Bob Wills looks nothing like I'd imagined him. I wasn't expecting the Yellow Rose of Texas...

Thanks for the links.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 1:05 PM on September 20, 2006

Thank you thank you thank you.
posted by ericost at 1:07 PM on September 20, 2006

I loves me some Bob Wills. Leon McAuliffe is pretty great too.

Nice post.
posted by stenseng at 1:10 PM on September 20, 2006

Y2Karl, this is way too cool. Thanks.
posted by Iridic at 1:13 PM on September 20, 2006

Skip James was awesome!

Poor Muddy sounds like he is singing through the harmonica..
So does Bill Monroe, but I think that was intentional :P
posted by Chuckles at 1:19 PM on September 20, 2006

truly amazing to see these legends in action. really the best of the web IMHO.
posted by gnutron at 1:21 PM on September 20, 2006

Thanks, y2karl, for another fun post.
posted by taosbat at 1:28 PM on September 20, 2006

Cool.

PS. Bob Wills is packing heat.
posted by tkchrist at 1:30 PM on September 20, 2006

There's something about those songs. They depress me. (tries to snap fingers along with video, but has no rhythm.)

Great stuff and thanks Mr Y. Thats the quietest I've ever heard Bob Wills. Usually he's stepping on everyone's solo with that "HooHaw!" of his.
posted by hal9k at 1:49 PM on September 20, 2006

my freaking goodness, this is a fantastic post.
a thousand thanks!
posted by Busithoth at 1:49 PM on September 20, 2006

"They're good, aren't they?" "Best in the West!"

The cream of the cream. Thanks, y2karl; this made my day. (And thanks for putting Al Green at the end, because after I'd watched that, I didn't want to break the spell.)
posted by languagehat at 1:59 PM on September 20, 2006

Awesome post! Really terrific stuff.
posted by LeeJay at 2:01 PM on September 20, 2006

This is great! i love traditional music and there have been a few posts of this nature. thank you
posted by MNDZ at 2:07 PM on September 20, 2006

I've only checked out the Al Green link so far, but it's one of my favorite songs, so thanks! I'll get to the others later...
posted by ob at 2:10 PM on September 20, 2006

Wow. Thank you. So great to see Mississippi John Hurt play.
posted by yeti at 2:12 PM on September 20, 2006

1) I picked up a Bob Wills CD recently, and I really like it. Nice to have the visual connection now.

2) I fancy myself a bit of an Al Green fanboi. I love his music, I've read a lot about his personal life (spiritual revival, etc.), and I've seen him preach and got to meet him at his church in Memphis (Just go. It's a little awkward at first, but you won't be the only tourist there, sitting in back, hoping not to be noticed.) But I had no idea that he played guitar. Rather well.

Awesome. Between this and the DC punk post I feel a little better about my fellow human beings this afternoon.
posted by bardic at 2:31 PM on September 20, 2006

But, wait ! There's More !!

Merle Haggard with Bob Will's Texas Playboys - San Antonio Rose
Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Down By The Riverside
Merle Haggard - Swinging Doors
Ferlin Husky - Timber, I'm Falling
Merle Haggard - Little Old Wine Drinker Me
Doc Watson - Deep River Blues
John Lee Hooker - Maudie
posted by y2karl at 2:32 PM on September 20, 2006 [2 favorites]

Oh sweet! Great collection!
posted by TwoWordReview at 2:35 PM on September 20, 2006

There will never be music like this again (commercially). Savor the flavor. Mississippi John Hurt has a permanent spot in the rotation on my iPod.
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 2:36 PM on September 20, 2006

I fancy myself a bit of an Al Green fanboi.

Well, as you may have noticed via the link, there's no shortage of Al Green on YouTube. He even has sockpuppets.

And the 1966 Bob Dylan model is well represented, too.
posted by y2karl at 2:40 PM on September 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

THIS IS FUCKING AWESOME!

(and i can't believe who posted it!)
posted by keswick at 2:40 PM on September 20, 2006

In this vein, Johnny Cash's favorite artists:

The Louvin Brothers
posted by keswick at 2:45 PM on September 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

Well, it's not the quadruple post of The Ultimate Blog Post.
posted by y2karl at 2:48 PM on September 20, 2006

;)
posted by y2karl at 2:48 PM on September 20, 2006

Gatemouth Brown in top form.

Old Buddy Guy and Muddy footage (see Hendrix in the crowd at 2:20 mark).
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 2:57 PM on September 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

Bah, youtubeFilter.

