If
you hear Presley, then you actually hear "Big Boy".
(Big
Bill Broonzy)
Arthur
"Big Boy" Crudup
That's All Right Mama
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Matchbox
BLUESMASTERS SERIES
MB
901 MONO 1989
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Side 1
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Side 2
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-
My
Baby Left Me
-
If I Get Lucky
-
Mean Old 'Frisco Blues
- Who's
Been Fooling You?
-
- Shout,
Sister, Shout
- Cool
Disposition
- I
Don't Know It
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-
-
She' Just Like Caledonia
-
Rock Me Mama
-
Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
-
I love You
-
I'm Gonna Dig Myself A Hole
-
She's Got No Hair
- Never
No More
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go
to recording details
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The
"Big Boy" and the "King"
The
16 August 2002 is the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, the
"King of Rock and Roll" for 25th time. This is reason
enough to dedicate the current "Spot on..." - article
to the man, who, only through Elvis, became world-famous as the
"Father Of Rock And Roll", but it was to this man, that
Elvis owed his first big breakthroughs to: Arthur "Big Boy"
Crudup. Whose country blues - along with the music of other black
artists - were clearly among the most significant influences of
the young Presley. Presley, the white Southerner, grew up in a milieu
defined by poverty and religiousness. The only difference between
situation he was in and that of his "black" neighbors
was the color of his skin. The future "King Of Rock And Roll",
seemed to have developed an affinity for the culture of the "other"
America, already early on.
That's
it Allright (Sun 209/B-Side: Blue Moon Of Kentucky),
recorded on Jul 19, 1954 in Sam Phillip's Sun Studio, marked the
start of Elvis' career, which without the adaptation of the southern
blues tradition and his imitation of "black" style and
body language, would never have been possible. Elvis Presley and
other young white musicians were able to transform the Afro-American
Rhythm and Blues into the music of the rebellious youths of the
50's.
When
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup recorded his title That's Allright
Sep 06,1946 for the RCA Label "Bluebird", it was hardly
imaginable that this raw Country Blues was to become one of the
anthems of Rock and Roll music. The 1905 in Forrest Mississippi
born Crudup, first began, (although he had already sung as a 10-more
year-old in church and Gospel choirs) 1937 with guitar playing,
which he taught himself. Being influenced by Delta-Musicians like
Big Bill Broonzy,, Tampa Red and Lonnie Johnson, Crudup tried his
luck in the Mississippi Delta, as a street and party musician. He
did this while working as a cotton picker and railroad laborer.
His career began in Chicago in 1939, where the well-known Blues
producer Lester Melrose discovered him. The hard years of the depression
having been surmounted, the bosses of the recording companies began
to increasingly concentrate themselves, on the lucrative "race
market". In 1941 Melrose brought Crudup to the RCA studios.
There Crudup made recordings for the "Bluebird" - Label
into the 50's and became relatively well known. In November 1946,
Crudup's song Ethel Mae shared fourth place in the "Race
Music Charts" with Louis
Jordan's hit - That Chick's it Too Young To Fry. Although
Arthur Crudup was already a "Blues star" by this time,
collaborating with musicians like Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore
James, he wasn't earning very well. In 1947 Crudup split with Lester
Melrose after Melrose withheld royalties from him.
Evidence that Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup was so popular in
the 40's and 50's was that the young Elvis Presley knew his music
so well. In addition to That's Allright, Elvis recorded two other
songs from his black idol: My baby Left Me and So Glad
You' re Mine (both 1956), after switching from Sun to RCA in
1955. In addition to Elvis, other Blues artists, like John Lee Hooker,
Lightnin' Hopkins, Bobby Blue Bland or B. B. King were influenced
by the "Father Of Rock and Roll" and/or recorded his songs.
In the mid 50's Crudup retreated from the music business until he
was rediscovered in the 60's when he began recording again. In 1973,
a year before his death, A documentary film "Arthur Crudup
- Born in The Blues" was made about him, making a testament
to his life and music. Crudup died in 1974, like many other blues
artists having never reaped the fruits of financial success.
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Recording
details: |
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Chicago,
Sep 11, 1949
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (g + vo) with Joe McCoy (imit.
b)
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Chicago,
Apr 14, 1942
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (g + vo) with Ransom Knowling
(b)
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Who's
Been Fooling You?
Cool Disposition
Rock Me Mama
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Chicago,
Dec 15, 1944
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (g + vo) with Melvin Draper (d)
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Chicago,
Feb 22, 1946
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (g + vo) with Armand "Jump"
Jackson (d)
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Chicago,
Nov 08, 1950
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (g + vo) with Ransom Knowling
(b) and Lawrence "Jude" Riley (d)
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Shout, Sister, Shout
Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
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Chicago,
Mar 10, 1949
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (g + vo) with Ransom Knowling
(b) and Lawrence "Jude" Riley (d)
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Chicago,
Sep 06, 1946
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (g + vo) with Ransom Knowling
(b) and Lawrence "Jude" Riley (d)
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She's
Just Like Caledonia
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Chicago,
Mar 11, 1949
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (g + vo) with Ransom Knowling (b)
and Lawrence "Jude" Riley (d) |
I'm
gonna Dig Myself A Hole
Never No More
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Chicago,
Apr 24, 1951
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (g + vo) with Ransom Knowling (b)
and Lawrence "Jude" Riley (d) |
I
Love You
She's Got No Hair
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Atlanta,
Apr 08, 1954
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (g + vo) with Robert Fulton (g),
Thomas Patton (p), Joe Thomas (b), Willie Willis (d) and unknown (h) |
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