Doja Cat, June 3, 2022 -snip- Total # of viewsas of Nov. 29, 2022 at 9:08 AM ET - 78,553,088
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents information about Doja Cat and showcases the official YouTube
video of for her song "Vegas"*.
This pancocojams post also includes two online excerpts about Doja Cat's song "Vegas".
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remains with their owners.
Thanks to Doja Cat for her musical accomplishments. Thanks to all those who are associated with this song and this video.
RIP to singer/actress Shonka Dukureh who portrayed Big Mama Thornton in the movie "Elvis", who is sampled in Doja Cat's song "Vegas", and who appears in the official YouTube video of that song. Shonka Dukureh (age 44 years) died of natural causes on July 22, 2022 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12860265/ -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/11/big-mama-thorntons-rhythm-blues-song.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled Big Mama Thornton's Rhythm & Blues Song "Hound Dog" And Elvis Presley's Rock 'N Roll Song "Hound Dog" (YouTube videos & article excerpts). -snip- WARNING - Doja Cat's song "Vegas" includes references that may be considered risqué (sexually suggestive). YouTube features several sound files of Doja Cat's song "Vegas" as "clean lyrics". This indicates that some people believe that this song includes lyrics that are "dirty".
In addition, the official video of Doja Cat's "Vegas" includes what
I consider to be sexually suggestive dancing.
**** INFORMATION ABOUT DOJA CAT Source #1 From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doja_Cat "Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known
professionally as Doja Cat (…DOH-jə), is an American rapper and singer. Born
and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on
SoundCloud as a teenager
[…]
Described by The Wall Street Journal as "a skilled
technical rapper with a strong melodic sense and a bold visual
presence",[1] Doja Cat is known for creating music videos and songs that
achieve popularity on social media websites such as TikTok. She is also
well-versed in internet culture herself, and is famed for her absurdly humorous
personality and online presence.[2][3][4][5] Doja Cat has received numerous
accolades throughout her career, including one Grammy Award from sixteen
nominations, five Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards, and three
MTV Video Music Awards.
[…]
Stage name and persona
As a teenager in 2012, Doja Cat gained her stage name from
one of her cats as well as her favorite strain of marijuana, stating, "I
was heavily addicted to weed and weed culture, so when I began rapping I
thought of the word 'doja' and how it sounds like a girl's name."*[10] She
has since expressed slight disdain towards the name and the persona that it
carries, stating in November 2021 that "my image was the pothead hippie
girl, and I'm not that."[41]
Musical style and themes
Doja Cat's music has been described as hip hop,[187][191]
pop,[9] R&B,[191] and pop rap.[195] …
**** Source #2 From https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/doja-cat-dr-luke-name-say-so-1270855/ Doja Cat Almost Worked With Billie Eilish, Doesn’t Need to
Work With Dr. Luke Again, and 11 Other Things You Didn’t Know About Her" by EJ Dickson, December 16, 2021 ..."She’s not a huge fan of her stage name. Doja’s stage name
derives from both her love of felines (she has two, Alex and Ray) and a
marijuana strain (she has since quit smoking weed). But she says she doesn’t
love her name, and has in fact tried to change it a few times over the years.
An old manager convinced her not to. “My image was the pothead hippie girl, and
I’m not that,” she says. “[SNL] made a joke the other day that Doja Cat sounds
like a Pokémon. And, you know, it didn’t hurt my feelings, but it definitely
hurt my feelings.” "…
**** INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "VEGAS" BY DOJA CAT From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegas_(Doja_Cat_song) " "Vegas" is a song by American rapper and singer
Doja Cat. It was released through Kemosabe Records and RCA Records as the lead
single from the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic, Elvis, on
May 6, 2022.[1] The song was produced by Rogét Chahayed and Yeti Beats. It
interpolates a sample of Shonka Dukureh's recording of the song "Hound
Dog", which was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, first recorded
by Big Mama Thornton (who Dukureh plays in the film) in 1952 and notably covered
by Presley.[2] The official music video for the song was released on June 2,
2022.[3]
Composition
The song's lyrics refer to a man who was an
"underwhelming lover"[4] whom Doja Cat feels "never deserved her
attention".[5]
[…]
Commercial performance
"Vegas" peaked at number ten on the US Billboard
Hot 100, becoming Doja's seventh top-ten single. The song also reached number
one on the Pop Songs chart, making it the first solo soundtrack song to reach
the top of that chart since Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the
Feeling!" in 2016. It also makes her the artist with the most number ones
on Pop Songs this decade among women.[7]
[…]
Songwriter(s)
Amala Dlamini, Rogét Chahayed, David Sprecher, Jerry Leiber,
Mike Stoller” -snip- Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote the 1952 Rhythm & Blues song "Hound Dog". That song was first performed by Big Mama Thornton in 1953. "It ["Hound Dog"] was simultaneously number one on the US pop, country, and R&B charts in 1956, and it topped the pop chart for 11 weeks — a record that stood for 36 years."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hound_Dog_(song)
But if you’re hearing a lot more “Hound Dog” these days, you
might look to Doja Cat’s hit song “Vegas,” which updates — and interpolates —
one of Elvis’s signature songs for contemporary listeners. But what the Doja
Cat version actually samples is the original Big Mama Thornton rendition
from 1953.