I keed, I keed. Great post.
posted by mullingitover at 3:04 PM on September 20, 2006

Sooooo good. Thanks!
posted by EarBucket at 3:18 PM on September 20, 2006

John Lee Hooker -- I'll Never
posted by Tuwa at 3:25 PM on September 20, 2006

This is making it *really* hard to get any work done today.
posted by gnutron at 3:34 PM on September 20, 2006

self-link time guys, ... a few days ago I ripped a Flaming Lips and Shins Austin City Limits episode off my tivo and uploaded a few songs. ...The best of which is Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots ..also an ok one is Race for the Prize
posted by thisisdrew at 3:45 PM on September 20, 2006

There *is* another of Mississippi John Hurt's songs on video: John Henry. I prefer it to the one in the FPP, honestly.


But this *is* an awesome FPP.
posted by Deathalicious at 4:04 PM on September 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

OK, Muddy and Mojo Twice
posted by mss at 4:05 PM on September 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

On the original post, Houston Stackhouse's falsetto is the most amazing thing I've heard in a long time.
posted by beagle at 4:40 PM on September 20, 2006

Bob Wills looks incredibly doofy; I love it.
posted by kenko at 4:45 PM on September 20, 2006

John Lee Hooker - Maudie

Man, there's some serious foot fetishism going on there. Half the video consists of close-ups of white people jiggling their feet.

This thread continues to produce wondrous things; keep it up, y'all!
posted by languagehat at 5:09 PM on September 20, 2006

oh, man - great stuff - thanks, y2karl - that Howlin Wolf clip is pricelss - I like that it gives the guy scale too - he is like a giant among the people. Also a good from the Taildragger Shake For Me.

And Son House - wow - what a vintage clip.Here he is doing Sometimes I Wish

Houston Stackhouse performing one of my favorite songs (love that album with Stackhouse and Nighthawk). What a kick to see him, I'd only heard him. Love his little "how bout that" at the end.

It's a big thrill to have the opportunity to see clips of performers you never heard live because they had already passed on - and who you might never have found before because they aren't mainstream enough. I knew I was hooked on YouTube when I found my main man Professor Longhair doing Tipitina.

Here's a few gems I've found in my travels:
Must see: Big Mamma Thornton - Hound Dog
Muddy Waters - Long Distance Call
Mississippi Fred McDowell - Goin Down to the River
Mance Lipscomb - Jack of Spades
Otha Turner & Corey Harris - Sittin' On Top Of The World
Johnny Shines - Ramblin'
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - Backwater Blues
Not as vintage, but fun: John Lee Hooker & Van Morrisson - Baby Please don't go
posted by madamjujujive at 5:23 PM on September 20, 2006 [2 favorites]

y2karl, you've done it yet again! Thanks.
posted by horsemuth at 5:36 PM on September 20, 2006

madamjujujive, I love you! Fess is my main man too; I just wish that video were longer (which goes for most of these, actually).
posted by languagehat at 5:39 PM on September 20, 2006

...oops, apparently I "malformed" the link to Son House doing Sometimes I wish
posted by madamjujujive at 5:40 PM on September 20, 2006

Slap me five mr.hat - doesn't he just do it for you? His music makes me happy!
posted by madamjujujive at 5:42 PM on September 20, 2006

y2k!
mjj!
thanks so much!
made my day!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:57 PM on September 20, 2006

joining the chorus of praise!

Say y2k, call me, we're gearing up agin.

This is clearly THE WAY to do a YouTube post.
posted by mwhybark at 6:10 PM on September 20, 2006

Nat King Cole Trio - Route 66
Billie Holiday - Fine and Mellow
Roscoe Holcomb - John Hardy
Thelonious Monk - Blue Monk
Django Reinhardt and his Quintet of the Hot Club of France - J'Attenndrai ("("I Will Wait")
Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie - Hot House
Nat King Cole & Ella Fitzgerald - You're The Top
Billie Holiday & Louis Armstrong - Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
Louis Armstrong - Dinah
Jimmie Rodgers - Blue Yodel No 1 (T for Texas)
Count Basie - One O'Clock Jump
Dinah Washington - All Of Me
Nat King Cole - Stardust
posted by y2karl at 6:42 PM on September 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

this is my favorite metafilter post, ever. thank you so much
posted by petsounds at 6:44 PM on September 20, 2006

Robert Jr. Lockwood - Sweet Home Chicago
Mahalia Jackson - Didn't It Rain
Johnny Guitar Watson - Gangster Of Love
Booker White - Poor Boy Long Way from Home
Louis Prima - Oh, Marie !
Lonnie Johnson - Another Night To Cry
Wanda Jackson w/ Joe Maphis - Cool Love
Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker - Ballade
and about thirty seconds of Les Paul in his prime...
posted by y2karl at 7:10 PM on September 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

Thanks! Also, the Blind Willie Johnson (and wife) singing the original version of John the Revelator from the 1930s.
posted by blahblahblah at 7:39 PM on September 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

Beautiful - just think, for so many useless emo vanity videos YouTube has there must be dones of actual good quality stuff - thank you y2karl and others. Truly some gems there.Seeing people put Son House (that voice!) as one of their fav videos reconfirms my faith in humanity and the Internets just a bit more...

