When I'm Gone (You'll Miss Me)

Subject: When I'm Gone (You'll Miss Me)
From: Kent Davis
Date: 02 Jan 16 - 06:44 PM

I don't expect to hear Carter Family songs on Top 40 radio, but that is where I heard this song today. It is "Cups", a version of "When I'm Gone", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmSbXsFE3l8
Here is the Carter Family's version: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xtxjd9_the-carter-family-when-i-m-gone-remastered-country-music-experience_music and a link to a thread on the origins of the song Detail.CFM?messages__Message_ID=2514681 .

Apparently it was included in a movie, "Pitch Perfect", in 2012, and reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2013. The title "Cups" comes from the percussion instruments (cups) used in this version. This was apparently an innovation by LuLu and the Lampshades https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhiiuqfxfDg

Perhaps this is old news to you, but it was new to me, so I thought I would share it.

Kent Davis

Subject: RE: When I'm Gone (You'll Miss Me)
From: Bugsy
Date: 04 Jan 16 - 02:28 AM

My 7 year old grandaughter does the Cups version of this song, I love it.

She'll be doing it at our local folk club next month, It's here debut folk club performance and she's ernestly practicing her voice projection.

CHeers

Bugsu

Subject: RE: When I'm Gone (You'll Miss Me)
From: Kent Davis
Date: 04 Jan 16 - 08:43 PM

I would love to hear your granddaughter sing. I wish her well.

Kent Davis

P.S.

Here is Mike Seeger's 1979 recording of Elizabeth Cotten singing and playing "When I'm Gone": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7JGhlej6KQ

Subject: RE: When I'm Gone (You'll Miss Me)
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 05 Jan 16 - 11:55 AM

Thanks for the info, Kent. I had never heard of it.

Here's a YouTube video which shows the cups in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26Uftr-jWz4

It cracks me up to hear these white girls doing a perfect imitation of Detroit's Motown sound. I refer to the duo in the video and to Lulu and the Lampshades.

Subject: RE: When I'm Gone (You'll Miss Me)
From: Bugsy
Date: 08 Jan 16 - 06:50 AM

She's very nervous Kent Davis. She asked my son if she was going to sing at an old peoples home. He said, "No, it's a Folk Club, but it might look like and old peoples home to you.

Don't you just love 'em?

Cheers
Bugsy

Subject: RE: When I'm Gone (You'll Miss Me)
From: Kent Davis
Date: 08 Jan 16 - 06:52 PM

I imagine your son is right. To a 7-year-old, anyone over 40 probably looks elderly.

Here is a little more history of "Cups" and its association with "When I'm Gone", including a link to the 1937 J.E. Mainer version of "When I'm Gone", and a 1989 use of cups as percussion for a different song, Screen Door": http://www.vulture.com/2013/08/comprehensive-history-of-the-cups-phenomenon.html

Kent Davis

Subject: RE: When I'm Gone (You'll Miss Me)
From: akenaton
Date: 08 Jan 16 - 07:05 PM

Thanks for posting this Kent, why have I never heard this lady before?

Really excellent