- This topic has 7 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 4 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
-
Jody Williams didn’t write “Born Under a Bad Sign,” but “if it wasn’t for bad luck” surely applies to his career. He wrote “Lucky Lou” (the musical template for Otis Rush’s “All Your Love [I Miss Loving]”), “Billy’s Blues” (the riffs used in Mickey & Sylvia’s number 1 R&B hit “Love Is Strange”) and he shared the melody and theme of mortality in his “You May” with Memphis Slim’s “Mother Earth.”
Here’s some background reading. Don’t miss this first one from the The Alabama Music Office (with a summary of his technique and a good discography) and an artistic assessment on the American Roots Music blog.
“In March of 2000, he went to see his old friend Robert Jr. Lockwood play, and grew nostalgic for his music days. Back at home, an old tape of himself playing moved him to tears and inspired him to pick up his guitar again. He returned to playing in public in June of 2000, when he was featured at the Chicago Blues Festival,” quoted from the Tempo Blues Booking Agency
Jody Williams…
…then Otis Rush…
Jody Williams and Billy Stewart…
…followed by Mickey Baker and Sylvia Robinson (aka Mickey & Sylvia)…
Memphis Slim (1951)…
…and in 1957, Jody Williams (vocal, guitar), Harold Ashby, Red Holloway (tenor), Lafayette Leake (piano), Willie Dixon (bass), Bob Guthrie (drums).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuSLRJ7czWg
Memphis Slim gave the melody to Jody Williams to use when he heard the lyrics he put to it. Jody Williams joined Memphis Slim’s band three days after he left Howlin’ Wolf’s.One more thing, after listening to “You May” again, check out Otis Rush’s solo on Buddy Guy’s “Sit and Cry the Blues” (complete personnel at the video, this was Buddy Guy’s first recording). Every way he turned, he was being copied.
That was just a small sampling of Jody Williams’ songs. He was original and prolific yet he didn’t achieve the kind of success he ought to have been able to expect (there are more on the playlist, including “I Was Fooled” with Billy Boy Arnold (number 18 on the playlist) and his work as a solo artist (on his first record he went by Little Papa Joe, starting with number 39 on the playlist—sounds like they had one of those “What’s your blues name?” charts back then).
Last Friday Jody Williams turned 82, and a comment on a Facebook post commemorating his birthday noted that he’s recently had to stop playing due to health issues—but he was active from his 2000 comeback until very recently.
PLAYLIST
The first song is one of my all-time favorites, Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love?” from 1956 (I must have many hundreds of favorites, it’s true, but that’s how it got up here, it would be at number 25 otherwise). If this were the only thing he ever played on, he’d be remembered for it, but there’s so much more. The first gig he had in Chicago was backing Bo Diddley singing on the street.He played and recorded with Howlin’ Wolf (who signed his name with the “g,” Howling Wolf) in the mid-late 1950s. Between May 25, 1954, and sometime in March 1955, he played on sessions that produced eight songs on four 45s (represented by numbers 2–9 on the playlist, including “Evil Is Goin’ On” in G (the rhythm, played by Hubert Sumlin, is sometimes referred to as a Charleston beat, Jody Williams plays lead/solos) and the timeless beauty of “Forty Four” in F (Jody Williams plays the bassline; Hubert Sumlin plays the riff based mostly on a combination of the F7 and Bb7 chord shapes in the first position—this is some of my favorite playing anywhere because it’s accessible to me—the Wikipedia story about the song is particularly rich). All of these songs are with Hubert Sumlin; we know that Jody Williams played with Howlin’ Wolf for about a year before Hubert arrived, so the very latest Jody Williams joined would have been May of 1953. The second group of songs with Jody Williams starts with “I Didn’t Know” (number 10 on the playlist) and ends with “I Better Go Now” (number 13). The last four songs were all recorded April 3, 1958, and are the last recordings he made with Howlin’ Wolf (I grouped all of the Howlin’ Wolf songs together).
