LOST JOHN

Created on 07/11/2005
Latest update on 15/03/2024

Artist: Henry Whitter
Author: traditional
Label: Okeh
Year: 1925

About an escaped prisoner with a master trick: "Long John made a special pair of shoes. Just as good a shoes as was ever were worn. Had heels in front and heels behind. You couldn't tell whichaway Lost John gwine". There's an older instrumental harmonica version by Oliver Sims for Columbia. In 1920 W.C. Handy worked this theme out in vaudeville blues Long Gone John/Lost John Dean From Bowling Green, telling the story of an escaped bankrobber from the Bowling Green prison. They let him go to test some new bloodhounds, and while you don't trick these monsters with double heeled shoes, this John was gone for good, straight into legend. See also Paul Oliver's Songsters & Saints - p. 68)

Covers:

1925:

Stovepipe #1 [as Lonesome John]

1926:

Burnett & Rutherford [for Columbia]

1928:

Papa Charlie Jackson [as Long Gone Lost John; reissued on Songsters & Saints Vol. 2 (Matchbox); gets credits for the lyrics]

1928:

Bascom Lamar Lunsford [as Lost John Dean]

1928:

Jim Jackson [as Long Gone]

1928:

DeFord Bailey

1933:

Lightnin' & group [Lomax recording on the Barrington State Prison Farm in Texas, re-issued on Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues]

1934:

Allen Brothers [as Long Gone From Bowling Green]

1938:

Sanders Terry [instr. with dog barking harmonica; Lomax recording]

1939:

Rev. Mose Flapp [John & Ruby Lomax recording]

1947:

Merle Travis [on his album Folk Songs Of The Hills]

1949:

Woody Guthrie [In Performance in Newark, N.J.]

1950:

Uncle Dave Macon [as Long John Green]

1953:

Frankie Lee Sims [as I'm Long Long Gone for Specialty]

1954:

Louis Armstrong [as Long Gone From Bowling Green]

1956:

Lonnie Donegan [n°2 UK]

1958:

Alan Lomax [as Long John with Alexis Korner on guitar]

1959:

Lightnin' Hopkins [as Long Gone Like A Turkey Through The Corn]

1960s:

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee

1961:

Roy Acuff [as Lost John He's Gone]

1962:

Hank Thompson

1963:

Dave Van Ronk

1964:

Sonny Terry

1964:

Holy Modal Rounders

1965:

Tom Rush

1965:

Dick Rivers [as C'est long long long]

1968:

New Lost City Ramblers

1970:

John Lennon [as Long Lost John on his Anthology]

1970:

Doc Watson

1971:

Rev. Gary Davis

1972:

Leo Kottke [instr.]

1979:

Rockets [as Long Long Gone]

1991:

Jeffrey Lee Pierce [idem]

1992:

Red Knuckles & The Trailblazers

1998:

Van Morrison-Lonnie Donegan-Chris Barber

2006:

Whitetop Mountain Band

Contact


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)

info@originals.be

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