MUSICROUGHGUIDES

THE ROUGH GUIDE To Blues Legends:

Blind Willie JohnsonReborn and Remastered

It’s early 1920s in Marlin, Texas. On a road so hot you could probably cook eggs on the blazing dust floor, atop the clatter of streetside chatter and hoots of passing motorcars, the low moaning voice and gutsy guitar of a busking musician penetrates the humdrum. It’s the sound of Blind Willie Johnson, the gospel singer who, though a fire-and-brimstone Christian believer through and through, played sacred songs so mean that his legacy has gone down in blues history.

Just across the street, another bluesman sits reeling through his tunes and jangling the tin cup strapped to his guitar neck at passers-by – this man goes by the name of Blind Lemon Jefferson. It’s unbelievable that two icons of the blues sat corner-by-corner busking their days away, but this was the treasure-chest reality of musical life in Marlin, as told by local preacher Adam Booker to researcher Samuel Charters. Although Blind Willie Johnson recorded thirty sides for Columbia, he never thirsted to be a

musician and was instead intent on preaching the gospel. His deep-held dedication to his faith is heard in his compositional style and song choices, many of which were adapted from old hymns. ‘Let Your Light Shine On Me’ was a popular hymn published by the evangelist Homer Rodeheaver in the early 1920s and ‘Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground’ is a lyric taken direct from a hymn titled ‘Gethsemane’, written by English clergyman Thomas Haweis in 1792.

Although few certifiable truths are known about Blind Willie Johnson’s early life, one story about the cause of his blindness is particularly traumatic. The tale is enough to leave readers speculating that such an experience could well have inspired him to find solace in religion. Blind Willie’s mother died when he was a young boy and his father shortly remarried. Upon discovering his new wife was having an affair, Willie’s father abused and beat her very badly. As retribution, the woman set upon the young Willie Johnson, throwing lye water in his eyes and blinding him for life. The anguish heard in songs such as ‘Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time’ and ‘Lord I Just Can’t Keep From Crying’ is palpable, perhaps a manifestation of Johnson’s past childhood pain.

As a young man Johnson used to strum and thrust along on a homemade guitar made from a cigar box. Slowly he graduated to a full acoustic model and began setting up on street corners, singing sacred songs for his soul (and his supper).

Johnson’s first recording session took place on 3 December 1927 in Dallas. Seemingly effortlessly, he laid down six songs, all religious, and all powerfully passionate. Those half a dozen are included on this Rough Guide, including ‘If I Had My Way I’d Tear The Building Down’, a song

that relates to another Blind Willie legend. This one tells that Johnson was nearly arrested for attempting to incite a riot by singing the song outside a New Orleans Custom House – the lyrics reference the biblical narrative of Samson and Delilah, drawing on themes of deceit and corruption. To elicit such a strong reaction from the authorities, Johnson sure must have been playing up a storm and enticing the crowds.

The initial pressing of Johnson’s first 78rpm record, featuring the songs ‘I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole’ and ‘Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed’, was 9400, a large figure in its day. Johnson’s initial pressing therefore outweighed the number hit by his contemporary, a certain Bessie Smith – her first side pressed (a still-healthy) 9325 copies. It wasn’t all plain sailing, though: Johnson attended four more recording sessions in Dallas, New Orleans and Atlanta, but the Depression soon diminished his audience.

Throughout the warped and hissing recordings that we can get our hands on today, Johnson’s slide guitar technique still sparkles and fizzes out across the texture. As testament to his earth-shaking and historically significant style, Johnson’s recording of ‘Dark Was The Night, Cold

Was The Ground’ was included on the Voyager space probe, a rocket that was sent on a mission to seek out other life forms in the universe. Audio clips were included in the probe to provide a representation of Earth and human culture. Carl Sagan, the astronomer charged with choosing those audio clips, explained his choice: ‘Johnson’s song concerns a situation he faced many times: nightfall with no place to sleep. Since humans appeared on Earth, the shroud of night has yet to fall without touching a man or woman in the same plight.’