Presley is frequently said to have stolen Thornton’s song,
which was written by acclaimed songwriting team Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
(whose credits include Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock”). Thornton’s is a sauntering
blues song with a raunchy tale about a two-timing man; Presley’s take features
tepid lyrics about an actual dog, radically changing the groove.
But in an interview last month with Rolling Stone, Stoller
said Presley didn’t steal the song at all. (A number of lawsuits swirled around
the record — “Hound Dog” is often cited as one of the most litigated songs in
history.) Rather, he adapted one of its many covers — specifically, the version
performed by the Las Vegas lounge act Freddie Bell and the Bellboys, whose
“Hound Dog” borrows its upbeat rhythm from yet another cover,” Rufus Thomas’s
“Bear Cat.” It has a similar rhythm to the one we hear on the contemporary Doja
Cat version, “Vegas,” which heavily features samples of Thornton’s vocals — as
performed by the late Shonka Dukureh, who portrays Thornton in the film.
Listening closely reveals a song that synthesizes the complicated musical
history of “Hound Dog” by uniting the best parts of its many versions.
Listen to the latest episode of Switched On Pop as hosts Nate
Sloan and Charlie Harding dig into the long legacy of “Hound Dog” and all its echoes
through time.
[A sound file of this podcast is given in this article.]
Songs Discussed [in that podcast]
➼Big Mama Thornton: “Hound Dog”
➼Elvis Presley: “Hound Dog”
➼Doja Cat: “Vegas”
➼Rufus Thomas: “Bear Cat”
➼TLC: “No Scrubs”
➼Jack Harlow: “Dua Lipa””… -snip- The words given in brackets are written by me for explanatory purposes.
This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube video of Big Mama Thornton and a YouTube video of Elvis Presley performing their versions of the song "Hound Dog".
This pancocojams post presents information about the song "Hound Dog" from its Wikipedia page. This post also presents an excerpt of a 2021 Washington Post article about the song "Hound Dog" .
A link to biographical information about Big Mama Thornton and a link to the lyrics for Big Mama Thornton's version of that song are included in this post.
A link to biographical information about Elvis Presley and a link to the lyrics for Elvis Presley's version of that song are also included in this post.
In addition, this pancocojams post includes a link to the Wikipedia page for Leiber and Stroller, the composers of the original "Hound Dog" song.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the composers of the song "Hound Dog" and thanks to Big Mama Thornton and Elvis Presley for their musical legacies. Thanks to all those who are associated with these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube. -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/11/doja-cat-vegas-its-sampling-of-big-mama.html for a closely related pancocojams post entitled "Doja Cat's 2022 Hip Hop/Pop Song "Vegas" & How It Samples Big Mama Thornton's 1953 R&B Song "Hound Dog" ".
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2: Elvis Presley "Hound Dog" (October 28, 1956) on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show, Sep 9, 2020
**** INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "HOUND DOG" From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hound_Dog_(song) "Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues song written by Jerry
Leiber and Mike Stoller. Recorded originally by Big Mama Thornton on August 13,
1952, in Los Angeles and released by Peacock Records in late February 1953,
"Hound Dog" was Thornton's only hit record, selling over 500,000
copies, spending 14 weeks in the R&B charts, including seven weeks at
number one. Thornton's recording of "Hound Dog" is listed as one of
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and
Roll", and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in February 2013.
"Hound Dog" has been recorded more than 250 times.
The best-known version is the July 1956 recording by Elvis Presley, which
ranked number 19 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
in 2004, but was excluded from the revised list in 2021; it is also one of the
best-selling singles of all time. Presley's version, which sold about 10
million copies globally, was his best-selling song and "an emblem of the
rock 'n' roll revolution". It was simultaneously number one on the US pop,
country, and R&B charts in 1956, and it topped the pop chart for 11 weeks —
a record that stood for 36 years. Presley's 1956 RCA recording was inducted
into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1988, and it is listed as one of the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".
"Hound Dog" has been at the center of
controversies and several lawsuits, including disputes over authorship,
royalties, and copyright infringement by the many answer songs released by such
artists as Rufus Thomas and Roy Brown. From the 1970s onward, the song has been
featured in numerous films, including Grease, Forrest Gump, Lilo & Stitch,
A Few Good Men, Hounddog, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,
and Nowhere Boy.
[…]
Big Mama Thornton's version (1952/53)
Thornton's recording of "Hound Dog" is credited
with "helping to spur the evolution of black R&B into rock
music".[7] Brandeis University professor Stephen J. Whitefield, in his
2001 book In Search of American Jewish Culture, regards "Hound Dog"
as a marker of "the success of race-mixing in music a year before the
desegregation of public schools was mandated" in Brown v. Board of
Education.[17] Leiber regarded the original recording by the 350-pound
"blues belter" Big Mama Thornton as his favorite version,[15][18]
while Stoller said, "If I had to name my favorite recordings, I'd say they
are Big Mama Thornton's 'Hound Dog' and Peggy Lee's 'Is That All There
Is?'"[19]... -snip- Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mama_Thornton for biographical information about (African American) Big Mama Thornton.(December
11, 1926 – July 25, 1984),
After the “king of rock-and-roll” recorded a version,
Thornton’s original was largely forgotten.
By Haben Kelati, February 24, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. EST "Imagine you have a good idea, but someone copies it and gets more credit. That’s basically what happened to rhythm-and-blues singer Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton with her song “Hound Dog.” If you know the song, you might only know “King of Rock-and-Roll” Elvis Presley’s version. But before the song helped Elvis’s career skyrocket, it was a big hit for Thornton.
Wille Mae “Big Mama” Thornton recorded “Hound Dog,” a song
written for her, in 1952. It climbed to Number 1 on the Billboard rhythm and
blues music charts. When Elvis Presley recorded it a few years later, the song
helped his career skyrocket. Decades later, the song is still associated with
Elvis. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty)
Thornton, who was born in Ariton, Alabama, in 1926, signed
with Peacock Records in 1951. She stood out when compared with other female
singers. Nearly six feet tall and 200 pounds, she got the nickname “Big Mama.”
“She had this tough exterior, and she had this very powerful
voice which made her also seem very tough,” says Maureen Mahon, a music
professor at New York University. ...
“Sometimes she would wear a dress or gown, but she also
liked to wear what people would refer to as men’s clothes,” Mahon says.
Watching Thornton sing inspired Jerry Leiber and Mike
Stoller to write “Hound Dog” for her in 1952. Thornton recorded it with a growl
emphasizing the frustration that the song lyrics suggest — coping with a
boyfriend who is also dating someone else.
Thornton had moderate success with the song in 1953. It
reached Number 1 on the Billboard rhythm-and-blues chart. Several musicians
recorded their own versions, but none had much success until Elvis.
The 21-year-old performer had heard a version of the song in
early 1956 with some of the words changed. (It was about a dog, not a man.)
Elvis decided to record it. His recording climbed to the top of the Billboard
Hot 100 chart and stayed there for 11 weeks.
The song is seen as an important beginning of rock-and-roll,
especially in its use of the guitar as the key instrument, according to Mahon.
[...]
Elvis was able to get his version to wider audiences than
Thornton, in part because he was a White man, according to Gayle Wald,
professor of American studies and English literature at George Washington
University. He had hit songs by 1956, but he also had access to larger,
mainstream markets.
…. Because of the way race works in the United States, Elvis
got accolades” for “Hound Dog,” Wald says. “He received exposure and celebrity
and praise for it.”
[...]
Thornton’s influence on Elvis and American popular music as
a whole is an important part of her legacy.”…
This pancocojams post showcases a 1971 Blues concert featuring Muddy Waters, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, and George "Harmonica" Smith that was filmed by people associated with the hit American television Western Gunsmoke.
Selected comments from this YouTube video's discussion thread are included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all the artists featured in this film for their musical legacy and thanks to the film crew of Gunsmoke for documenting this concert. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Gunsmoke blues - Muddy Waters, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, George "Harmonica" Smith
musadiggari. Mar 30, 2015
During a production hiatus of the popular TV Show "Gunsmoke", the film crew decided to take off and film a barnstorming blues revue making it’s way across the country and they ended up in Eugene, OR with cameras rolling to film Muddy Waters, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner and George "Harmonica" Smith as they performed in a music hall. Date: October 20, 1971.
Setlist:
1. Big Mama Thornton - Early One Morning
2. Big Mama Thornton - Ball And Chain
3. George "Harmonica" Smith - Juke
4. George "Harmonica" Smith - Leaving Chicago
5. Big Joe Turner - Hide And Seek
6. Big Joe Turner - Shake, Rattle And Roll
7. Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy
8. Muddy Waters - Long Distance Call
9. Muddy Waters - (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man
10. Muddy Waters - Got My Mojo Working
11. Muddy Waters, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, George "Harmonica" Smith - So Long
12. Big Mama Thornton - Hound Dog
13. Big Mama Thornton - Rock Me Baby
14. Muddy Waters - She's Nineteen Years Old
15. Muddy Waters - Walking Thru The Park
****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
1. Jim Danger, 2015
"This is Fantastic - Thanks so much! Had me from the first second, all the way through, nonstop. Pure gold. Greatest thing i've seen in a long time."
