The VW of blues … VW figures that DON’T lie

ByPaul Merry

 

America’s Gift’s VW Index.

Where the figures aren’t fudged. 

As you might expect, the entertainment genre, ‘vaudeville’, features on many pages in the book because that’s where most entertainers playing prototype blues in the early twentieth century were performing. You’ll see Muddy Waters gets quite a few mentions, too, even though AMERICA’S Gift doesn’t reinvent the wheel by telling you about 50s blues. That story’s been told too many times to regurgitate it again.

Maybe VW should run this image in their ads

America’s Gift covers the evolution of the blues UP to the 1950s. In those days, VW was cleverly advertising its cars as ‘Lemons’ and telling Americans to ‘Think Small’.

How times have changed.

How success breed arrogance.

How I’d like to see the headline ‘Cheater’ in Helvetica type under a VW advertisement.

But back to something VW where you can believe the figures.

Perhaps take a preview on

AMERICA’S Gift VW Index

US Library of Congress: 14, 69, 91, 70, 115.
U.S. Senate: 180, 266.
Valentin Choral Club Quintette: 239.
Van Gogh, Vincent: 277.
Van Singel, Amy: 302.
Vastopol tuning: 236.
Vaudeville: 108, 119, 123, 172, 175-176, 184, 191, 194, 197, 203, 205-206, 211, 213, 215, 218, 223, 226, 231, 233, 235, 139-140, 301, 309, 327.
Vaudeville blues: 213, 233.
Victor Records/Victor Talking Machine Company: 169, 201, 207, 288, 298-299, 323, 326.
Vaughan, Sarah: 343.
Vaughn, Tom: 78.
Vera Cruz, Gulf of Mexico: 17.
Vocalion Records: 265, 273, 275, 297.
Vinton, Bobby: 343.
Many early blues performers played vaudeville

 

Virginia: 13, 16-17, 18, 22-23, 30, 44, 57, 59, 116, 144, 165, 248, 326.
Virginia Minstrels: 26, 45, 73-74, 76-77, 93.
Virginia Serenaders: 74.
Victoria Theatre, Philadelphia: 194.
Voider, Will: 241.
Voodoo: 22, 24, 279.
Walker, T-Bone: 334, 351, 354, 367.
Wabash Blues: 291, 347.
The mighty T-Bone Walker appears in AMERICA’S Gift

 

Wald, Elijah: 257, 269, 277.

Wales: 171. Wallace, Sippie: 228, 357.

Waller, Fats: 225, 228, 231, 242.
Walker, Aaron ‘T-Bone’: 309, 334, 350-351, 353-355, 367.
Walker, George: 110-113, 168.
Walker, Ruby: 331.
Walking Blues: 281.
Waller, Fats: 231, 242, 225.
Walton, Lorraine: 341.
Wand, Hart: 189-190, 198, 201.
Ward, Helen: 274.
War of 1812: 31-32, 53.
Ware, Leonard: 345.
Warner, William: 156.
Washboard Sam:  300, 317, 341, 362.
Find out what Muddy Waters was doing in the 1940s
Washington, Booker T: 112, 318, 328.
Washington DC: 64, 70.
Washington, Dinah: 343.
Waters, Ethel: 223-226, 271.
Waters, Muddy: 27, 61, 301-305, 308, 313, 316, 318, 333, 336, 358-359, 361.
Watson, Harry: 289.
Watson, Johnny (Daddy Stovepipe): 249-250.
Watson, Sarah: 251.
Watts, Charlie: 358.
W. C. Handy Orchestra: 231, 265.
Weary Way Blues: 228.
Weather Bird Rag: 298.
Weaver’s Blues: 252.
Weaver, Sylvester: 231-233, 235, 239, 247, 251-254, 256, 260, 263, 265-266, 285.
Wexler, Jerry: 355.
W. C. Handy’s Blues, An Anthology: Complete Words and Music of 70 great (blues) songs and instrumentals: 142.
Duke Wellington. What instrument does he play, then?

Webb Jennings Plantation,
Mississippi. Welcome to Marion County website: 50.

Welding, Pete: 278.

Wellington, Duke of: 53.
We’re Gonna Rock, We’re Gonna Roll: 366.
West Africa/West African: 20, 22-24, 50, 97, 99, 202.
West Coast Blues: 334, 351, 334, 367.
Western Swing: 207, 235, 290-291.
West Indies/West Indian: 16, 27-29, 31, 35, 37, 43, 210.
Weusi, Jito K: 218-219, 225-226.
What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For: 210.
Wheatstraw, Peetie: 298.
When Johnny Comes Marching Home: 92.
When The Levee Breaks (song): 313.
Led Zeppelin covered this track. It’s all in AMERICA’S Gift

When Things Go Wrong (It Hurts Me Too) song: 266.

