Wedding Wednesdays - John Fogerty - Joy Of My Life

Here's the second post about music for my upcoming nuptials. As longtime readers of the blog will know, I love love love John Fogerty. This is one of my two favorite songs from my favorite John Fogerty album, and a song that I've been known to listen to on repeat play for hours at a time.

Musically, this is so perfect for me, with the gorgeous slide guitar hitting me right in my country/blues sweet spot, the unexpected high fretwork about 1:30 (and the metallic clinking thirty seconds later), and the unabashed sweetness of the lyrics.

Fogerty isn't known as a guy who writes love songs, but this is about as perfect a love song as anyone could ask for. I don't want to delve too deeply into the man's personal life, but it seems to me that his wife Julie is mellowing him considerably, in all the right ways. (Granted, John's still able to access his anger lyrically, but the existence of this song shows that he's capable of a full range of emotions, which the CCR rock hits don't show off.) He's starting a short tour this week, and if you have a chance you should go.

This song always has the potential to choke me up if I'm in the right mood, and in fact right now I've been listening for about twenty minutes nonstop, and I'm on the verge. When this plays during my wedding, that might just be the point my eyes mist up. Thanks, John.

John Fogerty - Joy Of My Life
links removed due to my very first takedown notice
Buy from Amazon

Aye, Pirate Week: The Derelict

Ahoy, thar be no Stagger Lee today -- Stag will return next Saturday. (He who complains'll walk the plank! Be that clear, señor?)

Away back in 1883, Robert Louis Ste'enson published Treasure Island, and it contained parts o' a new shanty, "Dead Man's Chest." In 1891, poet Young Allison adapted and expanded the shanty int' a full-length poem, "The Darlict."

One hundred six years later, a band o' young musicians first recorded their 'ersion o' the poem, beginnin' with a quote from Ste'enson's no'el. The Jolly Rogers (official Myspace) be currently plyin' their trade at the Kansas City Renaissance Festi'al -- navigate festwards if ye be in a flat square state nearby.

The Jolly Rogers - The Derelict
mirror 1 -- mirror 2
Buy from the band, matey

Multiple Mondays: Ball N' Chain

I usually tend to stay away from blues songs on Mondays: I spend so much time with "Stagger Lee", and so many blues songs have been recorded by literally hundreds of people. But apparently people loved the post with Janis covering Etta James, so I thought I'd let Etta return the favor, and while we're at it you can all learn about Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton (Wiki).

Those of you who are rock geeks will already know that she recorded "Hound Dog" three years before Elvis, and you may even know that she helped write it (though she got no credit, and one royalty check for $500 in total). There is an excellent biography here though, sadly, I can't find a decent discography anywhere. (Even the usually-reliable AMG doesn't have any of her singles listed, not even "Hound Dog.") This wouldn't matter much, except there's a dearth of info online about how many times she recorded "Ball and Chain." Most places agree she wrote it in 1961 or so, but a few sites also claim she first recorded it then. The best discography I could find, with the most complete-appearing info, says she didn't record it till 1968. So until I get my hands on better info, I'm going to assume this version I'm giving you is the first studio recording she did. (The album this appeared on is mostly rerecordings of her earlier hits for another label. Boo hiss for rerecordings.)

Then, we'll hear from Ms. Janis Joplin (with Big Brother...), who heard Big Mama perform the song live in California in the mid-to-late 60's. (I chose the Cheap Thrills version solely for my own convenience, as I already have it here on the computer in digital form.)

Next, Etta James covers Janis's version, from an excellent 1997 blues tribute album to Janis. (This whole series, with collections of songs by Dylan, The Stones, etc, is extraordinarily good.)

Finally, we have Big Mama Thornton's final live performance of "Ball and Chain," recorded about three months before her death. (I ripped this MP3 from the video here.)

Big Mama Thornton
Big Brother and The Holding Company
Etta James
Big Mama Thornton (live)
Buy Thornton's 1968 recording from Amazon -- Buy from Deep Discount