Gavin Bryars - Jesus' Blood (never failed me yet)

I first heard this song on NPR (National Public Radio) in 1993 when they played an excerpt during a critique of the album which had recently been released at that time.

Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet is a piece of music composed by Gavin Bryars in 1971. It is based around a recorded loop of an un-named tramp improvising a hymn; eventually rich harmonies are played by a live ensemble of strings and brass, always increasing in density. The recording was originally made for a 1960s documentary by Alan Power which chronicled street life in London. Later when listening to the recordings, Bryars noticed that the clip was very in tune, and that it looped well into 13 bars. The tramp died before being able to hear the completed piece.

For the first recording as an LP, Bryars was limited to a duration 25 minutes for the piece; upon the invention of cassette tape technology, Bryars made a 60 minute version of the piece, and for CD, a 74 minute version.

The studio in which Bryars made the piece was next to a busy art studio. When constructing the piece, Bryars unintentionally left the loop playing and his door open during a lunch break; when he returned, the usually lively studio was quiet, and some people were crying.

A new recording of this work was made in the 1990s with Tom Waits singing along with the original recording of the tramp during the final section.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Gavin
• Bryars
• Jesus
• blood
• never
• failed
• me
• yet
• Tom
• Waitts.

[Musicsmoke]

I can't describe what this song does to me... Yesterday night I watched and listened this video for at least ten times... The second time I listened carefully, and I just imagined this lonesome, poor tramp... Such a poor man, who sings this words, he might not have had any possessions, but he didn't complain... He truely believed in the love of Jesus... And when his voice is surrounded by the strings in this song, it almost feels like he is covered in a warm peaceful love... That made me cry!!

[gonzomark1]

@Musicsmoke

indeed, i am an atheist, so the religious part doesnt touch me that much, but the feel put in this song made my eyes wet, in a good way. thx peeps, love it!!!

[olidez]

@vincentjacque : youtu.be/E1lnSi7QWY8"

[vincentjacque]

@olidez Thanx Oli, but where? Not here obviously, as the duration is still round 4' and the name Of Waits appears...

[olidez]

@vincentjacque I have uploaded it my friend.

[vincentjacque]

NOOOOOOOOOOOO, PLEASE, I'm FED UP of this version with Tom Waits !!! Desperating seeking the original version, the B-side of Bryars' "The Sinking of the Titanic" on Obscure records !!! Tom Waits' voice is bombastic ! Tramp's one is not !

[Serenoj69]

@gonzomark1 Exactly like me. His faith, his brittle voice and his hope are deeply touching. Indeed, like some else said the musci seems like a warm blanket covering him.

I cried for this poor, poor man...I am sorry for him, yet I Ifeel some comfort for he still felt loved by someone. That is so moving. May he rest in peace.

[cohenspetrified]

love love love this song! it's pure long and longing and faith in the face of tragedy. The tune is so simple yet I never get sick of it. I recorded this off the radio decades ago - just a fragment, and played it again and again. as for the orchestra and background voices they are just magical and perfectly matching the voice. Gavin Bryars, thankyou!

[amsterdam26]

WOW THIS IS AMAZING

[simontre23]

Anybody knows if theres any way I could find the original documentary where the loop come from?

[fafner3d]

I don't think religion really matters here, what's important is that somehow this "tramp", who probably lives a rough life in the streets, still has hope! That's what I think the composer meant to embrace with this piece, independent of whether or not the tramp is a christian.