Slide/Dark Was The Night Cold Was The Ground /Johnson/Cooder

[ScooterpupReljac]

Beautiful....are you playing this in Open E?

[woodhd]

sounds beautiful man

[mynthon11]

You have SOUL man!!

[deltablues4761]

@mynthon11

thanks very much.

[Carroll49]

BWJ is smiling I'm sure. Thank you for the art man.

[deltablues4761]

@Carroll49

Thanks I'm sure all his senses are operating now!

DB4761

[johnallwood]

great feeling , and technique best version of this Ive heard in ages

[deltablues4761]

@johnallwood

thanks kindly

[GibsonGuitarestmatt]

its not blues it aint grass it aint nout its music from the mans soul

[deltablues4761]

@GibsonGuitarestmatt

thankyou very much

[solomonopoly]

Closest I've ever heard to the original.

You have my respect for sure.

Sometimes blue feels good.

Real good.

[deltablues4761]

You're too kind,thanks all the same

DC

[raschperr]

Guys read the letter ! Its open c

[solomonopoly]

Open C#

I'm a nit-picker picker. ;)

Glad the blues has some respect from all of you out there.

Really makes me feel good to see this much response.

There is still some hope for music. : )

[345red]

you felt it right

[ij901]

What tuning is this in?

[SxSDeath]

I'm going to guess Open D.

[3035730357]

Open D.

[mcul2112]

Buddy....that is some good stuff. Thank you for just sitting there....and playing....

All the best.

[deltablues4761]

Likewise and thankyou

[gescheitert]

this is very very good.

[deltablues4761]

thanks again

[JRHulbret]

I commented on this some time ago. STILL great work. Never put the pick down. You know what you're doing.

[deltablues4761]

thanks a lot

[hchoron]

there are very few people that pull this song off and make it sound soulful. this guy has managed to do it. fantastic cover.

[letswatchsometv]

great job on this - what guitar are you playing?

[deltablues4761]

Thanks-small bodied OO size Ibanez Salvador classical guitar with steel strings.

[edcerc]

that one lick sounds like the lick from lonnie johnson and texas alexander. I think its called prison camp moan or something like that.

[deltablues4761]

Interesting ,but I'm not sure about those other licks.

[williestratton]

dude, an alien could be listening to this song RIGHT NOW.

[deltablues4761]

That's if THEY have ears!!!

[williestra]

hahaha true man, very true.

[PsychoKNTX]

I bet this is on e.t.'s ipod as we speak.

[williestratton]

Nice man, real nice.

[deltablues4761]

thankyou

[imgooley]

Hows pickin with those thumbpicks and finger picks? I play slide guitar as well, and Blind Willie Johnson is one of my biggest influences.

Also, is that a dunlop slide? Looks like a blues bottle.

[deltablues4761]

Steel thumbpicks make it harder as far as unwanted string noise goes, but with practice you can dampen those sounds, but it's hard work. The slide is plain glass or pyrex, one or the other, I have a blues bottle , but find it too loose and bulky for me.

Thanks

[imgooley]

I'll keep that in mind. I've been meaning to try thumbpicks. Thanks, and great job.

[dantrendkill666]

just great. very very moving

[deltablues4761]

thankyou

[gomezdjprim]

This would be awesome around a campfire. Maybe next time I go camping at the lake you can play for us.

[deltablues4761]

Ok, thanks.

You bring the beer and I'll see you there.

[doirevomba]

White man got no business singing the blues

[meikelkorleone]

It's no matter of black or white,

it's about sadness or happiness.

[deltablues4761]

Coming from one human (me) to anothger (you) ,I agree and thankyou!

[RoseToronto]

any member of the human race who can play guitar like this, was born to play like this

[deltablues4761]

I wholeheartidly agree that music transcends race ,creed and humbly say thankyou!

It's the expression of musical art that matters to me,not blind egos and celebrity in a world gone mad!

cheers, Dean

[Lukeblueslover]

if you put it in a racist matter of black and white then you even have to say that modern black people shouldn't play the blues. They have nothing to do whit the people struggling back in the first decades of 1900's. Such a stupid statement, everyone who likes any kind of music could play it, after that it's only a matter of intentions in the execution of the piece that makes it good or bad. Charley Patton wasn't 100% black for example, and he's the father of the delta blues. Get real man

[brentlayzee]

the fact you say that,

makes this white boy even bluer...

