This is how we partied back in the 70's.... a yard, a keg and a band. This house and yard is in Hicksville, NY. Loved watching your reaction. Take care and be well. Peace.
Yup we did that lots at camping on the battenkill in arlington VT. I had a perminit sight 19 we Rocked them keg party's good thing the owners son was in on it!!! They didn't care!!! Lots of beer and pot! 😁 The 70s Rocked drinking age was 18! 👍👍😁🥳🥳🥳🥳
The 70s were awesome! Those were my teen years, high school years. Down south, where I'm from, we jammed out in someone's back field, with a bonfire, and big ol' boom boxes with plenty of extra batteries to keep the party jammin'!! 😄 Man, I miss those days!
What's funny when you said slaps so hard it reminded me of my buddy's girl bent over a bar stool as he slapped her ass every time the said bam a lam. Shoot it was probably 20 years, or so ago. And I still laugh when I hear the song.
Before Leadbelly’s adaptation of it the song was first recorded in 1933, performed a cappella by the convict James "Iron Head" Baker and a group at Central State Farm, Sugar Land, Texas (a State prison farm). It’s actual origin was probably from a 1700s military marching cadence about a flintlock musket. A new model of the Black Betty was the Brown Bess. Hence Black Betty had a child
@@geminirat60 I thought the "the damn thing went wild" came from the rifle's successor (OP's Brown Bess) who wouldn't shoot straight, therefore wild and blind.
This got this old woman up dancing remembering the seventies. My dogs think I'm crazy. This is on my playlist for when I need to get motivated to do things.
Nothing more satisfying in the world, than making your dogs think that you are crazy, or bringing them a cheeseburger and make them drool! Rock on, Wanda.
This hit was released in 1977 and turned out to be a one hit wonder. The song is commonly played at sporting events to pump up the crowd and if this song doesn't do it for you that's your problem. lol. Keep up the variety guys, thumbs up.
THIS is a kick-a$$ song! I've ALWAYS loved it. God -- the guitar work, the drum solos, the lyrics, just the hard-charging thing overall -- One of my favorite songs of all time.
Myke Scavone sang the lead vocals. Graduated HS in 1966, and shortly after became a member of the Doughboys, a NJ based group. Currently Myke lives in Long Branch. No he was never in the Lemon Pipers. As a friend, I can say that Myke still plays a wicked harmonica Check Wiki no member of the Lemon Pipers where in Ram Jam
He bought the rights to the song from Leadbelly. He took it from a prison work song. There is a story about it being about the British smooth bore long gun, but I haven't any certain knowledge about it. I have heard the Leadbelly version and I have seen a video of a Texas prison work gang singing it to hold cadence rhythm. The UA-cam site "Professor of Rock" did a story about it last month.
Huddy (Leadbelly) Ledbetter actually went to prison . . . . . TWICE. Once for murder and once for attempted murder. Probably learned this song while on the chain gang.
@Gerald H you have most of the background of the song. Black Betty was the original rifle that they loved, the child was the second generation of the rifle that was wild. Didn't shoot straight was like being blind and was manufactured in Birmingham Al.
I believe the studio version and also it has an extended guitar solo but I believe the drum solo is longer as well have to go back and listen to it again but if I remember correctly I could be wrong but I thought the there was an extended drum solo as well as the guitar solo!
@@Xcris_crosX true, but that face melting guitar solo is worth it! I hated how old songs and music execs chopped down songs (always the istrumental breaks) cause they thought that people would not be able to focus for anything other than the status quo.
Keep in mind that music videos were a rarity from that time, there was no MTV and most likely no budget from their label to make one. It's not just the song that was impressive but also that they had the foresight to capture it visually. Good stuff!!!
From what I heard the label gave them some money to make the video 500 bucks or something like that so they shot the video in their back yard and spent the money on beer
"Black Betty" (Roud 11668) is a 20th-century African-American work song often credited to Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter as the author, though the earliest recordings are not by him. Some sources claim it is one of Lead Belly's many adaptations of earlier folk material. It was redone quite a few times, the most recent was in 77 by Ram Jam. the Wiki of it explained quite a bit.
I don't remember the name, but the oldest version I have heard sounded like a 90 something year old black dude singing solo at about 1/10 that speed, and mumbled so much I could hardly understand it. I think it was recorded in the teens or 20's.
@@skeletorlikespotatoes7846 oh really! You're wrong but of course you want to whitewash something else in this world, everything was created by white people in your world!
The original was a song written and recorded by a prisoner. Lead Belly recorded it, and then Ram Jam did this energetic version. Lead Belly and Ram Jam made the song their own artistically as was the custom of blues singers back in the day. For youtube to take it down, presumably because they think it's racist, is bogus since the author and Lead Belly were both black men.
And I understand the song refers to a famous Rifle named "Black Betty" (because it had a distinctive black stock) and nothing to do with race at all. The line "Bam-a-Lam" refers to the rifle firing.
