Lonnie Johnson: The King Sides Part 2

Between December 10 and the 14th 1947 Johnson recorded twenty-one sides all of which were issued. Despite the success of the ballad “Tomorrow Night” most of the material was straight blues. Johnson recycled many of his earlier triumphs including one of his most enduring themes, a superb update of “Falling Rain Blues.” Johnson first recorded the song back in 1925 accompanying himself on violin, in 1929 as “The New Fallin’ Rain Blues” again on violin (lyrically the song is about floods where the earlier one was a metaphor for misery) and in 1937 as “New Falling Rain Blues” a faithful remake of the 1925 version but played on guitar and the model for his King version. “Blue Ghost Has Got Me” was a remake of 1927′s “Blue Ghost Blues” (remade in 1938 with the same title), “Feeling Low Down” was a remake of 1942′s “When You Feel Low Down”, “Working Man’s Blues” a remake of 1941′s celebrated “Crowing Rooster”, “Lazy Woman” a remake of 1941′s “Lazy Woman Blues”, “Chicago Blues” a remake of the same titled 1941 number while “Jelly Roll Baker” a remake of his 1942 smash “He’s A Jell-Roll Baker.” Two other updates were “Drunk Again” which shares lyrics with 1926′s “Bed Of Sand” while “Friendless Blues” is a remake of 1938′s “Friendless And Blue.” Both were marvelous updates and really get at the heart of Johnson’s lyrical sensibility. There’s a consistent feeling of alienation, loneliness and a haunted psyche that’s always been at the core of Johnson’s songs. In “Friendless Blues” he sings:

Don’t the world seem lonesome, battling by yourself (2x)
Yes, to think the one you love, is turned her back for someone else
When my mother and dad left me, I was too small to help myself (2x)
And my sisters and brothers, they drove me away to somebody else
So many nights and days, I tramped through the rain and snow (2x)
I wanted to go back home but I know I’m not wanted there no more

And in “Drunk Again” he sings:

Friends I drink to keep from worrying and I smile to just keep from crying (2x)
I try to cover my troubles so the public don’t know what’s on my mind
My brains is so cloudy the world seems upside down (2x)
Yes I would feel so much better if was no liqueur around
Love has caused so many men to drink and gamble, and stay out all night long (2x)
Love will drive a man into places, friends, where he don’t belong

1948 saw only fourteen sides recorded (one was unissued) including big hits “Pleasing You (As Long As I Live)” and “So Tired” (which hit the charts in early 1949) first recorded in 1928 as “I’m So Tired Of Living All Alone” (the song became a hit in 1951 for Roy Milton). Among the blues material were a fine version of Bessie Smith’s “Backwater Blues’ which Johnson first covered in 1927 (three months after Bessie’s version) and a lovely cover of “Careless Love.” Special mention goes to “I Know It’s Love” recorded in 1941 as “That’s Love Blues.” The newer version has more of a pop song feel but Johnson’s guitar is remarkable, and as Per Notinl noted he lets his guitar speak for an amazing 48 bars.

Drunk Again (MP3)