There is an index to our current series and a range of previous articles on the home page and an index to earlier articles from this series at the end of this piece. If you are interested in writing for Untold Dylan, I’d be delighted to hear from you. Please drop me a line to tony@schools.co.uk
————
By Tony Attwood
In this series on the Theme Time Radio Hour programmes, I am looking back at some episodes recorded by Bob for series one, and choosing a few songs that interest or perhaps intrigue me, and for which I can find copies on the internet that I can share. A list of the episodes already considered in this way is given at the end.
As I say, I do add my comments, but the key point is to offer a reminder online of some of the songs that Bob commented upon – particularly those which, because of their age, might not otherwise be noticed.
This episode, taken from the first series of radio programmes, took the theme of Summer and was first broadcast in July 2006.
And for this episode, Bob went so far back for one track that came from so long ago that I can say it is almost one hundred years old. So we are talking of “old days” being the time before either Bob or I was born. Hmmmm…..
And I am sure I have heard this song recorded by other bands over the years. It is so gentle – I feel I could listen to it during a heat wave – although perversely I am writing this during the exact opposite of a heat wave. This is a really bad winter in the part of England where I live.
But that’s my problem. This was recorded in 1935 – 91 yeas ago…
As ever, Bob included in the show multiple tracks I have never heard before, and indeed many artists I didn’t previously know. So for my next selection from Bob’s selection, I am going to quote from Wiki and hope this is correct….
Gladys Alberta Bentley (August 12, 1907 – January 18, 1960) was an American blues singer, pianist, and entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance.
“Her career skyrocketed when she appeared at Harry Hansberry’s Clam House, a well-known gay speakeasy in New York City in the 1920s, as a black, lesbian, cross-dressing performer. She headlined in the early 1930s at Harlem’s Ubangi Club, where she was backed up by a chorus line of drag queens. She dressed in men’s clothes (including a signature tail coat and top hat), played piano, and sang her own raunchy lyrics to popular tunes of the day in a deep, growling voice while flirting with women in the audience.”
This song really did cause me a bit of searching to try and find its origins, but fortunately, it did turn up on the “Best of” album that was put out following the series.
Whether that track is one of the “best of” the series (I rather suspect copyright availability was an influential facgtor in choosing the songs, but I might be wrong), Bob really did some interesting digging with this episode, moving far away from the 12 bar blues that populate some of the episodes, as shown with Mr Sad Head in the next recording.
There are some fascinating rhythmic changes in this song, which reveals exactly what this series of radio programmes was about. It was Bob recognising some wonderful original pieces of music, showing us just how varied the music of past eras could be. But as we can tell Bob has never attempted to borrow or use any musical ideas from these musicians. In terms of compositions, Bob carried his own way, always, but could still take into himself these musical forms from decades before.
And one of the great things of course, is that from this position one can go exploring the music of some of the earlier performers that Bob brings to our attention. This is certainly the case with Mr Sad Head, where, despite the illustration below telling us this record was not for sale, online one can find a number of other recordings of this and other tracks, just by typing the musician’s name into your favoured search engine.
More in keeping with the blues tradition, which Bob invariably takes us back to is “Ice Cream Man” from 1953. This is by John Brim
Of course, Bob did include songs from more recent times, such as “In the summertime” by Mungo Jerry, and there is every chance you’ll know that inside out. But I will give one example from slightly more recent times, which I was already familiar with. This comes from 1958, just five years on from the recording above. I am sure you will know it.
It was one of the records in my first year or two of buying records with my pocket money. It now seems restrained, and I am left wondering why everyone seemed to get so worked up about this type of music. Maybe it was thought that a 12 year old shouldn’t know what summer times blues was, or is.
As for “I’m a-gonna raise a fuss, I’m a-gonna raise a holler” that really wasn’t what a young English lad should be listening to. Or singing. Or playing on the piano.
Absolutely not.
Oh my poor parents.
Previously in this series
- 1: Happy 20th anniversary, Theme Time Radio Hour. Still offering us fun
- 2: Mother
- 3: Drinking
- 4: Coffee
- 5: Jail
- 6: Father
- 7: Wedding
- 8: Divorce