See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

Last updated
"See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"
Single by Blind Lemon Jefferson
B-side "Where Shall I Be"
Released1927 (1927) & 1928
RecordedOctober 1927 & February 1928
Genre Blues
Length2:54
Label Paramount
Songwriter(s) Blind Lemon Jefferson

"See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" (also known as "One Kind Favor") is a song recorded by American blues musician Blind Lemon Jefferson in two slightly differing versions in October 1927 and February 1928, [1] that became "one of his most famous compositions". [2] Son House used the melody on his 1930 recording of "Mississippi County Farm Blues". [3]

Versions

Bob Dylan recorded the song for his 1962 debut album Bob Dylan . He recorded it again with the Band, which is included on The Basement Tapes .

Other artists to cover the song include B.B. King, Peter, Paul and Mary (as "One Kind Favor"), Lightnin' Hopkins (as "One Kind Favor"), Canned Heat (as "One Kind Favor" on Living the Blues ), the Grateful Dead (as "One Kind Favor"), [4] Mike Bloomfield, Keiji Haino, Diamanda Galás, Meindert Talma & the Negroes, Laibach, Lou Reed, Furry Lewis, Chrome Cranks, the Dream Syndicate, Dave Van Ronk, Hobart Smith, Mavis Staples, Martin Simpson, Thelonious Monster, Peter Parcek,Laibach and Widespread Panic. [5] [6] [7] Staples' version of the song from her 2015 album Your Good Fortune won the 2016 Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance. [8]

Pat Donohue performed this song as "One Kind Favor" live on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion . It was later released on Donohue's CD, Radio Blues.

The British band Half Man Half Biscuit recorded a parody titled "See That My Bike's Kept Clean" on their 1997 album, Voyage to the Bottom of the Road . [9]

On August 4, 2017, the American Jam/Rock band Phish performed this song to open night 11 of their 13 night residency at Madison Square Garden named the Bakers Dozen. Each show was donut themed, with night 11 being "lemon donut" night. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blind Lemon Jefferson</span> American blues musician (1893–1929)

Lemon Henry "Blind Lemon" Jefferson was an American blues and gospel singer-songwriter and musician. He was one of the most popular and successful blues singers of the 1920s and has been called the "Father of the Texas Blues".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phish</span> American rock band

Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, and keyboardist Page McConnell, all of whom perform vocals, with Anastasio being the lead vocalist. The band is known for their musical improvisation and jams during their concert performances and for their devoted fan following.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Staple Singers</span> American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group

The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples, the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha, Pervis, and Mavis. Yvonne replaced her brother when he was drafted into the U.S. Army, and again in 1970. They are best known for their 1970s hits "Respect Yourself", "I'll Take You There", "If You're Ready ", and "Let's Do It Again". While the family name is Staples, the group used "Staple" commercially.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blind Boy Fuller</span> American blues guitarist and singer (1904–41)

Fulton Allen, known as Blind Boy Fuller, was an American blues guitarist and singer. Fuller was one of the most popular of the recorded Piedmont blues artists, along with Blind Blake, Josh White, and Buddy Moss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blind Willie Johnson</span> American blues musician (1897–1945)

Blind Willie Johnson was an American gospel blues singer and guitarist. His landmark recordings completed between 1927 and 1930—thirty songs in total—display a combination of powerful "chest voice" singing, slide guitar skills, and originality that has influenced generations of musicians. Even though Johnson's records sold well, as a street performer and preacher, he had little wealth in his lifetime. His life was poorly documented, but over time, music historians such as Samuel Charters have uncovered more about Johnson and his five recording sessions.

The Jammy Award is an awards show for bands - referred to as jam bands - and other artists associated with live, improvisational music, created by Dean Budnick and Peter Shapiro. The Jammys are sponsored by Relix magazine, Jambands.com, and Shapiro. The Jammy Awards returned in 2008 to the WAMU Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City after taking a one-year break.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mavis Staples</span> American singer (born 1939)

Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers, of which she is the last surviving member. During her time in the group, she recorded the hit singles "I'll Take You There" and "Let's Do It Again". In 1969, Staples released her self-titled debut solo album.

"Corrine, Corrina" is a 12-bar country blues song in the AAB form. "Corrine, Corrina" was first recorded by Bo Carter. However, it was not copyrighted until 1932 by Bo Carter, along with his publishers Mitchell Parish and J. Mayo Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rollin' and Tumblin'</span> Blues standard popularized by Muddy Waters

"Rollin' and Tumblin'" is a blues standard first recorded by American singer-guitarist Hambone Willie Newbern in 1929. Called a "great Delta blues classic", it has been interpreted by hundreds of Delta and Chicago blues artists, including well-known recordings by Muddy Waters. Rock musicians usually follow Waters' versions, with the 1960s group Cream's rendition being perhaps the best known.

