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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)
Belgium
Artist: Lead Belly
Author: Huddie Ledbetter/John A. Lomax
Label: Library Of Congress
Year: 1934
Possibly written in 1886 by a black janitor, Gussie Davis. Lead Belly's version recorded by John & Alan Lomax in the State Prison Farm of Angola, LA as Irene Part 1 & 2. Lead Belly was the first important catch of these Library of Congress field recorders, Irene their first major classic. They'd heard him sing it first in '33 and came back one year later with better equipment. Lead Belly learned it as a child from an uncle in 1909. That uncle, Terrellb Ledbetter, cut an Irene in 1940 for the same L.o.C. His wife Sylvie is the one Lead Belly sings about in Bring A Little Water, Sylvie (see there). It's an urban legend the Lomax recordings influenced Lead Belly's immediate release. In '34 he was eligible for parole anyway. That the Lomaxes promised to engage him as their chauffeur surely helped. But the main cause was good behavior.
Covers:
Woody Guthrie [as Roll On Columbia and in '42 as Ramblin' Round]
Lead Belly & Sonny Terry [his first released version (on Asch), recorded that same year in New York]
Weavers [as Goodnight Irene with slightly altered lyrics Pete Seeger found in a Scottish songbook; millionseller US; royalties Alan Lomax obtained on behalf of his father were all re-invested in folk research in general and for his fieldtrips throughout Europe in particular; however, the fact father and son Lomax systematically took credits on folk fieldrecordings they made, was and still is controversial; Bart Bull (Michelle Shocked' ex) found out there's no less than 890 compositions crediting Alan Lomax in the BMI files, 694 compositions crediting John A. Lomax; then there's ASCAP and probably some international collection societies too; in 1971, Gerry Sharp (Topic Records) along with A.L. Lloyd tried to obstruct genuine folk fieldrecording (words and music) to be subject for copyright control, unless fees or a substantial portion thereof should go into a fund for research and such; it was outvoted.]
Weavers with Gordon Jenkins [as B-side of Tzena, Tzena, Tzena (Decca) n°1 US; shortly after Lead Belly passed (in December '49)]
Ernest Tubb & Red Foley [idem, n°1 C&W, top 10 US]
Eddy Arnold [idem]
Frank Sinatra [idem]
Jo Stafford [top 10 US]
Henri Decker [as Bonsoir Lily]
Little Richard [with Jimi Hendrix in his band]
Originals [with Joe Stubbs]
Michelle Shocked [see also the comment with the 1948 Weavers' cover]
Willie Nelson & Tom Petty [on Will The Circle Be Unbroken III]
Keith Richards [all as Goodnight, Irene (or Irene, Goodnight)]
Goodnight Irene has been traced back to Tin Pan Alley- and minstrel show tunes. There's lines Huddie plucked from J.H. Cox's Folk Songs Of The South (1924) and John Wesley Work's Folk Songs Of The American Negro (1915), while I once heard a live singalong version at Joe Lee's pub in Tullamore (Co. Offaly, Ireland) sounding perfectly identical to any other Irish traditional they sing over there. Irish/Scottish roots are not excluded (see the Weavers' cover). Over exposure of this song reflects in a series of answer songs and parodies: Get Lost, Irene, Wake Up, Irene and Please Say Goodnight To The Guy, Irene (So I Can Get Some Sleep).
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)
Belgium