Songs by Lead Belly

This article is about the album. For a list of songs by Lead Belly, see List of songs recorded by Lead Belly.

Songs by Lead Belly
Studio album by Lead Belly
Released	1944
Recorded	August 1943, New York City
Genre	Folk blues
Length	13:28
Label	Asch Recordings
Producer	Moses Asch
Lead Belly chronology
Work Songs of the U.S.A. (1942) Songs by Lead Belly (1944) Negro Folk Songs (1946)

Songs by Lead Belly is an album by Lead Belly, recorded in 1943 by Asch Recordings and probably released in 1944.

At this point in Lead Belly's career he had split with John Lomax and was mainly recording with Moe Asch. ^[1] In August 1943, Lead Belly recorded six songs for Asch. ^{[2] : 306–07} These songs were likely released as singles before being compiled into an album. In April 1944, Asch stated that Lead Belly was paid $250 for a special run of 10,000 copies of "How Long Blues," a cover of Leroy Carr's 1928 song. ^{[2] : 226} Meanwhile, the New York Times reports that in June 1944, Songs by Lead Belly was issued as a new album. ^[3] Songs by Lead Belly (catalog number: Asch A-343) was Lead Belly's third album for Moe Asch. It was released as a three-disc collection of 10" 78 rpm records, with notes prepared by Charles Edward Smith. ^[4]

Track listing

No.	Title	Matrix Number	Length
1.	"Good Morning Blues"	SC-263	2:26
2.	"How Long"	SC-260	2:16
3.	"Ain't You Glad"	SC-262	2:05
4.	"Irene"	SC-261-1	2:25
5.	"On a Monday"	SC-258	1:49
6.	"John Henry"	SC-259	2:27

References

1. Place, Jeff (2015). "The Life and Legacy of Lead Belly". Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection (PDF). Washington: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. pp. 22–23. ISBN   9780970494252. UPC   093074020128.
2. Wolfe, Charles; Lornell, Kip (1992). The Life and Legend of Leadbelly. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN   0060168625.
3. "Records: A Round-Up". New York Times. June 18, 1944. p. X4. Admirers of Lead Belly will be glad to hear that a new album of 'Songs by Lead Belly' has been issued by Asch (A-343, three ten-inch records).
4. Smithsonian National Museum of American History. "Good Morning Blues; How Long". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved June 3, 2021.

External links

• Songs by Lead Belly at Discogs (list of releases)