>>> For youtube to take it down, presumably because they think it's racist, is bogus>>> Naah...racist is so "last year" Now...it's considered "cultural appropriation"!🙄
That's not even the lead singer! He's the lead guitarist, but he was given this song because it suited his voice better than the 'official' lead singer! Btw, he's the guy on the left of screen, in the white jeans & black jacket
The song was actually recorded by the guitarists' previous band Starstruck. It was released by them shortly before they broke up and was a minor regional hit. After he formed Ram Jam the song was edited a little bit (no new recording, just remixed it a little) and re-released under the new band name. Bill Bartlett (the guitarist) was the sole lead vocalist of Starstruck and the only common member between Starstruck and Ram Jam. Bartlett was also the guitarist for a one hit wonder group from the '60s called The Lemon Pipers (Green Tambourine). Starstruck had a few members from The Lemon Pipers in it as well.
Good info. I've watched this video many times and couldn't figure out why the guy in the white pants was in the video. He didn't do anything except jump and clap. Thanks for solving the mystery!
Impossible not to love. Love the reaction. Agree with Amber, too short. Needs an extended version. Definitely descends from blues and the original versions can be heard on recordings going back to the very early 20th century. Like a lot of very old songs, it has transformed as it is reinterpreted by successive artists. We will never know their exact intention, but seems they were playing a double metaphore. Black Betty is the musket and the child is the bullet, but Betty is also a woman and love interest. Makes me think of the phrase "hot as a pistol".
Trust in The Lord Jesus Christ only for SALVATION You won't go wrong His Promise I HAVE toons of peace knowing I'm His and He is mine fore EVER God bless Best NEWS ever
Hi Guys. A new subscriber being a 60 year old guy from Australia. I love watching your reactions to the music that I grew up with. I'm not sure if you know that there is another version of this song with an extended guitar solo. Keep up the great work!!!!!
There's some GREAT Australian music from the 80s - Goanna, Midnight Oil, Men at Work, Split Enz/Crowded House, INXS, Divinyls, Hoodoo Gurus, Mental as Anything, Redgum, Icehouse. I'm sure there's lots more. That's just what I remember off the top of my head.
I picked up a cheap cd at a convenience store, on a road trip years ago; some Southern rock thing I thought would keep me awake, and this was on it. I was mesmerized. So funny it's been rediscovered these days.
Another Aussie guy here and I absolutely love your channel. I always love sharing music I love with family and friends, and to watch you guys experience a lot of these songs I know for the first time is an absolute blast. Keep up the great work and much love from Down Under!
The Band said the song was inspired by Betty Paige. She was a famous sexy model who wore all black and had a whip. Check out her famous poster online. The song was originally sung by black workers in the fields in the 1920s but has been remade many times.
YEAHHHH!!!! You are using HEADPHONES!!! Now you have to go back and listen to all of your reactions so you can hear what you missed...especially Led Zeppelin and Queen! You guys are great!
This song was originally recorded by a blues singer, lead belly, but he only recorded the first verse about a musket which was referred to as a black Betty, ram jam added the subsequent verses changing the meaning to a woman.
Sometimes young folks crack me up when they find cool music from the past. This song came out when I was in junior high listening to KSHE 95 in St. Louis Missouri. Rock on!!
This song/music video is from 1977. You don't get much more late 70's than this. Guitars, bass, drums, long hair, hot chicks, motorcycles, and filmed in someone's backyard.
The song has been around for a long time Ram Jam gave the writing credit to Huddie Ledbetter even though they wrote some new lyrics for the song the Huddie Ledbetter estate got paid. The song charted 18 on the top 100 in 1977 but it could have gone to 1 had it been played in NYC and LA both cities banned the song and cost it massive airplay as they were the largest markets for music.
The lead singer is Bill Bartlett. He's still around (76 years old). The song itself (Name and "Bam-a-lam" parts) has been around for a long time... But... The lyrics in this rock version were written by Bartlett about Bettie Page. (A sexy pinup girl who had black hair and often dressed in black.) If you disagree then take it up with Bill Bartlett because that's what he said it means.
@@teridemola2386 Sorry but ... Leadbelly wrote a song named "Black Betty" in 1939 with the verse "Oh, Black Betty, Bam-A-Lam", but that's about as far as the similarities go. Bill Bartlett wrote all the music and most of the lyrics "in this rock version" in 1977... And, although the meaning of the Leadbelly version is a well-discussed matter of opinion, Bartlett's song is about Betty Page.
@@gotham61 Sounds like you can believe the Record Company or you can believe Bill Bartlett's own words. Why don't you go listen to Lead Belly's version and compare its lyrics to Bill Bartlett's version. BTW, Lead Belly died in 1949.
@@Pothos969 The Lead Belly version has many of the same lyrics, the same tune, and the same rhythm. No artist, record company, or music publisher would give up the rights to a song if they believed they had a legitimate claim to it. Bartlett can claim that he "wrote" it, but the truth is he has never made a penny from the publishing rights, because it's not his song.
Do you have any sources I can read about this musket? I've done a bit of research, by no means exhaustive, and have come up with no such rifle or musket. I would appreciate any information you can provide.
Such a solid classic rock song. My favorite thing about it (which has some have stated already is a cover of an older one) is that they have such great instrumentation that essentially serves as the chorus, alternating with the vocals. Thanks for giving this another try together this time.
