Blind Boy Fuller, born in 1904 in North Carolina, was one of the noted bluesmen of the Piedmont school of blues, alongside the likes of Blind Blake, Josh White and Buddy Moss.
He began to lose his eyesight when he was in his mid-teens. A 1937 eye examination attributed his vision loss to the long-term effects of untreated neonatal conjunctivitis. During his childhood he learned to play the guitar and listened to rural singers perform the field hollers, country rags, traditional songs and blues. As a guitarist he developed a formidable fingerpicking style and would go on to occupy a significant niche in the history of blues during the late 1930s and into the 1940s, prior to his untimely demise in 1941. His songs had honesty and integrity, reflecting his poor background, but also with a hokum humour redolent with double entendre.
This 51-track collection comprises selected sides from the releases across his career on the Vocalion and Okeh labels. With tracks taken from as many of his sessions as possible, in order to provide as thorough overview of his recorded output as possible, the two CDs include tracks such as: Rag Mama Rag, Get Your Ya Yas Out, Lost Lover Blues and Step It Up And Go. It includes recordings with some of his noted collaborators, including harmonica luminary Sonny Terry, guitarist Brownie McGhee and washboard player Bull City Red (aka George Washington.
Following his passing on 13 February 1941, his protégé, Brownie McGhee, recorded The Death of Blind Boy Fuller for Okeh Records. This collection provides an enlightening showcase for a hugely influential, but much overlooked, bluesman.
TRACKS
| Disc 1 |
|
|
| Track |
Title |
Artist |
| 1 |
Baby, I Don't Have To Worry |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 2 |
Ain't It A Crying Shame |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 3 |
Somebody's Been Playin' With That Thing |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 4 |
Evil Hearted Woman |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 5 |
Mama Let Me Lay It On You |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 6 |
Rag Mama Rag |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 7 |
Truckin' My Blues Away |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 8 |
When Your Gal Packs Up And Leaves |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 9 |
Keep Away From My Woman |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 10 |
If You Don't Give Me What I Want |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 11 |
Mamie |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 12 |
My Baby Don't Mean Me No Good |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 13 |
Boots And Shoes |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 14 |
My Best Gal Gonna Leave Me |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 15 |
Snake Woman Blues |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 16 |
Throw Your Yas Yas Back In Jail |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 17 |
Worried And Evil Man Blues |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 18 |
I'm Going To Move (To The Edge Of Town) |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 19 |
Mistreater, You're Going To Be Sorry |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 20 |
Hungry Calf Blues |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 21 |
Why Don't My Baby Write To Me? |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 22 |
You Can Never Tell |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 23 |
Corrine, What Makes You Treat Me So |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 24 |
Some Day You're Gonna Be Sorry |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 25 |
Walking And Looking Blues |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| Disc 2 |
|
|
| Track |
Title |
Artist |
| 1 |
Looking For My Woman #2 |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 2 |
Mean And No Good Woman |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 3 |
I'm A Good Stem Winder |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 4 |
You've Got To Move It Out |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 5 |
Mama Let Me Lay It On #2 |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 6 |
Georgia Ham Mama |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 7 |
Get Your Yas Yas Out |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 8 |
You're Laughing Now |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 9 |
Screaming And Crying Blues |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 10 |
Long Time Trucker |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 11 |
Jivin' Woman Blues |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 12 |
Jitterbug Rag |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 13 |
Big Leg Woman Gets My Pay |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 14 |
You've Got Something There |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 15 |
Woman You Better Wake Up |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 16 |
Jivin Big Bill Blues |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 17 |
I Don't Care How Long |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 18 |
Black Bottom Blues |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 19 |
Three Ball Blues |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 20 |
Step It Up And Go |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 21 |
Crooked Woman Blues |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 22 |
Shake It Baby |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 23 |
I Don't Want No Skinny Woman |
Blind Boy Fuller & Sonny Terry |
| 24 |
Bye Bye Baby |
Blind Boy Fuller & Sonny Terry |
| 25 |
Lost Lover Blues |
Blind Boy Fuller |
| 26 |
Bus Rider Blues |
Blind Boy Fuller & Sonny Terry |