Next up are Otis Spann’s “It Must Have Been the Devil”/“Five Spot” from 1954 (numbers 14 and 15). The solos are played by B.B. King, and it’s Jody Williams, not Robert Jr. Lockwood, on second guitar. There’s a funny story about Jody Williams playing while he was in the band with Howlin’ Wolf and noticing a guy in the audience is watching him intently, so he goes out of his way to cover his hands, because he thinks the guy is stealing his licks. Meanwhile, what he’s playing is deeply in B.B. King’s style. Later on, he’s introduced to the guy by Howlin’ Wolf. “Jody, I’d like you to meet my friend B.B. King” (this story and others are found in the notes to his 2001 CD on Evidence, Return of a Legend, which contains a lots of really hip remakes of his standards as well as brand-new songs).
16–17. Jody Williams backs Sonny Boy Williamson II (Aleck “Rice” Miller) on “Don’t Start Me Talkin’”/“All My Love In Vain.”
Billy Boy Arnold is still alive and well, singing/playing harp in Chicago and internationally. He was really young when he made his early hits with Jody Williams on guitar (numbers 18–19), “I Was Fooled”/“I Wish You Would” (1955). Jody Williams wrote “I Was Fooled.” The Yardbirds* covered “I Wish You Would” (one of the coolest rhythms ever) and that cover was covered by David Bowie. Billy Boy Arnold has made a lot of great records, Billy Boy Arnold Plays Big Bill Broonzy is among the coolest (these songs won’t be on it).
20. Earl Phillips, “Oop De Oop” (1955).
21–22. Bo Diddley, “Diddy Wah Diddy”/“I’m Looking For A Woman” (1956); “Diddy Wah Diddy” was an early record for Captain Beefheart.
23. Billy Boy Arnold, “I Ain’t Got You” (1956); when the Clapton-era Yardbirds covered “I Ain’t Got You,” they played it in G (couldn’t locate original pressing of the flip, “Don’t Stay Out All Night”).
24. Lu Mac, “Albert Is His Name” (1956)
25. Bo Diddley, “Who Do You Love?” (first song above)/“I’m Bad”
26. Floyd Dixon, “I’m Ashamed Of Myself” (1956)
27. Bobby Charles, “Why Did You Leave” (1956)
28–29. Jimmy Rogers, “One Kiss”/“I Can’t Believe” (1957)
30–33. Otis Rush, “Groaning the Blues” (released 45 version and take 3)/“If You Were Mine” (1957), “Three Times a Fool”/“She’s A Good ’Un” (1958). These are among the songs on the immortal 1956–1958 Cobra recordings, see section below.
34. Buddy Morrow and His Orchestra “Night Train,”/“Rib Joint” 1956 in Chicago, IL; Buddy Morrow (trombone), Walt Stewart (trumpet), Dick Johnson (alto), Scott LaFaro (bass) probably Jody Williams on guitar). Probably.
35. Harold Burrage, “Messed Up” (1957)
36. Bobby Davis, “Hype You Into Sellin’ (Your Head)” (1959)
37. Bo Diddley, “Dancing Girl” (1959)
38–39. Bobby Davis and the Big 3 Trio, “One Love Have I”/“She’s a Problem” (1960)
We’re moving on to the real good stuff, Jody Williams’ original music. In 1956 he recorded “Looking For My Baby”/“Easy Lovin’” as Little Papa Joe on Chicago DJ Al Benson’s Blue Lake label (numbers 40 and 41 on the playlist).
42–43. In 1957, he recorded “You May”/“Lucky Lou” as Little Joe Lee (repeating them here because they’re so nice). His “What Kind of Gal Is That?” was recorded during these sessions, but it wasn’t released until it got onto Chess Blues Guitar—Two Decades Of Killer Fretwork, 1949–1969, Vol. 1 (1978; that recording is mostly on YouTube but it’s missing the Jody Williams tracks and others).
44–45. “Lonely Without You”/“Moanin’ For Molasses” (these are from and also appear on The Leading Brand, the great album he shared with Earl Hooker, the last video on the playlist, number 68), 1963. I’m not sure how many times “Lonely Without You” and “Moanin’ For Molasses” were recorded, but “Lonely Without You” was also released as the flip of “Time For A Change,” and a slower version of “Moanin’ For Molasses” was released as the flip of “Hideout.”
46. “Time For A Change,” 1963
47–48. “Hideout”/“Moanin’ For Molasses,” 1963
49–51. These four songs are from his 2001 release on Evidence, Return of a Legend.
52–60 are from You Left Me In The Dark (2004, on Evidence), roughly in order, working with what can be found on YouTube.