Things I've heard about this song , 200 years old chain gang work song. black betty could reference to the bull whip used by the guards , also single shot musket used by pirates, black tar heroin or even some girl from Alabama. i forget who put this cool rock beat to it but it stuck. ram jam gave it rebirth & since then has been covered by many others , lynard skynard for instance.
I've noticed it seems as if you like the older rock such as, CCR, ELO, Almond brothers. Made me wonder if you ever heard of John Cougar. Its hard to believe you haven't but if not, try John Cougar" Jack and Dianne".
This is the video that made me subscribe. I really like your positive attitudes and honest reaction to music that has been part of my life for half a century. Keep it up and I’m happy to be part of the fam.
The first verse was a military cadence, the British army had a brown rifle that they called Brown Betty so when our army had black rifle's issued to them they came up with this cadence. Also the line about "Had a child and the d*** thing gone wild" the black rifles were notorious for not shooting straight so that line is referring to stray bullets. And of course "Bam-a-Lam" refers to the sound a gun makes. The other 2 verses were added much later.
@@gravitypronepart2201 "Brown Bess" is a nickname of uncertain origin for the British Army's muzzle-loading smoothbore flintlock Land Pattern Musket and its derivatives. “Black Betty” is one of Lead Belly's many adaptations of earlier folk material; in this case an 18th-century marching cadence about a flintlock musket.
@@SquawFox I would have to differ. The term Brown Bess is not of obscure origin no matter what Wikipedia says. Here's a much better source which give credence to it's origins and when it fell out of use as obsolete. It should be noted that nowhere does he mention a "Black Betty" firearm either prior to the Brown Bess or after it. "For many years the earliest written use of the name was thought to be this entry in Francis Grose’s famous dictionary of slang, first published in 1785: ‘Brown Bess. A soldier’s firelock. To hug Brown Bess; to carry a firelock, or serve as a private soldier‘. This has led some to claim that ‘Brown Bess’ is historically incorrect in the early 18th century. An earlier reference was found in the American ‘Connecticut Courant’ newspaper issue of April 2, 1771, which was actually reprinted from British papers of earlier that year. This reported remarks made by Hannah Snell, famous for having successfully posed as a man and served as a soldier in the British army. Snell said: ‘…but if you are afraid of the sea, take Brown Bess on your shoulders and march through Germany as I have done.’ In the course of my research, I was able to push things back even further and unearthed several previously unpublished examples. I will give the two earliest here. In 2010, archivist Avril Pedley found in the British Library a letter written by John Grose, a young British clerk in the service of the East India Company. In this letter, dated October 17, 1763, Grose reported being issued with a ‘Coat, Pair of Breeches and musket (alias Brown Bess)’ upon joining the local militia. There is a possible even earlier instance appears in an anonymous biography entitled ‘The Adventures of a Kidnapped Orphan’. It describes events that would have taken place during the 1750s but was not actually published until 1767. Of the titular ‘orphan’, the author wrote that ‘he began to handle Brown Bess with tolerable dexterity’. The other interesting conclusion that I came to in this research is that those of us who study, collect, or re-enact with muskets have been far too restrictive in our use of ‘Brown Bess’. People who know their antique firearms tend to reserve the name for the ‘Long’ and ‘Short’ Land Pattern muskets that entered service from 1730, and some include the Board of Ordnance India Pattern introduced in 1793. In actual historical usage, however, the name applied just as much to the New Land flintlock musket of 1802 and also to percussion muskets, notably the Pattern 1842, which many today would never think to call ‘Brown Bess’. As the percussion rifle-musket became common in the mid-19th century, the name became derogatory; ‘Brown Bess’ was the obsolete old war horse being replaced by the latest cutting edge mass-produced rifle technology. So there you are. Far from being an obscure name, ‘Brown Bess’ was simply an extension of an existing slang term for a common woman or sex worker. It reflected the soldier’s relationship with his personal weapon. We also now know that we can call any flintlock or percussion smoothbore musket in British service ‘Brown Bess’, just as our ancestors did. Royal Armories Johnathon Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries. The song itself is an old 'chain-gang' work song if you can believe Leadbelly who first recorded it. The words in the Ram Jam version weren't original to the song but were written by Ram Jam guitarist Bill Bartlett in the early to mid 1970's.
It's amazing this song has gone viral again after nearly 50 years! What a hoot! Especially since it seems to be popular now among black folks? Considering how it was received back then, that's pretty funny. I mean - yeah, it is borderline offensive, but it was meant to be, its roots go back to military drill and road gang work chants, then through the blues, so yeah, the lyrics are all double-entendre, always were...
BRILLIANT! Apparently it is a rifle who had a child gone wild, a pistol which was made in Alabama... (is it Remington? dunno- not a gun expert at all) Also dunno if its coincidence but to prime a Musket you have to "Ram" the ball in with a Ram rod, if you don't do it properly it Jams.
We used to have parties in the 70’s with the band set up on the front porch and people coming and going all night long! So much fun!! Hunch punch in ice coolers & beer in ice in bathtubs! 😂
I absolutely love Radar Love, even though when driving AND singing this song along with the radio, you will be driving over the speed limit! Done it at least a dozen times!
