This transcript of the radio show is an approximation of what I said in the show. The real spoken parts may differ slightly.
Woohoo! Legends you're surely gonna get, as well as some obscurities and today they're all singing their songs and playing their instruments dedicated to that means of transport that made America a nation - the train. But before I do the talking, let's start off with that great instrumental classic of 1951, The Night train. It was covered by many artists, but here's the original version by Jimmy Forrest.
01 - Jimmy Forrest - Night Train
The night train, from 1951 on United records. That was Jimmy Forrest, who wrote the tune based on Johnny Hodges instrumental That's the Blues, Old Man. You will get another notable version of this tune later in this episode of the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman. Now let's go to two completely different songs with the same title. Here are the Jayhawks and after that Jackie Wilson with the Love Train.
02 - Jayhawks - Love Train
03 - Jackie Wilson - Love Train
The great Jackie Wilson with the Night Train on Coral from 1963. Jackie Wilson was discovered in 1953 by Billy Ward as the lead singer for his Dominoes but realy became succesful when he signed with Brunswick records. Strangely his fist single Reet Petite did little on the R&B charts. Nowadays we all know it but that was due to a 1986 reissue. His electrifying stage acts are said to have influenced other great artists like Elvis, James Brown and Michael Jackson.
Training on further with Mabel Scott. Here is, from 1951, the flip of Somebody Goofed, on Coral, the Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train.
04 - Mabel Scott - Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train
05 - Papa Lightfoot - Mean Ol' Train
Papa George Lightfoot with the Mean Ol' Train. Lightfoot was a Delta blues singer from Natchez, Ms. In that time he remained quite obscure but with the blues revival in the late sixties, he had a short moment of fame. In 1969, he recorded two albums but unfortunately he died in 1971 at the early age of 47.
Next up Guitar Slim with later for you baby, on Specialty records from 1954. Guitar Slim, whose real name was Eddie Jones, had a short-lived career where he was known for his wild performances on stage. When his career went backwards, he took up heavy drinking and died of pneumonia in 1959, when he was only 32 years old. Here is Guitar Slim.
06 - Guitar Slim - Later for you baby
07 - Little Junior's Blue Flames - Mystery Train
Little Junior and his Blue Flames with the mystery train.
For young people it's probably hard to imagine how much more important the train still was in these days. The fifties were the booming age of the automobile, but for the poor public transport was the only way to get somewhere. The train had played an important and great role in the making of the nation.
For African-American history the train was especially important. It enabled the great migration north - to escape the poverty and discrimination of the South. Millions of black people have traveled to the big cities in the north in search for work and a better future - all by train.
But its demise came quick when the automobile brought so much more freedom to the people. For a country with such a rich train history, it's a pity that the train nowadays has such a marginal role in America's transportation needs, while for the environment and the use of our natural resources, traveling by train would be much better than by car or by plane.
So let's play some more music dedicated to the train. Here is the rather unknown Danny Overbea with Train Train, his first recording on Checker from 1952.
08 - Danny Overbea - Train Train
09 - Tiny Bradshaw - Gravy Train
Tiny Bradshaw with the Gravy train. Bradshaw was an educated man, he graduated from university with a degree in psychology, but decided to dedicate his life to the music. We'll hear of him later in this episode of the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman, but first Amos Milburn with Tell Me How Long Has The Train Been Gone.
10 - Amos Milburn & His Aladdin Chicken-Shackers - Tell Me How Long Has The Train Been Gone
11 - Chuck Willis - That Train Is Gone
Chuck Willis with That train is gone, recorded in 1957 and relelased on the 1958 album King of the Stroll. Willis was one of those cats who'd made it a trademark to wear a turban onstage, and in his case it was merely a gimmick. Another musician who died too young, too. It seems that if I hadn't chosen the train as a subject for this episode of the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman, it might well have been artists that died too young. Willis was only thirty years old and on the height of his career when he died of complications of stomach ulcers in 1958.
More trains - here is Eddie Vinson with the Lonesome Train.
12 - Eddie Vinson - Lonesome Train
13 - Lightnin' Slim - Mean ole lonesome train
Lightnin' Slim with the Mean Ole Lonesome Train. His real name was Otis V. Hicks and as a self-taught guitar player he always played in E natural or, if neccesary, with a capo or a detuned guitar. After some years of playing in local bars in Baton Rouge, LA, he started recording for the Excello label in Nashville, TN, for 12 years. In the sixties he had taken a job in a foundry in Detroit, but his career jumped off again with the blues revival of late sixties, until his death in 1974.
Next up the Four Knights who origined from Charlotte, NC but most of their recording work was in New York where they moved in 1945. The Tennessee Train dates from 1953. It was released on Capitol where they cut some forty singles. Here are the Four Knights.
14 - Four Knights - Tennessee Train
15 - Ivory Joe Hunter - Stop Rocking That Train
Ivory Joe Hunter with Stop Rocking That Train. Now you might think that Ivory Joe was his stage name, but no - he was christened with these names at his birth. He was a very productive song writer and recorded in serveral genres including country & western. Stop Rocking That Train was recorded for King in 1951.
Next up the Doles Dickens quartet with the Choo choo bop. Dickes was the base man for his own quartet and recorded this song in 1949 for Decca as the flip of Find ‘Em, Fool ‘Em And Forget ‘Em'. Here's the Choo Choo Bop.
16 - Doles Dickens & His Quintet - Choo Choo Bop
Now earlier in this episode, I've made two promises to return to a certain artist or song. So as we reach the end of this week's Legends of the Rocking Dutchman it's time to make up for that. First Tiny Bradshaw with the influential The Train Kept A-Rollin'. It was covered by Johnny Burnette in 1956 who made it an instant rockabilly classic. After that a vocal version of the instrumental classic Night Train by the Four Blazes. They were signed at United, the same label as Jimmy Forrest whose version you've heard at the start of this program. The lyrics are credited to Lewis P. Simpkins, the co-owner of United Records, and guitarist Oscar Washington. But first, Tiny Bradshaw.
18 - Tiny Bradshaw - The Train Kept A-Rollin
19 - Four Blazes - Night Train
And with the Four Blazes we conclude this episode of the Legends or the Rocking Dutchman with a classic theme in the blues, that is the singer who regrets treating his woman badly, now that she's taken the train away from him. Time's up for this time, where even most of the background tunes on my talking were dedicated to the train. There's so many train songs out there that I could easily fill another hour with them, and we haven't even taken the bus and the subway so I'll save these for another epsiode some time later.
I hope you've enjoyed the show and if so, or if not, don't hesitate to drop a line at rockingdutchman@rocketmail.com. I'm also on the web, just do a google search on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman. And for now, byebye and have a great day. No - have a rocking day. See you next time on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman!