Chord Req: Beale Street Blues

Subject: Chord Req: Beale Street Blues
From: GUEST,Martoons
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 09:07 PM

I've been trying to figure out the chords for the Red Clay Ramblers version of this tune but the thing moves too fast for me.
Can someone give me a hand.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Beale Street Blues
From: masato sakurai
Date: 07 Jan 04 - 10:27 PM

Beale Street Blues (New York, New York, Pace & Handy Music Co., 1917) [sheet music] is at Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920 (from Duke University).

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Beale Street Blues
From: 12-stringer
Date: 08 Jan 04 - 04:23 AM

Sheet music seems to be missing a couple of pages! If the RCR version is anything like the one Charlie Poole did in the 20s, and I wouldn't be surprised were that the case, it's something like this. It's pretty basic, aside from the key change. I first learned this in the 60s from Poole's record and may have altered it a trifle here and there.

Intro:
(E) I've seen the lights of gay Broadway
(A) Old Market Street, down by the 'Frisco (E) bay
(E) I've ... (B7) and gambled on the ... (can't understand what Charlie is saying there) in (E) Paris, France.
(A) oh the seven wonders of the world I've (E) seen
(A) And lots of other different places I have (E) been
(E) Folks (B7) take my advice, see Beale St first, it's in (E) Memphis, Tennessee.

Main verses (3 of these)
(E) You'll see pretty browns in beautiful gowns
(F#) Old tailor-mades and (B7) hand-me-downs
(E) You'll see honest (E7 optional) men and (A) pickpockets skilled
(A) You find your (E) business never closes till (B7) somebody gets (E) killed.

You'll see hog restaurants, chittlin' cafés,
Talk about your whiskey and your by-gone days,
You see places, too, once places, that now is just a sham
And golden balls enough to pave the New Jerusalem.

If Beale Street could talk, if Beale Street could talk
Married men would have to pick their beds up and walk
All except one or two, me, I never drink booze,
And the blind man on the corner who sings the Beale St Blues.

(change keys here)
(A) I'd rather be here, than any place I know
(D) I'd rather be here, than any place I (A) know
(A) It's gonna (E7) take the sergeant, for to make me (A) go.

Goin' down to the river, by and by
Down to the river Mississippi, and here's the reason why,
The river's wet, and Beale St's done gone dry, bone dry.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Beale Street Blues
From: masato sakurai
Date: 08 Jan 04 - 04:34 AM

Another edition (Originally published: New York : Pace & Handy Music Co., c1917), which I hope contains all the pages.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Beale Street Blues
From: GUEST,Martoons
Date: 08 Jan 04 - 07:23 AM

Thanks for all the help.

The sheet music is great, but I don't read music. Perhaps that should be my next project.

M