Okay, there is a 'rumor' that it was about a musket. However there was never a musket called a "Black Betty" used as a regulation army piece. The British Army used a musket called the "Brown Bess" and as there is no known musket after the "Brown Bess" called a Black Betty and no written information regarding such a piece prior to it, there is no reason to believe the song was written about a musket of any type. (That's not to say that there couldn't have been some local yokel who named his hunting rifle "Black Betty" and sung a song about it.) There is also a written report ( John A. Lomax, “Songs from Southern Chain Gangs” in American Ballads & Folk Songs) that it was a song sung by black inmates as a work song and that it was about the whip that the guards used to 'motivate' the inmates. My personal opinion is that it's about a woman who lived in Biringham who was a lover of the man who actually wrote the song, possibly Leadbelly, she would get him high (and that's no lie) and generally make him feel good about life. She also, apparently, had a child who she let run wild. I think too much can be read into the song when, basically, It's a song about a woman. IMHO
I took a course in college on rock history. We started with this song. Your correct, it is not about a musket. That is an urban legend that refuses to die. But, your analysis is also incorrect for two reasons, you pointed out the first. The song was not originally recorded by Leadbelly. He is just the person most known for the song. The song was originally recorded by the Lomax brothers in 1933. The recording is in the Smithsonian and its of convict John Baker and a group of prisoners at the Sugarland Prison in Texas. Second, the part about Birmingham may be about a woman, but it would be someone in Ram Jam knew. They added that part. They also added the part "she really gets me high, you know that's no lie". The original lyrics go like this, "Oh, Black Betty (x2). Black Betty had a baby (x2), damn thing gone crazy (x2). Damn thing wasn't none of mine (x2), damn thing gone blind (x2). Looky here, Black Betty (x2). Jump steady, Black Betty (x2)". That's it. The most agreed upon analysis is that it is about a whip carried by the Sugarland warden. He carried a whip the convicts nicknamed "Black Betty", but it was only used as a scare tactic. Later, guards started carrying whips and actually used them (had a baby that went crazy). Bam-ba-lam was the term convicts would use for getting whipped, "He's fixing to get a bam-ba-lam".
Haha you two could never disappoint us, I love it when you introduce Amber to stuff you've already heard, both reactions are priceless 🤩 I just had to watch that again lol
This is an ABSOLUTE after work jam session! And this song is FIRE!!! Played after the first goal at EVERY SINGLE UNH Wildcats hockey game!!! Fish on the ice!!!
Yes! This one is such a banger. I also love the version of this same song by the band *_Spiderbait,_* you guys *really* should check that one out as well if you can. That one slaps so hard too!
"Black Betty" was a cadence sung by black confederate soldiers during the civil war. Black Betty was a rifle made in Birmingham, Alabama. The company that made the gun made an "improved model", hence "Black Betty had a child". They hated the new rifle because it didn't shoot straight. Hence, "damned thing gone wild". Ram Jam put music to the 160-year-old cadence.
I remember back in the late 70's my friends and I were stoned to the bone and while playing some foos ball we heard this song for the first time and my buddy just lets out "What's that noise?" and then, it hit us.
Best backyard jam this side of Van Halen...by the way, this format is WAY better than having a tiny little video screen for the performing artist. Should do it this way from now on.
The original 'Black Betty' song was a Black work song. Then the Blues singer Huddie 'Lead Belly' Ledbetter did a rendition of it. The lead guitarist for Ram Jam, Bill Bartlet, did the re-write for their version of it
Lol woooowwww lol my parents used to sing that song to me and it used to get me sooo mad! Lol because since my name is Veronica it reminded me of the old comics Betty and Veronica from the Archies
This is how we partied back in the 70's.... a yard, a keg and a band. This house and yard is in Hicksville, NY. Loved watching your reaction. Take care and be well. Peace.
Yup we did that lots at camping on the battenkill in arlington VT. I had a perminit sight 19 we Rocked them keg party's good thing the owners son was in on it!!! They didn't care!!!
Lots of beer and pot! 😁
The 70s Rocked drinking age was 18!
👍👍😁🥳🥳🥳🥳
and you know this, the 70s were the best & I still do that pretty much every weekend since, some things never end - PEACE LOVE n HIPPYNESS!
The 70s were awesome! Those were my teen years, high school years. Down south, where I'm from, we jammed out in someone's back field, with a bonfire, and big ol' boom boxes with plenty of extra batteries to keep the party jammin'!! 😄 Man, I miss those days!
Same in Smithtown.
HEY, that's Also where the "Long Island Medium", Teresa Caputo Lives!!!!
Best comment I’ve ever seen. “The singer looks like if Mountain Dew was a person”.
🤣
Love that analogy! I'm just wondering if they are talking about the soda pop or the original "Mountain Dew", moonshine?
The original mountain dew bottles had a hillbilly with a jug on it.
🤣👍
Hi you need to check out incredible bongo band Apachi.
This song slaps so hard, you'll need a safe word...
Love that! 😂
What's funny when you said slaps so hard it reminded me of my buddy's girl bent over a bar stool as he slapped her ass every time the said bam a lam. Shoot it was probably 20 years, or so ago. And I still laugh when I hear the song.
@@jacqueline4514 LMAO
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
ayye its the guy from the andy and alex vid lol.
