The Austrian Document Records label begins its series of CDs presenting Leadbelly's commercial recordings in chronological order from 1939, although annotator Ken Romanowski acknowledges that the singer "had recorded a combined total of well over two hundred titles" prior to that date, tracks made either for the Library of Congress or ARC Records under the auspices of John Lomax. Still, most of those tracks had not been issued, and, contrarily, most became readily available later on either Elektra or Columbia Records. Two exceptions are 1935 alternate takes of "Daddy I'm Coming Back to You" (take three) and "Shorty George" (take two), which lead this album off as bonus tracks. Otherwise, the remaining 23 tracks comprise two sets of sessions from 1939 and 1940, first a bunch of recordings Leadbelly made as a solo performer for Musicraft Records, which issued them as an album called Negro Sinful Tunes, and second the first group of tracks for RCA Victor, some featuring the Golden Gate Quartet, and issued either on the album The Midnight Special and Other Prison Songs or on singles on the discount-priced Bluebird Records subsidiary. Many of Leadbelly's better-known songs are included in these sessions, among them "The Bourgeois Blues," "The Boll Weevil," "The Gallis Pole," "Pick a Bale of Cotton," "Midnight Special," "Alabama Bound," "Rock Island Line," and "Good Morning Blues." The singer is in prime shape, and his guitar playing is typically forceful. The tracks have been transferred from old vinyl discs, with hiss and crackles audible throughout, but the sound quality is generally good. William Ruhlmann
Tracklist :
– BONUS TRACKS – Alternate Takes (1935)
1. Daddy I'm Coming Back To You (Take 3) 2:56
2. Shorty George (Take 2) 3:02
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3. Fannin Street 2:36
4. Frankie And Albert - First Half 2:49
5. Frankie And Albert - Completion 3:04
6. De Kalb Blues 2:49
7. Looky Looky Yonder / Black Betty / Yellow Women's Door Bells (On A Monday) 2:57
8. The Bourgeois Blues 3:12
9. Poor Howard / Green Corn 3:09
10. The Boll Weevil 3:04
11. The Gallis Pole 2:59
12. Ain't Goin' Down To The Well No Mo' / Go Down Old Hannah 3:13
13. Pick A Bale Of Cotton 3:00
14. Whoa Back, Buck 3:05
15. Midnight Special 3:03
16. Alabama Bound 3:03
17. Rock Island Line 2:35
18. Good Morning Blues 2:51
19. Leaving Blues 3:02
20. T. B. Blues 3:07
21. Red Cross Store Blues 3:05
22. Sail On, Little Girl, Sail On 3:14
23. Roberta 2:59
24. Alberta 3:08
25. I'm On My Last Go Round 3:09
Credits :
Compiled By, Producer – Johnny Parth
Guitar – Leadbelly (tracks: 1 to 6, 8 to 11, 13 to 16, 18 to 25)
Liner Notes – Ken Romanowski
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Tap Dance – Leadbelly (tracks: 9)
Vocals – Henry Owens (tracks: 13 to 17), Leadbelly, Arlandus Wilson (tracks: 13 to 17), William Langford (tracks: 13 to 17), Willis Johnson (tracks: 13 to 17)
Vocals [Vocal Quartet] – The Golden Gate Quartet (tracks: 13 to 17)
3.3.26
LEDBELLY — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 1 · 1939-1940 | DOCD-5226 (1994) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
LEDBELLY — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 2 · 1940-1943 | DOCD-5227 (1994) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist :
1. Easy Rider 3:10
2. New York City 3:00
3. Worried Blues 3:08
4. Don't You Love Your Daddy No More? 3:03
5. You Can't Lose-A Me Cholly 3:03
6. Grey Goose 3:01
7. Stew Ball 2:58
8. Take This Hammer 2:59
9. Can't You Line 'Em 2:55
10. Ham An' Eggs 2:55
11. Ha Ha Thisaway 2:38
12. Little Sally Walker 2:41
13. Redbird 2:41
14. Christmas Song 2:41
15. Skip To My Lou 2:21
16. You Can't Lose Me Cholly 2:32
17. Take This Hammer 2:13
18. Haul Away, Joe 2:12