**
2. Doc Stonez, 2015
"CHUUCH ON THA MOVE..CAN U DIG IT"
**
REPLY
3.Stacey Kersting, 2015
"@Doc Stonez Can I get an amen on that one?!!!"
**
REPLY
4. Doc Stonez, 2016
"amen.chuuch"
**
5. RAMLIA1, 2015
"❤️❤️❤️"
**
6. snakehips81, 2015
"Do you know what year this was recorded ?
And do you know the names of the other musicians ?
Thanks !"
**
REPLY
8. musadiggari, 2015
"+snakehips81 Yes, cary passeroff is correct. Muddy Waters had a gig in the University of Oregon in Eugene (where this was shot) in October 20, 1971. There is also an audio release of the Muddy Waters' part of the concert under the name "Muddy Waters - The Lost Tapes" (BPCD 5054)
Muddy Waters band members at that time were:
Muddy Waters: guitar, vocals
George "Harmonica" Smith: Harmonica
"Pinetop" Perkins: Piano
Sammy Lawhorn: guitar
Pee Wee Madison: guitar
Calvin "Fuzz" Jones: bass
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith: drums
Not sure about the members of the other band."
**
REPLY
9. Pauline Brassey, 2016
"+snakehips81 It looks like Donald "Duck" Dunn on Bass"
**
REPLY
10. m. saint, 2016
"It is."
**
11. Thomas De Lello, 2015
"Is that Sammy Langhorn at 46:56 on the time dial...? Is that Calvin Jones with the white Fender bass guitar in Muddy's band...? Is that Pee Wee Madison at 1:25:15 ...?"
**
REPLY
12. johnny ace, 2016
"+Thomas De Lello YES..."
**
13. Tom Howland, 2016
"This is the real Deal Blues. Big Mama & Muddy are killing it."
**
14. Wayne Russell McClanahan, 2016
"If you like great ole right-down southern blues, this is worthwhile watching and sharing."
**
15. Tom Howland, 2016
"Muddy Band.
Willie "Big Eyed " Smith-Drums. Calvin "Fuzzy" Jones Bass. "Pinetop" Perkins Piano."
**
REPLY
16. Steven Allen, 2018
"I thought that was Pinetop - such a great player!"
**
17. DowntheGlen, 2016
"Big Mama wonderful; but at 32:58 the bumps begin for real! Ooooh Yeeeeah ."
**
18. SIC66SIC66, 2016
"Why is big mama Thornton already called big? She got a lot bigger in the years to come :D"
**
REPLY
19. Aiche Jaye, 2017
"She was a lot bigger in the 1960's."
**
20. egd daly, 2016
"Who is that playing harp around 15:00? Never heard anything like it!"
**
REPLY
21. JawboneandJolene, 2016
"+egd daly That was George "Harmonica" Smith, father of West Coast Swing harmonica. He influenced a lot of guys like Rick Estrin, William Clarke, James Harman, and a host of others. Even worked a bit with Little Walter from what I hear."
**
22. m. saint, 2016
"Check out Muddy's natural toupe'! Never seen one before."
**
REPLY
23. Naught 4Sale, 2019
"Why do you say that? That's his real hair as far as I know. He used to wear the same style as a sort of pompadour, then he apparently just decided to go natural."
**
24. shaserv, 2017
"Man, she could blow that harp. Pisses me off when I think of all that was stolen from them."
**
25. Jon Conway, 2017
"Here you have black people, white people, young people, old people, women and men, all I can say is DAMN diversity sure sounds good to me!"
**
REPLY
26. Dfw Fqdefqw, 2019
"Yes and no... Look in the room only white people. Big names black performers were playing for white audience with white unionized backing bands. Don't dream."
**
REPLY
27. B0BBYD1G1TAL, 2019
"Without African-Americans there would be no great music imo. without western Europeans i wouldnt be able to hear it right now.. imo. So all who were involved in creating and time travelling this from 1971 to my ears.. i thank you, whoever you are."
**
REPLY
28. Upper Left Coast Chelsea Fan, 2019
"@Dfw Fqdefqw Muddy's band were not unionized white flunky's. Look at the room? It's freakin' Eugene Oregon in 1971, there were like two black people in the entire state. We do love & appreciate the blues in the NW. Wonder if fifteen year old Robert Cray & Curtis Selgado were in attendance, Eugene was their old stompin' grounds in those days."