Black Betty was originally done by a 1930's blues icon , world famous , named LED BELLY
It was a prison whip
Before Leadbelly’s adaptation of it the song was first recorded in 1933, performed a cappella by the convict James "Iron Head" Baker and a group at Central State Farm, Sugar Land, Texas (a State prison farm). It’s actual origin was probably from a 1700s military marching cadence about a flintlock musket. A new model of the Black Betty was the Brown Bess. Hence Black Betty had a child
the child is the round discharged by the rifle. It was not accurate, hence the damn thing went wild
@@geminirat60 also hence the damn thing gone blind lol
Thank you for your explanations, makes sense.
Spot on guys.
@@geminirat60 I thought the "the damn thing went wild" came from the rifle's successor (OP's Brown Bess) who wouldn't shoot straight, therefore wild and blind.
This got this old woman up dancing remembering the seventies. My dogs think I'm crazy. This is on my playlist for when I need to get motivated to do things.
Nothing more satisfying in the world, than making your dogs think that you are crazy, or bringing them a cheeseburger and make them drool! Rock on, Wanda.
Your dog may be right!! ;)
🤣🤣🤣
I just say ARBY's, and my dogs start to drool, lol... OMG! You are SO cool! I love you sweetheart.
This is when you had to be talented to be on the radio. We didn't have computers tweeking everything to make it sound good. The real deal!
your so right
shut up
It’s about a gun AND a woman! This video was shot in a friend of the band’s backyard. And it ROCKS
It Sure Does!
This hit was released in 1977 and turned out to be a one hit wonder. The song is commonly played at sporting events to pump up the crowd and if this song doesn't do it for you that's your problem. lol. Keep up the variety guys, thumbs up.
I was 13 when this hit the charts. This was a "trigger" for a party. Got you going hard out.
That is one more hit than I have. And if you are going to have one hit....
If you have not checked out Ram Jam's other songs! Y'all are truly missing out!
The old rock has always been the best music.
It's the entrance theme I play in my head whenever I enter a room full of other people.
THIS is a kick-a$$ song! I've ALWAYS loved it. God -- the guitar work, the drum solos, the lyrics, just the hard-charging thing overall -- One of my favorite songs of all time.
You guys are a cool couple. Definitely happy to be part of this family.
It's about a woman I can tell you about Black Betty you guys are great and I want to thank you and keep it going JB
All i have to say is LOL Us 70s BRATS were very spoiled
Me too so glad we found them.
The lead singer/guitarist was in a band called The Lemon Pipers in the late 60s. Their biggest hit was "Green Tambourine". 👍👍
Tell me he didn’t sing that as well? I would be shocked!😮
Myke Scavone sang the lead vocals. Graduated HS in 1966, and shortly after became a member of the Doughboys, a NJ based group.
Currently Myke lives in Long Branch.
No he was never in the Lemon Pipers.
As a friend, I can say that Myke still plays a wicked harmonica
Check Wiki no member of the Lemon Pipers where in Ram Jam
Wow, didn't know he was from the Lemon Pipers. Loved Green Tambourine.
He bought the rights to the song from Leadbelly. He took it from a prison work song. There is a story about it being about the British smooth bore long gun, but I haven't any certain knowledge about it. I have heard the Leadbelly version and I have seen a video of a Texas prison work gang singing it to hold cadence rhythm. The UA-cam site "Professor of Rock" did a story about it last month.
Huddy (Leadbelly) Ledbetter actually went to prison . . . . . TWICE. Once for murder and once for attempted murder. Probably learned this song while on the chain gang.
@Gerald H you have most of the background of the song. Black Betty was the original rifle that they loved, the child was the second generation of the rifle that was wild. Didn't shoot straight was like being blind and was manufactured in Birmingham Al.
@@daivdash I thought the blind bit was because the rifle blew up
and blinded the shooter..
That's exactly how we rolled back in the 70s.
Looks like a family barbeque & somebody invited a friend & his band.
The extended guitar solo version is much better!
But then they don’t get to see the artists and all their groovyness
1/2 the fun of this video is realizing that it was shot for about $20 (1977 dollars) worth of weed and beer.
I believe the studio version and also it has an extended guitar solo but I believe the drum solo is longer as well have to go back and listen to it again but if I remember correctly I could be wrong but I thought the there was an extended drum solo as well as the guitar solo!
Yes. Listen to the full studio version.
@@Xcris_crosX true, but that face melting guitar solo is worth it! I hated how old songs and music execs chopped down songs (always the istrumental breaks) cause they thought that people would not be able to focus for anything other than the status quo.
Keep in mind that music videos were a rarity from that time, there was no MTV and most likely no budget from their label to make one. It's not just the song that was impressive but also that they had the foresight to capture it visually. Good stuff!!!
From what I heard the label gave them some money to make the video 500 bucks or something like that so they shot the video in their back yard and spent the money on beer
"Black Betty" (Roud 11668) is a 20th-century African-American work song often credited to Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter as the author, though the earliest recordings are not by him. Some sources claim it is one of Lead Belly's many adaptations of earlier folk material. It was redone quite a few times, the most recent was in 77 by Ram Jam. the Wiki of it explained quite a bit.
I don't remember the name, but the oldest version I have heard sounded like a 90 something year old black dude singing solo at about 1/10 that speed, and mumbled so much I could hardly understand it. I think it was recorded in the teens or 20's.
