PM

Thanks for the kind words, Olddude and Peter. I'm not sure I can help you with origing. Back in the early 60's, I received a reel to reel tape for Ed Denson that he put together for my friend Luke Faust. Luke's address tended to change unpredictably, so Ed (who I didn't know.) mailed it to me. It was a marvelous collection of old-time string band and southern mountain songs. For many years, that tape and the Anthology of American Folk Music were my prime sources for material. Unfortunately, either the tape never had the artist's names enclosed in the folder, or it got lost along the way. We're talking 1962 or 1963, so it's been awhile. I learned the song from a string band recording. Maybe someone else can tell me the group I learned it from...

Ruth and I are hedding out the door for a Paul Revere Lantern tour of old Derby, where we live. When I come back, I'll give you some clues how I play it...

Jerry

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: olddude
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 01:08 PM

Thanks Pete, my gosh Jerry's pickin is so clean ... the guitar work is wonderful. Now I have another project to try an figure out what he is doing pickin wise ..

Subject: RE: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 01:05 PM

Yes, Jerry does a mean version...Prince Albert Hunt if memory serves?

Good to see you here Dan. Don't be a stranger!

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: Origins: Blues in a Bottle - Jerry Rasmussen
From: olddude
Date: 27 Nov 09 - 01:00 PM

My gosh Jerry, Holy Cow is this great, anyone know the original origins. Is it a Blind Willy song?

Outstanding my friend like all of your music! great master work for sure. You book is Amazing also.

I have got to research this song, you got me scratching my head cause this is the first time I ever heard it

Thanks much
Dan