Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues
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| Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues | ||
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| Studio album by Odetta | ||
| Released | 1956 (original), February 6, 1996, February 1, 2005 (re-releases) |
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| Recorded | San Francisco, California, September 1956 |
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| Genre | Folk, Blues, Vocal, Calypso | |
| Label | Tradition Recordings TLP 1010 (LP) Rykodisc 1004 (1996 CD) V.I. Music 450661 (2005 CD) |
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| Producer(s) | Dean Gitter | |
| Odetta chronology | ||
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| The Tin Angel (Odetta & Larry) (1954) |
Sings Ballads and Blues (1956) |
At the Gate of Horn (live) (1957) |
| Original cover (1956) | ||
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| The vinyl cover of Ballads and Blues | ||
| Original back cover | ||
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| Introduction by producer Dean Gitter | ||
Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues is the debut solo album by American folk singer Odetta, first released in 1956.
Contents |
[edit] Background
- Like much of Odetta's early work, Ballads and Blues combines traditional songs (e.g. spirituals) with blues covers.
- Some songs on this album were also recorded for Odetta & Larry's 1954 album The Tin Angel
- "Santy Anno"
- "'Buked and Scorned"
- "Another Man Done Gone"
- "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" (although it only appears as a bonus track on this album)
- The initial vinyl release has tracks 1-8 as side A, then tracks 9-16 as side B (the "Spiritual Trilogy" being counted as one track, a medley).
- The 'enhanced' CD version of this album, released in 2005, contains four bonus tracks and has a slightly different cover (with a different photo of the singer).
[edit] Miscellanea
- Bob Dylan singled this album out as one of his favorites by Odetta; indeed, it was albums like this that inspired him to play folk music instead of rock 'n' roll[1].
[edit] Personnel
- Odetta Holmes (vocals, acoustic guitar, hand claps)
[edit] Track listing
Tracks marked [*] are 2005 CD bonus tracks, not on original vinyl release.
- "Santy Anno" (traditional) – 1:55
- "If I Had a Ribbon Bow" (traditional) – 2:42
- "Muleskinner Blues" (Rodgers) – 2:51
- "Another Man Done Gone" (traditional) – 2:11
- "Shame and Scandal" (traditional) – 2:23
- "Jack o' Diamonds" (traditional) – 3:15
- "'Buked and Scorned" (traditional) – 2:40
- "Easy Rider" (traditional) – 5:06
- "Joshua" (traditional) – 1:53
- "Hound Dog" (traditional) – 3:50
- "Glory, Glory" (traditional) – 2:12
- "Alabama Bound" (Ledbetter) – 1:42
- "Been in the Pen" (traditional) – 2:32
- "Deep Blue Sea" (traditional) – 3:00
- "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (traditional) – 1:51
- Spiritual Trilogy: "Oh, Freedom", "Come and Go With Me", "I'm on My Way" (traditional) – 6:06
- "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" [*] (traditional) – 1:53
- "Take This Hammer" [*] (Ledbetter) – 3:27
- "Deep River" [*] (traditional) – 3:00
- "Chilly Winds" [*] (traditional) – 2:41
[edit] External links
- "Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues" on the All Music Guide:
Original & 2005 re-release
1996 re-release