Actually the most recent version was by a band called Spiderbait from 2004.
It was probably British in origin not African American
A version of the song has been around since...wait for it: the revolutionary war.
@@skeletorlikespotatoes7846 oh really! You're wrong but of course you want to whitewash something else in this world, everything was created by white people in your world!
The original was a song written and recorded by a prisoner. Lead Belly recorded it, and then Ram Jam did this energetic version. Lead Belly and Ram Jam made the song their own artistically as was the custom of blues singers back in the day. For youtube to take it down, presumably because they think it's racist, is bogus since the author and Lead Belly were both black men.
And I understand the song refers to a famous Rifle named "Black Betty" (because it had a distinctive black stock) and nothing to do with race at all. The line "Bam-a-Lam" refers to the rifle firing.
>>> For youtube to take it down, presumably because they think it's racist, is bogus>>>
Naah...racist is so "last year"
Now...it's considered "cultural appropriation"!🙄
The 70s had the best rock......... ROCK ON 1977 Released Black Betty
If they took it down, um, it's back up. Where did you hear that?
Rob is talking about YT taking down his previous reaction not the original song. YT probably took it down due to a copyright strike.
That's not even the lead singer!
He's the lead guitarist, but he was given this song because it suited his voice better than the 'official' lead singer!
Btw, he's the guy on the left of screen, in the white jeans & black jacket
The song was actually recorded by the guitarists' previous band Starstruck. It was released by them shortly before they broke up and was a minor regional hit. After he formed Ram Jam the song was edited a little bit (no new recording, just remixed it a little) and re-released under the new band name. Bill Bartlett (the guitarist) was the sole lead vocalist of Starstruck and the only common member between Starstruck and Ram Jam. Bartlett was also the guitarist for a one hit wonder group from the '60s called The Lemon Pipers (Green Tambourine). Starstruck had a few members from The Lemon Pipers in it as well.
Good info. I've watched this video many times and couldn't figure out why the guy in the white pants was in the video. He didn't do anything except jump and clap. Thanks for solving the mystery!
This is one of my all-time favorite bangers! Sadly, I think this was a one-hit wonder. I don't know why because they KILLED this performance!
1977 Was a great year for the 70s This was a huge SONG,, AND may be bigger now , LOOOOVE 70s Rock N Roll ,
Impossible not to love. Love the reaction. Agree with Amber, too short. Needs an extended version.
Definitely descends from blues and the original versions can be heard on recordings going back to the very early 20th century. Like a lot of very old songs, it has transformed as it is reinterpreted by successive artists. We will never know their exact intention, but seems they were playing a double metaphore. Black Betty is the musket and the child is the bullet, but Betty is also a woman and love interest. Makes me think of the phrase "hot as a pistol".
“Hotter than a two dollar pistol”
The Possum.
There is an extended version.
What the song is about has evolved over the last couple hundred years.
You could never disappoint me Amber, your reactions are so fresh and lively! I always feel great after visiting with the two of you! Great reaction!
Trust in The Lord Jesus Christ only for SALVATION You won't go wrong His Promise I HAVE toons of peace knowing I'm His and He is mine fore EVER God bless Best NEWS ever
TONS OF PEICE NOW FOR EVER
Thank you for your reply! Have an awesome day!
Thank you for your reply!
Hi Guys. A new subscriber being a 60 year old guy from Australia. I love watching your reactions to the music that I grew up with. I'm not sure if you know that there is another version of this song with an extended guitar solo. Keep up the great work!!!!!
There's some GREAT Australian music from the 80s - Goanna, Midnight Oil, Men at Work, Split Enz/Crowded House, INXS, Divinyls, Hoodoo Gurus, Mental as Anything, Redgum, Icehouse. I'm sure there's lots more. That's just what I remember off the top of my head.
Yeah, the Aussie band Spiderbait did an awesome cover of this with a longer solo. I’d definitely recommend you guys check it out.
@@kmj217 you forgot AC/DC and my favourite Aussie band ever, Cold Chisel.
@@geoffmartins99 I always forget that AC/DC is Aussie. Now I'm going to have to do a deep dive into Cold Chisel
Makes you want to Dance and party! Also a great DRIVING song on the back of a Harley MC!
Good old chain gang work song, straight outta the Louisiana prison system.
Yes sir, song by Hudie William Ledbetter
what
We gotta be good at something
Geaux big or geaux home 💝💝💝😂💝
I love watching how excited you are to introduce her to the song, its adorable.
I picked up a cheap cd at a convenience store, on a road trip years ago; some Southern rock thing I thought would keep me awake, and this was on it. I was mesmerized. So funny it's been rediscovered these days.
I love how you all listen to the classics. I love it. The guitar. The drums. This song is serious
Another Aussie guy here and I absolutely love your channel. I always love sharing music I love with family and friends, and to watch you guys experience a lot of these songs I know for the first time is an absolute blast. Keep up the great work and much love from Down Under!
I love the dude who has no instrument, he's just dancing around clapping and rocking out with his sash flying all over the place.
He was the lead singer, he just didn't sing this one.
My one and only complaint about this song is that it is just too short. This can be alleviated by watching it two or three times in a row.