*overdoses on multiple versions of John the Revelator*
posted by rmm at 8:09 PM on September 20, 2006

But hold on! Along with this offer, you also get

Big Joe Turner - Feelin' Happy
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - C Jam Blues
Betty Boop w/ Louis Armstrong - I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal, You
Tennessee Ernie Ford - Shotgun Boogie
Benny Goodman w/ Miss Peggy Lee - Why Don't You Do Right?
Louis Armstrong - A Rhapsody in Black and Blue
Boswell Sisters - Heebie Jeebies
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra w/ Whitey's Lindy Hoppers - Hot Chocolates
Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons
Aretha Franklin - Mockingbird
Fats Waller - Ain't Misbehavin'
Hoagy Carmichael, Jack Teagarden & His Orchestra w/ Meredith Blake - Two Sleepy People, That's Right, I'm Wrong, Washboard Blues, Lazy Bones, Small Fry, Rockin' Chair and Star Dust !!!

Like Armando's stilletto, I delivers
posted by y2karl at 8:29 PM on September 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

This is just the best. Thank you y2karl and madamjujujive
posted by Tarrama at 8:35 PM on September 20, 2006

No YouTube link for dearly departed Don Walser.
posted by WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot at 8:52 PM on September 20, 2006

Holy fuck Karl, you magnificent bastard!
posted by LarryC at 9:46 PM on September 20, 2006

Siimply awesome, y2karl - and thanks to everyone else who has posted ... kevinskomsvold, I kiss you for that great Gatemouth. YouTube is now down for admin, and just as well or I would probably be up all night now my mojo's workin.

OK, just a few more from me for posterity ... we need more bluess divas to represent ...
Bessie Smith - St. Louis Blues - real vintage stuff here
Ruth Brown, Natalie Cole, Mavis Staples
A very young Tina Turner
Katie Webster, Gatemouth Brown - Everyday I have the blues
Lightning Hopkins - Daddy was a preacher
T-Bone Walker - Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong
Otis Redding live- I've Been Loving You Too Long
Carey Bell Louisiana Red, and Jimmy Rodgers
posted by madamjujujive at 10:37 PM on September 20, 2006 [1 favorite]

This music makes me want to visit the usa again.

There are so many things wrong with that nation, but once in a while i am reminded of the things that make it a truely special place. In my opinion this music encapsulates some of the very important and profound aspects of the usa that are fading away. Oh and i also love teh beat.

great post.
posted by FidelDonson at 1:59 AM on September 21, 2006

The Mississippi John Hurt clip is awesome. Inspiring and Humbling. Ok, fellow southland guitarist/singer/songwriters, come up with your own passable version of "Lonesome Valley," and we'll meet and compare in, say, 2008...
posted by toma at 3:27 AM on September 21, 2006

Don Reno and Red Smiley harmonize well with this post. Pilot TV show from 1962 includes Kroger commericials and a nice (but too short) version of "Whispering Hope."
posted by bmckenzie at 6:27 AM on September 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

Blind Willie Johnson (and wife) singing the original version of John the Revelator from the 1930s.

Dude, that's Roger McGuinn from the 1970s. Not to harsh the mellow of this magnificent thread, but that was a severe letdown.
posted by languagehat at 6:57 AM on September 21, 2006

Wow, that C Jam Blues is incredible—I thought the impossibly young and debonair Sonny Greer was a passing waiter until he sat down at the drum kit!
posted by languagehat at 7:04 AM on September 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

There is a brief clip of that John The Revelator by Blind Willie and Angeline Johnson here. But you need Windows 98 to play it.
posted by y2karl at 7:53 AM on September 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

I thought the impossibly young and debonair Sonny Greer was a passing waiter until he sat down at the drum kit!

Hey, I had the same experience watching the Yazoo Times Ain't Like They Used To Be DVD* I checked out from the library. I was watching Jack Johnson's Jazz Band's Tiger Rag and realized that it was Chick Webb on the drums.