19. Rock Island Line 2:04
20. Ol' Riley 2:31
21. Corn Bread Rough 2:04
22. Old Man 2:30
23. On A Monday 1:46
24. John Henry 2:14
25. How Long 2:10
26. (Good Night) Irene (Tk. 1) 2:21
27. (Good Night) Irene 2:36
28. Ain't You Glad 2:01
29. Good Morning Blues 2:23
Credits :
Accordion [Button Accordion] – Leadbelly (tracks: 21)
Compiled By, Producer – Johnny Parth
Guitar – Leadbelly (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 11 to 20, 22 to 29)
Harmonica – Sonny Terry (tracks: 23 to 26, 28, 29)
Liner Notes – Ken Romanowski
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Vocals – Leadbelly, The Golden Gate Quartet (tracks: 6 to 10)
LEDBELLY — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 3 · 1943-1944 | DOCD-5228 (1994) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist :
1. Cow Cow Yicky Yea / Out On The Western Plains 3:07
2. Noted Rider / Big Fat Woman / Borrow Love And Go 4:02
3. John Hardy 4:15
4. Meeting At The Building / Talking Preaching / We Shall Walk Through The Valley 3:19
5. Fiddler's Dream / Yallow Gal / Green Corn 3:08
6. Bring Me Lil Water Silvy / Julia Ann Johnson / Line 'Em / Whoa Back Buck 3:52
7. Roberta 3:04
8. Bill Brady 3:03
9. Where Did You Sleep Last Night? 2:59
10. Yellow Gal 3:03
11. When The Boys Were Out On The Western Plains 2:54
12. Pretty Flowers In Your Backyard 2:43
13. In New Orleans 3:13
14. John Hardy 3:10
15. I've A Pretty Flowers 2:23
16. Don't Lie Buddy 2:19
17. How Do You Know / Don't Mind The Weather 2:14
18. (What Are) Little Boys (Made Of) / Let Me Hold Your Hand (All For You) / Polly Wolly (Polly) Wee 2:16
19. Skip To My Lou / Christmas Day (It's Almost Over) 1:59
20. Little Sally Walker / Ha Ha Thisaway / Red Bird 2:34
21. Outskirts Of Town 2:38
22. Red River / Black Girl (In The Pines) / Don't Miss Your Water Blues 4:12
23. Blind Lemon (Memorial Record) 1:23
24. Leadbelly's Dance 0:50
25. Mother's Blues (Little Children Blues) 2:30
26. Mo' Yet / (Little Boy) How Old Are You / There's A Limb On The Tree (Green Grass Grows All Around) 2:51
Credits :
Accordion [Button Accordion] – Leadbelly (tracks: 3)
Compilation Producer – Johnny Parth
Guitar – Josh White (tracks: 15, 16, 25), Leadbelly (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 26)
Harmonica – Sonny Terry (tracks: 21, 22)
Liner Notes – Ken Romanowski
Piano – Leadbelly (tracks: 2)
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Speech – Leadbelly (tracks: 23, 24)
Tap Dance – Leadbelly (tracks: 24)
Vocals – Josh White (tracks: 15, 16), Leadbelly
LEDBELLY — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 4 · 1944 | DOCD-5310 (1994) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist :
1. In The Evenin' When The Sun Goes Down 2:31
2. Easy Rider (See See Rider) 2:48
3. We Shall Be Free 2:33
4. Keep Your Hands Off Her 2:50
5. There's A Man Going Round Taking Names 1:23
6. Red Bird 2:53
7. Line 'Em 1:10
8. T. B. Blues 3:40
9. Jim Crow Blues 2:23
10. Bourgeois Blues 2:17
11. Army Life 1:45
12. Mr. Hitler 3:04
13. Juliana Johnson 1:06
14. Jean Harlow 1:39
15. Corn Bread Rough 2:06
16. National Defense Blues 3:00
17. Children's Blues (Little Children's Blues) 2:26
18. The Blood Done Sign My Name (Ain't You Glad) 2:18
19. Cow Cow Yicky Yicky Yea 1:31
20. Ella Speed 2:43
21. Rock Island Line 2:54
22. Tell Me Baby 2:55
23. Take This Hammer 2:51
24. Irene 2:52
25. Western Plain 2:41
26. On A Christmas Day 2:51
27. Backwater Blues 2:56
28. Eagle Rock Rag 2:45
29. The Eagle Rocks 2:45
Credits :
Compilation Producer – Johnny Parth
Concertina – Leadbelly (tracks: 15)
Guitar – Leadbelly (tracks: 1 to 6, 8 to 14, 16 to 18, 20 to 27), Woody Guthrie (tracks: 4)
Harmonica – Sonny Terry (tracks: 1 to 3)
Liner Notes – Ken Romanowski
Piano – Leadbelly (tracks: 28, 29)
