Blues is sad? Yes, along with the other moods it communicates. Blues is infectious, joyous music, too. Rock 'n Roll is blues sped up.
For the youngsters in this forum, anybody under 40, let me take you back to another time...
Buster Brown-- Fannie Mae (1960) Buster had a hit with this in 1960, recording for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records in New York. The lyrics are sad, the music is joyous. I dance when I hear it. Buster incorporates Sonny Terry's falsetto whoops in his singing/harp playing. Have a listen, but apply the rule I've followed since I saw it on the back of my first Paul Butterfield album: "We suggest that you play this record at the highest possible volume in order to fully appreciate the sound of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band". Turn your computer speakers up, and let the sound wash over you:
Steve Miller Fannie Mae (1968) Eight years after Buster's pop hit, Steve Miller liked the song enough to record it on his first album, "Children of the Future", recorded in London, England, although Steve was based in San Francisco. I love the extended harp coda in 6/8 time at the climax of the song. Have a listen:
Both songs are infectious, both are joyous.
Cheers,
wolf kristiansen
Last Edited by wolfkristiansen on Sep 22, 2015 1:58 AM
After listening to the Steve Miller clip I can hear where Mark Ford and Andy Just tipped their hats to some of the harp lines. p.s A great 3 min two harps intro into the song.
Last Edited by Harp2swing on Sep 22, 2015 5:24 PM