**
REPLY
29. Kat Masterson, 2019
"African Americans moved on to other forms of music"
**
REPLY
30. Richard Branton, 2019
"@Upper Left Coast Chelsea Fan muddy wasnt a "big star" he was a big blues star big difference,no black muscian has ever derived any great wealth or major recognition from the blues not even BB hence you have Clapton being called the greatest blues guitarist which is bs"
**
31. Mark Curran, 2017
"This is a fantastic piece of blues history. So cool these guys decided to document this on their hiatus from shooting GUNSMOKE!"
**
32. thesmithselvis, 2017
"What a truly magical piece of musical history captured on celluloid. I discovered Big Mama Thornton through being an Elvis fan. Since discovering her I bought some for her albums too. The performances captured here of all the artists is absolutely spellbinding. I loved the interviews on the tour bus too, they were fascinating. They must've had some parties on the road on that tour. Thanks so much for posting this film. I watched it from start to finish, it was sheer bliss."
**
33. Bob Condon, 2017
"Muddy is on fire here. His vocals are very strong, and his average night is miles above most others."
**
34. 1-Shot slinger, 2017
"And that's why they call him George "Harmonica" Smith, blowing that big chromatic like nobody else [ except maybe Carrie Bell haha]. This is a you tube treat right here Oh yeah!"
**
35. Jola Harvel, 2017
"A few months ago, I had the great privilege of going to an outdoor concert put on in our little town featuring Mud Morganfield, the eldest son of Muddy Waters. He's the spitting image of his father and that concert just blew me away. I would encourage everyone to follow him and support him"
**
36. LawdyMissClawdyMEDIA, 2018
..."The white guys playing behind Mama Thornton are The Hound Dog Band - Big Mama's band, which I learned from I can't remember where. But ever since I found this video I have been trying to find out who the personnel were of her band. I did find this info on Wikipedia, and I dont know if the two guitar players behind Big Mama here are Doug Macleod, Bee Houston or Steve Wachsman - - - - but maybe this Wiki quote will spark a memory from someone:
"In the 1970s, years of heavy drinking began to damage Thornton's health. She was in a serious auto accident but recovered to perform at the 1973 Newport Jazz Festival with Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (a recording of this performance, The Blues—A Real Summit Meeting, was released by Buddha Records). Thornton's last albums were Jail and Sassy Mama for Vanguard Records in 1975. Other songs from the recording session were released in 2000 on Big Mama Swings. Jail captured her performances during mid-1970s concerts at two prisons in the northwestern United States.[10] She was backed by a blues ensemble that featured sustained jams by George "Harmonica" Smith and included the guitarists Doug Macleod, Bee Houston and Steve Wachsman; the drummer Todd Nelson; the saxophonist Bill Potter; the bassist Bruce Sieverson; and the pianist J. D. Nicholson.""
**
37. ljswack, 2018
"Thank You 3x for this Gem, Sister can blow the Harp"
**
38. hedge685, 2018
"Muddy's got the high-top fade long before Kid'n'Play made it popular."
**
39. daniel combs, 2018
"He did have Paul Oscher on harmonica , great player. He was the only white musician in the band. It just goes to show Muddy was color blind all that mattered was the music. God rest his soul , I loved his music he was a master."
**
40. Olabode Lakoja, 2018
"Big Momma Thorton from 1:01 getting into her signature tune 'hound dog' my my oh my,[thougt id DIED & GONE HEAVEN Bwoy!] did i see her do 'the Ali Shuffle'/Attempt a Moon Walk,When it hadnt been done on SOUL TRAIN,he he he...
Her Howling Singing Voice,Grab hold of her Microphone Stand,
and then let it Go...Hot Sheet!"
[thought ONLY James Brown OWN THAT move] Lordy Lordy If you TRULY LOVE, Black Soul/BLUES MUSIC ? You gotta dig this Stuff RIGHT HERE mehnn!
Big Mama Band No Slouches too,then SHE get on that Mouth Organ...and Blows!
1:06...
To think Elvis and his record company,got away without PAYING HER A DIME?
For Hound dog...As she clearly states in her interview with Muddy @ the top menn.
Thats it Settled..im off to New Orleans for my 50th...Big Easy Blues Rocks!
**
41. augie748, 2018
"Plus Big Joe Turner hittin’ it!"
**
42. Mary Willis, 2018
"Some days I get Lucky. I found this. Lucky day.
**
43. NORTH AV, 2018
"Muddy was the man"
**
44. Alex Swage, 2018
"Please keep the blues alive and living on for many generations to enjoy the blues"
**
45. Lasting Cause, 2018
"What an amazing show!! Woke up at 3:08a and came across this... Just a shout out to Pinetop Perkins!!! Great great show!! Thx so much for sharing!!"
