William “Casey Bill” Weldon was a country blues singer, guitarist and songwriter, born in 1901 in Arkansas, but who made his home in Kansas City for a long while, giving rise to his nickname of Casey, or K.C., although he spent a number of years living and working in Chicago, the primary centre for blues recording in that era.
He played a National steel guitar, often playing it on his lap Hawaiian style, and became known as the “Hawaiian Guitar Wizard”.
This 67-track 3-CD collection comprises a substantial proportion of his career recordings – he had stopped recording by 1938, although he lived until 1972.
The set features recordings for the Vocalion and Bluebird labels from this era under the names Casey Bill, Casey Bill Weldon and Kansas City Bill Weldon, plus recordings as a member of the Washboard Rhythm Kings and Brown Bombers Of Swing.
It includes his notable compositions “Gonna Move To The Outskirts of Town” and “Someone Done Changed The Lock On That Door”.
It features recordings with noted bluesmen of the era, including Peetie Wheatstraw, Black Bob, Tampa Red, Arnett Nelson, Washboard Sam, Bill Settles, Charlie McCoy, Big Bill Broonzy, Calvin Dillard, Clifford Medlock and Henry Singleton.
He was well-known for his upbeat and extrovert style, often performing material in the hokum idiom, and this is an entertaining showcase for his distinctive approach to the blues
CD 1
1. WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH MY MILK COW? Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3078) 1935
2. RACE HORSE FILLY BLUES Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3078) 1935
3. BROWN SKIN MAMA Washboard Rhythm Kings (Bluebird B-6157) 1935
4. ARLENA Washboard Rhythm Kings (Bluebird B-6157) 1935
5. PLEASE COME ON DOWN TO MY HOUSE Washboard Rhythm Kings (Bluebird B-6186) 1935
6. STREET WALKIN' BLUES Washboard Rhythm Kings (Bluebird B-6186) 1935
7. LONG-EARED MULE Casey Bill (Bluebird B-6212) 1935
8. SOMEBODY'S BEEN TALKIN' TO YOU Casey Bill (Bluebird B-6212) 1935
9. MY STOVE WON'T WORK Casey Bill (Bluebird B-6243) 1935
10. SOMEBODY CHANGED THE LOCK ON MY DOOR Casey Bill (Bluebird B-6243) 1935
11. YOUR WAGON'S WORN OUT NOW Casey Bill Weldon (Bluebird 6262) 1935
12. HOWLING DOG BLUES Casey Bill Weldon (Bluebird 6262) 1935
13. SOMEBODY CHANGED THE LOCK ON THAT DOOR Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3186) 1936
14. W.P.A BLUES Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3186) 1936
15. AS THE CLOCK STRUCK FOUR Kansas City Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3198) 1936
16. DOCTOR'S BLUES Kansas City Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3198) 1936
17. FLOOD WATER BLUES Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3220) 1936
18. FLOOD WATER BLUES #2 Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3220) 1936
19. SOMEBODY GOT TO GO Casey Bill (Bluebird 6356) 1936
20. BLUES EVERYWHERE I GO Casey Bill (Bluebird 6356) 1936
21. HAS MY GAL BEEN HERE Casey Bill Weldon (Bluebird 6390) 1936
22. LET ME BE YOUR BUTCHER Casey Bill Weldon (Bluebird 6390) 1936
CD 2
1. I GOT A LETTER THIS MORNING Casey Bill Weldon (Bluebird 6465) 1936
2. I'M A STRANGER IN YOUR TOWN Casey Bill Weldon (Bluebird 6465) 1936
3. CASEY BLUES Casey Bill (Bluebird 6519) 1936
4. I'SE JUST A BAD LUCK MAN Casey Bill (Bluebird 6519) 1936
5. TWO TIMIN' WOMAN Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3250) 1936
6. KEYHOLE BLUES Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3250) 1936
7. BIG BILL BLUES Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3274) 1936
8. YOU JUST AS WELL LET HER GO Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3274) 1936
9. BACK DOOR BLUES Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3330) 1936
10. FRONT DOOR BLUES Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3330) 1936
11. GONNA TAKE MY TIME Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3373) 1936
12. WE GONNA MOVE TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3373) 1936
13. CAN'T YOU REMEMBER Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3407) 1936
14. TALKING TO MYSELF Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3407) 1936
15. YOU TALK IN YOUR SLEEP Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3437) 1936
16. STREAMLINE WOMAN Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3437) 1936
17. BIG KATY ADAMS Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3464) 1936
18. THE BIG BOAT Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3464) 1936
19. JINX BLUES Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3496) 1936
20. I BELIEVE I'LL MAKE A CHANGE Casey Bill (Vocalion ) 1936
21. GIVE ME ANOTHER SHOT Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3529) 1937
22. ROUND AND ROUND Casey Bill Weldon (Vocalion 3529) 1937
CD 3
1. I'VE BEEN TRICKED Casey Bill (Vocalion 3561) 1937
2. SOLD MY SOUL TO THE DEVIL Casey Bill (Vocalion 3561) 1937
3. I'LL GET A BREAK SOME DAY Casey Bill (Vocalion 3592) 1937
4. NO GOOD WOMAN Casey Bill (Vocalion 3592) 1937
5. DID YOU MEAN WHAT YOU SAID? Casey Bill (Vocalion ) 1937
6. GUITAR SWING Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 3678) 1937
7. WALKING IN MY SLEEP Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 3678) 1937
8. YOU SHOULDN'T DO THAT Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 3859) 1937
9. SALES LADY Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 3859) 1937
10. NEW ROUND & ROUND Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 3860) 1937
11. CHRISTMAS TIME BLUES Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 3860) 1937
12. CASEY BILL'S NEW W.P.A. Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 3930) 1937
13. ROOSTER BLUES Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 3930) 1937
14. LADY DOCTOR BLUES Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 4001) 1937
15. GO AHEAD BUDDY Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 4001) 1937
16. WORRIED ABOUT THAT WOMAN Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 4066) 1937
17. RED HOT BLUES Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 4066) 1937
18. YOU'RE LAUGHING NOW Brown Bombers Of Swing (Vocalion 4138) 1937
19. SPIDER BLUES Brown Bombers (Vocalion 4138) 1937
20. YOU GOTTA DO YOUR DUTY Casey Bill Weldon (Bluebird 8004) 1938
21. I BELIEVE YOU'RE CHEATIN' ON ME Casey Bill Weldon (Bluebird 8004) 1938
22. WAY DOWN IN LOUISIANA Casey Bill Weldon (Bluebird 8060) 1938
23. MIDNIGHT BLUES Casey Bill Weldon (Bluebird 8060) 1938
