BIRMINGHAM JAIL

Created on 21/12/2004
Latest update on 01/04/2022

Artist: Darby & Tarlton
Author: traditional
Label: Columbia
Year: 1927

Where Jimmie Tarlton served time for bootlegging. Same duo followed it up with a Birmingham Jail #2 ('29) and a New Birmingham Jail ('30). Some of the lyrics shared with Down In The Valley (both titles are lyric lines), first collected in 1909 by Harry Marvin Belden and the melody was first used in the Happy Home Waltz (1850).

Covers:

1928:

Bud Billings & Carson Robison

1928:

Kentucky Mountain Boys

1934:

Callahan Brothers [as Birmingham Jail #3]

1934:

Ted Hawkins & Riley Puckett [as Down In The Valley]

1935:

Roy Newman & His Boys

1943:

Andrews Sisters [as Down In The Valley (Hear The Train Blow), B-side of their n°1 US Shoo Shoo Baby]

1946:

Peggy Lee

1946:

Burl Ives [as Down In The Valley]

1948:

Lead Belly

1951:

Pete Seeger, Bess Lomax & Tom Glazer [as Down In The Valley]

1952:

Weavers [idem]

1952:

Patti Page [idem]

1954:

Slim Whitman [idem]

1955:

Eddy Arnold [idem]

1955:

Rusty Draper [idem]

1957:

Pete Seeger [idem]

1959:

Chet Atkins

1961:

Browns [as Down In The Valley]

1961:

Connie Francis [idem]

1962:

Frank Proffitt [idem]

1962:

Flatt & Scruggs [as Hear The Wind Blow]

1963:

Roy Acuff [as Birmingham Jail and as Hear The Wind Blow]

1963:

Hylo Brown [as Down In The Valley]

1964:

Roy Drusky [idem]

1964:

Big 3 [idem; with Mama Cass]

1965:

Esther & Abi Ofarim [as Drunten im Tale]

1971:

Ray Charles [as Down In The Valley]

1976:

Gene Autry

1996:

K.T. Oslin

1996:

Jerry Garcia & David Grisman [as Down In The Valley]

1999:

Brave Combo

2003:

Johnny Cash

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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