In 1930, on a Sunday (the Lord’s day), Blind Willie Johnson cut his final side, ‘You’re Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond’, which features one of his trademark slide solos. Johnson was running a House of Prayer at Beaumont, Texas, when, in 1945, the church there, also his home, was burned to the ground and, with such humble means, he was forced to live in its charred remains. Living in the damp during a scalding Texan summer played havoc with Johnson’s health and he died of a fever – an unjust, yet humble, end to the life of a true musician who spent his days fusing good gospel to passionate, sliding blues.

Series produced by Phil Stanton. Compiled by Neil Record. Mastered by Laurence Cedar. Coordinated by Rachel Jackson and Brad Haynes. Sleeve notes by Rachel Jackson.

Design by Brad Haynes. Front cover image licensed from Getty Images Ltd. Bonus disc cover courtesy of Library Of Congress. With thanks to John Duhigg and all at Rough Guides, Sandra Alayón-Stanton and all at World Music Network.

Produced by World Music Network in association with Rough Guides. The World Music Network name and logo are registered trademarks of World Music Network UK Ltd.

01 God Moves On The Water (1929) (Willie Johnson) pub Bug Music Limited.

02 Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground (1927) (Willie Johnson) pub Storm King Music Inc/Sanga Music Inc.

03 Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning (1928) (trad, Blind Willie Johnson) pub Grrr Music/MGB Music Foreign BV/Universal Music Publishing MGB Holding BV/Universal Music Publishing International Limited.

04 Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed (1927) (trad, Blind Willie Johnson) pub Hull Music Publishing.

05 John The Revelator (1930) (trad, arr Willie Johnson) pub Hull Music Publishing.

06 It’s Nobody’s Fault But Mine (1927) (Willie Johnson) pub Grrr Music/MGB Music Foreign BV/Universal Music Publishing MGB Holding BV/Universal Music Publishing International Limited.

07 I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole (1927) (trad, arr Willie Johnson) Copyright Control.

08 Let Your Light Shine On Me (1929) (trad, arr Willie Johnson) pub Hull Music Publishing.

09 Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time (1927) (trad, arr Willie Johnson) pub Hull Music Publishing.

10 You’re Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond (1930) (Willie Johnson) Copyright Control.

11 I’m Gonna Run To The City Of Refuge (1928) (Willie Johnson) Copyright Control.

12 Lord I Just Can’t Keep From Crying (1928) (Willie Johnson) pub Hull Music Publishing.

13 God Don’t Never Change (1929) (Willie Johnson) pub Universal Music Pubilshing/MGB Limited.

14 Bye And Bye I’m Going To See The King (1929) (trad, arr Willie Johnson) pub Hull Music Publishing.

15 Sweeter As The Years Roll By (1930) (Willie Johnson) pub Hull Music Publishing.

16 The Rain Don’t Fall On Me (1930) (Willie Johnson) pub Hull Music Publishing.

17 When The War Was On (1929) (Willie Johnson) pub Hull Music Publishing.

18 The Soul Of A Man (1930) (Willie Johnson) pub Hull Music Publishing.

19 Can’t Nobody Hide From God (1930) (trad, arr Willie Johnson) Copyright Control.

20 Trouble Will Soon Be Over (1930) (trad, arr Willie Johnson) pub Hull Music Publishing.

21 If I Had My Way I’d Tear The Building Down (1927) (Willie Johnson) pub Hull Music Publishing.

22 Jesus Is Coming Soon (1928) (trad, arr Blind Willie Johnson) Public Domain.

CD1: The Rough Guide To Blues Legends: Blind Willie Johnson

Visit www.worldmusic.net/blindwilliejohnson for music information, video clips and free tracks.

