What are your favorite Bessie Smith songs?

These are mine. I made a cd-r with these seven to introduce Bessie to the uninitiated -

Downhearted Blues
Backwater Blues
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Send Me To The 'Lectric Chair
You've Been A Good Ole Wagon
Nashville Women's Blues
Hard Times Blues

 

Gotta love Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do

 

I know of most of those songs. Were they written by her?

One I like is Gimme a Pigfoot, but I gather she didn't write it.

 

Of my list she wrote Backwater Blues, You've Been A Good Ole Wagon, and Hard Times Blues. She recorded hundreds of songs and wrote maybe 15% or so.

 

She recorded 160 sides, plus a small handful of alternate takes and the movie soundtrack. I'm sure there are alternate universes out there where she didn't record at all, or, worse yet, recorded for Paramount, so I'm grateful to live in this one. There are also some 20 sides rumoured to have been recorded prior to her first release.

My favourties include Downhearted and Gulf Coast Blues (and the New Gulf Coast Blues for the better recording), Oh Daddy (not really one of her most famous, but easily one of my all-time faves), Any Woman's Blues, Cake Walkin' Babies, Yellow Dog, Soft Pedal, Nobody's Blues but Mine, I Ain't Got Nobody, Young Woman's, Backwater Blues, After You've Gone, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Hot Time in Old Town Tonight, Ttombone Cholly, Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair, Empty Bed, Me and my Gin, Kitchen Man, I've Got What it Takes, Nobody Knows You, On Revival Day, Hustlin' Dan, Black Mountain, Do Your Duty, Gimme a Pigfoot.

Really, I love them all, just some more than others. She didn't really record any duds.

I discovered her in the 80s. Although I had been listening to Charlie Parker and others, my ears took some time to get accustomed to these much-older-yet sounds. While she did work with some of the greatest musicians of her time, jazz was so young then that she also recorded with anybody who could spin notes. I slowly explored her complete output on those Columbia double LPs with the goofy chronological order. I came to Nobody Knows You quite late (I doubt I bought the LPs in the intended order anyway). I'm sure I'd already heard 100 of her sides by then, and really enjoyed many of them, but that one was a whole new level of Bessie.

One book worth tracking down if you have even a little knowledge of music theory is The Bessie Smith Companion by Edwin Brooks. It's going for OOP prices now, but if I lost my copy, I'd pay them. Also, of course, forum-members Chris Albertson's brilliant Bessie.

 

I agree she didn't record any duds (disclaimer: I havent heard them ALL.

Totally un-PC , but I got a soft spot for "Yes indeed he do." When she sings "I'll tear her half in two!" I totally believe it.

 

IIRC, there's an upcoming HBO movie with Queen Latifah set to star.

 

Currently on my iPod:
St. Louis Blues
You've Been A Good Ole Wagon
After You've Gone
Lock and Key
I'm Wild About That Thing
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Do Your Duty

There are lots more I like and am going to add one of these days, but those are my favorites.

 

They all sound the same to me.

 

but great

 

Do any Bessie experts here know which ones she did accompanied by Fletcher Henderson? Those solo vocal and piano-only records are sublime.

Fletcher was Randy Newman's DIRECT influence. It's how he developed his piano style - not from Clarence Williams or James P. Johnson or one of her other talented piano collaborators. Fletcher ON the Bessie Smith records.

Does anyone know what other cuts she did just with Fletcher?

I have 11 sides thus far:

"Far Way Blues" and "I'm Going Back to My Used to Be" (w Clara Smith)
"Mama's Got the Blues"
"Outside of That"
"Bleeding Heart Blues"
"Lady Luck Blues"
"Yodling Blues"
"Midnight Blues"
"If You Don't Know, I Know Who Will"
"Nobody in Town Can Bake a Sweet Jelly Roll Like Mine"

In the meantime, Randy fans can listen to him time-traveling



Jeff

 

The Godrich-Dixon discography lists the following.

Two unissued titles from 1923:
Sittin' On The Curbstone Blues
Play 'Em For Mama, Sing "em For Me Blues

1923, Listed as "probably Fletcher Henderson or possibly Jimmy Jones":
Whoa, Tillie, Take Your Time
My Sweetie Went Away

1923, Listed as "Fletcher Henderson, piano":
Any Woman's Blues

From 1926:
Hard Time Blues
Honey Man Blues

 

Just started listening to to Bessie. I always figured the recording quality in her era was so primitive she was one of those classic artists it's more fun reading about than listen to. Like, the early Armstrong recordings may be historically important, but it's a drag listening to them. But her voice actually transcends the primitive sound; quite amazing.

 

"Send me to the 'Lectric Chair" does it for me.

"I cut him with my Barlow
Then I kicked him in the side
and then just stood there laughin'
while he wallowed 'round and died"

 

Empty Bed Blues, Oh Daddy Blues, Gimme a Pigfoot and many more that I like

 

Ok so what's the go cd to get guys ?


Peace and love✌

 

Gimme a Pigfoot

 

Down Hearted Blues
Gulf Coast Blues
Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
Reckless Blues
Yellow Dog Blues
I Ain't Got Nobody
Jazzbo Brown From Memphis Town
Lost Your Head Blues
Back Water Blues
Send Me To The 'Lectric Chair
Good Man Is Hard To Find
Dyin' By The Hour
Empty Bed Blues (Part 1 & 2)
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Do Your Duty
Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl
Gimme A Pigfoot (And A Bottle Of Beer)
...and many more!

For the best SQ, gotta go Frog.

 

did this come out yet?

 

It was on HBO and it was, IMHO, absolutely horrible. There was a brief thread about it and the guy who wrote the biography that the movie was based on also hated it. I hope they at least gave him a fat check for that dreck.

 

OK, thanks...I have no problem with the "Queen" I find she is a pretty good actress...