Jimmie Rodgers songs

[David M.]

For some reason I've gotten on a Jimmie Rodgers song kick lately. Maybe hearing Doc play "Peach Pickin' Time in Georgia" again made me dig deeper. There's a great compilation by folks like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Allison Krauss, Steve Earle, Willie, Dylan, Dickey Betts, etc. called Jimmie Rodgers Tribute. There are some great songs on it. Some good, but sparce mandolin on it, too.

I like Tony Rice's version of Any Old Time.

They're fun songs to sing, nice to take breaks on, and they use some different chords put together. It gets me away from the typical I, IV, V. However, my yodel needs some development... It's a blue yodel for sure, cause it makes me sad.

[John Zimm]

Jimmy Rodgers is great. I can't hear "Daddy and Home" without getting a little choked up as it reminds me of my late Stepfather.

Yodeling is great. If I were a singer I would work long and hard at getting that yodel down. You can pick a pretty fine yodel on the mandolin, but what can compare to Jimmy Rodgers belting it out?

-John.

[David M.]

I agree. His yodel is awesome. I can do it some, but only in certain keys, like D or E. If it's too low for me, I have trouble with breaking over into the falsetto.

These songs are great.

[David M.]

I just realized that Dawg is playing the banjo mandolin on Garcia's song on the Tribute record I'm listening to. Don't much care for the sound of a banjo mando, but dislike Jerry Garcia's yodel even more. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[mrbook]

The songs of Jimmie Rodgers are timeless. His blues songs (along with Hank Williams') are the kind I can sing convincingly, and many of the other songs have interesting chord progressions. I could live without the recent tribute album, but you will find great versions of his songs done by Doc Watson and Hank Snow. Lefty Frizzell did a great album of his songs in the 50s that was reissued in the 1970s, but I don't know if it is on CD. Get it if you can find it.

When introducing one of his songs, I've often mentioned that many musicians - Ernest Tubb, Gene Autry, Hank Snow, and others - started out as Rodgers imitators before developing their own styles. I can't think of a single Elvis imitator who has progressed any farther.

[evanreilly]

I have worked up a number of Jimmie Rodgers songs.
In addition to the Carter Family and Bill Monroe, Rodgers is the only artist whose entire recorded output I own (Thanks again, Bear Family!!!).
Of interest is the fact that in 1951 Decca was very close to releasing a Jimmie Rodgers 'tribute' album of covers recorded by Bill Monroe.
Monroe recorded several sessions of Rodgers' songs, I beleive twelve in all.
These are the mostly-infamous recordings with electric guitar and drums. Decca never released the project. I recreated it by assembling the songs from the Bear Family Monroe box set, alongside the original Jimmie Rodgers recording.
By the way, there is a great picture of Monroe at Rodgers' grave marker unveiling that is published in one of the tribute books about Rodgers. Monroe was a big fan of Jimmie's.

[Moose]

Hey Evan: Interesting!! - electric guitar & drums!! - I know about his(Monroe's) so-called C/W numbers, but w. drums & electric guitar!!! I do know about "Bradley's organ!?# & Sally's accordian!#) - Thanks for the info. Moose. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[mrbook]

"Muleskinner Blues" is one of those definitive bluegrass songs that Monroe took from Rodgers and put in his own style - right from the opening run.

[Jack Roberts]

Me. But I don't do Muleskinner Blues.

See if you can find the Ramblin' Jack Elliot recordings of the Jimmy Rogers classics. It's worth a listen.

[Jack Roberts]

I just realized that Dawg is playing the banjo mandolin on Garcia's song on the Tribute record I'm listening to. Don't much care for the sound of a banjo mando, but dislike Jerry Garcia's yodel even more. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
If you want a yodel to hate, you ought to hear mine. The Banjo player passes out earplugs when I start...

[Jon Hall]

I learned "Miss The Mississippi And You". The chord progression is a real stretch for me. Completely different from anything I've ever played before.

[Scotti Adams]

Merle Haggard put out a double Lp set..probably back in the 70's sometime..maybe earlier....of nothing but Jimmy Rodgers songs...Ive got the set....it doesnt get any better than that. It should be required listening.

[Juice6120]

I as well Do Muleskinner, Blue yodel Did ya know there were 13 versions cause the first sold a million copies ? Jimmie was only the second person to sell that many behind labelmate My blue heaven singer Gene Austin , Heck He outsold Al (I love to singa ) Jolson .I am a huge Jimmie Rodgers fan. Jimmie made 110 recordings .He had only a six year Recording Career . Born James Charles Rodgers September 8th 1897 youngest of 3 boys in pine springs, MS. There is also a Parade And Festival Every year In Meridian , MS http://www.jimmierodgers.com/home.html Ernest Tubb got the famous Thanks Martin Jimmie made so famous . Jimmie sent money to everyone who needed it . He Worked for the railroad . And Recorded at Bristol for The famous Ralph Peer when the carters did For the Victor Talking And Recording company on August 4th 1927 . Sadly TB took him away http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif I have the film from the early 30s #The Singing Brakeman #Him with the two little ole ladies he does.
Waiting for a train, Nice whistle he does the yodel ! #Next he does daddy and home, Finishes with blue yodel. I dont think he ever got his coffee lol ,A Columbia Victor Gem ! And TNN did the life and times of Jimmie in the mid 90s I am glad i taped that ! Sad to know he had so much and died almost Completely broke.From One of the nicest houses in texas to a small house. Performed even though he was dying from the TB http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif Father Of country music, Member of Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame. And his manager jokes he only knew 2 chords.

[David M.]

Scotti: #I've been kicking around that Hag collection. #That has to be awesome.

I'd love to see some chords posted here to some of the songs if anyone's up to it. #I don't have alot of it worked out, but may be able to get one or two on here.

I ran across a link below with lots of his lyrics and some chords:

http://home.kabelfoon.nl/~pjkuijve/#BLUE%20YODEL%20(ALSO%20CALLED

[hellindc]

Greg Brown's "The Train that Carried Jimmy Rodgers Home" puts his music in context. Iris DeMent does a great cover on the compilation of Brown's songs. It's a bit slow, but you can do a nice blusey rift on mando for a break.

[David M.]

Greg -n- Iris. Now a married couple. He's from Iowa and I have seen him around Iowa City from time to time. Haven't seen Iris, yet, though.

[MartinD_GibsonA]

"My Rough and Rowdy Ways" is one of our trio's standards.

Don Smith

[Wesley]

If y'all want to go hog wild on Jimmie Rodgers - I went to Elderly records and picked up a 5 CD collection of his original recordings for under $25.00. It's a steal at that price.
I think "Miss the Mississippi" is one of my favorite songs. I used to get together for jam sessions with a Japanese friend of mine who was crazy for the song. Whenever he had a snootful of saki he just had to sing it. The results were too funny for words. My advice for the day - don't drink saki at a bluegrass jam session.

[David M.]

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Moose]

I prefer "generic liqour"...!? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Tennessee Jed]

Muleskinner Blues, My Rough and Rowdy Ways, Ben Dewberry,and Frankie and Johnnie are the Jimmie Rodgers songs that I play most often.

[Peter Hackman]

Here are a few really good songs from Rodgers' repertoire

Hurry home, sweet Mama
Any Old Time
Somewhere down below the Dixon Line
Mississippi Delta Blues
(he rcorded these two numbers two days before he died)
Mississippi River Blues
Nobody knows but me
Treasures untold (written by an uncle of Mike Auldridge's)

[mando-tech]