[papasilvertooth]

Nice one! Sounds pretty authentic - inspired to me pick up my guitar...

[deltablues4761]

thanks

[Tommahelen]

Was this one of the songs put on the Voyager spacecraft as proof of intelligent life on Earth? Praise doesn't come much higher than that.

[deltablues4761]

Yes, read about this video above in the description.

thankyou

[markox333]

nice job. dug the playing.

[deltablues4761]

thanks so much

[phild1214]

Hey thanks so much for your comment - it means a lot coming from an awesome player such as yourself - and you do a beautiful take on this beautiful song...

[deltablues4761]

Thanks Phil, I can see by your playing you also love this music, once it grabs you, it's too late!

Regards, Dean

If you're ok , I'll send you through a video response to post up for your Blind Willie tune?

[phild1214]

I'll look forward to it...

[layabout01]

Imagine... this song is one of the representative "sounds of earth" on the records aboard voyager that represent humanity. One day when those green fellas crack that thing open they're gonna hear blind willie!!!

[deltablues4761]

Thanks ,read my little blurb 'About this Video" on the information section and it says the Voyager is now some 9.3 billion miles from our sun.

whoever finds it should be well impressed with Bind willie's tune ,amongst some other cultural stuff.

Cheers

[layabout01]

hehe Dark was the sky, cold was the vacuum...

[deltablues4761]

And frightening was the silenceEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[lenaspieltblues]

Great guitar, marvelous slidework, what can I say: I love it!

[deltablues4761]

Thanks friend!

[deltablues4761]

Thankyou kindly

[acidmindcps]

Dude... 5 stars for you!!!

This song have the feeling of old blues.

[Jay42Tina41]

It's a funny thing. I don't have much good to say about the people I see in my every day life, I just don't think there's much hope sometimes. Then, something like this comes along and it's like a light. It's not just the music, it's the kind responses. Thanks for the smile DeltaBlues4761, you really made my day. You're obviously someone special, and your gift brought a bunch of good people together.

[deltablues4761]

I'm really happy to have affected at least one human being with the slide guitar.

I never played guitar until a few years ago,boy I'm glad I did because it is such a great emotional release.I'd encourage you to walk in the light as you are obviously doing, there's always an abundance of goodness and light in the world, you just need to believe and things usually go well, although I do agree living in our world can a very tough gig.

Thanks again, Dean

[Jay42Tina41]

It's funny how Mr. Johnson's gift is giving long after he passed. The important thing to note about him is he was both bold and at the same time, matter of fact, about his faith. Think about it, if he would have crawled up in a corner and felt sorry for himself he would have never made the music he did. He knew it all happened for a reason and went on about making music that to this day is so full of truth. This song has always been the blues version of Amazing Grace to me. You did good DB4761

[deltablues4761]

Thanks kindly, if you get the spirit of this music some 70 years on, it still must be very powerful in it's nature.

Whenever I play this I always say a prayer for the creator of this tune, and wherever he may be today, I'm sure he is no longer vision impaired, he's no longer Blind Willie J.

Cheers

[pitberry]

I always smile at the last chord of dark is the night. It's like one of the most heartbreaking pieces of music in existance, but back then, musicians like blind willie were so humble and innocent ,they always did a little TAA DAA ending. That one sweet joyful little chord ,(well interpreted here) is all heart.

well done.

[deltablues4761]

Thanks so much, I agree, that ending and that ending only, always gets me too, although I tend to overstate it, as you noted the original guys were so humble it just came naturally, which was and is the great force and beauty in this style of music, as I usually say to conpliments, all imitation is a slight reflection on the innovators.

cheers, Dean

[tesuji05]

Awesome version of what is certainly one of the best songs ever written. I'm curious, how did you learn to play the delta blues?

[deltablues4761]

thanks, answer is passion , hard work, and feeling.

[tesuji05]

good answer! and also encouraging!

[musik102]

Nice! I'm learning this on acoustic lap steel at the moment.

[deltablues4761]

Thanks,record a video response when you're done and I'll put it up if you want.

Dean

[MajorChaos69]

would u happen to have this song in tab? i would love to play it but don't have the skill to play by ear :(

[deltablues4761]

go to slidingzone with all the w's.

Guys name is Kaye Ugraws sliding zone web site

Dean

[MajorChaos69]

would you have this song in tab? it's my fav blues song and would love to learn it, but i'm not good enough to do it by ear and need tabs lol

[deltablues4761]

If you cant find it slidingzone with all 3 w's, web address, email me back and I'll try and scan it and send it to your email

Dean

[Doginthefog]

great, man!!!! one of blind willie johnson's masterpieces.. i like that, keep on bluesin'..

[deltablues4761]

thanks very much

[kenhughesblues]

really f'n sad. great job. beautiful rendition. i've always love the ry cooder tune and more recently become familiar with blind w. johnson

thanks

[deltablues4761]

Thankyou kindly Ken, it is a haunting melody this tune, the original is very eerie.

regards, Dean

[deltablues4761]

thanks a lot

[elpanchito421]

wonderful version of the great song, made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck! thanks for putting this up man!

[deltablues4761]

Thanks so much friend,glad you liked it, if someone likes it, that's an extra bonus for playing it, especially when you put some of your own feeling into it.

Cheers

[ybot1983]

where you at it loks like your in the woods somewhere

[deltablues4761]

Wherever I actually was when I played this I felt like I was way down in the country under a full moon!

[MCJohnnyFresh]

Good work man.

[deltablues4761]

thankyou

[rikiyamashi]

the best song for when you're over down

[bobheaton]

Sent shivers down my spine.Superb.Thanks for sharing.

[SardonicusRexx]

The story of the Voyager records is far more amazing than you realize. Check out the book "Murmurs of Earth" by Saga, Druyan and crew. And check out track #9 at CelebratingSagan dot com

[deltablues4761]

thanks my friend!

[SardonicusRexx]

Oops, my mistake. You want to start with track 8 where Radio Lab interviews Carl's wife, Ann Druyan about the Voyager project. But let it play past the next track "When Carl Sagan Died".

Wow.

[deltablues4761]

SR.couldn't hook on to that celebratingSagan site..is it down or moved?

Thanks

[JRHulbret]

A 5 star and a favorited. Damn good work.

[deltablues4761]

Muchas Gracias JR!

[bluezlick]

amazing!

[deltablues4761]

thankyou my friend.

[podGmaster]

thats so cool great job I love the song

[deltablues4761]

thanks glad you liked it

[deltablues4761]

Thankyou son!

[pychvlak]

Good Job

[deltablues4761]

thankyou

[BlindMellonJefferson]

Wow...great...you have captured some of Blind Willie's soul. I haven't heard anyone do anything with 'Dark was the night' in a long time. Just excellent! Is that a Blackwood? It looks like an OM or OOO.

[deltablues4761]

thanks for your kind remarks..........hopefully Blind Willie's soul is now free.

Guitar is old Ibanez , made in Japan size OO, I think, parlour size, solid top.

Cheers

[ormusbaxter]

fantastic!!

[daviemcf]

Is there anybody out there playin blues like this guy,thanks deltablues4761, a big 5!

[deltablues4761]

Millions friend!

[MichelZBlues]

You have such a beautiful feeling, 5 stars, favorited

[deltablues4761]

I am grateful other people can feel the music...many thanks.

[deltablues4761]

Thanks B.P glad you liked it.

[elderwood111]

5 stars brother

[deltablues4761]

Thanks my friend, as lond a few people like the sound, that's great satisfaction for me.

[bluespower]

great version!!thankx for posting(luv cooders version,)regards bluespower..

[deltablues4761]

thanks bp, some of cooders stuff has been removed from utube, hard to find.

[KharTex]

amazing...

as always.

by hearing this, I see myself as an old wise man sitting on a rocking chair, no need for anything :D

[deltablues4761]

Thanks ,as always.