You are awesome to play this song
Did you guys see how that drummer was beating the hell outta those drums!!!! Awesome 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 & 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸 thanks guys 🥰
Every time I see this video, I am obsessed with the Lead Singer's Shirt; I WANT IT!! 😂
The tone on the guitar is so fantastic it kills me every time
Went to High School in Hawthorne,California in the mid 70s...on a typical weekend 2-3 backyard parties with bands...it was so awesome!
The Band said the song was inspired by Betty Paige. She was a famous sexy model who wore all black and had a whip. Check out her famous poster online. The song was originally sung by black workers in the fields in the 1920s but has been remade many times.
Yesssssss!!!!! The Party song!!! everybody got up so much fun........
YEAHHHH!!!! You are using HEADPHONES!!! Now you have to go back and listen to all of your reactions so you can hear what you missed...especially Led Zeppelin and Queen! You guys are great!
Add Pink Floyd onto that list.
Never get tired of this Song love the Singer & The Band!!!!!!
Would love to see ya react to. Grand Funk Railroad, Inside looking out. I want to see it melt your minds... Everyone needs Funk in their life.
YES!
The long, live version kicks a$$.
Yes! Amazing!
Oh yeah! Absolutely! I love that song! The one from 1969 is my fav! 🥰❤️😍
That’s what we called a party in the 70’s..keg of beer was a must along with other goodies
This song was originally recorded by a blues singer, lead belly, but he only recorded the first verse about a musket which was referred to as a black Betty, ram jam added the subsequent verses changing the meaning to a woman.
Sometimes young folks crack me up when they find cool music from the past. This song came out when I was in junior high listening to KSHE 95 in St. Louis Missouri. Rock on!!
We still party like this at least once a month here in East Texas …… in the summer it’s every weekend
I grew up in East Texas, so know what you mean, class of 85, Hull-Daisetta
@@MrFrankenass Hell yeah! Orange, TX here
@@nealgates2446 I was just in Anahuac last week
They must have put your other reaction back up, I saw it yesterday! Great stuff!
This song/music video is from 1977. You don't get much more late 70's than this. Guitars, bass, drums, long hair, hot chicks, motorcycles, and filmed in someone's backyard.
Wait a minute lol Hold the line By Toto 1978 Remember that banger But no back yard party ? Just a nother late 70s jam
The song has been around for a long time Ram Jam gave the writing credit to Huddie Ledbetter even though they wrote some new lyrics for the song the Huddie Ledbetter estate got paid. The song charted 18 on the top 100 in 1977 but it could have gone to 1 had it been played in NYC and LA both cities banned the song and cost it massive airplay as they were the largest markets for music.
The lead singer is Bill Bartlett. He's still around (76 years old). The song itself (Name and "Bam-a-lam" parts) has been around for a long time... But... The lyrics in this rock version were written by Bartlett about Bettie Page. (A sexy pinup girl who had black hair and often dressed in black.) If you disagree then take it up with Bill Bartlett because that's what he said it means.
Sorry but Leadbelly wrote this song many years ago.
@@teridemola2386 Sorry but ... Leadbelly wrote a song named "Black Betty" in 1939 with the verse "Oh, Black Betty, Bam-A-Lam", but that's about as far as the similarities go.
Bill Bartlett wrote all the music and most of the lyrics "in this rock version" in 1977... And, although the meaning of the Leadbelly version is a well-discussed matter of opinion, Bartlett's song is about Betty Page.
@@Pothos969 The Ram Jam record credits Lead Belly (H Ledbetter) as the sole songwriter.
@@gotham61 Sounds like you can believe the Record Company or you can believe Bill Bartlett's own words. Why don't you go listen to Lead Belly's version and compare its lyrics to Bill Bartlett's version. BTW, Lead Belly died in 1949.
@@Pothos969 The Lead Belly version has many of the same lyrics, the same tune, and the same rhythm. No artist, record company, or music publisher would give up the rights to a song if they believed they had a legitimate claim to it. Bartlett can claim that he "wrote" it, but the truth is he has never made a penny from the publishing rights, because it's not his song.
Awesome song, awesome reaction, those 70's vibes oh my.
THEM 70s were the NUKE BOMB
Black Betty is a reference to a rifle during the Civil War.
Do you have any sources I can read about this musket? I've done a bit of research, by no means exhaustive, and have come up with no such rifle or musket. I would appreciate any information you can provide.
I'm repeating what I heard from an other review...not an expert.
Such a solid classic rock song. My favorite thing about it (which has some have stated already is a cover of an older one) is that they have such great instrumentation that essentially serves as the chorus, alternating with the vocals. Thanks for giving this another try together this time.
So Ram Jam is the poster child of one hit wonders. This is a Jam and certainly different, but it was not super popular for too long back in the day.
Says who?
I love seeing your family in these videos. You have such a beautiful, loving family.
This song is actually a pretty old song. Here is the song in its earlier form: ua-cam.com/video/tiCEVl_9-MM/v-deo.html
Things I've heard about this song , 200 years old chain gang work song. black betty could reference to the bull whip used by the guards , also single shot musket used by pirates, black tar heroin or even some girl from Alabama.
i forget who put this cool rock beat to it but it stuck. ram jam gave it rebirth & since then has been covered by many others , lynard skynard for instance.