Jody Williams (vocals, guitar), Lonnie Brooks (vocals, guitar on number 55, “She’s Got a Spell On Me” and “Someone Else”), Robert Jr. Lockwood (vocals, guitar on 53 “I Can’t Get You Off My Mind” and 56 “I’ll Be There”).
Both of these recent albums are easy to purchase for $10 and up online.
Numbers 61 through 67 are live footage. Sweet! I haven’t even heard all of these yet, so I’ll be back to comment. Jody Williams, I’m sure they’re good and I wish there were more.
Number 68 is The Leading Brand (the last six songs are with Jody Williams—the first ten won’t disappoint you, they’re Earl Hooker at his finest).
You can hear echoes of Jody Williams’ attack and bends in Peter Green’s and Carlos Santana’s music, particularly, “Black Magic Woman,” which Peter Green acknowledged was inspired by “All Your Love.” Carlos Santana said “If you take the words from ‘Black Magic Woman’ and just leave the rhythm, it’s ‘All Your Love’—it’s Otis Rush.” Well, actually, it’s Jody Williams, but Peter Green might not have even been aware of that.
*This channel is a tribute to the Yardbirds.
******** OTIS RUSH, THE COBRA RECORDINGS 1956–1958 ********
Essential!
******** BILLY BOY ARNOLD “ROCKINITIS” ********
Happens to the best of us…
******** THE DEVIL’S MUSIC ********
This 4-part BBC series narrated by Alexis Korner is full of beautiful clips. Made at “the last possible moment” (1978), while many of the originals were still around.
The pair of guitarists in the thumbnail for episode 1 are Houston Stackhouse and John Lee Granderson. Houston Stackhouse learned this song from Tommy Johnson; Houston Stackhouse is someone who transmitted what he had learned to Robert Nighthawk, in effect teaching him to play. Robert Nighthawk in turn taught Earl Hooker who was an influence on just about anyone who hear him; Otis Rush was really into Earl Hooker.
Don D.
-
Your timing is impeccable. I was just listening to Lucky Lou on the way home. It’s on my short list of favorite blues instrumentals. The “borrowing” of his work is undeniable when you listen to the songs you’ve posted.
I always learn something new with each Blues Roots post. Keep ’em coming Don!
Thanks!
Sweet Home Chicago
-
Hey Paul, thanks for your comment!
I just found out today that Jody Williams tuned to open E: E, G#, E, G#, B, E low to high.
There’s also some question about who played what on Otis Spann’s “It Must Have Been the Devil”/“Five Spot” (numbers 14 and 15). If I hear anything conclusive, I’ll let you know.
Don D.
-
This is an excerpt from The Believer. There’s a link there that offers the entire article/interview in magazine for sale, which I would like to get, but when you click on it it goes to a dead-end (404). There may be other ways to buy/access the magazine. If I find out, I’ll let you know.
This is the first oral history in our “Pause” series, which features artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers, and athletes who took a significant break in their careers to do something else before returning to their artistic careers.
JODY WILLIAMS: Harmonica was my first instrument, not guitar. I was doing a talent show in Chicago, and Bo Diddley was on the show playing the guitar. I watched him, and that was the very first time I had ever paid any attention to the sound of the guitar. I liked it. So we did this show, and when we got backstage we played a little bit together. I asked him, “If I got my mother to get me a guitar, could you teach me a tune or two?” The next week I spied a guitar in the pawn shop, and my mother bought it for me. It was $32.50, an old Silvertone with a black pickup on it. So Bo taught me how to run a bass line behind him while he sang and played, and that’s how we got started.
But I wanted to learn something other than just what Bo Diddley was playing, so I went to two guitar teachers. I told them, “I want to learn how to play some music, right now.” But they wanted to waste your time and money teaching you to play only the scales. Neither one of them could teach me what I wanted to learn, so I just started going to the nightclubs, hanging around and learning from people like Muddy Waters. I was only seventeen years old when I left home, and I wasn’t supposed to be in the clubs until I was twenty-one. The police came in there and started looking around, and I definitely looked young, because they would come up and question me, “How old are you, boy?” I got my voice down as low as I could and said, “I’m twenty-one,” and I turned my guitar and kept playing. So I was twenty-one years old for four years.
Naturally, I learned more, did some traveling on the road. Little by little I started doing some recording behind people. I became a studio musician for Chess Records, and I participated in a lot of things on the Checker and Argo labels. I started playing with Howlin’ Wolf in 1954; we were introduced in the office of Leonard Chess.
In ’58, I went into the service. I spent a year and a half in Germany, stationed in Dachau. I even played music onboard the ship to entertain the troops on the North Atlantic. Before I left for the army, I had written one of the biggest hits in the country with the help of Bo Diddley, and it was stolen from me. You ever hear that song “Love Is Strange” that Mickey and Sylvia did? I wrote that. I remember playing “Love Is Strange” onstage one time, and seeing some movement behind the curtain. I look back there and I see Mickey Baker, stealing all he can get. Bo ended up letting Mickey and Sylvia have that song, and they gave him two thousand dollars. To this day, I haven’t seen a dime of that money.
Arc Music eventually filed a lawsuit against the firm who released that recording. When I finally testified, I think Sylvia was in the courtroom. There were music detectives in there with stereo equipment set up. They asked me some questions on the stand, and then I went back into a room behind the judge where I couldn’t hear anything. The case was left unsettled, and I ended up going back to Chicago. About a month later, I heard we had lost the case. I didn’t get anything, even though there’s a hell of a lot of money mixed up in that song.
Don D.
-
-
Don thats a monster post thanks for all the work in putting it togehther.
Jody is a new name for me. As you have said loud and clear he seems to have hit bad luck and trouble whilst founding so much. Its like the inventors fate they devise a gadget or whatever and then others so often take the profit. I guess we need a too bad blues.
Best regards
JohnStrat -
Thanks, Roberto, John,
It’s a pleasure putting these together when I know they’re being listened to, so your comments are appreciated. The old blues are almost all great, different people with different tastes will find different things to their liking, but once you figure out what you like, it’s a lot of fun digging around trying to find more like it.
Don D.
-
The Otis Spann tracks “It Must Have Been the Devil” and “Five Spot” (songs 14 and 15) were cut at the same session that produced Howlin’ Wolf’s “I’ll Be Around” and “44 Blues” (songs 4 and 5, so Otis Spann is the pianist on those). Because of this, Hubert Sumlin may be one of the guitarists on one or both of those tracks Otis Spann’s tracks (now I do wish that I’d strictly followed chronological order).
Jody Williams has said the Robert Jr. Lockwood wasn’t at this session, and while memories may fade over time, he said that a while back (so the possible fallibility of his memory isn’t an issue).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
One thing I keep forgetting to ask, and I need to find out so I can hear the rest of it, which musician or group is responsible for the 10-second snippet that introduces the four volumes of the BBC series The Devil’s Music? Mad respect to anyone who can identify them. I’m going to have to listen carefully to the whole series, I’m almost certain it will be told—but until then, I’d love to hear.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
These are all from the Alabama Music Office discography, which I’ll be compiling and adding to the playlist at a later date. Having listed these covers all of Jody Williams’ known recordings (to the best of my ability—this one ran away with me, but so close…).
Tracks issued later than their recording date:
1976 – J. T. Brown, “Lonely (As A Man Can Be)” / “Going Home To My Baby” / “It’s A Shame To Tell The People” / “When I Was A Lad” / “Use That Spot” (Windy City Boogie: Pearl PL-9; recorded 1956)
1979 – Harold Burrage, “I Love My Baby” (on Rockin’ Wild: P-Vine PLP-9021; recorded 1957)
1982 – Willie Dixon, “Firey Love” (on Blues Roots Series Vol. 12: Chess LP 6.24802AG; recorded 1957)
1989 – Jody Williams, “Moaning Blues (Groan My Blues Away)” / “What A Fool I’ve Been (I Feel So All Alone)” (on Cool Playing Blues: Relic LP 8025/CD 7016; recorded 1955)
1990 – Jimmy Witherspoon, “Congratulations” / “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” (on Spoon So Easy: Chess CH-93003; recorded 1956)
1991 – Jody Williams, “What Kind Of Gal Is That?” (on The Blues Vol. 6: Chess/MCA CH/CHD 9330; recorded 1957)
1995 – Willie Dixon, All The Time (on The Original Wang Dang Doodle: Chess/MCA CHD-9353; recorded 1957)
1996 – Bobby Charles, “Watch It, Sprocket” / “Hey Good Lookin’” (on Chess Masters: MCA Victor MVCM-22078; recorded 1956)
Don D.
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
