Английская Википедия:Forty-Four
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Redirect Шаблон:Infobox song "Forty-Four" or "44 Blues" is a blues standard whose origins have been traced back to early 1920s Louisiana. However, it was Roosevelt Sykes, who provided the lyrics and first recorded it in 1929, that helped popularize the song. "Forty-Four," through numerous adaptations and recordings, remains in the blues lexicon eighty years later.
Origins
"Four-Four" was developed from an earlier piano-based blues theme titled "The Forty-Fours". Little Brother Montgomery, who is usually credited with early performances of the song, described it as a "barrelhouse, honky-tonk blues" without any lyrics.Шаблон:Sfn He taught it to another blues pianist, Lee Green, who taught it to Roosevelt Sykes.Шаблон:Sfn Sykes explained: Шаблон:Quote Sykes added lyrics to the tune and recorded it as "44 Blues" on June 14, 1929, for Okeh Records.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn According to blues historian Paul Oliver, Sykes' lyrics "played on the differing interpretations of the phrase 'forty-fours'—the train number 44, the .44 caliber revolver and the 'little cabin' on which was the number 44, presumably a prison cell".Шаблон:Sfn
After Sykes recording, Green and Montgomery recorded their versions of "The Forty-Fours". While instrumentally both were similar to Sykes' version, the subject matter and lyrics were different. Green recorded his version, titled "Number 44 Blues," two months after Sykes[1] and about one year later, Montgomery recorded his version titled "Vicksburg Blues".[2]Шаблон:Sfn Sykes' version was the most popular and "was to be far more influential than Green's version".Шаблон:Sfn Oliver believes that Sykes lyrics, with their "overlays of meaning" accounted for the popularity of his song among singers.Шаблон:Sfn Many versions of "Forty-Four" appeared over the following years, including some that bore little resemblance to the original except for the title. Sykes, Green, and Montgomery recorded it themselves ten times between 1929 and 1936.Шаблон:Sfn
Howlin' Wolf version
Шаблон:Infobox song In October 1954, Howlin' Wolf recorded his version, titled simply "Forty Four", as an electric Chicago blues ensemble piece. Unlike the early versions of the song, Wolf's recording featured prominent guitar lines and an insistent "martial shuffle on the snare drum plus a bass drum that slammed down like an industrial punch-press", according to biographers.Шаблон:Sfn Wolf retained Sykes' handgun reference and added "Well I'm so mad this morning, I don't know where in the world to go". With Howlin' Wolf's gruff and overpowering vocal style, the overall effect was menacing.Шаблон:Sfn
Backing Wolf, who sang and played harmonica, were Hubert Sumlin and Jody Williams on electric guitars, Otis Spann on piano, Willie Dixon on bass, and Earl Phillips on drums.Шаблон:Sfn Chess Records issued the song, with "I'll Be Around" as the B-side, on both 78 and 45 rpm record singles in 1954. It is included on Howlin' Wolf's first compilation album, Moanin' in the Moonlight (1959), as well as several other anthologies, such as Howlin' Wolf: The Chess Box (1991) and His Best (1997).[3]
Legacy
"Forty-Four" is identified as a blues standard by blues historian Gerard Herzhaft, who calls it "a necessary piece for all followers of the '88' (piano)".Шаблон:Sfn The song has been recorded by numerous musicians in a variety of styles; in reviews, it is often described as a Howlin' Wolf song.[4][5][6][7][8]
References
Sources
- Шаблон:Cite AV media notes
- Шаблон:Cite encyclopedia
- Шаблон:Cite encyclopedia
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
Шаблон:Roosevelt Sykes Шаблон:Howlin' Wolf Шаблон:Authority control
- ↑ August 16, 1929, Vocalion Records (No. 1401)
- ↑ September 1930, Paramount Records (No. 13006-A)
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
