Release Date: October 4, 2005.
Recording Time: 144 minutes.
Recording Date: November 4, 1926 - August 5, 1937.
Release Info: Compilation (CD-1005) Studio Recording.
Styles: Old-Timey, Appalachian, Minstrel, North American Traditions, String Bands, Acoustic Blues, Country Blues, Harmonica Blues, Jug Band, Songster.
The American medicine show came into its own shortly after the Civil War with the rise of so-called patent medicines and the almost complete lack of regulations concerning the ingredients that went into them, and any number of noxious tonics, elixirs, and nostrums with trumpeted healing powers were hawked by silver-tongued pitch doctors to the audiences who flocked to see the various acrobats, dancers, fire-eaters, snake handlers, comedians and musicians who entertained at these free extravaganzas. As a cost efficient way of merging entertainment with merchandising (and where manufacturing meant mixing ingredients in a bathtub), these medicine shows successfully traveled the so-called "kerosene circuit" of rural and small town America until the dawn of the 20th century, when the rise of radio and movies, and the passage of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act, combined to render them obsolete. The medicine show blueprint of offering free entertainment to attract audiences and then using intermissions to push products on them has hardly gone away, however, and is still the driving force behind radio and television in the 21st century. The musicians featured in these colorful traveling medicine shows were professionals, at least professional enough to leave their home communities and take to the road, and luckily several of these musicians were still active in the 1920s and early '30s when the fledgling recording industry was just getting off the ground, and numerous commercial 78s by former medicine show entertainers were issued in the prewar era. Two discs' worth of these 78s have been assembled here by Old Hat Records, an independent label out of North Carolina dedicated to the preservation of American vernacular and regional music, and if listening to these tracks isn't exactly like standing out under those kerosene lights, it's the next best thing. Among the gems on Good for What Ails You are the version of "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal, You" by Daddy Stovepipe (Johnny Watson) and Mississippi Sarah (Sarah Watson) called "The Spasm" that opens the set; the bizarre "Beans" by Beans Hambone (James Albert) and El Morrow, a record so odd it is remarkable that it was ever considered for commercial release (a rambling, half-improvised monologue on beans, it rides over a maddening single-string guitar riff that seems always on the edge of breaking down completely); the delightful "Railroadin' Some" by Henry Thomas, which recalls a train trip across Texas and north to Chicago in an impressive litany of towns and train stops, and Jim Jackson's 1928 recording of "I Heard the Voice of a Porkchop," a surreal parody of the Scottish hymn "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say." Mixed in are an engaging assortment of blues, rags, re-formatted minstrel tunes, jug and string band pieces that continually surprise and delight. Old Hat is to be commended for the obvious care in which this collection is assembled, and fans of Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music may well find that this one is even wilder. ~ Steve Leggett
Credits: James "Beans Hambone" Albert - Guitar, Vocals; Allen Brothers - Primary Artist; Austin Allen - Tenor Banjo, Vocals; Lee Allen & His Band - Guitar, Kazoo; Pink Anderson - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Tom Ashley - Guitar, Vocals; Banjo Joe - Primary Artist; Blind Blake - Guitar; Blind Sammie - Primary Artist; Blue Ridge Mountain Entertainers - Primary Artist; Jim Bollman - Photography; Charley Bouchillon - Fiddle; Chris Bouchillon - Primary Artist, Vocals; Uris Bouchillon - Guitar; Tommie Bradley - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Todd Brashear - Photography; T.M. Brewer - Vocals; Lucien Brown - Sax (Alto); Charlie Burse - Guitar, Vocals; Benny Calvin - Mandolin; Cannon's Jug Stompers - Primary Artist; Gus Cannon - Banjo, Vocals; The Carolina Tar Heels - Primary Artist; Fiddlin' John Carson - Fiddle, Vocals; Fiddlin' John Carson & His Virginia Reelers - Primary Artist; Louis Causey - Computer Editing; Samuel Charters - Photography; Gene Cobb - Falsetto; Walter Cole - Primary Artist, Vocals; Ben Covington - Banjo, Harmonica, Primary Artist, Vocals; David Crockett - Guitar, Harmonica, Primary Artist; Daddy Stovepipe - Primary Artist; Dallas String Band - Primary Artist; Simmie Dooley - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Gwen Foster - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals; Bobby Gipson - Photo Restoration; Shorty Godwin - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Grant Brothers & Their Music - Primary Artist; Claude Grant - Guitar, Vocals; Jack Grant - Mandolin, Vocals; Clarence Greene - Fiddle; Philip Gura - Photography; Beans Hambone - Primary Artist; Sam Harris - Guitar; Roy Harvey - Guitar; William H. Helfand - Photography; James A. Hunt - Photo Courtesy; Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers - Fiddle, Primary Artist, Vocals; Frank Hutchison - Guitar, Harmonica, Primary Artist, Vocals; Jim Jackson - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Papa Charlie Jackson - Primary Artist; Hezekiah Jenkins - Primary Artist, Vocals; Snuffy Jenkins - Banjo; Johnson - Primary Artist; Alec Johnson - Primary Artist; Earl Johnson & His Dixie Entertainers - Fiddle, Vocals; Johnson-Nelson-Porkchop - Primary Artist; Coley Jones - Mandolin, Primary Artist, Vocals; Jab Jones - Jug; Sam "Stovepipe No. 1" Jones - Vocals; Robert Kerwin - Photography; Christopher C. King - Digital Remastering, Photography; Noah Lewis - Harmonica; Kip Lornell - Photography; David Lynch - Cover Design, Package Design; Uncle Dave Macon - Banjo, Vocals; Uncle Macon Dave & His Fruit Jar Guzzlers - Choir/Chorus, Primary Artist; J.E. Mainer - Fiddle; J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers - Primary Artist; Lil McClintock - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Earl McDonald - Jug, Vocals; Earl McDonald's Original Louisville Jug Band - Primary Artist; Kirk McGee - Fiddle, Primary Artist, Vocals; Sam McGee - Banjo, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Clayton McMichen - Fiddle, Vocals; Blind Willie McTell - Guitar, Vocals; Memphis Sheiks - Primary Artist; Emmett Miller - Primary Artist; Emmett Miller - Vocals; Ralph Miller - Piano; Mississippi Sarah & Daddy Stovepipe - Primary Artist; Scott E. Moore - Photo Courtesy; George Morris - Guitar, Vocals; El Morrow - Primary Artist; Nelson - Primary Artist; Charlie "Bozo" Nickerson - Vocals; Fate Norris - Banjo; North Carolina Ramblers - Primary Artist; Bengt Olsson - Liner Notes, Photography; Charlie Parker - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Jack Pierce - Fiddle, Vocals; Charlie Poole - Banjo, Primary Artist, Vocals; Blythe Poteet - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Riley Puckett - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; James Robinson - Violin; Posey Rorer - Fiddle; Bayless Rose - Guitar; Mississippi Sarah - Primary Artist; Claude Slagle - Banjo; Cal Smith - Banjo; Odell Smith - Fiddle; Walter Smith - Primary Artist; Walter "Kid" Smith - Primary Artist, Vocals; Vol Stevens - Mandolin; Frank Stokes - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Lowe Stokes - Fiddle; Stovepipe No. 1 - Primary Artist; Gid Tanner - Fiddle, Primary Artist, Vocals; Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers - Primary Artist; Henry Thomas - Guitar, Primary Artist, Reed Pipes, Vocals; Three Tobacco Tags - Primary Artist; Mazy Todd - Fiddle; Robert Vosgien - Digital Mastering; Doc Walsh - Banjo, Vocals; Marco Washington - String Bass; Charles K. Wolfe - Photography; Norman Woodlieff - Guitar; Hosea Woods - Guitar, Vocals; Mack Woolbright - Banjo, Primary Artist, Vocals; Marshall Wyatt - Booklet Design, Liner Notes, Photography, Producer, Song Notes.
Tracklist:
1-01. The Spasm - Daddy Stovepipe & Mississippi Sarah
1-02. Tanner's Boarding House - Gid Tanner & Riley Puckett
1-03. Don't Think I'm Santa Claus - Lil McClintock
1-04. Hokum Blues - Dallas String Band With Coley Jones
1-05. Jimbo Jambo Land - Shorty Godwin
1-06. Gonna Swing On The Golden Gate - Fiddlin' John Carson & His Virginia Reelers
1-07. Papa's 'Bout To Get Mad - Pink Anderson & Simmie Dooley
1-08. The Man Who Wrote Home Sweet Home Never Was A Married Man - Charlie Parker & Mack Woolbright
1-09. Bye, Bye, Policeman - Jim Jackson
1-10. The Bald-Headed End Of A Broom - Walter Smith
1-11. Bow Wow Blues - Allen Brothers
1-12. Beans - Beans Hambone & El Morrow
1-13. A Chicken Can Waltz The Gravy Around - Stovepipe #1 And David Crockett
1-14. Tell It To Me - Grant Brothers & Their Music
1-15. Ain't No Use Working So Hard - Carolina Tar Heels
1-16. Mama Keep Your Yes Ma'am Clean - Walter Cole
1-17. C-H-I-C-K-E-N Spells Chicken - Kirk McGee & Blythe Poteet
1-18. My Money Never Runs Out - Banjo Joe
1-19. Railroadin' Some - Henry Thomas "Ragtime Texas"
1-20. Traveling Man - Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers
1-21. G. Burns Is Gonna Rise Again - Johnson-Nelson-Porkchop
1-22. Baby All Night Long - Blue Ridge Mountain Entertainers
1-23. Born In Hard Luck - Chris Bouchillon
1-24. He's In The Jailhouse Now - Memphis Sheiks
2-01. Gonna Tip Out Tonight - Pink Anderson & Simmie Dooley
2-02. Chevrolet Car - Sam McGee
2-03. It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo' - Gid Tanner & His Skillet-Lickers
2-04. Bring It With You When You Come - Cannon's Jug Stompers
2-05. Atlanta Strut - Blind Sammie
2-06. Go Along Mule - Uncle Dave Macon & His Fruit Jar Drinkers
2-07. Casey Bill - Earl McDonald's Original Louisville Jug Band
2-08. I Got Mine - Frank Stokes
2-09. Hannah - Chris Bouchillon
2-10. Adam & Eve In The Garden - Bogus Ben Covington
2-11. Mysterious Coon - Alec Johnson & His Band
2-12. Her Name Was Hula Lou - Carolina Tar Heels
2-13. Reno Blues - Three Tobacco Tags
2-14. Scoodle Um Skoo - Papa Charlie Jackson
2-15. Stackalee - Frank Hutchison
2-16. The Cat's Got The Measles, The Dog's Got The Whooping Cough - Walter Smith
2-17. Shout You Cats - Hezekiah Jenkins
2-18. Nobody's Business If I Do - Tommie Bradley
2-19. Sweet Sixteen - Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers
2-20. Ticklish Reuben - Charlie Parker & Mack Woolbright
2-21. I Heard The Voice Of A Porkchop - Jim Jackson
2-22. Shine - Dallas String Band With Coley Jones
2-23. The Gypsy - Emmett Miller & His Georgia Crackers
2-24. Kiss Me Cindy - J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers