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Doxa
Thanks Stone66 for the ROLLING STONE link, and Rockman for the record sleeve.

Interesting dude that Robert Wilkins guy. In the 'classical days' of Delta blues, was hanging around in Mississippi with people like Memphis Minnie and Son House, recorded a dozen and a half tracks during 1929-1935 (including others "Rolling Stone"), then had a conversion, took the minister route, and finally was 're-discovered' during the 60's Blues Revival days, and recorded new material, among others "Prodigal Son", a religious version of his early 1929 secular recording "That's No Way To Get Along".

Here is the original - and absolutely great - "That's No Way To Get Along", with lyrics:





I'm goin' home, friends, sit down and tell my, my mama
Friends, sit down and tell my mama
I'm goin' home, sit down and tell my mama
I'm goin' home, sit down and tell my mama
That that's no way to get along

These low-down women, mama, they treated your, ahw, poor son wrong
Mama, treated me wrong
These low-down women, mama, treated your poor son wrong
These low-down women, mama, treated your poor son wrong
And that's no way for him to get along

They treated me like my poor heart was made of a rock or stone
Mama, made of a rock or stone
Treated me like my poor heart was made of a rock or stone
Treated me like my poor heart was made of a rock or stone
And that's no way for me to get along

You know, that was enough, mama, to make your son wished he's dead and gone
Mama, wished I's dead and gone
That is enough to make your son, mama, wished he's dead and gone
That is enough to make your son, mama, wished he's dead and gone
'Cause that's no way for him to get along

I stood on the roadside, I cried alone, all by myself
I cried alone by myself
I stood on the roadside and cried alone by myself
I stood on the roadside and cried alone by myself
Cryin', "That's no way for me to get along"

I's wantin' some train to come along and take me away from here
Friends, take me away from here
Some train to come along and take me away from here
Some train to come along and take me away from here
And that's no way for me to get along

And here is the version after seen The Light, by "Reverend" Robert Wilkins, recorded in 1964. and released in the album MEMPHIS GOSPEL SINGER:





However, most likely the most well-known version, and the one The Stones picked up, is the version made in Newport 1964, released 1965:





As one can hear, the Stones version is 'edited' version of Wilkin's longer story.

Probably the 'coolest' choice they ever did to cover a song!

- Doxa

Just listening to these three cuts now. Fantastic stuff. Thanks for your research Doxa. Another artist to add to my Christmas list.

My pleasure, Silver Dagger. I was also totally blown by it. I recall hearing some version ages ago, but that's about it. Funny how this band still educates me... And it still feels like when discovering an old blues act that one is hitting to a secret treasure...

There seems to be different kind of collections these days covering his Devil's Era 1929-35, 17 tracks altogether, such as 1928-1953: COMPLETE RECORDINGS, BEFORE THE REVERENCE, THE ORIGINAL ROLLING STONE, THE PRODIGAL SON, the latest being THAT'S NO WAY TO GET ALONG (from 2010). Then there is that 1964 "rediscovery" album - hell, he was not "rediscovered", he had been playing in his own circles and outside the recording business the same stuff for ages for God and was in damn good condition and doing very fine - called MEMPHIS GOSPEL SINGER. I think the third essential item to get is the Newport 1964 performance in some form. There seems to be also his performance in 1969 Memphis Country Blues Festival released (in 1993) and called ...REMEMBER ME, and including, interestingly, "You Gotta Move"... (more here:[www.wirz.de])

Stone66 gave the reference to that ROLLING STONE 1969 article about the credition problems. Like noted in the article the band initially had credited the song to Wilkins, but for a reason or other, DECCA mistakenly credited to Jagger/Richard after the hassle with sleeves (which was sooon corrected). However, the sad truth - what ROLLING STONE did not tell - is that Rev. Wilkins would never get a one cent of the Stones' version, since all the rights of the song belonged to the publisher connected to the original Vocalion label. Someone made a nice sum of it, but it was not Wilkins. So when we now read the last paragraph of the article:

Later, Kuykendall [the head of Wynwood Music, owner of the song rights] phoned the Reverend and told him of the Stones recording, without mentioning the copyright difficulties. "He seemed quite happy that people will be hearing his song," Kuykendall said. "It couldn't bother him that a rock group has done it."

the reference for "not mentioning the copyright difficulties" seem to have another significance...

Anyway, The Reverend (1896-1987) seemingly lived a long and happy life (the conversion took place in 1936) and good that the Stones version "couldn't bother him".

- Doxa



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2013-12-03 15:05 by Doxa.

Jagger's vocals are a little overdone imo. I do like the overall sound, a distinctive track that makes the BB album great.

Hi Doxa and everyone else interested in old time roots music I can really recommend investigating an amazing box - literally a box, made out of wood - of old time spirituals and gospel music called Goodbye Babylon that helped shape 20th Century American music.

[www.allmusic.com]

The Prodigal Son In The Tavern
1637 Rembrandt

"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"