Release Date: April 18, 2008.
Recording Time: 9 minutes.
Recording Date: Feb. 2, 1969.
Release Info: blm 015, Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM.
Series: The George Mitchell Collection.
The George Mitchell Collection: This series comprises 45 volumes of rare field recordings made by George Mitchell between 1962 and the 1980s, documenting deep-South blues and gospel.
Volume 15 of a 45-volume collection... The George Mitchell Collection... The music on each of these 7" records represents the best of the hundreds of hours of field recordings George Mitchell undertook over two decades. Bud White - The George Mitchell Collection Vol. 15 is a blues record featuring field recordings of the artist Bud White, originally captured by musicologist George Mitchell.
Detail:
Bud White - The George Mitchell Collection Vol. 15 is a field recording of acoustic blues performed by Bud White and recorded by George Mitchell in Richland, Georgia, in February 1969. It was officially released as a standalone 7-inch vinyl and as part of a larger compilation box set by Fat Possum Records and Big Legal Mess Records in April 2008. Bud White was one of several non-professional musicians discovered by George Mitchell during his field recording trips. Beautiful voice, no gravel - falsetto and dynamics that are more reminiscent of a soul singer. Haunting. Little bit more lo-fi and dusky than most of the other recordings. Every song is its own thing. "Go Ahead On" is "Don't Care How Long You're Gone"/"Someday Baby" by R.L. Burnside! Highlights: "Go Ahead On", "You've Been Gone So Long".
WHO IS GEORGE MITCHELL?
George Mitchell doesn't just get the blues, he has to go out and find them. Thanks to his efforts, fans of authentic country blues have been able to hear the real deal without making the kind of road trips required of a dedicated producer, editor, musicologist, and folklorist. The listener who knows the real cosmic purpose of a bottleneck, knife blade, or small metal tube should drool over an account of Mitchell's exploits in the Deep South: "That night Mitchell returned to Burnside's place with a case of beer and some whiskey. Ten months later, Burnside had his first release."
"George Mitchell was out roaming the South, scouting for stylistically eccentric blues musicians during the late '60s and '70s," summarizes another report. The previously mentioned performer was R.L. Burnside, a bluesman of particular delight in an era when death's scythe seemed to be severely limiting the ranks of such unique senior statesmen. Mississippi Joe Callicott and Jimmy Lee Williams are other artists who Mitchell brought to light in a big way as a result of his research trips; he is considered a specialist on the subject of Callicott. Credits for Mitchell can also be found on recordings of more famous performers in this genre, including Furry Lewis and Skip James, his involvement ranging from recording new material to, in the latter case, fine-tuning a reissue. Mitchell, who worked quite regularly with the Fat Possum label, presented an annual folk festival in Columbus, MS. He also published a book, Blow My Blues Away, which has been difficult to track down since its early-'70s release. Fat Possum Records issued as expansive seven-disc box set containing the bulk of Mitchell's field recordings in 2008. ~ Eugene Chadbourne
Credits: Arranged By - Bud White; Co-producer (Uncredited - George Mitchell 7" Series Produced By) - Bruce Watson, Matthew Johnson; Lacquer Cut By - WG; Photography By (Uncredited) - George Mitchell; Recorded By - George Mitchell; Songwriter - Traditional; Vocals, Guitar - Bud White.
Tracklist:
- A1. Go Ahead On (2:52)
- A2. You've Been Gone So Long (2:26)
- B1. White Horses (4:06)
Recorded in Richland, GA Feb. 2, 1969.
Track A2 is titled "You've Been Gone So Long" and "You've Been Gone So" on the label.
"White Horses" is a.k.a. "Sixteen Snow White Horses".
Companies, etc.: Record Company - Fat Possum Records Special Products Division; Pressed By - United Record Pressing - u-60130m; Published By - Big Legal Mess Publishing; Published By - Wixen Music Publishing.