STAGGER LEE (1969) by Taj Mahal

[thetypemanfuckyou]

Going to see him tomorrow night! GREAT STUFF!

[fredatric]

Thanks, just ordered the album after listening to this. Great!

[Kezza4000]

Alan Lomax found it hard to find people who would sing the real Stagolee song, which had about 40 verses, and spoke of Stagolee throwing the Devil out of hell, and replacing him with himself. This is an old song, shrouded in mystery! And was portrayed as the devils music.

[olvinyldude]

I agree..! Have it also, and normally do not LIKE doubles...But this is great!

[inyobill]

THanks for posting, I'm going to look for the album.

Great rolling accump..., accompuh..., strings.

[lymeguy1156]

great song and terrific wording. thanks!

[Decatur7]

Great version and I love Taj on his own, but his first 'Statesboro Blues' with Leaving Trunk, slayed me, and set me on a course to emulate his vocals.

[paganmaestro]

Thanks for this. Wonderfully done. And I agree, it'd be great for Taj to make another solo album of 'roots' songs.

[DrBelser12]

@BenjaminKruga Hurt's version (which is the original of this version) titled Stack O' Lee Blues was one of the first known arrangements.

[redguns]

Great tune. Great artist. Great video still mix. Thank you for posting

[hovarulz]

is it not, "Stack 'O Lee"? 

[randomstupidnesswv]

@hovarulz that's a good question and it actually depends on the time frame your speaking of it in. It's know as both and about another dozen different variations.

[hovarulz]

@randomstupidnesswv interesting. thanks!

[jazzkid66]

@hovarulz i think the original was Stack o Lee...back in the 30's...but people have re done it and called it stagger lee (druken black cat) who kills girls man so she has to shoot his ass 4 revenge....Grateful Dead redid/arranged the tune good as well

[dannysfreind]

Like being talked to by a freind........Ohhhhhh, Good ole Stagger Lee

Cruel ole Stagger Lee

That bad man, Stagger Lee.....

[lectrklady]

I love that album and love listening to Taj

[richardmbowman]

As with most blues songs, there have been many versions of this tune. This is, in my opinion, one of the best and one of the most original renditions. I've heard others, from James Brown to Bonnie Raite's version, Mississippi John Hurt, Mr. Son House, .... But yeah, I like this one best. Sing on Taj. One other thing, Taj's daughter, Coco Pehla, is more than just worth listening to. Be advised.

[mmontesano69]

wow, I always thought it was an original of Mississippi John Hurt...

[BenjaminKuruga]

@mmontesano69 Naw, Mississippi John (My favorite man in the world) played mainly Gospel.

[793willieb]

second 55 - 59 taj messes up. but it's ok cause it's taj. i still like my version second only to Mississippi of course

[MUTANTELF5G]

First bought this LP when it was released in San Francisco down at Columbus & Bay at the old Tower Records. Don't even know if the store still exists. However, I first heard of Taj through the local FM Radio Station (only one at the time) KSAN 95.5. It Was the place to hear NON bubble gum New Talent...and Awesome Talent it was in those days. I listened to Taj ti I knew every lyric, verse, harmonica rift; till this day I can sing along with the songs on this album. Seen him 2 weeks ago in Napa.

[TommyRay2222]

John Hurt's version in the early 60's was better. I like both versions but feel there is more soul in Hurt's version.

[busessuck1]

It's like saying Blind Lemon Jefferson wrote Jack of Diamonds because he recorded it first

[LMMiller9]

How can you be sure that Frank Hutchison is the originator of this song? Within a few months of his recording, Miss. John Hurt, living in Avalon, Miss., recorded the same song. According to John Hurt, he learned this song years earlier. It seems very improbable that John Hurt would have learned the song from Frank Hutchison.

[lucidloon]

@LMMiller9 I always thought it was one of those songs whose origins were lost years and years ago.

[emaculate]

@wilsonmcphert I have never heard anyone play the same version of this song or even spell it the same...... my favorite version is the Staggolee version by pacific gas and electric... it has awesome lyrics. completly different end.

[l87kmps]

Thanks so much for a great recording and some of the Hx of this song, I also believe its possible that it predates the Civil war.

The Isley Bros version of Staggalee (PG&E) from the 60's has lyrics about

"setting the ------- on the shelf" a very old kind of action in song lyrics

that appears in many English ballads and folk songs from as far back as 18th century.

[clevblue]

also check out Mississippi John Hurt singing this , both good in different ways, great post, thank you.

[sandrayoungblood]

I stand corrected, and appreciate the scholarship.

[jawsquid]

great video, great info in the description.  Thanks for posting yo

[sandrayoungblood]

This is NOT Taj's original work. The song "Stagger Lee" was written and first recorded by Frank Hutchison of Logan, West Virginia, (my great uncle), known as the Father of White Country Blues. I'm moritifed that Taj Mahal did not give him any credit. Even Bob Dylan gave Frank Hutchison credit on his album. If you like this, check out the original by Googling "Frank Hutchison." Thanks to all.

[jawsquid]

@sandrayoungblood As far as I can tell, the origins of the song date back well over a hundred years. It's one of the most important songs in the history of American music. The crime that inspired it took place in St. Louis on Christmas night, 1895, when Lee Shelton shot Billy Lyons in a saloon on Morgan Street. See Cecil Brown's great book, "Stagger Lee Shot Billy," or just search the web for info. There's a fair amount of good research and writing about the song, since it's seminal folk music

[m00nBX]

That's pretty amazing about your great uncle. I love the Frank Hutchison version as well. I actually came across this song through your great uncle's own you-tube performance. However, and I mean no disrespect, but I don't think being mortified by Taj's performance is very fair. I'm a musician and to have someone cover my own work, especially as beautifully as this would be an honor and great compliment. That's one of the beautiful thing about the blues is how often songs are shared and evolved.

[123Niky]

@sandrayoungblood John Lomax did the first version of stack o lee in 1910. Learn your history! Just saying.

[smkirwin]

@123Niky John Lomax, as a folklorist, didn't actually write or perform music, but recorded others' performances for posterity. In this case, his 1910 version of this song wasn't recorded, but simply published.

[jobb6jobb]

Good job on the info and slides