Delia in Pre War Blues Forum

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Delia

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bluescliff

Delia

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 2336

Dec 14 08 8:53 PM

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Hi,

I've been playing tracks from Tom Doughty's new album "Have A Taste Of This!" on my show and for my last show of the year was going to play the track 'Delia'.

In his notes to the album, Tom says "The tune for Delia is partly home grown but I've been hooked on this song since I heard Woody Mann's version of this Gary Davis masterpiece."

Now, as far as I knew, 'Delia' was a Blind Willie McTell song and certainly Tom's lyrics are close to McTell's. Dixon, Godrich & Rye list McTell's version as being recorded on 5 November 1940, but interestingly, they list a version recorded by 'unknown convicts' as 'Prob. 1933-1937' which would pre-date McTell's.

So, is the convicts' song the same Delia as McTell's? Does anyone know of a Gary Davis version? I've been unable to trace one.

Your advice would be much appreciated.

Cliff

Loughborough, UK

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Pan

#1

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 677

Dec 14 08 9:56 PM

Hi blues_cliff

The song itself seems to be much older than McTell's version.

Apparently Reverand Gary Davis never released a version of the song, but has tought it to quite a few people in the "revival" years. However, there seem to be some (audio) versions by him on an old guitar instruction video:
(quote)"A couple of renditions of 'Delia' by the Reverend are included on Ernie Hawkins 'Blues Guitar of Rev. Gary Davis' DVD. Recorded in 1962 and 1967, both are the Reverend playing 12 string guitar. Vocals are more extensive on one of the recordings than the other."

See this thread on the Weenie Campbell site, for the origins of the song, and RGDs' version: http://weeniecampbell.com/mambo/index.php?...28&topic=4397.0

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jostber

#2

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 3428

Dec 14 08 10:09 PM

A cite:

According to Guitar Videos Online, Davis told Grossman that about 1910, "I first heard them from a fellow coming down the road picking a guitar and playing what you call �the blues.'" The first bluesman he heard was Porter Irving singing "Delia." In 1914 Davis entered the Cedar Springs School for Blind People in Spartanburg. There he taught music and learned to read Braille. Leaving after six months because he didn't like the food, Davis returned to Greenville and the string band.

A really thorough discussion on "Delia" is here.

http://www.guitarseminars.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001558.html

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Muddylives

#3

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 5140

Dec 15 08 5:11 AM

QUOTE (jostber @ December 14, 2008 10:09 pm)

A cite:

According to Guitar Videos Online, Davis told Grossman that about 1910, "I first heard them from a fellow coming down the road picking a guitar and playing what you call �the blues.'" The first bluesman he heard was Porter Irving singing "Delia." In 1914 Davis entered the Cedar Springs School for Blind People in Spartanburg. There he taught music and learned to read Braille. Leaving after six months because he didn't like the food, Davis returned to Greenville and the string band.

A really thorough discussion on "Delia" is here.

http://www.guitarseminars.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001558.html

Quite interesting. I learned a lot from that. Thanks.

Muddy