"What's the Matter with the Mill?" was originally recorded by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy, although it was not one of their best known numbers. It is most memorable for the call-and-response refrain, with the title question answered "it done broke down." It has not been covered very often, which is too bad.
[Len Barry, lead singer of the Dovells, passed away on Thursday. There isn't enough material to do a full post on him, but be sure to check out the clip at the bottom of this post.]
Muddy Waters
Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe (audio only)
Tuba Skinny
Bob Wills (audio only)
Hot Club of Cowtown
Moon Mullican (audio only)
Pokey LaFarge
Janet Robin
The first time I ever heard this song was in about 1964 on an album by Minnesotans Koerner, Ray and Glover, who apologized for being from "the wrong end of the Mississippi River." The vocals sound forced today, but they were trying hard at the time to respectfully preserve the music. Audio only:
It is a fine tune even without a chorus
Len Barry (born Leonard Borisoff) was lead singer of the Dovells, who had one platinum hit. He later had a solo career with another memorable hit in "One, Two, Three." Here is "Bristol Stomp," introduced by Chubby Checker: