HW: Castle Masters Collection

[Paul Mather]

On Wed, 27 Nov 1996, Ted Jackson EL84 wrote:

> >         This reminds me, two of the songs on this CD seem to be covers of other
> > bands - Dealing with the Devil(S.Williamson) & Bring it on Home
> > (W.Dixon). Is this the case? The writers of these songs are not familar.
> >
> > -Max Wilcox
>
> They sure are!  Or is this another hoax?  S.Williamson is Sonny Boy
> Williamson and W. Dixon is Willie Dixon, two of THE godfathers of
> blues music...

Actually, there were TWO "Sonny Boy Williamsons:" John Lee "Sonny Boy"
Williamson and Aleck "Rice" Miller.  The former was prominent in the 1930s
and 40s, and the latter came to fame in the post-WW2 era.  Both were very
famous harmonica players who, along with "Little Walter" Jacobs, probably
defined *the* blues harp sound.

Willie Dixon was a bass player who was more famous for his behind the
scenes work than for his playing.  He wrote many of the songs
quintessential of the Chicago blues sound; lots of Muddy Waters' hits were
penned by Dixon..  Actually, Dixon's "Bring it on Home" was a big hit for
Sonny Boy Williamson.

Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) gained fame as a regular on the King
Biscuit Time show on KFFA, broadcast out of Helena, Arkansas---probably
the first popular blues radio show.  The show was sponsored by King
Biscuit Flour.  I guess the King Biscuit Time show went from strength to
strength, bringing popular music to the masses.  King Biscuit Flour begat
the King Biscuit Flower Hour which, as many here will know, recorded some
of the material that eventually showed up on BOC's _Extraterrestrial
Live_.  (So there you have it: HW <--> blues <--> BOC; yet another link.;)

Oh, and as everyone no doubt knows, those other space rockers, Pink Floyd
took their name from Piedmont bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council.

Cheers,

Paul.

obCD: Cephas and Wiggins, _Dog Days of August_

e-mail: paul at csgrad.cs.vt.edu                    A stranger in a strange land.