"Salty Dog Blues" is a folk song from the early 1900s. Musicians have recorded it in a number of styles, including blues, jazz, country music, bluegrass. Papa Charlie Jackson recorded an adaptation for Paramount and Broadway in 1924. According to Jas Obrecht, "Old-time New Orleans musicians from Buddy Bolden’s era recalled hearing far filthier versions of 'Salty Dog Blues' long before Papa Charlie’s recording." Similar versions were recorded by Mississippi John Hurt and Lead Belly.

<i>Voyage to the Bottom of the Road</i> 1997 studio album by Half Man Half Biscuit

Voyage to the Bottom of the Road is the sixth album by Birkenhead-based UK rock band Half Man Half Biscuit, released July 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground</span> Instrumental by Blind Willie Johnson

"Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground" is a gospel blues song written and performed by American musician Blind Willie Johnson and recorded in 1927. The song is primarily an instrumental featuring Johnson's self-taught bottleneck slide guitar and picking style accompanied by his vocalizations of humming and moaning. It has the distinction of being one of 27 samples of music included on the Voyager Golden Record, launched into space in 1977 to represent the diversity of life on Earth. The song has been highly praised and covered by numerous musicians and is featured on the soundtracks of several films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jam band</span> Musical group whose live albums and concerts relate to a unique fan culture

A jam band is a musical group whose concerts and live albums substantially feature improvisational "jamming." Typically, jam bands will play variations of pre-existing songs, extending them to improvise over chord patterns or rhythmic grooves. Jam bands are known for having a very fluid structure, playing long sets of music which often cross genre boundaries, varying their nightly setlists, and segueing from one song into another without a break.

<i>Spectre</i> (Laibach album) 2014 studio album by Laibach

Spectre is the eighth studio album by Laibach. It was released on March 3, 2014 under Mute Records.

<i>Daves Picks Volume 10</i> 2014 live album by Grateful Dead

Dave's Picks Volume 10 is a three-CD live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It contains the complete concert recorded on December 12, 1969, at the Thelma music venue in Los Angeles, California. It was produced as a limited edition of 14,000 numbered copies, and was released on May 1, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That Black Snake Moan</span> 1926 song performed by Blind Lemon Jefferson

"That Black Snake Moan" is a song written and recorded by American country blues musician Blind Lemon Jefferson. Inspired by singer Victoria Spivey's "Black Snake Blues", the song was released on Paramount Records in 1926, and has since become recognized as a signature composition which exemplifies Jefferson's unconventional melodic style and utilization of double entendres. The song was re-recorded a year later as "Black Snake Moan" for Okeh Records, and both versions have remained accessible through the availability of several compilation albums.

Uncloudy Day, also known as Unclouded Day, is a gospel song. Originally popular in church hymnals, it has come to be recorded many times over the years since, including being an early attention-getter for future star act the Staple Singers. In 1956, their version served as an inspiration to Bob Dylan, who called it "the most mysterious thing I'd ever heard".

<i>American Epic: The Best of Lead Belly</i> 2017 compilation album by Lead Belly

American Epic: The Best of Lead Belly is a compilation of Lead Belly's first commercial recordings made in 1935 and released in 2017 to accompany the award-winning American Epic documentary film series. The album was released as a 14-track download and a vinyl LP.

Peter Parcek is an American blues rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In 2021, Parcek's album, Mississippi Suitcase was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the 'Blues Rock Album' category. Parcek has released four albums since 2000, after spending time as a sideman for Pinetop Perkins. Buddy Guy once opined about Parcek, "You're as bad as Eric Clapton. And I know Eric Clapton."

The Baker's Dozen was a series of thirteen concerts performed by Vermont-based jam band Phish between July 21 and August 6, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. Each night featured a completely unique setlist with no songs repeated throughout the event, with the band playing 237 songs in total. The full set of shows was released as a box set entitled The Complete Baker's Dozen, alongside a three-disc live album of highlights, The Baker's Dozen: Live at Madison Square Garden.

References

  1. "Blind Lemon Jefferson Discography". Wirz.de. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  2. Herzhaft, Gerard (1992). Encyclopedia of the Blues . University of Arkansas Press. p.  469. ISBN   1-55728-252-8.
  3. Obrecht, Jas. Son House's Deep Mississippi Delta Blues. Jas Obrecht Music Archive. Retrieved 5-13-11
  4. "One Kind Favor / See That My Grave Is Kept Clean". Grateful Dead Family Discography.
  5. "Search for "one kind favor"". AllMusic . Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  6. "Search for "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"". AllMusic . Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  7. "Peter Parcek: Earthy to Ethereal". Premierguitar.com. February 13, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  8. Mavis Staples Earns Best Roots Performance at 2016 Grammy Awards. Theboot.com, Retrieved 2-15-16
  9. "Voyage to the Bottom of the Road - Half Man Half Biscuit - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  10. Stein, Aaron (August 5, 2017). "Everything in Its Right Place: Night 11 of Phish Baker's Dozen Residency – Recap, Setlist & the Skinny". JamBase. Retrieved November 21, 2020.