**
REPLY
46. ElCapinyoazz, 2019
"Pinetop Perkins on piano here was still playing shows at 96 years old! I saw him in New Orleans sometime around the mid 1990s when he was in his 80s and he was still gittin' it."
**
47. John-Paul Jones Group TV, 2019
"Wow the difference in the two bands. The backup musicians for the other musicians were good, but Muddy's Band has that "it""
**
REPLY
48. Richard Branton, 2019
"More than likely the others bands where just pick up bands (in whatever town they where in)and paid the minimum and had little or no time to rehearse whilst muddys band was muddys band and they knew the drill"
**
49. Jarret Jordan, 2019
"Did Muddy usually play a fender?"
**
REPLY
50. musadiggari, 2019
"He bought that '58 Tele new and it was his main guitar for the rest of his career."
**
51. Jesse Griffin, 2018
"Music that makes you tap your toes, snap your fingers, clap your hands, stomp your heels, and move your body. Just gotta love them BLUES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
**
52. JustVinnyBlues, 2018
"I saw Big Mama Thornton ten years prior to this, at the Ash Grove in Los Angeles. She was a lot heavier then, and fortunately she lost a lot of weight, stopped smoking and added years to her life. But what a performer she was; she commanded the stage. I will never forget her opening, as they darkened the entire room and the stage. All you saw was this cigarette being lit, the glow of the cigarette, then some smoke wafting through the air, a dim red back light and the enormous profile there; and she was tall too, a commanding presence. In that relatively small room she blew the roof off that place. This generation of performer knew how to command a stage and bring it all; they had done thousands of one night stands; they lived on that stage. And they knew how to put on a show. In this decade, the blues became popular with white audiences; but black audiences had stopped listening to it in favor of more modern forms of urban music. In 1969 I saw Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker on the same bill in a small club in Detroit, and they played until about 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning, alternating sets. The greatest show I have ever seen in my life. They played like there were 50,000 people in the audience, not 50. Muddy Waters had been in a motorcycle accident and played all night on crutches. In a small venue these performer's musical charisma was awe inspiring. Muddy Waters, when he sang, I still remember thinking - wow, this is like the Moon singing - that face - the resonance - it was so powerful. Hooker was also amazing, with a completely different performance style. He got too drunk to play the guitar, so started singing A Capella sitting on the edge of the stage - and it was even better. When I left that club, I thought - "that was it, it will never get any better." "
**
REPLY
53. Steve Mendelson, 2018
"Vinny, saw her at Ashgrove about 1965 or 66, maybe we at same show. Also saw there the Johnny Otis show with little esther, big joe turner, think big mama and bunch of others Johnny O had a DJ gig every Sat morning on the radio in the 1980s and 1990s, think on KPFA in Berkeley, broadcasting out of Sebastopol CA. He was a great cat, someplace I had a 3 record set of him leading his revue with a bunch of these folks, maybe Pee Wee Crayton and Eddie Cleanhead VInson. He helped keep a lot of these 1940s to 1960s folks alive. So glad she dropped some weight and looked so healthy."
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REPLY
54. Andy McWilliams, 2018
"JustVinnyBlues I saw them in a small club (Tulagi’s) in Boulder, Colorado about the same time. Big Mama was the same. That’s when I first met Muddy and his band. I was a long way from home, Clarksdale, Mississippi, and I told Pinetop my name and where I was from. He said, “Oh LAWD! You ole man Gary’s boy!” I was shocked. We talked all the next day, and I got real homesick. This started a lifelong friendship with Pinetop, Mojo Buford and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith. I saw Willie at Pine’s funeral 30 years later when he sang, “How Long?” beside Pinetop’s casket. Powerful."
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55. Snide Pete, 2018
"She might of quit smoking, but she sure's hell din't stop SMOKIN'! 8-)"
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56. sam..., 2019
"@JustVinnyBlues It was the Chessmate coffee house across the way from the University of Detroit. I saw everyone from Joni Mitchell to John Koerner, Paul Butterfield, and JL Hooker, drunk, more than once and many others. Drinking age was 21 in MI at that time and it was the only place younger folks could hear folk/blues music. Folks did BYO tho. The smoke was thick outside the entrance too... Many fond memories..."
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57. peter betts, 2018
"Hats off to the Gumsmoke crew for makin what might be the best bootleg ever made! Gunsmoke n muddy Waters , man u cant lose with that combo."
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58. mrstanbmw, 2019
"This woman was a force of nature and she should have been a Monster Star as far as publicity, Mama was bad mother shut your mouf"
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59. Jeff Reese, 2019
"I can't believe how well Big Mama plays harmonica"
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60. Maya, 2019
"She is a bad ass on the harmonica just the same as vocalist. Long live big mama Thornton!
