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Annie Mae McDowell.

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barrelhouse

Annie Mae McDowell.

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6072

Apr 19 05 3:03 PM

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Listening to Mississippi Fred McDowell the other night, there was a track on the cd by his wife, Annie Mae, called When I Lay My Burden Down. She had a beautiful clear voice which made me wonder if she had ever recorded in her own right, or did she perform at parties or church meetings only? This song has a gospel sort of feel about it, which makes me think that this was the style of song she may have specialised in. Anyone got any info about her?
Cheers, Dave.

Don't you think too bad about me when I'm gone.--Allardyce/ Kocemba.

Peterhead, N.E. Scotland, between the Ugie and Ythan Deltas.

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Muddylives

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 5140

Apr 19 05 3:51 PM

She recorded fairly often with Mississippi Fred, especially the religious numbers. I don't know about other recordings.

Muddy

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dadfad

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Posts: 162

Apr 19 05 4:12 PM

I was fortunate enough to meet her in 1969 when I was looking for her husband to study with. She was extremely kind to me and asked me to call her Miss Mae (instead of Mrs. McDowell as I had been calling her for several days). I never heard her sing, and didn't even know that she was a singer until several years later after both of their deaths (they died exactly one year apart) when I heard the album with the gospel tunes on it. I have visited both their graves several times over the years to pay my repects.

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john4y

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 11465

Apr 19 05 4:27 PM

Very nice lady.

I got to meet and talk with her in the Bluesville tent at the 1964 Newport Blues festival. Skip James, my uncle, Rev. Wilkins, Sleepy John, and myself were all gathered in that tent. barrelhouse, you could just feel the tension in there.

"Since I've Laid My Burden Down" is a song my wife and her dad love me to play when he's in town. Just a lovely song!

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Bernd

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 900

Apr 19 05 4:34 PM

Annie and Fred McDowell recorded a lot of gospel songs between 1959 and 1969 (that's the year when the Hayes & Laughton discography ends). Both had been members of Hunter's Chapel in Como, Miss. the McDowell's hometown.
I've the CD "Fred McDowell: Amazing Grace - Mississippi Delta Spirituals by the Hunter's Chapel Singers of Como, Miss." / Testament Records TDC 5004, p 1994. The session took place in Chicago, 6 February 1966. The songs are sung in an oldfashioned way just like ordinary people did on the countryside in the South decades before. It's done in a fascinating, impressing and honest way. Just people who met praising the Lord in songs without any training but singing fine harmonies at least. Fred is playing guitar. The music is similiar to the Moving Star Hall Singers' of the Georgia Sea Islands, recorded at the Newport Folk Festival.

While looking into the Hayes & Laughton discography I also found out Annie and Fred recorded nine religious tracks in Sweden in 1965. These recordings have been inissued. I know Free McDowell toured Europe with the American Folk Blues Festival in 1965 and so, I think his wife must have been with him over here. Anybody who knows about?

Bernd

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Les Forgue

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6205

Apr 19 05 5:53 PM

QUOTE (barrelhouse @ Apr 19 2005, 10:03 AM)

When I Lay My Burden Down. ....This song has a gospel sort of feel about it,
Cheers, Dave.

When I lay my Burdens Down and the more common rendering Since I Laid My Burdens Down is a standard gospel song that you can hear any Sunday noon time at any of dozens of churches in Chicago as a congreagtional song or either as a choir selection. At one of my churches I go to we sing it 2 or 3 times a month as a congragational song accomanied by drums, me on electric guitar, and sometimes ther is an organ player too.
Did Booker White record this song does anybody know? I have a downloaded sampling of the song there is only one voice, male, and one accoustic guitar, played with both picking and slide. I thought is is Booker White but now after hearing about Fred McDowell doing it now I am not so sure.

Les from Chicago

"Nobody sits on a rolling stone".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMRWhmqJwHc

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MaskedMarvel

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6919

Apr 19 05 6:16 PM

QUOTE (Les Forgue @ Apr 19 2005, 07:53 PM)

I have a downloaded sampling of the song there is only one voice, male, and one accoustic guitar, played with both picking and slide. I thought is is Booker White but now after hearing about Fred McDowell doing it now I am not so sure.

Maybe Furry Lewis ?

All the above written is in my opinion unless it is someone else's opinion, or a fact.

