I love the aching, longing feel this song has, both in the harp and in the vocal. Listen to the 4 draw at the beginning. He opens with it, but then plays it again with an entirely different attack, making it sound like a different note. This song is also interesting for its use of tremolo in the harp solo, which you don't often hear on Walter's records.
Just a Feeling
I've always loved how Robert Jr. Lockwood comes in with the chord triplets in the second verse. I love the lyrics too-- almost metaphysical; miles away from "my no good woman done left me". Walter's harp amp cuts out at the beginning of his solo, but the producers obviously liked this take enough to release it anyway.
Two other things I see in these songs-- Firstly, Walter didn't always play his harp heavily amped or distorted. These are two good examples of his lighter touch. As many have pointed out, there is no one "Little Walter sound". Secondly, Walter could sing. He sings beautifully in both these songs. Muddy Waters said that Little Walter was his favorite singer. I can't find the quote right now, but I've remembered it from the day I read it, decades ago.
Two nice songs, Wolf! Thanks for posting. The solo in the first seem unusual not only because of the tremolo. Does he switch to major pentatonics? Different position/harp switch? Cool stuff. ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
There used to be something of a standard slur on LW´s singing in blues literature. Quite wrong, as you say, he was a good singer. But not a "shouter". Still on a clean and sober day he had a voice that many shouters could ... shout for.
@Pistolcat: Yeah, he slides into a major pentatonic kind of mode a couple of times on the I-II -III notes (holes 6 and 7); gives it a bit more of a major feel.
Thanks for posting this, Wolf. Everybody Needs Somebody has always been one of my favorite LW songs and solos. The solo is nearly unique in blues harmonica literature - he does very little bending or wailing, just goes for the pretty notes and plays unusual patterns. And it's all second position on a Bb harp, no fancy switches, techniques, or, for that matter unusual scales. Even when he emphasizes the unbent third, second, and sixth scale degrees, he's not changing scales to pentatonic - the flat 7 (draw 5) is usually in the mix. ---------- Winslow