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61. Shiva Ho, 2019
"What a fabulous piece of music history. So amazing to See such legendary musicians in their prime. Kudos to those who were there to capture this moment for us all to enjoy. My friend Doug MacLeod got to play guitar with these guys."
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62. Steven Mull, 2018
"Old school no rule these people set the way for rythem and blues which set way for rock and roll that being said y'all been schooled"
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63. minso collins, 2019
"Never seen another woman blow a harp like her yet besides.. big rosetta tharpe"
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64. Jay Sewall, 2019
"Wow! Never heard and saw George Harmonica Smith like this. Always knew he was a great player-but man, he is performing here. THANK YOU again for such a fine movie Gunsmoke Blues!"
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65. Brian Jones, 2019
"That's the real good feel good thang about them blue's!!! Peace from the Delta!!"
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66. Rokula lala, 2019
"Yessss amaizing footage. Thanks for letting us get there to what the real thing was."
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67. JustVinnyBlues, 2019
"By the way, for those of you not familiar with Big Joe Turner, a giant really and credited with creating jump blues and really the onset of rock and roll. Played with Count Bassie, in Carnagie Hall, great piano player, and his songs covered by people like Bill Haley - Shake Rattle and Roll. These great piano playing singers don't get much attention any more but they were fantastic."
This pancocojams post showcase a sound file of Big Mama Thornton singing "Everything Gonna Be Alright". The lyrics to this rendition are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Big Mama Thornton for her musical legacy and Muddy Waters Blues Band for their musical legacy. Thanks to the composer of this song and thanks to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.
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SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLE: Big Mama Thornton-Everything Gonna Be Alright
TravelerIntoTheBlue, Published on Sep 22, 2011
Big Mama Thornton With Muddy Waters Blues Band 1966
Willie Mae " Big Mama" Thornton Vocal
Muddy Waters.. Guitar
Ottis Span.. Piano
James Cotton...Harmonica
Francis Clay Drums
Luther Johnson Bass
Samuel Lowhorn ... Guitar
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LYRICS: EVERYTHING GONNA BE ALRIGHT
Come here, baby
Sit down on my knees
Right here pretty baby
Ah, sit down on, on my knees
You know i wanna whisper in your ear, baby
Tell you what you mean to me
I know I love you baby
With all my heart and soul
I give you everything I got, baby
I’d even go to Fort Knox and rob it of all its gold
Yeah, baby, it’s gonna be alright
Because I need the one and the money
And cause everything is gonna be alright tonight
[instrumental music]
Everything gonna be alright baby
I know because i feel it in my bones
Everything gonna be alright baby
Because I feel it in my bones
Hey hey hurry baby
I don’t want you to leave me alone
Come on, come on baby you got it
Get it baby, get it! You got it
[instrumental music]
Come here, pretty baby
[instrumentall music]
-snip-
Transcription by Azizi Powell from the recording. Additions and corrections are welcome.
"Little Red Rooster" (or "The Red Rooster" as it was first titled) is a song that is a classic of the blues. Howlin' Wolf recorded "The Red Rooster" in 1961, a song credited to blues arranger and songwriter Willie Dixon, although earlier songs have been cited as inspiration. A variety of performers have interpreted it, including Sam Cooke, Willie Mabon, The Doors, and The Rolling Stones, who had important record chart successes with the song.
Earlier songs
The rooster is a theme in several blues songs from the 1920s and 1930s, with Charlie Patton's "Banty Rooster Blues" (1929 Paramount 12792) being identified as "obviously inspiring" "Little Red Rooster". Although musically the songs are different, there are some similarities in the lyrics. Patton's song includes "What you want with a rooster, he won't crow 'fore day" and "I know my dog anywhere I hear him bark", analogous to Dixon's "I have a little red rooster, too lazy to crow 'fore day" and "Oh the dogs begin to bark..." Memphis Minnie's "If You See My Rooster (Please Run Him Home)" (1936 Vocalion 03285) contain the lyrics "If you see my rooster, please run 'im on back home", similar to Dixon's "If you see my little red rooster, please drive 'im home".
In 1950, Margie Day with the Griffin Brothers recorded an uptempo jump blues titled "Little Red Rooster" (Dot 1019). The song was described as "pack[ing] a load of oomph into this tangy up blues, with okay combo boogie in back". The song was a hit, reaching number five in the Billboard R&B chart in 1951. Day's lyrics include "Got a little red rooster, and man how he can crow...He's a boss of the barnyard, any ol' place he goes". The song is credited to Edward and James Griffin and, although it is titled "Little Red Rooster", it is not the same musically or lyrically as the Dixon song...