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Vocals – Leadbelly (tracks: 1 to 27, 29), Sonny Terry (tracks: 3), Woody Guthrie (tracks: 3)
Vocals [Vcl Group] – Unknown Artist (tracks: 11)
Zither – Paul Mason Howard (tracks: 20 to 27)
LEDBELLY — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 5 · 1944-1946 | DOCD-5311 (1994) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
The Austrian Document Records label continues its series of CDs presenting Leadbelly's commercial recordings in chronological order from 1939 with this fifth volume, which picks up at the end of the singer's series of recordings for Capitol Records in Los Angeles in October 1944. Although the next batch of performances (tracks three through 14) come from a live performance for children in San Francisco in February 1945 that was broadcast on the radio, they fit into the "commercial recordings" framework because the tape was later pressed onto a disc by Folkways Records. By June 1946, Leadbelly was back in New York doing informal sessions for Moses Asch, soon to found Folkways, though most of these tracks were issued on its predecessor, Disc Records. Here, the singer is joined by such friends as Brownie McGhee, Woody Guthrie, and Cisco Houston, as well as jazz musicians Willie "The Lion" Smith and George "Pops" Foster. Many of Leadbelly's better-known songs are included in these sessions (in many cases as re-recordings), among them "Irene, Goodnight," "John Henry" (two versions), "Boll Weevil," "Rock Island Line" (a version that served as a blueprint for Lonnie Donegan's hit cover), "Alabama Bound," and "Midnight Special." The singer is in prime shape, and his guitar playing is typically forceful. The tracks have been transferred from old vinyl discs, with hiss and crackles audible occasionally, but the sound quality is generally good. William Ruhlmann
Tracklist :
1. Sweet Mary Blues 2:55
2. Grasshoppers In My Pillow 2:46
3. Irene, Goodnight 1:22
4. John Henry 3:59
5. Boll Weevil 3:20
6. When A Man's A Long Way From Home 3:00
7. Good Morning Blues 2:51
8. By And By When The Morning Comes 1:50
Medley (3:23)
9a. Everytime I Feel The Spirit
9b. Swing Low Sweet Chariot
9c. They Hung Him On The Cross
10. Swing Low Sweet Chariot 1:02
11. Rock Island Line 2:30
12. Julie Ann Johnson 3:20
13. Haul Away Joe 2:19
14. Christmas Is Coming 1:04
15. We're In The Same Boat Brother 2:38
16. Diggin' My Potatoes 2:33
17. Defense Blues 3:16
18. Easy Rider 2:47
19. Pigmeat 2:16
20. John Henry 2:20
21. Alabama Bound 2:22
22. Ham And Eggs 2:42
23. Yellow Gal 2:23
24. Stew Ball 2:27
25. Gray Goose 1:33
26. Midnight Special 2:12
27. Green Corn 1:14
28. Fiddler's Dram 2:27
Credits :
Bass [String Bass] – Pops Foster (tracks: 16 to 19)
Chorus [Children Singing] – Unknown Artist (tracks: 5, 8, 9b, 9c, 15)
Compiled By, Producer – Johnny Parth
Guitar – Brownie McGhee (tracks: 16 to 20)
Harmonica – Sonny Terry (tracks: 17, 18, 20)
Liner Notes – Ken Romanowski
Piano – Willie "The Lion" Smith (tracks: 16 to 20)
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Trumpet, Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, Bass [String Bass], Drums – Unknown Artist (tracks: 7, 8)
Vocals, Guitar – Cisco Houston (tracks: 21 to 28), Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie (tracks: 21 to 28)
LEDBELLY — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 6 · 1947 | DOCD-5568 (1997) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist :
1. Yellow Gal 1:21
2. You Can't Lose Me Cholly 1:11
3. Laura 1:38
4. Good Morning Blues 2:13
5. Leaving Blues 2:17
6. Big Fat Woman 1:08
7. Gray Goose 1:24
8. Pick A Bale Of Cotton 1:42
9. Take This Hammer 1:34
10. Bring Me A Little Water Silvy (Sylvie) 0:57
11. Moaning 1:00
12. Meeting At The Building 1:19
13. We Shall Walk Through The Valley 1:11
14. Irene, Good Night 1:50
15. Cotton Song 2:06
16. Ha Ha This Way 1:25
17. Sukey Jump (Win' Jammer) 1:04
18. Black Girl 2:06
19. Rock Island Line 2:17
20. Blind Lemon (Song) 1:38
21. Borrow Love And Go 2:10
22. On A Monday (I'm Almost Done) 2:08
23. Shorty George 1:26
24. Duncan (And Brady) 1:05
25. Old Riley 2:22
26. Leavin' Blues (Leavin' In The Morning) 1:27
27. Pigmeat 2:15
28. If It Wasn't For Dicky 2:50
29. Black Betty / Old Man / On A Monday 2:55
30. Turn Yo' Radio On 2:10
31. No Good Rider 2:44
32. Howard Hughes 3:00
33. New York City 3:15
34. The Gallis Pole 2:45
35. I'm Leavin' On The Morning Train 2:46
36. Jean Harlow 2:26
37. Good Mornin' Blues 3:37
38. Eagle Rock Rag (Live) 1:35
Credits :
Chorus [Added Vocal Group] – The Oleander Singers (tracks: 8, 12)
Compiled By, Producer – Johnny Parth
Graphics – Kevin Witt
Guitar – Unknown Artist (tracks: 27)
Harmonica – Sonny Terry (tracks: 14)
Liner Notes – Ken Romanowski
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Vocals – Leadbelly (tracks: 11, 29)
Vocals [Added Vocals] – Anna Graham (tracks: 10)
Vocals, Concertina – Leadbelly (tracks: 3, 17)
Vocals, Guitar – Leadbelly (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 to 10, 12 to 16, 18 to 23, 25, 27, 28, 30 to 37)
Vocals, Percussion [Rapping On Guitar] – Leadbelly (tracks: 26)
Vocals, Piano – Leadbelly (tracks: 6, 38)
LEDBELLY — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 7 · 1947–1949 | DOCD-5640 RM (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
Tracklist :
1. Leadbelly– Green Corn ("This Is Jazz" Broadcast) 0:54
2. Leadbelly– John Henry ("This Is Jazz" Broadcast) 2:58
3. Leadbelly– Tell Me Baby What Was Wrong With You 3:15
4. Leadbelly– Noted Rider 3:28
5. Leadbelly– Take A Whiff On Me 3:24
6. Leadbelly– Ox Driving Moan 2:39
7. Leadbelly– John Henry 3:09
Guitar [2nd], Speech – Brownie McGhee
Harmonica – Sonny Terry
8. Leadbelly– Pick A Bale Of Cotton 1:23
Guitar [2nd], Speech – Brownie McGhee
Harmonica – Sonny Terry
9. Leadbelly– Go Down, Old Hannah 2:04
10. Leadbelly– Ain't Going Down To The Well No More 1:05
11. Leadbelly– Shout On (Honey I'm All Out And Down) 2:09
Vocals – Sonny Terry
12. Leadbelly– It Was Soon One Morning 1:12
13. Leadbelly– Whoa Back Buck 2:09
Vocals – Sonny Terry
14. Leadbelly– Birmingham Jail (Down In The Valley) 1:48
15. Leadbelly– Take This Hammer 2:15
16. Leadbelly– It Was Early One Mornin' (Jail House Blues) 2:23
17. Leadbelly– Going Back To Mary (If I Had You Governor/Governor Pat Neff) 3:39
18. Leadbelly– Come And Sit Down Beside Me 1:02
19. Leadbelly– Ha, Ha This A Way 1:32
20. Leadbelly– You Can't Lose Me, Charlie 1:32
21. Leadbelly– Rooster Crows At Midnight (Christmas Day) 1:19
22. Leadbelly– Skip To My Lou 1:29
23. Leadbelly– Parting Song (When You Smile-o) 2:50
24. Leadbelly– Good Morning Blues (WNYC Jazz-Festival) 2:53
25. Leadbelly– Ain't Gonna Let You Worry My Life No More (WNYC Jazz-Festival) 2:16
26. Leadbelly– Pretty Papa (WNYC Jazz-Festival) 2:36
27. Leadbelly With Martha Ledbetter– Old Ship Of Zion (Live) 1:57
28. Leadbelly With Martha Ledbetter– I Will Be So Glad When I Get Home 2:07
Credits :
Compiled By, Producer – Johnny Parth
Liner Notes – Ken Romanowski
Remastered By – Gerhard Wessely
Vocals – Leadbelly (tracks: 5, 10, 12), Martha Ledbetter (tracks: 27, 28)
Vocals, Guitar – Leadbelly (tracks: 1 to 4, 6 to 9, 11, 13 to 28)
+ last month
LEDBELLY — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order Volume 1 · 1939-1940 | DOCD-5226 (1994) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
The Austrian Document Records label begins its series of CDs presenting Leadbelly's commercial recordings in chronological order from 19...