Request From Down Under For Bessie Smith

A reader from Australia said, "I love reading your blog! As an Australian it's somewhat a gateway to a subculture of American blues."

This kind of jarred me out of this malaise that I am in (notice no updates since I don't know when).

He went on to request some Bessie Smith mp3s (because my old links are broken), though I am too lazy to actually post some myself or fix the broken links, I can oblige by doing a search and reporting my results and linking to them.

Over at the cool blog Badminton Stamps you can find an mp3 to one of my favorite Bessie Smith songs "Take Me For a Buggy Ride." I don't think this song is really about riding in a buggy, kind of like this blog is not named after the act of making lemon aid ;)

Speaking of Lemons, I now call Mrs. F my lemon. So it gives a whole nother meaning to "Squeeze My Lemon."

More links to blogs that have some Bessie Smith mp3s;

Louis Armstrong w/King Oliver featuring Bessie Smith - Big Butter and Egg Man
Album: High Society
Posted at: Lil Mike's Last Known Thoughts & Random Revelatons

Bessie Smith - Hustlin' Dan
Album: Moistworks Dan
Posted at: Moistworks

Bessie Smith
- Graveyard Dream Blues
- Down Hearted Blues
- Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do
Albums: Various
Posted at: Doors Of The Kingdom. This is an excellent post, you have to check it out, great write up and many mp3 links to download.

And finally, YouTube has some good Bessie Smith Links you can check them out here. Make sure you check out the "St. Louis Blues" Video, it is too cool. Also of note is the video, Careless love blues.

One of my favorite videos over at YouTube about Bessie Smith is not a song by Bessie Smith, but it is a song about Bessie Smith:

Norah Jones performs The Band's "Bessie Smith"

HOWLIN WOLF STORY

I really found this video interesting.

From the notes for this video;

Please help the Howlin' Wolf Blues Society of West Point, MS. Inc.

P.O. Box 1334
West Point, MS. 39773
Fax: (662) 495-2007
tel: (662) 494-2921

email: rramsey@wpms.net

The Blues and Gospel: An Example

Here is a post from the archives, had to make some minor edits, it is one of my first post in the Gospel blues series. Over the next few Sundays I plan to post more of these from the archives, and I hope you all enjoy them.

I would really appreciate it if you let me know if you like this series. Please leave a comment.

This clip is a cool example of how blues music and Gospel music are closely related. Sister Rosetta Tharpe is also one of my favorite guitar players. If you want to learn how to play blues or Gospel music, she is a great model to study.

The link below will take you to YouTube where you can watch the clip, because embedding has been disabled by request. But please click through, you won't be disappointed.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe and the Chicago Blues Allstars



According to a commnet left at YouTube about this video, the Blues Allstars are; "Lee Jackson Guitar, Lafayette Leake piano, Clifton James on drums, Willie Dixon Bass, and of course Big Willie Horton on Harmonica."

Gospel Blues @SqueezeMyLemon

Sister Rosetta Tharp @ Amazon.com

Those old Video Clips and a story about Lucille

I was reading what another blogger had to say about "SqueezeMyLemon" and he mentioned that I have too much YouTube for his taste. Good thing he did not mention that I don't update often enough (LOL).

Well I like to surf YouTube for those old clips of the bluesmen that you might not find yourself. And there have been many words written about these guys, so I think it is interesting to hear and see them speak about themselves in their own words.

There are a lot of mp3s in this blog if you go back through the archives. But personally I'm trying to get away from collecting files, most music can be found somewhere online these days. And I assume that it will continue to be that way for years to come.

Having said that, I do need to find another good file sharing service. So that I can share some more mp3s from my collection with you all. If you want to help me out by suggesting something, I'm all ears.

Now check out this cool old video clip from YouTube that you might not have found yourself. Consider this story about a guitar named Lucille;

Why BB King's Guitar is Named Lucille

BB King & Tracy Chapman The Thrill is Gone

Of all the songs on the CD Duces Wild, this is my favorite.

Son House, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, & Mike Bloomfield

Comment @ YouTube for this video;

Son House and Bloomfield - whiskey and speed - casualties of the 60's lifestyle - Wolf had good words to say in his documentary I'm paraphrasing: "you done had a chance to do something with your life, now all you want is some whiskey"

So sad and so true, it almost gives me the blues.

I feel like going to Mississippi...

And on my way there I got Mr. Mississippi John Hurt on my mind ...

Mississippi John Hurt - Lonesome Valley Blues



Mississippi John Hurt - Spike Driver Blues



Mississippi John Hurt - Goodnight Irene

The story that he tells before playing is delightful.



D.C. Blues: Library of Congress Recordings, Vol. 2

click image for info

Mississippi John Hurt @Amazon.com


Mississippi John Hurt @ SqueezeMyLemon

Call it what you want....

... I call it messing with the Kid.

Mike Bloomfield and Junior Wells - Messin' With The Kid

Black Snake Moan: The Movie.

If I had'a been in my right mind, I might have named this blog "Black Snake Moan" instead of SqueezeMyLemon. But Mrs. F. don't allow me to talk dirty like that. And I can't tell you how she gets her lemon juice niether. But I will say that she knows a one eyed black snake, he's her only true friend.

But I thought the name was a good one, and it looks like the movie may be a good one too. I just hope it has some good blues music in it.

Check out these reviews;

Fast-Paised review: 'Black Snake Moan'

She's gotta have it, but he's not having it

Got the sexual healing blues

For the most part the reviews seem positive.

Thanks for stopping by!

I must have some really loyal readers because even though I have been so busy I have not even had time to listen to music let alone update my blog, you all keep coming by and I even get emails from readers from time to time.

I hope to have some time to catch up on the music soon. But I thought I would let those of you who come by to touch bases or to watch a video or two know that I appreciate your continued interest in SqueezeMyLemon.

Thanks again!

I Don't Think It Is Him...

Every now and then you see something that makes you laugh, and then makes you sad. Kind of like the blues. Case in point. Here is a seller on eBay that has ten feedbacks, which gives me a lot of confidence, trying to sell a photo, which he claims is a picture of Robert Johnson. The Robert Johnson, the one and only Robert Johnson.

I guess all the old bluesmen kind of looked a like. The gentelmen pictured may not even be a bluesman ;).

But this seller seems to think so, so much so that he wants to charge you, get this $795,000.00 for a picture that he thinks might be of Robert Johnson.

Supposed Robert Johnson Picture on eBay



Thanks to the Brooklyn Ski Club blog for pointing this out. He has an mp3 up of the Robert Johnson tune, "Sweet Home Chicago" as well as the two known photos of Robert Johnson.

OK, now that I have had my laugh for today, I guess I can go back to feeling sad
that there is someone out there who thinks they could actually sell a photo like this.