Lyr Req: My Creole Belle (Mississippi John Hurt)

Subject: Lyr Req: cleoBell Mississippi john hurt?
From: mississippi john
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 04:28 PM

has anybody got any info on a song called CleoBell. not sure if its a Mississippi John Hurt number.
if possible would appriciate words & music tab

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: cleoBell Mississippi john hurt?
From: GUEST,Pete MacGregor
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 04:31 PM

Try 'Creole Belle' ?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: cleoBell Mississippi john hurt?
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 02 Jul 03 - 04:40 PM

That's "My Creole Belle" by Mississippi John Hurt.

The words are in the DT and the tab can be found here My Creole Belle

Doug C

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: cleoBell Mississippi john hurt?
From: Hollowfox
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 11:46 AM

Michael Cooney covered it on his Folk Legacy album "the Cheese Stands Alone", so there's information in the accompanying booklet. I don't have it right to hand, so I can't go into detail about just what the information is at the momentt.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: cleoBell Mississippi john hurt?
From: fsharpdim7
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 01:16 PM

Garrison did a segment on Creole Belle once. The composer, J. Bodewald Lampe (I think) was from Denmark and the leader of the St. Paul Symphony around 1900.
Would have been fun to play Kevin Bacon to see how the song got to MJH - but there all gone now.
Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Creole Bell Mississippi john hurt?
From: mississippi john
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 03:07 PM

Doug Chadwick-PM
thank you Doug I've got the words & tab

Subject: Lyr Add: MY CREOLE BELLE (Mississippi John Hurt)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Jul 03 - 10:20 PM

The Library of Congress American Memory Collection has sheet music for "Creole Belles" (sic). Alas, it is a piano arrangement only; no words are given. But the catalog entry inexplicably gives a "first line": "My Creole Belle, I love her well." The cover of the sheet music carries the notation "Also published as a song." The composer is J. Bodewalt Lampe; publication date is 1900.

The Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music has a song called "My Creole Belle", words by J. W. Johnson, music by Rosamond Johnson, also 1900 -- but it doesn't seem to be anything like the song that John Hurt sang.

The website The Guitar of Mississippi John Hurt, Volume 1, Taught by John Miller contains lyrics, standard music notation, and tabs which it says are transcribed from John Hurt's performance on "Avalon Blues," Rounder CD 1081, 1963. Lyrics are as follows:

MY CREOLE BELLE

My Creole Belle, I love her well
My darling baby, my Creole Belle
My Creole Belle, I love her well
My darling baby, my Creole Belle.

When the stars shine, I'll call her mine
My darling baby, my Creole Belle
My Creole Belle, I love her well
My darling baby, my Creole Belle.

My Creole Belle, I love her well
My darling baby, my Creole Belle
When the stars shine, I'll call her mine
My darling baby, my Creole Belle.

Subject: Lyr Add: CREOLE BELLE (Sidney, Lampe, 1901)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 29 Jan 09 - 11:59 PM

Found in Wehman Bros. Song and Joke Book No. 3 [Viewable at the Internet Archive.]
(New York: Wehman Bros., 1902?)


CREOLE BELLE
Copyright, 1900, by the Lampe Music Co.
Transferred 1901 to The Whitney Warner Pub. Co., Detroit, Mich.
Words by George Sidney. Music by J. Bodewalt Lampe.

1. All coons are prancin' singin' and dancin' go wild with glee.
I'm as happy as happy can be, fill my heart with ecstasy.
All over the nation, a celebration surely will be,
'Cause married I'se goin' to be, to my Creole Belle.

CHORUS: My Creole Belle, I love her well.
Around my heart she has cast a spell.
When stars do shine, I'll call her mine,
My dusky baby, my Creole Belle.

2. See them rehearsin', for this rejoicin', that's going to be.
At the weddin' 'tween baby and me, oh my, what a jamboree!
Congratulations and presentations is to be made.
Wine, beer and lemonade, at this weddin' will be.

3. The parson tied the knot and said, "You both just been made one."
It was a sight to see, those coons all cheerin' me.
My heart never knew such joy, this moment of my life,
When the parson said to me, "The Creole Belle's your wife."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Creole Belle (Mississippi John Hurt)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 23 Aug 17 - 07:11 PM

Sheet music for the song CREOLE BELLES (Words by George Sidney, music by J. Bodewalt Lampe, 1901) can be seen at University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Creole Belle (Mississippi John Hurt)
From: GUEST,PickerDad
Date: 01 Jan 24 - 07:38 PM

I think you mean "My Creole Belle", a song written and performed by Mississippi John Hurt. The melody is from a ragtime orchestra piece "Creole Belles", composed by J. Bodewell Lampe, a New York composer/conductor/arranger in 1901. Lampe's piece has 3 movements, and the middle movement is the melody used by John Hurt for his song "My Creole Belle". John was born in 1895, so he probably would have written "My Creole Belle" in the 1920's. In the late 20's John travelled to New York to cut several record albums, most of which are still available today. He was "rediscovered" by several stalwarts of the 1950-60's folk music rebirth, and re-recorded his entire repertoire during that period. Some were commercial recordings and there were also recordings made by the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress. John passed away in 1968.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Creole Belle (Mississippi John Hurt)
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Jan 24 - 12:21 PM

it is the same tune as goodbye booze, sung by charlie poole

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Creole Belle (Mississippi John Hurt)
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 03 Jan 24 - 09:58 AM

yes you're right there- he didn't just do 'Movin' Day'! For a while in the late 6os our Marsden Inn folk club had the pleasure of having one Stefan Grossman as a resident singer- he did a fine version of this song

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Creole Belle (Mississippi John Hurt)
From: PHJim
Date: 05 Jan 24 - 05:34 PM

verses to his version;

My Creole Belle, I love you well
My darlin' baby, my Creole Belle
Oh Creole Belle, I love you well
She's my darlin' baby, my Creole Belle

When stars come out, I walk about
With darlin' baby, my Creole Belle
Oh Creole Belle, I love you well
Little darlin' baby, my Creole Belle

My Creole Belle, I love you well
My darlin' baby, my Creole Belle
Oh Creole Belle, I love you well
My darlin' baby, my Creole Belle

Your smiling eyes and your pretty curls
Make you the envy of the rest of the girls
Oh Creole Belle, I love you well
My darlin' baby, my Creole Belle

Creole Belle, I love you well
My darlin' baby, my Creole Belle
Oh little Creole Belle, I love you well
My darlin' baby, my Creole Belle

Mississippi John must've liked the tune because he also used it for Richland Woman.
I wonder if Charlie Poole's "Goodbye Booze" came before or after "Creole Belle".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Creole Belle (Mississippi John Hurt)
From: meself
Date: 05 Jan 24 - 06:25 PM

I would say it's one of those melodies that got around, in various variations - Rubber Dolly and Back Up and Push being a couple of them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Creole Belle (Mississippi John Hurt)
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jan 24 - 07:38 PM

MJH used the tune and a similar arrangement for Richland Woman Blues.