Artist: Roosevelt Sykes
Author: Roosevelt Sykes
Label: Okeh
Year: 1929
Learned 'his' tune from pianist Lee Green, who knew it from Little Brother Montgomery. Roosevelt was the first to record it.
Covers:
Lee Green [as Number Forty Four Blues, in '30 as Train Number 44 and in '34 as 44 Blues]
Little Brother Montgomery [as Vicksburg Blues; was a local barrelhouse piano player; influenced Howlin Wolf's 44 Blues]
Johnny Temple [as New Vicksburg Blues]
Big Maceo [as Maceo's 32-20]
Arthur Crudup [as Crudup's Vicksburg Blues]
Howlin' Wolf [as Forty Four]
Rising Sons [with Gary Marker, Ry Cooder & Taj Mahal; only released in '92; crediting Willie Dixon; this arrangement influenced Capt. Beefheart's Sure 'Nuff 'N Yes I Do for sure, with both Gary Marker & Ry Cooder involved]
Otis Spann [as Vicksburg Blues]
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers [with Eric Clapton as Little Girl]
Johnny Winter [as Forty-Four]
Scott Dunbar [as Vicksburg Blues]
Little Feat [in medley with How Many More Years]
Karen Carroll [as Vicksburg Blues]
Philadelphia Jerry Ricks [idem]
Doyle Bramhall [as Forty Four]
Corey Harris [on Mississippi To Mali cd with Ali Farka Touré]
Eric Clapton [as Forty Four on Nothing But The Blues]
You don't even need to be white to rip off a poor black songwriter.
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)