Big Locomotive 99

Subject: Big Locomotive 99
From: Pablo
Date: 04 Dec 98 - 11:12 PM

"Once upon a time there was an engineer, drove his locomotive both far and near..." The engineer has a monkey and one day the 99 takes off down the main line with the monkey alone at the controls. Any bells ringing? Was performed acoustically by the Grateful Dead during that point in their career.

Subject: RE: Big Locomotive 99
From: Earl
Date: 05 Dec 98 - 12:53 AM

"The Monkey and the Engineer" by Jesse Fuller. If no one else has it I can get it.

Subject: RE: Big Locomotive 99
From: Earl
Date: 05 Dec 98 - 11:11 AM

I thought I had it on a Jesse Fuller album but I don't. Here is a link to the Grateful Dead version./

Subject: RE: Big Locomotive 99
From: karen k
Date: 05 Dec 98 - 11:45 AM

I got this directly from Jesse in 1966 when he played at a coffee house I helped to run in CT and he stayed at my house for a couple of days. He was truly a wonderful person.

MONKEY AND THE ENGINEER

Once upon a time there was an engineer, Drove a locomotive both far and near, Accompanied by a monkey that sat on a stool, Watching everything that the engineer do.

One day the engineer he want a bite to eat, Left the monkey settin' on the driver's seat, Monkey pulled the throttle, locomotive jumped the gun, Made 90 miles an hour down the mainline run.

CHO: Big locomotive comin' down the line, Big locomotive number 99, Big locomotive just in time, Left the engineer with a worried mind.

Engineer tried to get the dispatcher on the phone, Tell him all about his locomotive was gone, Get on the wire, say dispatcher do right, 'Cuz the monkey's got the mainline sewed up tight.

Head operator got the message on time, North bound train on the same mainline, Open up the switches, let the monkey in the hole, 'Cuz the monkey's got the locomotive under control.

Further down the road the monkey made a stop, Thought about the engineer blowin' his top. Get out of there you little son-of-a-gun, You'll never go again on a mainline run!

Enjoy, it's a fun song. Make sure you use kazoo on this one!

karen

Subject: RE: Big Locomotive 99
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 05 Dec 98 - 08:04 PM

One of my fondest memories comes from the night I saw Jesse Fuller at the Foghorn in Baltimore (circa 1967). I was a poor college student and could not afford many "nights out" that included cover and a minimum. But I had to go see Jesse. It was a wonderful evening with Jesse doing his one man band. For those of you unfamiliar with Jesse he played a big old 12-string. He had a standard metal harmonica rack with both harmonica and kazoo strapped in. He played a high-hat cymbal with one foot and an instument he called the "Fotdella" with the other. The "fotdella" from the audience side looked like a big wooden box about 2 feet by 2 and 1/2 feet. The side towards Jesse was open and inside Jesse had stretched some piano wire with the basic bass notes (don't ask me which notes). At the bottom were a row of pedals like those used by a bass drum in a trap set. One pedal for each string. Jesse was all wired up, everything had built in microphones.

Jesse played wonderful blues and rags and his warm personality shone through.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Big Locomotive 99
From: pablo
Date: 08 Dec 98 - 12:02 AM

Gosh! I'm grateful to all. If you HAVE got an arrangement (Jessie's?) that would be great, but if not I can probably dope it out.

Thanks again.