01 Reverend Gary Davies The Angels Message To Me (1935) 03:06 (Gary Davies) Copyright Control

02 Bukka White I Am In The Heavenly Way (1930) 03:07 (Bukka White) pub Peer International Corp/Southern-Music Publishing Company Inc/Peer Music (UK) Limited

03 Skip James Jesus Is A Mighty Good Leader (1931) 03:04 (Nehemiah James) pub Wynwood Music Company Inc

04 Blind Roosevelt Graves And Brother Woke Up This Morning With My Mind On Jesus (1936) 02:55 (Kenneth A. Jr Morris) pub Acorn Publishing

05 Blind Willie and Kate McTell God Don’t Like It (1935) 02:51 (Blind Willie McTell) pub Ernest B. McTell Publisher/Songs Of Peer Limited/ Peer Music (UK) Limited

06 Mississippi John Hurt Blessed Be The Name (1928) 02:58 (John S. Hurt) pub EMI Music Publishing (WP) Limited/Supreme Songs Limited

07 Blind Joe Taggart God Gonna Separate The Wheat From The Tares (1927) 02:47 (trad, arr Blind Joe Taggart) Copyright Control

08 Blind Lemon Jefferson He Arose From The Dead (1927) 02:47 (Blind Lemon Jefferson) Public Domain

09 Rev Edward Clayborn (The Guitar Evangelist) This Time Another Year You May Be Gone (1928) 02:55 (Isaac Watts) Copyright Control

10 Bull City Red I Saw The Light (1935) 03:10 (trad, arr Blind Gary Davis/George Washington) Copyright Control

11 Charley Patton and Bertha Lee Oh Death (1934) 02:54 (Charley Patton) Public Domain

12 Josh White Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed (1933) 03:09 (trad, arr Josh White) Public Domain

13 Blind Mamie Forehand Honey In The Rock (1927) 02:47 (F. A. Graves) Public Domain

14 Barbecue Bob Jesus Blood Can Make Me Whole (1927) 03:08 (trad, arr Robert Hicks) Public Domain

15 Blind Willie Davis I Believe I’ll Go Back Home (1929) 03:08 (trad, arr Blind Willie Davis) Copyright Control

16 Mother McCollum You Can’t Hide (1930) 02:36 (trad, arr Mother McCollum) Copyright Control

17 Jaybird Coleman I’m Gonna Cross The River Of Jordan Some O’ These Days (1927) 03:07 (trad, arr Burl C. Coleman) Copyright Control

18 Blind Gussie Nesbit Pure Religion (1930) 03:25 (trad, arr Blind Gussie Nesbit) Copyright Control

19 Washington Phillips Denomination Blues (1927) 05:36 (Washington Philips) pub Conexion Music Limited

Total Playing Time: 58:40

Bonus CD: The Rough Guide To Gospel Blues LegendsMany of the early blues greats had a gospel tune or two in their repertoires including the likes of Skip James, Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Mississippi John Hurt. This unique selection brings together the contemporaries of Blind Willie Johnson who straddled the line between the lord’s song and that of the blues.

Not For SaleFor Promotional

Use Only

Compiled by Neil Record

01 God Moves On The Water 03:0302 Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground 03:2403 Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning 03:0704 Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed 03:1605 John The Revelator 03:2106 It’s Nobody’s Fault But Mine 03:1307 I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole 03:0708 Let Your Light Shine On Me 03:1309 Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time 03:2610 You’re Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond 03:1211 I’m Gonna Run To The City Of Refuge 03:2712 Lord I Can’t Just Keep From Crying 03:0513 God Don’t Never Change 03:0114 Bye And Bye I’m Going To See The King 02:5615 Sweeter As The Years Roll By 02:4916 The Rain Don’t Fall On Me 03:2317 When The War Was On 03:0618 The Soul Of A Man 03:1819 Can’t Nobody Hide From God 03:2520 Trouble Will Soon Be Over 03:1121 If I Had My Way I’d Tear The Building Down 03:1222 Jesus Is Coming Soon 03:13

Total Playing Time: 69:53

Blind Willie Johnson was a fire-and-brimstone guitar evangelist who played sacred songs so mean that his legacy has gone down in blues history. Revel in the mesmerizing bottleneck guitar playing of the Texas blues preacher on remastered classics as ‘Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground’, and ‘God Moves On The Water’.

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RGNET1299CD

This compilation ® & © World Music Network 2013. Made in Hong Kong.

LC 11067

2xCD Special EditionBonus CD: Gospel Blues Legends

Featuring Reverend Gary Davis, Washington Phillips, Blind Joe Taggart and more…

Bonus CD: THE ROUGH GUIDE to:

Gospel Blues Legends

Includes Bonus CD