I as well Do Muleskinner, Blue yodel Did ya know there were 13 versions cause the first sold a million copies ? Jimmie was only the second person to sell that many behind labelmate My blue heaven singer Gene Austin , Heck He outsold Al (I love to singa ) Jolson .I am a huge Jimmie Rodgers fan. Jimmie made 110 recordings .He had only a six year Recording Career . Born James Charles Rodgers September 8th 1897 youngest of 3 boys in pine springs, MS. There is also a Parade And Festival Every year In Meridian , MS http://www.jimmierodgers.com/home.html Ernest Tubb got the famous Thanks Martin Jimmie made so famous . Jimmie sent money to everyone who needed it . He Worked for the railroad . And Recorded at Bristol for The famous Ralph Peer when the carters did For the Victor Talking And Recording company on August 4th 1927 . Sadly TB took him away http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif I have the film from the early 30s #The Singing Brakeman #Him with the two little ole ladies he does.
Waiting for a train, Nice whistle he does the yodel ! #Next he does daddy and home, Finishes with blue yodel. I dont think he ever got his coffee lol ,A Columbia Victor Gem ! And TNN did the life and times of Jimmie in the mid 90s I am glad i taped that ! Sad to know he had so much and died almost Completely broke.From One of the nicest houses in texas to a small house. Performed even though he was dying from the TB http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif Father Of country music, Member of Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame. And his manager jokes he only knew 2 chords.

...lets see what needs a slight correction,...about JR's siblings, -don't forget sister Lottie Mae !...and about ET getting the JR Martin,...-it was only on LOAN to him from Carrie and Anita !...the movie (talking short) was done in 1929 to be exact,...and concerning the crack about "two chords", -just listen to the run he goes through in Ben Dewberry's Final Run !..some of those chords I still haven't found !...anything else about Jimmie you need to know?...What brand of cigarettes he smoked ?

[rockies]

DavidM, I have the Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Folios Vol ! & 2. Lyrics, chords etc for about 80 of Jimmies songs. Have had them since I was 15 years old (now 76) and hooked on Jimmie. If you're able to get my email off the site and email me direct with your address I will mail them to you. No cost to you, I no longer need them and I'm losing my sight.
Dave Carlson (rockies on the Café)

[rockies]

Sorry, looking at them after I dug them out I was actually about 30 when I got them. Where the H*#L did the time go ? They were published in the late 60's. Offer still holds David !!
Dave

[Tom Mylet]

In reference to Evan Reilly's mention of Decca proposed issue of a Monroe set of Jimmie Rodgers songs: It actually did see the light of day albeit as a bootleg release in the early 70's. I've got it somewhere around here but have the Bear Family releases as well.

[mandobassman]

This ha been great reading for me as I recently finished taking part in a Jimmie Rodgers CD by dobro great Jim Heffernan and Jim Mitchell. Mitchell has a great soulful voice and does a awesome job on these songs. I was fortunate enough to be asked to play upright bass on the whole project, harmony vocals and mandolin on a couple of tunes. It was really fun getting to know some of these tunes and opened my eyes to JR,s music. Look for the CD. It really well done.

[choctaw61]

U just can't beat that old music no way no how! I remember growing up in the Mississippi delta,listening to the grand ole opra.We'd sit on front porch or an old cotton trailor like my mom and her 11 bro.'s and sis.'s. Man my uncle could yodel with the best there was.Lord I'd forgot that. All my mom's people could sing tho.My grandmother's baby bro.was Harold Dorman.He used to sing on the opre.He was a great guy to know.Aahhh memories!!

[ralph johansson]

Hey Evan: Interesting!! - electric guitar & drums!! - I know about his(Monroe's) so-called C/W numbers, but w. drums & electric guitar!!! I do know about "Bradley's organ!?# & Sally's accordian!#) - Thanks for the info. Moose. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

Billy Forrester's accordion was Monroe's own choice. She toured with the band from 1943 to 1945, before Flatt&Scruggs joined the BG boys. She played on one session, in early 1945.

The organ, with one exception, was used on gospel numbers; the default instrumentation on Monroe's gospel quartets in the early days was just mandolin, guitar and bass; Bradley, who either produced these recordings, or assisted Paul Cohen, added his organ on a few numbers. It wasn't until 1961 or 1962 that Monroe recorded a gospel quartet with banjo.

