This feature is published in memory of Tom Dixon, one of our writers, who has sadly passed away. Tom wrote many wonderful articles and reviews for Now Spinning Magazine. We both shared a passion for similar styles of music, especially anything connected to the Deep Purple family. Our thoughts are with Tom’s wife Diane and their family. Tom’s articles will always remain available on the Now Spinning Magazine website for others to discover and enjoy. – Phil Aston
What do The Rolling Stones, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Rory Gallagher, Bernie Marsden and Joe Bonamassa, amongst many others, have in common? They have all been inspired by and covered classic blues songs from the 1920s to the 1960s.
The Stones’ first hit single; Cream’s epic “Crossroads”; Zeppelin relied heavily on adapted blues classics on their debut (and later albums); Gallagher loved to cover obscure blues songs; Marsden and Bonamassa continue to bring the blues up to date. A full list would be as long as War and Peace, such has been the impact of this genre on the bands we love. It had a similar impact on me, once I realised where these songs originated…a potted history now follows!
My love of rock music began when, with my record token Christmas present, I bought Fireball by Deep Purple. Chosen on a whim, because I liked the cover, it started a passion that has burned hot to this day. My collection grew as other artists also gained my allegiance: Rory Gallagher, Nazareth, Uriah Heep, Alice Cooper, Free, Cream…the list goes on. But what I began to notice was that some songs were written by ‘other people’. This meant I had to find out who they were and what else they may have written. The key that unlocked it was a track I still consider as one of the best ever cover versions: Spoonful from Fresh Cream was written by Willie Dixon according to the sleeve notes and, apart from the surname, it transpired that he had written dozens of songs for other artists. This was the beginning of my detective work.
In those pre-internet days, research meant Sounds, NME and, when desperate, Melody Maker. None of them gave any coverage to the names I was seeking: no mention of Willie Dixon, Lead Belly, BB King, John Lee Hooker etc. Fortunately, my local record shop was owned by a knowledgeable (and very patient) man who took the time to talk to me and order in recordings of the artists that I needed to hear. So began a life-long search for the roots of modern blues, blues-rock and, of course, heavy rock.
It also led to an awareness of the history the music was steeped in and that too became an interest…it is a long and, at times, painful history of slaves being transported from Africa and put to work in the plantations. They brought their musical traditions with them and sang the rhythmic work songs while toiling in the fields and the vocal harmonies of spirituals when attending church. Inevitably, they developed and blended with the European folk songs of the colonies. Although many songs and singers from those early years are still shrouded in mystery, we do know quite a bit about these formative years, thanks to the father and son pairing of John and Alan Lomax who travelled the Southern States recording the field, work and blues songs for the US Library of Congress called the Archive of American Folk Song. These seminal works are available to us all via the archive of over 17,000 songs and interviews at npr.org
Using Led Zeppelin as just one example, the source of Gallows Pole, was a Huddle Ledbetter (or Lead Belly as he’s usually known) song called Gallis Pole; When The Levee Breaks was written in 1929 by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy; Whole Lotta Love and You Shook Me were based on Willie Dixon songs performed by Muddy Waters.
What I’m suggesting is that you follow a similar path and check out these seminal songs and singers…be aware that it can be a challenge as many of the songs were recorded on primitive equipment and some vocals, shall we say, take some getting used to. Perseverance will be rewarded when you start to hear and appreciate the fabulous music these people were coming up with…for example the most famous (probably) of all is Robert Johnson who is the one who supposedly sold his soul to the devil at the Crossroads. Try The Complete Recordings for his whole catalogue as his life was allegedly ended by being poisoned by a lady he was unfaithful to. He wrote classics you may recognise: Me and the Devil Blues, Hellhound on My Trail, Sweet Home Chicago, for example as well being the source of the “squeeze my lemons” line…that comes from his song, Travellin’ Riverside Blues. Other names to explore include the majestic Son House, the remarkable Elmore James, the wonderful Sister Rosetta Tharpe…the list is endless, so check the original composers of some of your favourite songs and begin your journey of discovery.
While on that journey, don’t think it is all misery and hardship: those early blues men and women had a wicked and filthy sense of humour too…be prepared to learn more euphemisms for the male and female genitalia than you though possible, as well as ways…err, they can be put to good use! If you doubt that, then seek out Lil Johnson and her saucy, bordering on filthy, innuendo laden Press My Button (Erja Lyytinen did a brilliant update), Big Bill Broonzy was happy to mess around town but didn’t want Mama to Tear My Clothes, but on another song he he did it All By Myself and poor Johnnie Temple had the Lead Pencil Blues.
That humour continues through many more recent, rockier blues songs too: Ian Gillan can always be relied upon to feed blues and humour into his lyrics: Back in 1971, Deep Purple did an unexpected country blues song on Fireball; Anyone’s Daughter has it all…love spurned, love lost, love gained all laced with a bit of smut and lots smiles. He continued this through Gillan (the band) with songs such as Sleeping On The Job, Your Sister’s On My List etc through to later Purple songs like the heavy blues of Mitzee Dupree, Apres Vous and many others. Mr Coverdale waited until Whitesnake to launch a thousand innuendos: from the unbelievable closing comment on Would I Lie to You to the thinly veiled Spit It Out, DC can always be relied on for humour and smut backed by seriously heavy blues.
The great, unsung bluesman Eddie Martin often injects humour too; try She’s A He. The only qualified brain surgeon that I know of who also happens to play brilliant blues guitar is Dr. Ika; in 2002 he released the wonderful Dr. Ika’s Blues which included such delights as Libido Blues and the straight talking Do You Want To Have Sex?!
The heavy blues rock of the entire Head Machine album, Orgasm, leaves little to the imagination and featured a young, pre-Heep Ken Hensley.
I simply have to mention the ever reliable, humorous, sometimes impenetrable genius that was Frank Zappa; jazz, blues, rock and the Zappa psyche run through most of his clever works. Alice Cooper also uses humour as much as darkness; never more than on the sublime Nurse Rozetta, written as he began to emerge from rehab.
So as you enjoy your favourite artists, check out the originals, seek out these pioneers and rest assured, tales of history, legacy, hardship, humour and smut awaits!
Tom Dixon | Now Spinning Magazine
