Rollin' and Tumblin'

"Rollin' and Tumblin'" is mostly remembered as a Robert Johnson song -- brought to Chicago by Muddy Waters in the 1950s, and reinterpreted by Cream in the 1960s -- but it was actually written and first recorded by Willie Nebern, who released only a handful of cuts in 1929 (not to be missed at the bottom of this post).

According to Wikipedia, it is derivative of Gus Cannon's 1928 "Minglewood Blues" (which is on the Jug Band Music post), but I don't really hear much more than a general blues similarity.

Most covers have been rock versions like Cream's, but there have also been blues cuts now and then.

Muddy Waters recorded "Rollin' and Tumblin'" in two different genres, first closer to the Delta blues and later as the better known Chicago blues number that influenced Cream and almost everyone afterward. Unfortunately, I can't find a live clip of either version.

If you look quickly, you will see a page of sheet music at the beginning of this clip that attributes authorship of the song to McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters). It was pretty common in the 1960s, and earlier, for some performers to copyright traditional songs -- and sometimes not so traditional songs; looking at you, Pete Seeger -- so maybe that's what happened here. It was more usual, of course, for publishers to claim coauthorship and copyrights. Wikipedia doesn't say anything about the copyright for "Rollin' and Tumblin'."

Don't miss the guest introducer on this clip:

Here is Willie Newbern's original:

Comments

[Gini Douglas]

Great selection of covers of a classic Delta blues song.

Also illustrates how the "British Invasion" brought black blues tunes to White Anerica.

Here is the Yardbrids version of Rollin' and Tumblin' with their own lyrics (Jimmy Page on lead guitar):

https://youtu.be/UAK_rj6mK-c

[Anon]

White America appropriated black blues long before the Brits came over. You just had to live in Chicago.

[anon]

Enjoying music is one thing, and there is nothing wrong with it. If it is "appropriation" to enjoy music, then woke has really infected the minds of the otherwise putatively sane.

Claiming that music as one's own creation when it was not, see, e.g., early Led Zepplin's writing credits, is another. This clearly was "appropriation" (the action of taking something for one's own use, typically without the owner's permission).

Pat Boone singing Tutti Frutti was comical, as too probably Vanilla Ice, etc., but so what? That's allowed. Nothing wrong with it. If you don't like it, don't call out names that don't apply ("appropriation"). Pat Boone never said he was Little Richard or wrote or created the tune.

Why not fault every person who appears to be a member of one group who does not perform "their" music? (Hint: the woke don't fault such persons if not "white.") I can think of many persons who perform music not associated with the group to which "they" are supposed to belong. "One of your own kind, stick to your own kind"? Racist bs.

"White America" is a bogus fiction promulgated by haters. It is a racist characterization designed to demean others on the basis of race. This country is not "white" and nor should it be so considered. Race is a social construct intended to establish power over others on the basis of usually bogus distinctions (e.g, Nazi's theories of "race").

Appropriation of this idea? Seems so.

[w. logan]

Great stuff, Steve. Thanks for posting.

[Anon]

Heard Muddy Waters on the south side of Chicago once and it was mostly white kids. He played to different audiences. My guess is that the music was different depending on the audience, too.