An album in the early 50's consisted of four 78's, eight songs. Monroe did record eight songs associated with Rodgers at two sessions; the first with BG instrumentation and the second with electric guitars. That, of course, was not his idea, and,
according to Bradley, Monroe was not comfortable with it at all. Several of the songs were never released domestically, and two stayed in the can until 1964.

[allenhopkins]

Billy Forrester's accordion...

Believe it was "Sally" Forrester, actually (really!) Goldie Sue Wilene Russell Forrester, wife of Howard "Howdy" Forrester, who played fiddle for Monroe in the early 1940's.

According to Smith's Monroe bio, she also kept the band's books. She was gone from the Blue Grass "Boys" by 1946, when Monroe assembled the Flatt-Scruggs-Wise version of the band.

[samlyman]

Jimmie Rodgers sure wrote a lot of good tunes! My personal favorites are Waiting for a Train and Blue Yodel #9 (Standing on a Corner). Here's my take on Blue Yodel #9 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO3SX4QJdI8

[jaycat]

One of my favorites of Jimmie's. I don't know if he wrote it or not.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc81CDLm94E

[journeybear]

One of my favorites is "Waiting For A Train." It''s the first one of his songs I remember hearing, as done by Boz Scaggs on his first album. Backed by some fine studio musicians maybe The Swampers, including Duane Allman, pre-ABB. Oh, and well before Boz went disco, back when he was good. Real good. ;)

8OXlpgZoS2c

[jaycat]

Yeah, you right JB, that is a great album. I think that's the first place I heard Waiting For A Train as well. I still have that one in the old (guitar) repertoire. Same song as Peach Pickin' Time, really.

[journeybear]

It sure is. Everyone talks about "Loan Me A Dime" and the long guitar workout by Duane, but that first side has some great songs, perfect blends of soul and country, often overlooked. (And it is indeed the Swampers, the great house band from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, backing him up, shortly after having left FAME Studio to strike out on their own.) His first four releases were great (I see he had another album (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boz_(album)) out in 1965 I'd never heard of, released in Sweden and apparently very rare), especially "Moments." Again, side one of that is great, and is in fact one of my favorite album sides of all time.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, already in progress ... :whistling:

[ralph johansson]

Believe it was "Sally" Forrester, actually (really!) Goldie Sue Wilene Russell Forrester, wife of Howard "Howdy" Forrester, who played fiddle for Monroe in the early 1940's.

According to Smith's Monroe bio, she also kept the band's books. She was gone from the Blue Grass "Boys" by 1946, when Monroe assembled the Flatt-Scruggs-Wise version of the band.

I made a spelling mistake, here. She was commonly known as Billie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Forrester

[MandoJason]

"Muleskinner Blues" is one of those definitive bluegrass songs that Monroe took from Rodgers and put in his own style - right from the opening run.

I had no idea, thanks for sharing that mrbrook....cool stuff to know. I love Monroe's Muleskinner Blues..
jason

[journeybear]

Believe it was "Sally" Forrester, actually (really!) Goldie Sue Wilene Russell Forrester.


I made a spelling mistake, here. She was commonly known as Billie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Forrester

It seems to me you're both more than half right - Apparently Bill Monroe hung the nickname "Sally Ann" on her. It would be nice to see how she were credited in an album's liner notes, but it looks like she had left the band long before they recorded a studio album.

That wikipedia page is really sparse. If someone has more info on her and wants to update the page - particularly her full name (verification/citation required) - please do so, or forward the info to me and I'll do it. They have her name as just "Wilene Russell."

[mando-tech]

....Bill did record quite a lot of Jimmie's songs,...one in particular is WHEN THE CACTUS IS IN BLOOM,...however, Bill insisted on using the incorrect grammar ! by using the 'plural' verb "are",,.surely Bill should have NOT done that !...a wonder the record company didn't correct him ?...also...did he NOT listen to what Jimmie said ?