Thursday, August 27, 2009

James Luther Dickinson 2

A Young Jim Dickinson (is this an Eggelston photo?) Video for Down In Mississippi Muscle Shoals, 1969, listening to the playback of Wild Horses, Dickinson is seated to Keith's left on the couch. As an addendum to Aug. 18th's post concerning the death of Jim Dickinson, here is the JD & the Hoods version of Rumble issued by the Memphis based Barbarian Records in 1980. It's an amazing record, there's all sorts of stuff buried in the mix, and it takes the swagger of Link Wray's original version and adds a real Memphis feel to it. It was already rare when I made my first visit to Memphis in 1981 and I've never been able to find a copy. This version was dubbed by Jim's son Luther of the North Mississippi All-Stars. The flip is a version of the old Freddie Slack/Ella Mae Morse tune House Of Blue lights which I've never heard. Barbarian also issued a Dickinson produced 45 by pro-wrestler Jerry Lawler, best known for giving Andy Kaufman a real life beating on the David Letterman Show. The Lawler record is a cover of the Jesters' Cadillac Man (Dickinson sang and played piano on the original Sun version). A full Jim Dickinson discography can be found here. He also has a new CD out on the Memphis International label (his third) called Dinosaurs Run In Circles, which I haven't heard yet but am expecting in the mail any day. His other two MI discs-- Jungle Jim and the Voodoo Tiger (2006) and Killers From Space (2007) are both excellent as is the 2002 Artemis release Free Beer Tomorrow which I think is still in print, or at least easy to find. Anyway,thanks to Luther Dickinson for the download of Rumble, it may be the only way you'll ever hear it. MORE RIP'S: John Carter, lead singer of the Dells (and also the original lead singer of the Flamingos, on their early Chance and Vee Jay sides) passed away last week. Ellie Greenwhich, songwriter (usually with Jeff Barry) whose classics include Be My Baby, Leader Of The Pack, Hank Panky, and a thousand other classics went over the weekend.

9 comments:

Paul Duane said...

Waaahhhh! Fuck, thanks Hound (and Luther) for this - haven't heard it since I was in Memphis last, when I played Robert Gordon's copy of it to death. Fantastic....

Paul Duane said...

Prob'ly worth mentioning for the sake of the uninitiated that this record was born of a reel of tape that Jim brought around to pretty much every session he played on for a period of years, overdubbing a new version of Rumble over the existing tracks at the end of every session, so that there's an unquantifiable number of players in the mix here. Also, legendary Memphis biker/dealer/all around hard-man Campbell Kensinger on motorcycle noises.

dee es said...

Just a small detail regarding Ellie Greenwhich: she usually wrote with Jeff Barry, her husband. Barry Mann wrote with his wife Cynthia Weil.

Thanks for the download, and for that excellent photo. I'd never seen it.

The Hound said...

"Just a small detail regarding Ellie Greenwhich: she usually wrote with Jeff Barry, her husband. Barry Mann wrote with his wife Cynthia Weil.
"

I shouldn't write so early in the morning and make such bone head mistakes, thanks for pointing it out, I'll change it now....

rascuachero54 said...

Great blog, very informative. It was sad to see John Carter pass away, not a lot said about, decent obit in the NY Times. While checking you favorite books, I saw you recommended the Smart Bell trilogy, which I haven't read, but would like to. I do know very well Alejo Carpentier's lyrical and penetrating depiction of Haiti from Mackendal up through Henri Christophe, absolutely a must read. Also, check out my blog sometime if you get a second,
http://raicesdelsonido.blogspot.com/

My best, Bill

J.D. King said...

WOW! That version of "Rumble" is staggering!!!

That's exactly what music should sound like.

roscoe said...

"Rumble" = totally nuts!
damn!

planckzoo said...

Thanks for JLD version of Rumble, I have been dying to hear it for years and I am glad I can finally hear it.

Anonymous said...

I'm at a loss for superlatives. R.I.P. JLD

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