Three O'Clock Blues
Three O'Clock Blues is the title of a classic blues song recorded by Lowell Fulson in 1946 and became its first big hit.
| Three O'Clock Blues | |
|---|---|
| Lowell Fulson | |
| publication | 1948 |
| length | 3:05 |
| Genre (s) | blues |
| Author (s) | Lowell Fulson |
| text | Lowell Fulson |
| music | Lowell Fulson |
| Cover version | |
| 1951 | BB King |
History of origin
The genesis of the original is unclear because Lowell Fulson's record producer and record label owner Bob Geddins left no discographic record of his studio recordings . There are many indications that the baritone singer Lowell Fulson the Single Three O'Clock in the Morning / I'm Wild About You in the June 17, 1946 Oakland ( California let produce) from label owner Robert Geddins in the living room. The recording registered with BMI under Lowell Fulson as a composer was first published under the title Three O'Clock Blues in October 1948 (Down Beat 167), then on a second label (Down Town 2002). He was accompanied by his brother Martin Fulson (guitar). After a guitar intro lasting 24 seconds , the text begins with Well now, it's three o'clock in the morning / And I can't even close my eyes . The protagonist cannot fall asleep at three o'clock in the morning because his lover has disappeared. It pains him so much that he has suicidal thoughts. While it is unusual for the recording to remain in the archives for more than two years before publication , Fulson had already developed the completely different West Coast blues style by 1948 .
The twelve-bar blues hit the Billboard R&B charts in October 1948 , where it reached number 6, making it his first hit. An identical track was recorded by Monkey Joe on Vocalion on May 9, 1938 , but it is a completely different song.
Cover version of BB King
Composer Lowell Fulson left the rights to the Three O'Clock Blues to BB King, who worked in Memphis, Tennessee as a disc jockey for the radio station WDIA .
The single Three O'Clock Blues / That Ain't The Way To Do It (RPM Records 339) - now with BB King as the composer's name - was made in an improvised recording studio at the YMCA in Memphis, 245 Madison Avenue, in August 1951, maybe even as early as May 27, 1951. Unlike Lowell Fulson's, this recording had a complete arrangement with the line- up BB King (vocals / guitar), Richard Sanders and Adolph "Billy" Duncan (tenor saxophone), unknown baritone saxophonist, Phineas Newborn Jr. and Johnny Ace (piano), Calvin Newborn (guitar), Phineas Newborn Sr. and Earl Forrest (drums). The single hit the R&B charts in December 1951 and stayed at number 1 for five weeks. His first hit single became one of the most successful rhythm-'n-blues singles of 1952.
The title remained in BB King's repertoire until his death. He has recorded several versions himself, including one on Riding with the King in 2000, an album he recorded with Eric Clapton. BB King says of the song in his autobiography:
“I didn't get rich and famous, but in the black music world I became known nationwide. From now on, my area of activity extended far beyond Tennessee , Mississippi , Arkansas and Alabama . "
More cover versions
There are only 12 cover versions of the blues classic , including Love Sculpture (October 1968) or Eric Clapton & BB King (June 2000).
Web link
Individual evidence
- ^ Gérard Herzhaft, Encyclopedia of the Blues , 1997, p. 279
- ↑ BMI database on Three O'Clock Blues ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Joel Whitburn, Top R&B Singles 1942–1988 , 1988, Record Research, Inc. p. 161, ISBN 0898200687
- ^ Charles Sawyer, BB King , 1981, pp. 66 f.
- ^ The Independent, March 16, 1999, Obituary: Lowell Fulson
- ↑ a b B. B. King with David Ritz, A Life with the Blues - The Autobiography , Heidelberg, Palmyra, 1998, pp. 177, 178
- ↑ Colin Escott, BB King / The Vintage Years (liner notes), 2002, Ace Records, Ltd. Ace ABOXCD 8
