Sings the Blues Sessions

by Jimmy Witherspoon

Overview

The original Sings the Blues LP, recorded by Witherspoon for Crown in 1960, ended up being one of those discographers' nightmares. Two different versions of the LP, Crown CST 215 and Crown 215 X, were released, each of them with songs not on the other, and its year of release has been listed incorrectly by major record guides. Sings the Blues Sessions is something of an expanded CD version of the album(s), on which Ace has taken the opportunity to clear up this unpleasantness by putting all 13 songs that appeared on the two versions of the LP together. Not only that, they've effectively doubled the length of the whole shebang by adding 13 bonus titles that were recorded for Modern around the same time, half a dozen of them previously unissued. As for the material that appeared on the original Sings the Blues LPs, it's a pretty standard easygoing, pleasant Witherspoon small-combo blues session with a tinge of jazz. The program's devoted to covers of tunes by B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Billy Wright, Billy Eckstine, Joe Turner, Leroy Carr, and others; Witherspoon's own "Cain River Blues" is the only original. The bonus tracks are mostly in the same mood, but are dotted with some less standard items, particularly a two-part version of "Ain't Nobody's Business" with strings, an almost rock & roll cover of Jody Reynolds' late-'50s death-rock hit "Endless Sleep," and a cover of Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart."

Product Details

Release Date:	07/22/2003
Label:	Ace Records Uk
UPC:	0029667189620
catalogNumber:	896
Rank:	104182

Tracks

1. Your Cheatin' Heart
2. Endless Sleep
3. She Moves Me
4. Card Playing Blues
5. Boogie Woogie Woman
6. Please Hurry Home
7. Don't Have to Cry
8. Jelly Jelly Blues
9. Riding Blues
10. Blues Came Falling Down
11. Sad Life Blues
12. Cain River Blues
13. Playful Baby
14. When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer
15. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You
16. Story from My Heart & Soul
17. You Gotta Crawl Before You Walk
18. I Need Somebody
19. Telephone Blues
20. Your Cheatin' Heart
21. Ain't Nobody's Business, Pt. 1
22. Ain't Nobody's Business, Pt. 2
23. Endless Sleep
24. How Long Blues
25. When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer
26. The Wind Is Blowin'

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jimmy Witherspoon   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Leroy Carr   Composer
Wynonie Harris   Composer
Billy Eckstine   Composer
Earl Hines   Composer
Peter Johnson   Composer
Don Redman   Composer
T-Bone Walker   Composer
Andy Razaf   Composer
Porter Grainger   Composer
B.B. King   Composer
Dave Penny   Liner Notes
Jody Reynolds   Composer
George "Harmonica" Smith   Composer
Hank Williams   Composer
Sonny Boy Williamson   Composer
Jimmy Witherspoon   Composer
Billy Wright   Composer
Joe Josea   Composer
Jules Taub   Composer
Everett Robbins   Composer
Sam Ling   Composer
Grover McDaniel   Composer
Joe Turner   Composer
Dolores Nance   Composer