White, Bukka: 318, 352.
White, Charley: 78.
White, Gonzelle: 197.
White Lion (ship): 16, 18.
White, Shane, Professor of American History, Sydney University: 39, 43.
Whitby, Ontario: 127.
Whiteman, Paul (band leader): 327, 259.
Whitlock, Billy: 73, 76.
Whittaker, Hudson: 266, 316.
Who, The (band): 362.
Wild Cats jazz Band: 311.
Will Benbow’s Chocolate Drops: 184.
Wilkins, Robert: 263.
William & Mary Quarterly: 17.
Williams, Bert: 110-113, 168.
Williams, Clarence: 228, 231, 239-244, 247.
Williams, Guy: 321, 326.
Williams, Hank: 365,

Williams, Jay Mayo ‘Ink’: 297-299, 302-304, 311.

Ink Williams : leading Chicago pre-WW2 blues talent scout
Williams, Mary: 255.
Williams, Robert Pete: 335.
Williamson, John Lee: 317.
Williamson, Sonny Boy 1: 317-318, 358.
Williamson, Sonny Boy 11: 358.
Wills, Bob and the Texas Playboys: 235.
Wiltshire, England: 92.
Winans, Professor Robert B: 45
Winehouse, Amy: 283.
Wichita, Kansas: 233, 290.
Wild Cats: 197.
William and Mary Quarterly: 17.
Wilkins, Robert: 263.
Wilson, Blind Owl: 282.
Wilson, Jackie: 434.
Wikipedia: 78, 159, 355.
Winter, Johnny: 318.
Winwood, Steve: 277.
Withers, Harry B: 260.
Howlin’ Wolf: the link between Charlie Patton and the Stones

Witherspoon, Jimmy: 228, 309, 351.

Whoa B-Whoa: 321.
Wolf, Howlin’: 165, 270, 318, 333, 336, 363.
Wolcott, Fred Swift: 245-246.
Wolverine Blues: 242.
Wonder, Stevie: 199.
Wood, Ronnie: 308.
Woods, Professor John W. F. ‘Johnnie’: 175.
World War One/WW1: 69, 173, 190, 201-202, 206, 210-211, 252, 254, 289, 297/298, 308, 329.
World War Two/WW2: 166, 294, 301, 308, 312-313, 334, 342, 344, 347-352, 354.

Similar Posts

Helping blues slide pioneer, Casey Bill Weldon, get a headstone

Helping blues slide pioneer, Casey Bill Weldon, get a headstone

ByPaul Merry

Updated: 26th January 2019. It seems only yesterday that the esteemed blues guitarist and singer-songwriter, Bonnie Rait, forked out the cash to put a headstone on the unmarked grave of an equally-esteemed female blues artist from earlier times. The headstone was for the great Memphis Minnie (1897 – 1973), that pioneering blues singer-songwriter who could play the guitar as well…

Why Spotify flounders like a limp puppet in America

Why Spotify flounders like a limp puppet in America

ByPaul Merry

Is Spotify flapping about like this in America? The music streaming service, Spotify, has botched its chance to dominate market share in the USA, says the US Business Editor of Britain’s influential Daily Telegraph, Katherine Rushton, from New York. When Spotify’s reclusive Swedish founder, Daniel Ek, launched his product in 2006, she says, “(Music) industry…

The P’s and Q’s of blues, and red hot R’s

The P’s and Q’s of blues, and red hot R’s

ByPaul Merry

Bet Kylie Minogue’s arse isn’t quite the R’s you were expecting. Thanks to the UK Sun newspaper for the picture. The P, Q & R of the AMERICA’S Gift Index The arse above belongs to Australian pop singer and actress Kylie Minogue. It has been voted the best arse in Britain. And if you’re a straight guy or a not-so-straight girl, it’s…

Link here to TEN new broadcasts on great old blues

Link here to TEN new broadcasts on great old blues

ByPaul Merry

“Interesting! I learned some new things from your blog. Thanks!”  Allen Weber (@HtShkBnd) Hot Shock Band. 23 July 2014. Why not take a listen to the ‘How Blues Evolved’ radio show?   Every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday on Iowa’s Code Zero Radio 3pm USA CDT, 9pm UK, 10pm Europe Our ‘How Blues Evolved’ tri-weekly radio series continues,…

World’s 2nd rock & roll record: Roll ‘Em Pete by Big Joe Turner with Pete Johnson in 1938

World’s 2nd rock & roll record: Roll ‘Em Pete by Big Joe Turner with Pete Johnson in 1938

ByPaul Merry

A young Big Joe Turner BluesMuse 12  If  Albert Ammon’s ‘Boogie Woogie Stomp’ was the world’s first rock & roll record in 1936, what was the second? Allow me to put forward ‘Roll ‘Em Pete’, another rollicking piano-based boogie woogie, this one released in 1938. The Pete doing the rolling was 34-year old Pete Johnson,…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.