Black Betty

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Black Betty ( Roud 11668 ) is a20th century African American working class song . The blues musician Leadbelly is usuallynamedas the author of the song, although the earliest recordings are not from him. There are many recordings of the piece, ranging from a cappella versions on folk - to rock - Arrangements enough. The most popular versions of the song include the recordings of Ram Jam , Tom Jones and Spiderbait , all of which were hits.

Meaning and origin

The origin and meaning of the lyrics are controversial. In the past, "Black Betty" was used as a nickname for a variety of things, such as a musket , bottle of whiskey , whip, or a prisoner truck . According to various sources, each of these terms can be used as the motif of the song.

Early recordings, 1933–39

The song was first recorded in 1933 by musicologists John and Alan Lomax , performed a cappella by James Baker and other prisoners in the Sugar Land State Prison , Texas . In the period that followed, the two music researchers recorded other versions of the song.

In 1939, Leadbelly recorded his version of the song in New York for Musicraft Records , as a medley with two other songs, Looky Looky Yonder and Yellow Woman's Doorbells . The recording was released in the same year in an album called Negro Sinful Songs sung by Lead Belly with 5 shellac records.

After 1939

While Leadbelly's version from 1939 was also still a cappella, most of the subsequent recordings included at least one guitar as an accompanying instrument. In 1964 there were three recordings in the style of folk music, namely by Odetta (as a medley with Looky Yonder ), by Dave "Snaker" Ray and by Alan Lomax himself.

In 1968 Manfred Mann published a version with changed text on the album Mighty Garvey under the name Big Betty . 1972 played Manfred Mann's Earth Band Black Betty live in John Peel's BBC telecast In Concert . With changed text, this became the track Look Around of the album Glorified Magnified .

In 1976, the Cincinnati band Starstruck recorded a rock version of the song with altered lyrics, but it was not very successful.

Versions of Ram Jam and Spiderbait

In 1977 the American rock band Ram Jam - which also included former Starstruck and Lemon Pipers guitarist Bill Bartlett - played the Starstruck version again for Epic Records ; Producers were Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz . The recording reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States , number 7 in the British singles chart and number 25 in Germany. At the same time, civil rights organizations such as NAACP and Congress of Racial Equality called for a boycott of the song.

In 2004 the Australian band Spiderbait released a slightly faster version of Black Betty on their album Tonight Alright , produced by Sylvia Massy . The recording rose to number 1 on the Australian music charts . In America, the piece reached number 32 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs . Black Betty was also part of the soundtrack of the 2004 film Trouble Without Paddles and the racing game Need for Speed: Underground 2 .

List of selected recordings

  • 1933: James "Iron Head" Baker and other convicts
  • 1939: Leadbelly , on the album Negro Sinful Songs
  • 1964: Odetta , on the album Odetta Sings of Many Things
  • 1964: Dave "Snaker" Ray , on the album Lots More Blues, Rags and Hollers , with the trio Koerner, Ray & Glover
  • 1964: Alan Lomax , on the album Texas Folk Songs
  • 1968: Manfred Mann , as Big Betty on the album Mighty Garvey
  • 1976: Starstruck
  • 1977: Ram Jam , as a single and on the album Ram Jam
  • 1986: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds , on the album Kicking Against the Pricks you can find a version of the complete leadbelly medley Looky Looky Yonder / Black Betty / Yellow Woman's Doorbells
  • 1997: Otis Taylor, on the album Blue-Eyed Monster
  • 1997: Flashback ( NL : 58)
  • 2002: Tom Jones , both as a single (number 50 in the UK single charts) and on the album Mr. Jones (number 36 in the UK album charts)
  • 2004: Spiderbait , as a single and on the album Tonight Alright
  • 2005: Molly Hatchet , in the soundtrack of A Duke Seldom Comes Alone
  • 2007: SOiL , on the re-release of the album Throttle Junkies
  • 2007: Doug Howard, on the album Last Man Standing
  • 2008: Ministry , on the cover album Cover Up
  • 2011: The Melvins , on the cover album Everybody Loves Sausages
  • 2012: Scooter , on the album Music for a Big Night Out
  • 2016: Sari Schorr , on the album A Force of Nature
  • 2017: Larkin Poe , on the album Peach
  • 2017: Caravan Palace as a single

See also

bibliography

  • Lewis Collins: Historical Sketches of Kentucky . Cincinnati: James & Co. (1848).
  • Richard H. Thornton (ed.): An American Glossary . Philadelphia: JB Lippincott Company (1912).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Not Quite Overnight Sensations - Part 2 ( Memento from September 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) on the Manfred Mann Fan Club website (English)
  2. ↑ Starstruck on Buckeye Beat (English)
  3. ^ First recording by Black Betty in 1933 on YouTube
  4. ↑ Leadbelly with Black Betty on YouTube
  5. ↑ Koerner, Ray & Glover with Black Betty on YouTube
  6. ↑ Manfred Mann with Black Betty on YouTube
  7. ↑ Starstruck with Black Betty on YouTube
  8. ↑ Ram Jam with Black Betty on YouTube
  9. ↑ Nick Cave & The Bad Seed with Black Betty on YouTube
  10. ↑ Flashback [NL] - Black Betty. hitparade.ch, accessed on May 30, 2019 .
  11. ↑ Tom Jones with Black Betty on YouTube
  12. ↑ Spiderbait with Black Betty on YouTube
  13. ↑ SOiL with Black Betty on YouTube
  14. ^ Ministry with Black Betty on YouTube
  15. ↑ The Melvins with Black Betty on YouTube
  16. ↑ Scooter with Black Betty on YouTube
  17. ↑ Sari Schorr with Black Betty on YouTube