FEATURED SOUND FILES
Example #1: Howlin' Wolf - Little Red Rooster ( Chess )
cojwat, Uploaded on Apr 23, 2010
Recorded on Chess label. There is [sic] also other versions in YouTube, but I think they are all worth of listening and many times.
Howlin' really is one of the greatest artists the blues ever produced, he was a musical giant in every way.
I hope owners of the rights want to see this as an honor to this artist, which it really is. And same goes to these random photos and paintings, which I have found from net.
The iconic photos of Wolf howling with guitar at 1:03 and 1:10 are used with kindly permission by Sandy Guy Schoenfeld , please visit http://www.howlingwolfphotos.com
-snip-
LYRICS: THE RED ROOSTER
(written by Willie Dixon)
I have a little red rooster, too lazy to crow for days.
I have a little red rooster, too lazy to crow for days.
Keep everything in the barnyard, upset in every way.
Oh the dog begin to bark,
and the hound begin to howl
Oh the dog begin to bark, hound begin to howl.
Ooh watch out strange kin people,
Cause the little red rooster is on the prowl.
If you see my little red rooster, please drag him home.
If you see my little red rooster, please drag him home/
There ain't been no peace in the barnyard,
Since the little red rooster been gone
[transcribed by AP from the sound file].
Attention: On a number of online lyric sites, the lyrics for this song's first line are usually given as "I am a little red rooster". That is the way that the British rock group The Rolling Stones sung that line and not the way that it was sung by Howlin Wolf.
Also, those same websites give the line "watch out strange kind people" instead of "strange kind people".
Americans usually say "kin folk" instead of "kin people". Willie Dixon may have been playing with that phrase by making it hyper-correct.
-snip-
Here's an interesting comment from that video's viewer comment thread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vr-DR5HdKw
Posted by Heronmist, September 2012
"The thing about this song is that it really should be sung by a woman - it complains about her 'rooster' going astray. Originally by Memphis Minnie in the 1930's and later by Big Mama Thornton, women did sing it but it seems to have become a man's song via this spine-chillin version by Howlin and the (faithfully derivative) Stones cover.
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Example #2: Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton-Little Red Rooster (Live)
TravelerIntoTheBlue, Published on Oct 10, 2013
-snip-
LYRICS: THE RED ROOSTER
(as performed by Big Mama Thornton in the sound file above)
Got ah little red rooster, and that rooster is too lazy to crow for day.
Got ah little red rooster. You know that rooster too lazy to crow for day.
Keeps everything in the barnyard, Wooh! Oh Lord! upset in every way.
He keeps all the hens, keeps them fightin among themselves [makes sound of rooster]
He keeps all the hens, keeps them fightin among themselves. [Makes rooster sound]
Because he don’t want his hens, Wooh! a’layin eggs for no one else.
Oh* the dog next door begin to bark,
Wooh! And the hound begin to howl [make howing sound]
Oh! the dog next door begin bark, hound begin to howl
Said you better watch out all you girls
because Big mama’s red rooster
He’s on the, on the prowl, oh yeah!
[music]
Ah! Play your solo!
I said he keeps all the hen j
Keeps all the hens, wooh lord! fightin among themselves
Said because he don’t want those Keeps all the hens
You know I’m talking about that red rooster
If you see Wooh! my red rooster, just send him on home
If you see that little ole red rooster
Please, please send ‘em home.
Because we haven’t had no peace in the barnyard
Since that little red rooster
I’m talkin bout that little red rooster,
I mean that ole little bitty rooster
Wooh! Cock e doodle doodle
Child! Child! Since that little red rooster, ah rooster ah rooster been gone.
[transcribed by AP from that sound file]
* This might be the word "heard".
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Example #3: Sam Cooke Little Red Rooster
Jazzysclassicjazz, Uploaded on Dec 12, 2010
1963 album Night Beat
[This sound file features] Billy Preston [playing the] Hammond B3
-snip-
The lyrics to this version are very much like those sung by Howlin Wolf, except that Sam Cooke can be clearly heard singing "Watch out all you kin folks". Also, Sam Cooke sings the "keeps all the hens fighting" lyrics as the third verse of this song.
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RELATED LINKS
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAbDjKg9Zww for a sound file of Charley Patton's 1929 song "Banty Rooster Blues" that was mentioned in the Wikipedia excerpt above.
Unfortunately, I didn't find a rendition of Memphis Minnie singing a Red Rooster song, but click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhis33IOXN0 for another song sung by Memphis Minnie.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS
My thanks to the composers, vocalists, and musicians featured in these sound files and video. Thanks also to the uploaders of these sound files & video, and to those whose comments are quoted in this post.
