Last week’s competition, featuring Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” was a blowout, with 55% of all respondents preferring the acoustic Paul Kelly version, to the more produced Frankmusic version, which only got 23% of the vote. 20% of you didn’t care for either version, and the only “other” responses suggested the Hot Hot Heat version, and two opposing opinions on the version from the TV show, “Glee”.
Since I get accused of not playing enough blues on Coverville, let’s take a listener suggestion and listen to two versions of a 12-bar blues song that is often attributed to Muddy Waters as the writer and original performer, “Rollin’ And Tumblin'”. Ian in Raymond, WA pointed me to several different versions of the song, as well as this Wikipedia article. I’ve decided to make this a Yardbird battle – with versions by Jeff Beck (featuring Imogen Heap on vocals), and Eric Clapton. (Coincidentally, The Yardbirds recorded a version back in 1967, as well).
Which one has you diving like a duck into a river of whiskey?
Listen to the podcast featuring both songs:
[audio: http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/backbeat.cachefly.net/coverville/audio/Coverville-WDIB-008-RollinAndTumblin.mp3]
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What a strange world, where Eric Clapton is beaten out in a head to head song contest. Let alone by Jeff Beck. I absolutely love Eric Claptons work, (my iPod would completely agree with that statement, 54 E.C. songs to NONE by Jeff Beck) Both versions were very good, but if I had to listen to one over the other, Jeff Beck's version reigned.
Wow, Brian. I think you put Eric at a disadvantage. I think his version of "Rollin' and Tumblin'" on the Unplugged album was better than this version. I still vote for E.C. since the Unplugged version was playing in my head while this podcast was playing.
After seeing EC last week, I can't vote against him.
I agree w BiggMakk
I think you need to read the Wikipedia article more closely… The first recorded version of this song is from 1928, when Muddy Waters was only 15 years old. Robert Johnson recorded it in 1936, with the same title (and lyrics, as far as I can remember) that Eric Clapton uses. The Muddy Waters version didn't come out until 1950.
You're probably right. I was attributing the newer lyrics to Muddy Waters, which is what I gleaned from the first paragraph in the Wikipedia article. But I may have misinterpreted what they defined as Mr. Waters' actual contribution to the song.
RJ recorded a tune called "If I Had Possesion". Hambone Willie Newbern was the author of "Rollin' And Tumblin"
I'm with BiggMakk, why this one instead of the Unplugged?
Well, to be honest, it was the one that Ian suggested. But in listening to the Unplugged version, I'm not sure I'd change it. The Eric Clapton Unplugged version is a lot closer to the Jeff Beck version, and side-by-side, there's a lot more to compare between Beck's and the "plugged" version.
Besides, I think "…Judgement Day" is a lot more representative of Clapton's current produced musical style, while "Unplugged" took him out of that level of "polish" for a single album.
Actually, my favorite Clapton version of this song is the on from "Sessions for Robert J". That's way cooler.
Clapton plays the guitar, but Beck plays the intergalactic space communicator! I love them both.
Imogen’s version is so ridiculously sexy I don’t even know what to say. Clapton is the man, but Immi… damn.
Savoy Brown did a version called Louisiana Blues. I think it is awesome. The lyrics are different except for the refrain "If the river was whiskey….."
But of the two, I'd have to vote for Jeff Beck, even though I love Clapton, Beck has him on this one.
Typically I find Jeff Beck's work a little too out there and get comfy feelings from Eric Clapton, especially Cream. So, I took a pass and wrote in The Grateful Dead's All New Minglewood Blues because Bob Weir's voice just makes any song better.
I am the "Ian" mentioned in the article and podcast, I'm so happy this got used. The whole thing started by accident. I walked by a coworker's desk and heard a familiar song I couldn't place. I finally figured out it was a Bob Dylan version of Rollin' and Tumblin' from a few years ago. That prompted a conversation, which prompted a stroll to Wikipedia, which lead me to realize I owned 4 versions of the song and never even knew it! I was blown away by the way it's morphed through the years both lyrically and musically.
Thanks Brian!
I understand Bob Dylan wrote it!