Charley Patton, cuz He Needs a Thread ! !

Given that he appears to have been the primary influence on Robert Johnson, Tommy Johnson, Howlin' Wolf and many others. And given that THEY were the primary influence on the waves of rockers in the '50s and '60s - COuld Patton be ground zero for that whole shebang...? Does 'Bo Weavil' give you chills like it does me? Does 'Spoonful' cause you to grin through the chills? Please discuss! There's a ton of sharp, edumacated folks here & I'd like some things to think about as I go through a serious Patton phase. Oh yeah: Prolly Dylan's favorite too...

Patton is tough to get into because of the not so hot sonic quality of even his most famous recordings, but once you get past the crackle, damnnnn, he is something else. Honestly, for all the talk of him being "the father of the delta blues" etc., he's kind of a world unto himself. Nobody really sounds like this. Maybe Son House comes closest? But to me, the difference betw. him and Robert Johnson is like light years.

i still haven't bought that Revenant box set, though I covet it. I've got most of those recordings already on various other CDs, but it sure is neat looking.

I've always liked him more than Johnson (just always seemed a lot funkier and more lively), and the fidelity has never been a barrier. Catchiest song: "Shake It and Break It," a/k/a "Hang It On The Wall," though others might be more historically relevant ("High Water Everwhere," "High Sheriff Blues," "Going To Move To Alabama," "Bo Weavil Blues," etc.) The early '80s vinyl twofer Founder Of The Delta Blues seems definitive to me, but maybe that's just because it's the only anthology I had for a couple decades; Yazoo CDs The Best Of Charley Patton (2003) and Primeveal Blues, Rags, and Gospel Songs (2005) are great starting places, too. They overlap each other, obviously, but not enough for me not to hang onto all three.

One thing I've always wondered (not that I've poked around enough to find the answer) is why the exact same photo of him seems to wind up on every collection I've ever seen. Is there only one photo in existence? (It's also on the back of Sioux City & The Beggars' Necro Blues from a couple years ago, and nothing on it even says that it's him!)

"Poor Me", like "Love in Vain" and "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" has a mournful weight to it that really gets to me. Should be more of a standard like those.

i think there is only that one photo of him, xhuxk ...
the yazoo "friends of charley patton" thing is worth getting, not just for historical reference, but its a solid listen throughout. i think there's stuff on there that isn't anywhere else? i can't keep track. but yeah -- "funkier and more lively" sounds right. his version of the "blues" is not at all predictable. kinda like the rules hadn't really been written yet, so he just did whatever he wanted, in terms of rhythm/chord structure/meter ...

(this isn't very patton-related, but since this is the delta blues thread of the day, was just reading this: http://www.tdblues.com/?p=944)

the rules hadn't really been written yet, so he just did whatever he wanted

Yeah, the notes to Founder say he'd steal and shuffle verses from other music -- including British and Asian folk music -- at random, and he'd make a song out of anything, especially anything dirty.

he does have some seriously dirty songs

definitely an interesting looking dude
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IWqfvyO_nw8/SNdfs74eYLI/AAAAAAAAFX8/Kg059Snb97Q/s400/Patton.jpg

and ... is that the way he played guitar? or is he just doing something weird with his left hand?

w/r/t his distinctive appearance -i think one of his grandparents was Cherokee

(or maybe Choctaw? which would make more sense considering where he was born)

I think the consensus is that he was half white and a quarter Cherokee, though he used to be rumored to have been Mexican, iirc.

yeah, i remember reading that he had a very mixed heritage, incl. native american.

There are now two known photos of Charley Patton. The well-known one from the 1929 record catalogue and another one relatively recently discovered in the possession of a former spouse that dates from c. 1909 and appears, heavily retouched, in the Calt/Wardlow book about Patton.

It is true that there really is nobody else who sounds like Charley. Close listening reveals a deceptive sophistication in his arrangements, and his voice is a national treasure. It also appears that the form Patton worked in was better established than many folks realize, but he certainly carved a unique niche in it, taking liberties with established standards that hint at what was to come with jazz.

Son House generally dissed the heck out of Patton to the point where he really started to come off like a jealous whiny bitch. That said, they seem to have had a mutual influence on one another. I've always thought that Blind Lemon Jefferson sounds as much like Patton as anyone, which is odd since Jefferson was from Texas, not the Delta.

Yep. That's the 1929 foto. Thanks for posting!

He did play guitar like that some of the time, as well as between his legs & behind his head. Son House hated on him for his showboating. ;-)

The best sounding Patton cds are The Best of Charlie Patton and Primeval Blues Rags and Gospel Songs compilations by Yazoo. There is minimal amount of noise reduction used on these so the music really comes alive. However leaves about 13 songs out, which were left out because the few copies of these songs still around are in really bad shape, probably G rated at best. However if you are really into Patton you need them. Othen than going for the super expensive Revenant set go for either the JSP 5 disc set or the one I have- The Definitive Charley Patton on Catfish Records. He is worth the effort.

There are now two known photos of Charley Patton. The well-known one from the 1929 record catalogue and another one relatively recently discovered in the possession of a former spouse that dates from c. 1909 and appears, heavily retouched, in the Calt/Wardlow book about Patton.

i stumbled on what is supposedly an early portrait of him. is this the one you're talking about? is this thing even real? he looks crazy.

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/79-326/images/c_patton2.jpg

yet to snag that book. really enjoyed calt's skip james bio, need this one, too.

found it here. not much info!

that's supposed to be a pic of him when he was 17?! barely looks like him, but who knows.

his hair and moustache look fake

King of the Delta Blues: The Life and Music of Charlie Patton (Paperback)
Stephen Calt (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews) | Like (0)

Available from these sellers.

6 new from $95.99 10 used from $81.42

>:-O

pic makes me think of this
http://www.parentsconnect.com/editorial_images/14/fuzzy-face-280x280.jpg

& yeah, i've tried to find that Calt bio and run into the same problemos.

pic makes me think of dad

http://pesmerga1983.tripod.com/alt/dad.gif

WOW, had no idea Calt's Patton bio was so scarce these days. got mine for like, less than half cover price? at a used bookstore here less than 5 yrs ago.
i got the skip james one for a buck at the salvation army but haven't read it yet.

i would donate my calt bio to an ilx book swap program if i could be sure of getting it back at some point within, say, 2 years?

i mean, calt's patton bio. not a bio of calt. no one wants to read that.

definitely like the idea of an ilx book swap! dunno if i actually have anything that would be difficult for any ilxor to track down for a reasonable price, but that seems like a p good idea.

seriously guys (esp arby's) check the local library system! you'd be surprised how many crazy expensive rare books you can get!

arby's u in the TC right?

https://catalog.hclib.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1335828199W7J.483732&profile=elibrary&source=~!horizon&view=items&uri=full=3100026~!3841080~!5&ri=2&aspect=basic_search&menu=search&ipp=20&spp=20&staffonly=&term=charlie+patton&index=.TW&uindex=&aspect=basic_search&menu=search&ri=2#focus

otm re: libraries!

interlibrary loan!

oh wow, that's great. i'll definitely check that out when i get the chance. i'm actually in HSTNGS temporarily cuz of school but i might be back in the TC in the summer/fall.

also the last copy to sell on ebay went for $36, which is still a lot, but not as awful as the prices on amazon.

Where do you bluesperts stand on this release?
https://www.discogs.com/Charley-Patton-The-Definitive-Charley-Patton/release/5381792