BLIND BOY FULLER — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 3 • 1937 | DOCD-5093 (1992) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The 22 sides which comprise the third volume in Document's Blind Boy Fuller retrospective were all culled from sessions cut in the latter half of 1937; the first session, from mid-July, was recorded under the auspices of the Decca label, a situation which left Fuller's longtime manager J.B. Long -- as well as ARC Records -- none too happy. As a result, at the bluesman's next session, Long insisted he re-record many of the titles earlier cut for Decca, resulting in alternate takes of "Bulldog Blues," "Throw Your Yas Yas Back in Jail" (a.k.a. "Put You Back in Jail") and "Steel Hearted Woman" (a.k.a. "Why Don't My Baby Write to Me"); for blues historians, the chance to compare and contrast the sessions will be irresistible, although more casual fans might find this particular release less engaging than the others in the series. Jason Ankeny

Abridged from this album’s original booklet notes. By 1937 Blind Boy Fuller had already emerged as one of the best-selling blues artists recording at that time. Willie Trice recalled (in an article by Bruce Bastin for the British magazine Blues Unlimited) that Fuller was unhappy with ARC at that time. In any case, sometime early in the year, Decca Records was contacted and an inquiry made regarding their possible interest in recording Fuller. Decca responded and sent their agent, Mayo Williams, to Durham in early July 1937. Williams auditioned Blind Boy Fuller Fuller and the Trice brothers and sent them all on to New York to record.

The session commenced with Blind Boy Fuller recording ten titles on July 12, 1937 before an electrical storm halted the activity. But by that time Fuller had cut his stripped-down version of Blind Blake‘s first release: “Early Morning Blues”, recast by Fuller as You Never Can Tell (see Document Records DOCD-5092 Blind Boy Fuller Vol. 2). Also recorded that day were Why Don’t My Baby Write To Me? — which Willie Trice claims as his own — and Working Man Blues — similarly claimed by Richard Trice. There is a distinct possibility that these claims are genuine since the Trice brothers were present at the session and had little to gain by their assertions. On July 13 the Trices recorded and, from all accounts, had a difficult and unpleasant time of it. Their session progressed so slowly that Fuller had to return the following day to record his last two numbers: the beautiful Weeping Willow with its lilting minor-IV chord change, and Corrine What Makes You Treat Me So? — a reworking of the blues standard “Careless Love”.

Decca immediately released two 78s from the sessions (Decca 7330 and 7331) and when J. B. Long realized what had taken place, he wrote to the company and threatened to take legal action, whereupon they withdrew the two records from circulation. Long really had no contract with Blind Boy Fuller, but after he wrote to Decca he wasted no time rectifying that situation and even pacified the singer by buying him an inexpensive car.

Long was also understandably eager to get Blind Boy Fuller back into the ARC studio. This he accomplished in early September at which time he had Fuller redo some of the titles he recorded for Decca. Bulldog Blues was rerecorded; “Put You Back In Jail” became Throw Your Yas Yas Back In Jail; “Why Don’t My Baby Write To Me” was redone as Steel Hearted Woman; “Weeping Willow” became Ain’t No Gettin’ Along; “Corinne What Makes You Treat Me So?” reverted back to Careless Love. The remakes even continued at the December session where “Some Day You’re Gonna Be Sorry” was recast as Mistreater, You’re Going To Be Sorry. DOCD-5093
Tracklist :
1        Put You Back In The Jail    3:17
2        Walking And Looking Blues    2:58
3        Bulldog Blues (62359)    3:11
4        Where My Woman Usta Lay    3:03
5        Working Man Blues    3:18
6        Weeping Willow    3:08
7        Corrine What Makes You Treat Me So?    2:57
8        Stealing Bo-Hog    2:48
9        Worried And Evil Man Blues    2:51
10        Bull Dog Blues (21629)    2:55
11        Break Of Day Blues    2:44
12        Oh Zee Zas Rag    2:41
13        Throw Your Yas Yas Back In Jail    2:49
14        Snake Woman Blues    2:46
15        Mojo Hidin' Woman    2:43
16        Steel Hearted Woman    2:35
17        Ain't No Gettin' Along    2:48
18        Careless Love    2:41
19        New Louise Louise Blues    2:48
20        Mistreater, You're Going To Be Sorry    2:23
21        Bye Bye Baby Blues    2:32
22        Looking For My Woman No. 2    2:40