Important Recordings 1934 - 1949

~ Release by Lead Belly (see all versions of this release, 1 available)

Annotation

1 - 4: Recorded at Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, LA. probably July 1, 1934
5: Recorded at Wilton, CT. February 1935
6 - 9: Recorded at Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, LA. probably July 1, 1934
10 - 13: Recorded at Wilton, CT. February 1935
14, 15: Recorded at Wilton, CT. March 1935
16 - 18: Recorded at Washington, DC. June 22, 1937
19, 20: Recorded at New York City, December 26, 1938

ARC studio sessions
1 - 10: New York City, January 23, 1935
11 - 18: New York City, January 24, 1935
19 - 23: New York City, February 5, 1935
24, 25: New York City, March 25, 1935

1 - 3: New York City, March 25, 1935
4 - 7: New York City, April 1, 1939
8 - 11: New York City, June 15, 1940
12 - 16: New York City, June 15, 1940
17 - 22: New York City, June 17, 1940
23 - 26: New York City, Jul/Aug, 1943

1: New York City, November 1943
2 - 4: New York City, February 17, 1944
5: New York City, April 25, 1944
6: New York City, c. April 1944
7: New York City, c. May 1944
8 - 10: New York City, c. May 1944
11 - 14: Hollywood, October 4, 1944
15 - 17: Hollywood, October 11, 1944
18 - 20: Hollywood, October 27, 1944
21 - 24: New York City, c. June 1946
25: New York City, 1947
26: Austin, Texas, June 15, 1949

On the sleeve Lead Belly is credited with guitar on all tracks, despite none being heard on 1, 10 and 18.

Annotation last modified on 2007-07-22 11:11 UTC.

Tracklist

▼ CD 1: Leadbelly & the Library of Congress: 1934 - 1938
#TitleRatingLength
1Western Cowboy
recording engineer:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) and John A. Lomax
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1934-07-01)
recorded at:
Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States (on 1934-07-01)
3:40
2Blind Lemon Blues
recording engineer:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) and John A. Lomax
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1934-07-01)
recorded at:
Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States (on 1934-07-01)
4:19
3Midnight Special
recording engineer:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) and John A. Lomax
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1934-07-01)
recorded at:
Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States (on 1934-07-01)
recording of:
Midnight Special (on 1934-07-01)
writer:
[traditional] (special purpose artist)
publisher:
Union Songs AB (publisher)
2:59
4Irene
recording engineer:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) and John A. Lomax
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1934-07-01)
recorded at:
Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States (on 1934-07-01)
recording of:
Goodnight Irene (on 1934-07-01)
lyricist and composer:
[traditional] (special purpose artist)
arranger:
Ledbetter and John A. Lomax
publisher:
Lodlow Music, Spencer Music Corp., TRO-Ludlow Music, Inc. and Tyler Music Ltd.
part of:
Roud Folk Song Index (number: 11681)
translated version of:
Godnatt Irene
4:53
5C.C. Rider
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (in 1935-02)
cover recording of:
See See Rider Blues (in 1935-02)
lyricist and composer:
[traditional] (special purpose artist)
part of:
Roud Folk Song Index (number: 10056)
4:14
6Governor O.K. Allen
recording engineer:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) and John A. Lomax
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1934-07-01)
recorded at:
Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States (on 1934-07-01)
2:45
7Julie Ann Johnson
recording engineer:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) and John A. Lomax
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1934-07-01)
recorded at:
Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States (on 1934-07-01)
2:10
8I'm Sorry Mama
recording engineer:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) and John A. Lomax
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1934-07-01)
recorded at:
Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States (on 1934-07-01)
3:04
9Take a Whiff on Me
recording engineer:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) and John A. Lomax
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1934-07-01)
recorded at:
Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States (on 1934-07-01)
2:09
10Boll Weevil
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (in 1935-02)
3:39
11The Titanic
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (in 1935-02)
4:46
12Green Corn
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (in 1935-02)
2:16
13Po' Howard
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (in 1935-02)
3:11
14De Kalb Blues
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (in 1935-03)
5:10
15Frankie and Albert
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (in 1935-03)
recording of:
Frankie and Johnny (traditional song, version of "Frankie and Albert") (in 1935-03)
publisher:
Carl Sandburg (in 1927)
lyricist and composer:
[traditional] (special purpose artist)
part of:
Roud Folk Song Index (number: 254)
is based on:
You’re My Baby
version of:
Frankie and Albert (traditional song without the lyrics from "You’re My Baby", first published 1904)
4:29
16Queen Mary
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1937-06-22)
4:55
17The Hindenburg Disaster, Part 1
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1937-06-22)
1:17
18The Hindenburg Disaster, Part 2
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1937-06-22)
2:14
19Leaving on the Morning Train Blues
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1938-12-26)
9:50
20The Bourgeois Blues
acoustic guitar and lead vocals:
Lead Belly (on 1938-12-26)
recording of:
The Bourgeois Blues (on 1938-12-26)
lyricist and composer:
Lead Belly
arranger:
Alan Lomax (US ethnomusicologist) and John A. Lomax
5:46
▶ CD 2: Leadbelly in the Studio: 1935
▶ CD 3: Leadbelly in the Studio: 1935 - 1943
▶ CD 4: Leadbelly, The Last Years: 1943 - 1949