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Country Blues cover

Country Blues (RVN 205)

Complete Early Recordings (1927 - 29)

Country Blues, a 1998 Revenant release, is a reissuing of the twelve original 1927 and 1929 78 records, along with 5 never-before-heard 1929 outtakes and four Bill & Hayes Shephard tracks. Special thanks to Chris Berry for the tunings.
Tracks | Liner Notes | Recording Notes | Sidemen | Tunings

Tracks
1. Sugar Baby
2. Down South Blues
3. Country Blues
4. Sammie, Where Have You Been So Long?
5. Danville Girl
6. Pretty Polly
7. New Prisoner's Song
8. Hard Luck Blues
9. Lost Love Blues
10. Will Sweethearts Know Each Other There?
11. Old Rub Alcohol Blues
12. False Hearted Lover's Blues
13. Lost Love Blues
(unissued alternate take #1)
14. Will Sweethearts Know Each Other There?
(unissued alternate take #1) 		15. Old Rub Alcohol Blues
(unissued alternate take)
16. Lost Love Blues
(unissued alternate take #2)
17. Will Sweethearts Know Each Other There?
(unissued alternate take #2)
18. Peddler And His Wife
(Hayes Shephard)
19. Hard For To Love
(Hayes Shephard)
20. Bound Steel Blues
(Bill Shephard)
21. Aunt Jane Blues
(Bill Shephard)

Liner Notes

 Strangely enough, we are confronted again with a Dock Boggs reissuing with excellent liner notes, in hardcover book format this time around. It contains an essay by Greil Marcus, adapted from his book, Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes, entitled "Get Into The Graveyard". Also, Jon Pankake provides an essay entitled "Discovering Dock Boggs". Also included are comprehensive song notes by Barry O'Connell. I've also included the text of an old article, which discusses John Dykes and Dock Boggs trip to New York City to record for Brunswick. I transcribed it from the less than clear picture of the original article from these liner notes.

Recording & Release Notes
  • Tracks 1 - 12 comprise Dock Boggs: His Twelve Original Recordings (FA RF654, 1983), which was produced by Mike Seeger. These twelve tracks are the remastered Brunswick and Lonesome Ace singles. More information on the Brunswick and Lonesome Ace singles below.
  • Tracks 1, 2 recorded in New York City and released as Brunswick 118 in 1927.
  • Tracks 3, 4 recorded in New York City and released as Brunswick 131 in 1927.
  • Tracks 5, 6 recorded in New York City and released as Brunswick 132 in 1927.
  • Tracks 7, 8 recorded in New York City and released as Brunswick 133 in 1927.
  • Tracks 9, 10 recorded in Chicago and released as LA 21403/21404 in 1929.
  • Tracks 11, 12 recorded in Chicago and released as LA 21405/21406 in 1929.
  • Tracks 13 - 17 recorded in Chicago and are newly released outtakes from his Lonesome Ace session.

Sidemen
  • Tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 8 backed by Hub Mahaffrey on guitar.
  • Tracks 9, 10, 11, 12 backed by Emry Arthur on guitar.

Tunings
  • "Sugar Baby" - gDGCD (played in D)
  • "Down South Blues" - gDGBD
  • "Country Blues" and "False Hearted Lover Blues" - f#CGAD
  • "Sammie, Where Have You Been So Long", "New Prisoner's Song", and "Hard Luck Blues - gCGBD (played in C)
  • "Danville Girl" and "Pretty Polly" - f#DGAD
  • "Lost Love Blues" - gCGBD (played in D)
  • "Will Sweethearts Know Each Other There" - gCGBD (played in F)
  • "Old Rub Alcohol Blues" - f#DGAD (tuned way down)

Most of this information has been garnered thanks to the tireless efforts of Barry O'Connell, as seen in the liner notes. Thanks to Chris Berry for the tuning information.

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