MEDICINE SHOW BLUES
VA - Good For What Ails You, Music Of The Medicine Shows (1926-1937) [2005]
Wanna hear the real snake oil salesmen? Before motion pictures, before radio, the traveling Medicine Shows brought entertainment to middle America in the form of pitch doctors hawking elixirs, backed by a host of singers, comedians, dancers, banjo pickers, blues shouters and fiddlers. While the Medicine Show died out by the mid-20th century, a number of these wandering minstrels made it onto record, and this set brings you their long-forgotten sides. Three years in the making, the new release from Old Hat Records is a groundbreaking survey of music from the American medicine show, that peculiar form of theater that merged entertainment with merchandising. Good For What Ails You is a two CD set that delivers a generous mix of 48 songs, many available nowhere else, first recorded nearly 80 years ago and now remastered with digital clarity. (Amazon)
Good For What Ails You was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Album Notes and Best Historical Album.
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Track Lists
CD1
01. The Spasm - Daddy Stovepipe & Mississippi Sarah
02. Tanner's Boarding House - Gid Tanner & Riley Puckett
03. Don't Think I'm Santa Claus - Lil McClintock
04. Hokum Blues - Dallas String Band with Coley Jones
05. Jimbo Jambo Land - Shorty Godwin
06. Gonna Swing On The Golden Gate - Fiddlin' John Carson & His Virginia Reelers
07. Papa's 'Bout To Get Mad - Pink Anderson & Simmie Dooley
08. The Man Who Wrote Home Sweet Home Never Was A Married Man - Charlie Parker & Mack Woolbright
09. Bye, Bye, Policeman - Jim Jackson
10. The Bald-Headed End Of A Broom - Walter Smith
11. Bow Wow Blues - Allen Brothers
12. Beans - Beans Hambone & El Morrow
13. A Chicken Can Waltz The Gravy Around - Stovepipe # 1 and David Crockett
14. Tell It To Me - Grant Brothers & Their Music
15. Ain't No Use Working So Hard - Carolina Tar Heels
16. Mama Keep Your Yes Ma'am Clean - Walter Cole
17. C-H-I-C-K-E-N Spells Chicken - Kirk McGee & Blythe Poteet
18. My Money Never Runs Out - Banjo Joe
19. Railroadin' Some - Henry Thomas "Ragtime Texas"
20. Traveling Man - Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers
21. G. Burns Is Gonna Rise Again - Johnson-Nelson-Porkchop
22. Baby All Night Long - Blue Ridge Mountain Entertainers
23. Born In Hard Luck - Chris Bouchillon
24. He's In The Jailhouse Now - Memphis Sheiks
CD2
01. Gonna Tip Out Tonight - Pink Anderson & Simmie Dooley
02. Chevrolet Car - Sam McGee
03. It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo' - Gid Tanner & His Skillet-Lickers
04. Bring It With You When You Come - Cannon's Jug Stompers
05. Atlanta Strut - Blind Sammie
06. Go Along Mule - Uncle Dave Macon & His Fruit Jar Drinkers
07. Casey Bill - Earl McDonald's Original Louisville Jug Band
08. I Got Mine - Frank Stokes
09. Hannah - Chris Bouchillon
10. Adam & Eve In The Garden - Bogus Ben Covington
11. Mysterious Coon - Alec Johnson & His Band
12. Her Name Was Hula Lou - Carolina Tar Heels
13. Reno Blues - Three Tobacco Tags
14. Scoodle Um Skoo - Papa Charlie Jackson
15. Stackalee - Frank Hutchison
16. The Cat's Got The Measles, The Dog's Got The Whooping Cough - Walter Smith
17. Shout You Cats - Hezekiah Jenkins
18. Nobody's Business If I Do - Tommie Bradley
19. Sweet Sixteen - Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers
20. Ticklish Reuben - Charlie Parker & Mack Woolbright
21. I Heard The Voice Of A Porkchop - Jim Jackson
22. Shine - Dallas String Band with Coley Jones
23. The Gypsy - Emmett Miller & His Georgia Crackers
24. Kiss Me Cindy - J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers
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Oooh, this looks like it's going to be _really_ good - thanks, Butter!
ReplyDeleteHi Aging Child,
DeleteAlways thinking how to excite the senses. This could just be the medicine to do that.
Cheers.
Nice new avatar, who is it.
...especially the snake oil; can't have one's boa constrictors getting rusty and squeaky.
DeleteOh; the avatar's one Dr. Karl Theodor von Küstner (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Theodor_von_K%C3%BCstner), brother of my 4x-great grandfather. I figured it was time for a new coiffure, and some cool specs - got a nice set of sideburns/sideboards out of it, too; no extra charge.
DeleteSnake Oil, yummy! You can actually by snake oil and bile from the sides streets in Taiwan. Party Town!
DeleteCheers
Once Fantasy Island's lottery winnings come in, I plan to visit Japan and South Korea, en route to Perth, Sydney, and Christchurch - will have to make a detour to Taipei as well, sounds like, and try out _real_ Chinese cookin'... including that snake oil and bile. Now, how do I say "Alka Seltzer" in Mandarin?
Delete:)
DeleteWay to go...
Wǒ kà n dà o dùzile will receive a good response, Then again they may offer Snake bile in a vial of blood. Happy travels!
Cheers .
Shi-shi, Butter - zai jian!
DeleteThis could be your most controversial offering. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi Eric,
DeleteNot trying to controversial, but thanks.
Some amazing tracks to be found here. Enjoy the music.
Cheers.
I am not being critical.
DeleteHi Eric,
DeleteI know you were not being critical. My response was not intended to make you feel bad for your comment. I actually appreciated it. I said it as a joke thanking you for the fact that It may well be controversial and me not realizing.
No problem from my end. Have a great week.
Cheers.
Hi BB, thanks for this, looks like
ReplyDeletean interesting listen -
and great job on the Native American comp,
really enjoying it = Cheers
Hi Coffee Messiah,
DeleteHope you find new sound from this Comp.
Thank you again for sharing your thought on the Native American Compilation.
Cheers
I have been listening to this today. Maybe you have it already. If so great if not here is the link..
DeleteI think you may enjoy it.
https://butterboycompilations.blogspot.com/search?q=VA+-+Letters+and+Postcards+
Cheers
Thanks for the thought BB,
Deletewill dl and play tomorrow = Cheers
This Is So Great Thanks Much Apricitated Greetzzz
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, J..
DeleteSome really interesting sound on this one and the historical flavor is exciting.
Cheers.
Thanks for sharing, BB.
ReplyDeleteI love esoteric stuff like this: you wouldn't think that such a collection would ever exist, but I'm glad it does.
Hi Paolo,
DeleteI enjoy listening to these historic sounds. Enjoy.
Cheers.
Could You Please Fix This Link. Please I Can't Download.
ReplyDeleteHi jcbhyde33.
DeleteNew link established, tested and working.
Apologies for the delay but missed seeing this one earlier.
Cheers.