*Man, if someone had put a clip of Unce John Scruggs's Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane , I would have linked that, too !
posted by y2karl at 8:04 AM on September 21, 2006

This is really an extraordinary post with great additions in the comments. Kudos!
posted by OmieWise at 8:50 AM on September 21, 2006

What with spending the whole morning grooving to all these links I've barely got time to get work done AND look up this clip by Booker T and the MGs.
posted by booth at 9:15 AM on September 21, 2006

Roger McGuinn from the 1970s

I do have an original print of a McGuinn portrait (taken by Jim Marshall) on a wall in my aprtment since, like, the late Nineties
posted by matteo at 9:59 AM on September 21, 2006

Paul Robeson - Ol' Man River
Dock Boggs- Country Blues
George Jones - You Got To be My Baby
Nat King Cole, The Oscar Peterson Trio and Coleman Hawkins - Sweet Lorraine
Wilson Pickett - Mustang Sally
Miles Davis Quintet w/ John Coltraine - So What
Chick Webb & His Orchestra w/ "Shorty" George Snowden - After Seban
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson from Just Around The Corner
Lena Horne - Stormy Weather
posted by y2karl at 10:09 AM on September 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

Red Ingle - Nowhere
Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel
Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue
The Rolling Stones - I Just Want To Make Love To You
Furry Lewis - When I Lay My Burden Down
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire
Art Tatum- Humouresque
Johnny Cash - Ring Of Fire
Spike Jones - Song of the Volga Boatmen
posted by y2karl at 10:58 AM on September 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

Absolutely superlative - great work Karl....
posted by Pressed Rat at 11:34 AM on September 21, 2006

Well, this thread has just cost me $5 (registration for mefi) and roughly a day of progress on a project... but it's some of the best I've seen. I didn't realize there was so much available! BTW, Karl said
"There is a brief clip of that John The Revelator by Blind Willie and Angeline Johnson here. But you need Windows 98 to play it."
my G5 Mac with Firefox fired it right up.

Thank you, ALL WHO'VE posted!
posted by drhydro at 6:14 PM on September 21, 2006

James Brown - I Feel Good
Blue Ridge Mountain Clog Dancers @ Newport Folk Festival 1965
Sam Cooke - Blowin' in the Wind
Bob Dylan - Maggie's farm (Newport Folk Festival 1965)
Edith Piaf - La Vie En Rose
Dave Van Ronk - Sunday Street
Bootsy Collins - Stretchin' Out In A Rubber Band
Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band - Downtown Blues
Grateful Dead - Viola Lee
John Coltrane - Naima
posted by y2karl at 7:32 PM on September 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

Mothra of God!
posted by mwhybark at 9:30 PM on September 21, 2006

The Ronettes - Be My Baby
Hank Williams - Cold Cold Heart
The Toys - Lover's Concerto
The Clovers - Lovey Dovey
The Band with the Staple Singers - The Weight
Ella Mae Morse - The Cow Cow Boogie
Louis Jordan - Beware
Count Basie & His Orchestra w/ Jimmy Rushing - Kansas City Blues
The Chordettes - Lollipop
Patsy Cline - Blue Moon of Kentucky
The Flamingos - Would I Be Crying
Bob Dylan - Knockin' On Heaven's Door
The Staple Singers - Respect Yourself
Ella Fitzgerald - A Tisket, A Tasket
Chuck Berry - You Can't Catch Me
Sly and The Family Stone - Family Affair
The Marvelettes - Don't Mess With Bill
posted by y2karl at 10:03 PM on September 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

omg - awesome - Sonny Boy Williamson: Your Funeral and my trial - heh - check out the audience
David "Honeyboy" Edwards - Gamblin' Man - Delta classic still livin, still playin
Albert King - The Sky Is Crying
Delta bluesman Sam Chatmon
Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind (Blind Girl)
B.B. King & Irma Thomas - You Can Have My Husband but Please Dont Mess With my Man
Solomon Burke - A change is gonna come
Ray Charles - Hit the Road Jack (1961)
The Dixie Cups & The Neville Brothers - Bro. John - Iko Iko - note Dennis Quaid jammin with the band
Ry Cooder - Jesus Is On The Mainline (Santa Cruz 1987)

... must stop mainling youtube music - this is y2karls' fault.
posted by madamjujujive at 10:30 PM on September 21, 2006 [1 favorite]

Benny Goodman Quartet - I've Got A Heartful of Music is 97 for me.

Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man (Newport 1964 ) is 98.

At ninety nine comes Billie Holiday with Count Basie and His Orchestra - God Bless The Child That's Got His Own.

And I myself will end with my own personal culture hero--

Johnny Guitar Watson- I Want To Ta-Ta Thank You, Baby

I am done here. Carry on.

Thank you and good night. One and all.
posted by y2karl at 12:07 AM on September 22, 2006 [1 favorite]

Thanks again good sir.
posted by wheelieman at 7:01 AM on September 25, 2006

Norman Blake, Nancy Blake, James Bryan-Salty
posted by OmieWise at 7:58 AM on September 25, 2006 [1 favorite]