Artist: Vera Hall
Author: trad. arr. Vera Hall
Label: Atlantic
Year: 1959

The Mother of all samples, recorded in her kitchen in Livingston, Alabama. Elder black people in the neighborhood spontaneously gave their oldest songs and hollers to this born singer. First spotted by Mrs. Ruby Pickens-Tartt during a 1937 Library of Congress field recording (WPA). See also: Wild Ox Moan. First released on lp Sounds Of The South, the first in a series of seven, all compiled by Alan Lomax following his 1959 field recording spree through the South, his first one with stereo recording equipment. Reissued on the cd box set of the same name. Alan published a long revealing interview with her in his book The Rainbow Sign. He didn't mention her name to avoid any possible reaction by the KKK.

Other Lomax samples on Moby's Play cd: Joe Lee's Rock and Sometimes. (see there)