Location: Zur Moshe, Israel

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Sam hopkins

#7

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 716

Apr 19 05 6:24 PM

QUOTE (Bernd @ Apr 19 2005, 04:34 PM)

While looking into the Hayes & Laughton discography I also found out Annie and Fred recorded nine religious tracks in Sweden in 1965. These recordings have been inissued. I know Free McDowell toured Europe with the American Folk Blues Festival in 1965 and so, I think his wife must have been with him over here. Anybody who knows about?

Bernd

A tape of these were floating around UK blues collector circles and somewhere I still have this. Must find it and give it a play.

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Bernd

#8

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 900

Apr 19 05 7:24 PM

Annie and Fred McDowell recorded "When I Lay My Burden Down" twice. First on Arhoolie F1021 in Como, Miss., 13 February 1964 and again on Testament T-2219 in Chicago, 6 February 1966.
If "Glory Hallelujah" is the same song with the same lyrics (I don't know any other song with the same title) they recorded it on Red Lightnin' (E) LP0053 at Mayfair Hotel, London, March 1969. (Seems he had been in the U.K. in 1969!?)
They recorded "Glory Hallelujah" again in Jackson, Miss. 8/10 September 1969.

About Furry Lewis. He recorded:
-"Glory Hallelujah" on Revival (E) LP1008 in Memphis, c. 1963
-"Glory Hallelujah, When I Lay My Burden Down" on Blue Horizon 7-63228 in Memphis, 21 July 1968
- "When I Lay My Burden Down" on ASP LP1 in Memphis, July 1968
(Note: This track is possibily the same track as used on Blue Horizon)
- "When I Lay My Burden Down" on Matchbox (E) LP190 in Memphis, 6 September 1968
- "When I Lay My Burden Down" on Biograph LP12017 in Memphis, 5 March 1969
- "Glory, Glory Hallelujah" on Advent 2805 in Memphis, 21 March 1969

Ooh, isn't that confounding with Fury Lewis and "Glory Hallelujah"?

Bernd

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barrelhouse

#9

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6072

Apr 19 05 8:09 PM

Thanks for all the great and informative responses guys! I didn't realise that this song had been covered by so many people.
Bernd, the copy I have is on an Arhoolie cd which was recorded in Mississippi and California by Chris Strachwitz in 1964/65, Arhoolie CD 304. It is such a beautiful song sung in such a beautiful way by Annie Mae, she puts such feeling into the words.
There are also a couple of tracks sung by Eli Green on here, Brooks Run Into The Ocean, and Bull Dog Blues.
Cheers, Dave.

Don't you think too bad about me when I'm gone.--Allardyce/ Kocemba.

Peterhead, N.E. Scotland, between the Ugie and Ythan Deltas.

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Bernd

#10

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 900

Apr 19 05 9:17 PM

Let me add a few more old quartets who recorded this song a long time ago. Maybe somebody likes to compare them with the McDowell's.

- Rebert Harris and the Soul Stirrers, 1948
- Bells of Joy, 1955
- Mighty Clouds of Joy, 1961/62
- Sensational Nightingales, 1963
- Swan Silvertones, 1965

Bernd

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Les Forgue

#11

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6205

Apr 19 05 9:47 PM

trY THIS ONE IT IS SORT OF TOO SLOW BUT VERY SOULFUL I GUESS YOU MIGHT SAY.
http://www.timeofgrace.org/mp3/GloryGlory.mp3

EDITED
Sorry it is not out there anymore

Les from Chicago

"Nobody sits on a rolling stone".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMRWhmqJwHc

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Sam hopkins

#12

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 716

Apr 20 05 6:31 PM

QUOTE (Bernd @ Apr 19 2005, 07:24 PM)

If "Glory Hallelujah" is the same song with the same lyrics (I don't know any other song with the same title) they recorded it on Red Lightnin' (E) LP0053 at Mayfair Hotel, London, March 1969. (Seems he had been in the U.K. in 1969!?)

He certainly was in Britain. It was a Ron Watts/Chris Trimming National Blues Federation organised tour. I saw Fred perform at the posh Hotel and also in the tiny back room of a pub in South London. The latter venue was so 'intimnate' he was perched on a chair in the middle of the room knee-to-knee with those sitting on the floor all around him. I can be that accurate because I have a photo of the event.

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Bernd

#13

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 900

Apr 20 05 9:02 PM

Sam, I'm envying you! The first country blues singers I ever saw have been Bukka White, Son House, Skip James and Sonny & Brownie in 1967.
So, the Hayes & Laughton discography seams to be correct.

Bernd

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Annie Mae McDowell.

Annie Mae McDowell.