Artist: James 'Wee Willie' Wayne
Author: Robert Shad
Label: Sittin' In With
Year: 1951
It's almost a miracle we actually know this is a James Wayne song, for he was locked away in a madhouse for arson. All the while his royalty's went in someone else's pockets, not to mention the shrewd and obscure labelboss Bob Shad, who signed for as many of Wayne's compositions he could lay hands on. Imagine poor James in his mental institution claiming authorship to anyone he bumps in to. No-one around believed he wrote famous songs, millionsellers that is! Any time James came up with that same routine, he was administred another manic depression pill to ease down his presumed delusions of grandeur. In the end James Wayne was regarded as the Napoleon of the block. Then finally he was entitled to petition to be bailed out, was assigned a public defender and it was this Mort Borenstein who finally came to realize his client really wrote all of these songs, that he really was entitled to years of unacounted royalties, that he wasn't even sick in his head or anything. Count it out: Junco Partner had been recorded by Louis Jordan and Dr. John, later also by The Clash, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, John Hammond, Michael Bloomfield, John Mooney, Harry Connick Jr., James Booker, Warren Zevon & three quarter REM. On the original Sittin' In With single James' name is spelled Waynes. See also: Travelin' Mood and Tend To Your Business.
Covers:
Roland Stone [first as Preacher's Daughter, later also as Down The Road, when Roland was the singer in Mac Rebennack's band]
Chuck Berry [as The Man And The Monkey]
Dr. John [on Gumbo lp]
101ers [with Joe Strummer]
Clash [on Sandinista!]
Hindu Love Gods [Warren Zevon & REM minus Michael Stipe]
The junkies' anthem in New Orleans and in the Louisiana State Pen (Angola). "Six months ain't no sentence, one year ain't no time, they got boys there in Angola doing nine to ninety-nine." See also: Junker's Blues. Six Months Ain't No Sentence is also the title of an anonymous field recording Lawrence Gellert made in the thirties, ending up on lp Nobody Knows My Name: Blues From South Carolina And Georgia (Heritage label).
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)