Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell

Subject: Obit: Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell
From: GUEST,ClassicBluesVideos
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 05:57 AM

Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell!

In celebration of a Blues master and one of
the greatest slide guitar players to walk this earth.

18 video playlist, biography and quotes in his honor.
http://classicbluesvideos.com/video-details.asp?id=452&?Artist=Mississippi%20Fred%C2%A0McDowell&?Song=Happy%20Birthday%20Mississ

Subject: RE: Obit: Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 06:12 AM

So it's Fred's birthday today? Curiously enough I'm playing Fred at this very moment. It's a new CD of previously unreleased recordings made by Bill Ferris in Como in 1967. The name of the CD is Come and found You Gone; The Bill Ferris Recordings, and it's on Devildown. Definitely an aficiando's item.

Subject: RE: Obit: Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 06:44 AM

I'm a great fan of his work, regret I never saw him live. I especially like those field recodings of duets with Johnny Woods (Mama Says I'm Crazy). Maybe US 'Catters know more about Woods- I've not found out anything about him that's not on the booklet.

RtS
Thanks for that Fred, one to look out for.

Subject: RE: Obit: Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell
From: fat B****rd
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 09:22 AM

What can you say ! Shake 'em down.

Subject: RE: Obit: Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 09:35 AM

There's no obit necessary. Fred McDowell Lives!

Subject: RE: Obit: Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell
From: alanabit
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 09:35 AM

What a drag! I am not allowed to watch that video in Germany.

Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell
From: GUEST,David E.
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 11:07 AM

"I Do Not Play No Rock and Roll" was one of my first blues albums. If I remember correctly I got it free with a subscription to a local "underground" newspaper. I had that, one of the Chicago "The Blues Today!" albums on Vanguard, a Muddy Waters album and Ram John Holder's "Black London Blues." I was a teenager in blues heaven. Happy Birthday Mr. McDowell, and thanks.

David E.

Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell
From: Mike Yates
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 11:40 AM

According to the notes to the box set "the George Mitchell Collection" (Fat Possum Records FP1114-2) Johnny Woods was, "Born in 1917 in Looxahoma, Mississippi, Wood's father made a living trading dogs, horses, and mules when he wasn't working the cotton field. Unable to read or count, Woods made his living in the fields, where he heard the work songs and field hollers that would later inspire his harmonica technique. He was married by aged sixteen, and he and his wife had two children. His playimng went unrecorded until Fred McDowell pulled Woods into the recording session that Mitchell set up in 1967. In the 1980's he toured and recorded with R.L.Burnside and played occasional blues festivals in the vicinity of North Mississippi. Woods passed away on February 1, 1990, in Olive Branch, Mississippi."

Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 12 Jan 11 - 11:44 AM

"I Do Not Play No Rock and Roll". That's the Capitol LP, I take it. There was a time when that disc, long deleted, was practically impossible to obtain second hand, and then only for shed loads of shekels. It was the one F McD Lp I didn't own, and it didn't look as though Capitol would ever bother re-releasing it (although they eventually did), so I was desperate to get a copy whatever it cost.

Now, there used to be a 2nd hand record store up this way, the owner of which was a buggar for airing his knowledge. While you were counting up the scuffs and scratches in the vinyl, he'd be telling you about the disc's rarity value, about the lengths he went to in seeking it out, about how much it would go for in London, and about his encyclopaedic knowledge of the 2nd hand LP trade. Very important that last one, for he always and infallibly judged the price accurately. Or so he thought.

One day I walked in his shop and found the LP I'd been looking for in the record rack. I touched it, fondled it and felt it. I turned it over and inspected the cover for bumps and tears. There were none. I took the record out and scrutinised it minutely for the slightest trace of wear or abuse. I couldn't see any. In other words I was holding a copy of I Do Not Play No Rock 'n Roll in as near to mint condition as I was ever likely to see.

I sidled up to the counter, handed over the requisite sum, and bolted out of there like a startled rabbit. Once outside, I almost split my sides laughing. This virtually mint condition copy of one of the very few records for which I would have paid a silly price, had cost me just £3.75.

Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 06:34 AM

Mike, thanks for the info on JW.
Fred, I bought a second hand but mint copy of "I do not play..." (LP) from Chris Wellard's in New Cross, S. London in 1970 or 1971 for about 60p!
I'd only heard him on compilations until then, now have quite a few of his (my wife challenges my definition of "few" when it comes to recordings!)LPs & CDs. The new one looks pricey in UK but I'll put it on my Amazon wishlist for rich relatives to spot next birthday!
RtS

Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 13 Jan 11 - 07:35 AM

Roger. This was a lot later than 1970. Late 80s if I remember correctly, by which time the LP had long been deleted and was impossible to get hold of.

Believe me, £3.75 was quite a bargain for something like that in those days.

Come to think of it, we had two bouts of rampant inflation between those two dates. I think that 60p in the early 70s would have equated to a lot more than £3.75 by the late '80s.

Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Mississippi Fred McDowell
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 14 Jan 11 - 06:31 AM

You're right, Fred about prices back then. When I think what we paid for a house in mid-70s and what it sold for 10 years later and then what we had to pay when we moved...

RtS