zzwv | Guitarists: Every Day I Have the Blues

door Jon Editor

sayings_kwibus

#5 Guitarists

In this column: every day i have the blues, Pinetop and Milton Sparks, Memphis Slim, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Albert King, Elmore James, T-Bone Walker, Buddy Guy, Jack Pearson with Josh Smith & Kirk Fletcher, Robert J. Lockwood, Peter Greens Fleetwood Mac,  Jimmy Burns, Matt Schofield & Henrik Freischlader, Luther Allison with Otis Rush & Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter & B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford

Introduction

"Every Day I Have the Blues" is a blues song that has been performed in a variety of styles. An early version of the song is attributed to Pinetop Sparks and his brother Milton. It was first performed in the taverns of St. Louis by the Sparks brothers and was recorded July 28, 1935 by Pinetop with Henry Townsend on guitar. The song is a twelve-bar blues that features Pinetop's piano and falsetto vocal. The opening verse includes the line "Every day, every day I have the blues".

After a reworking of the song by Memphis Slim in 1949, it became a blues standard with renditions recorded by numerous artists. (Wikipedia)

Milton Sparks. Pinetop died in 1935 at the age of 25 years, possibly of poisoning, although his brother said that it was exhaustion; Pinetop never turned down a gig and drank heavily to stay awake.

 

Aaron ‘Pinetop’ and twin-brother Milton ‘Lindberg’ Sparks

In 1949 Memphis Slim (John Len Chatman) recorded a version under the title “Nobody Loves Me” using only the melody and first verse along with new lyrics. Chatman got the copyright and according to Colin Escott (a British music historian), the royalties “were sufficient to buy a Rolls Royce with which to squire himself around Paris.” Where he died in 1988.

This episode gives an idea how different guitarists tackle the classic blues song "Every Day I Have The Blues".

Robert Cray, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Vaughan, B.B.King

B.B.King

Elmore James

T-Bone Walker

Jack Pearson

Buddy Guy

Robert Lockwood

Fleetwood Wac

Albert King

Jimmy Witherspoon and Robben Ford

Jimmy Burns

Matt Schofield

Otish Rush and Eric Clapton

Johnny Winter and B.B.King

Stevie Ray Vaughan