I've noticed it seems as if you like the older rock such as, CCR, ELO, Almond brothers.
Made me wonder if you ever heard of John Cougar. Its hard to believe you haven't but if not, try John Cougar" Jack and Dianne".
I preferred the Pecan brothers myself. 😉
@@k_salter Lol
Allman Brother's
John Cougar....aka John Cougar Mellencamp....aka John Mellencamp.
He went through a couple of name changes, lol.
Oh please, the Allman bros,not almond
Just wanted to let you guys know I love the way you two get along together. And enjoy your videos Bless your family with love and happiness
I want to see how blown away you would be listening to Steelheart , I’ll never let you go. His voice will have you falling off your chairs!!!
Yeeeessss!
I love how excited you are to introduce this song to Amber
The radio version is actually longer. Much more percussion. Check that one out on your own time.
This is the video that made me subscribe. I really like your positive attitudes and honest reaction to music that has been part of my life for half a century. Keep it up and I’m happy to be part of the fam.
The first verse was a military cadence, the British army had a brown rifle that they called Brown Betty so when our army had black rifle's issued to them they came up with this cadence. Also the line about "Had a child and the d*** thing gone wild" the black rifles were notorious for not shooting straight so that line is referring to stray bullets. And of course "Bam-a-Lam" refers to the sound a gun makes. The other 2 verses were added much later.
Brown Bess
Not true. Ther was no such rifle.
@@gravitypronepart2201 "Brown Bess" is a nickname of uncertain origin for the British Army's muzzle-loading smoothbore flintlock Land Pattern Musket and its derivatives.
“Black Betty” is one of Lead Belly's many adaptations of earlier folk material; in this case an 18th-century marching cadence about a flintlock musket.
The BS historian's factual approach to the origins of Black Betty.. bshistorian.wordpress.com/2016/04/30/whoa-oh-who-was-black-betty/
@@SquawFox
I would have to differ. The term Brown Bess is not of obscure origin no matter what Wikipedia says. Here's a much better source which give credence to it's origins and when it fell out of use as obsolete. It should be noted that nowhere does he mention a "Black Betty" firearm either prior to the Brown Bess or after it.
"For many years the earliest written use of the name was thought to be this entry in Francis Grose’s famous dictionary of slang, first published in 1785: ‘Brown Bess. A soldier’s firelock. To hug Brown Bess; to carry a firelock, or serve as a private soldier‘.
This has led some to claim that ‘Brown Bess’ is historically incorrect in the early 18th century. An earlier reference was found in the American ‘Connecticut Courant’ newspaper issue of April 2, 1771, which was actually reprinted from British papers of earlier that year. This reported remarks made by Hannah Snell, famous for having successfully posed as a man and served as a soldier in the British army. Snell said: ‘…but if you are afraid of the sea, take Brown Bess on your shoulders and march through Germany as I have done.’
In the course of my research, I was able to push things back even further and unearthed several previously unpublished examples. I will give the two earliest here. In 2010, archivist Avril Pedley found in the British Library a letter written by John Grose, a young British clerk in the service of the East India Company. In this letter, dated October 17, 1763, Grose reported being issued with a ‘Coat, Pair of Breeches and musket (alias Brown Bess)’ upon joining the local militia. There is a possible even earlier instance appears in an anonymous biography entitled ‘The Adventures of a Kidnapped Orphan’. It describes events that would have taken place during the 1750s but was not actually published until 1767. Of the titular ‘orphan’, the author wrote that ‘he began to handle Brown Bess with tolerable dexterity’.
The other interesting conclusion that I came to in this research is that those of us who study, collect, or re-enact with muskets have been far too restrictive in our use of ‘Brown Bess’. People who know their antique firearms tend to reserve the name for the ‘Long’ and ‘Short’ Land Pattern muskets that entered service from 1730, and some include the Board of Ordnance India Pattern introduced in 1793. In actual historical usage, however, the name applied just as much to the New Land flintlock musket of 1802 and also to percussion muskets, notably the Pattern 1842, which many today would never think to call ‘Brown Bess’. As the percussion rifle-musket became common in the mid-19th century, the name became derogatory; ‘Brown Bess’ was the obsolete old war horse being replaced by the latest cutting edge mass-produced rifle technology.
So there you are. Far from being an obscure name, ‘Brown Bess’ was simply an extension of an existing slang term for a common woman or sex worker. It reflected the soldier’s relationship with his personal weapon. We also now know that we can call any flintlock or percussion smoothbore musket in British service ‘Brown Bess’, just as our ancestors did. Royal Armories Johnathon Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries.
The song itself is an old 'chain-gang' work song if you can believe Leadbelly who first recorded it. The words in the Ram Jam version weren't original to the song but were written by Ram Jam guitarist Bill Bartlett in the early to mid 1970's.
The videos for Queen's Spread Your Wings and We Will Rock You were also filmed in the garden.
Black Betty is a gun!
Black Betty is a woman?
I love their energy and the backyard concert 🎵
You two are absolutely fabulous,very happy I joined your family!
This is the short version. You need to hear the complete song.
It's amazing this song has gone viral again after nearly 50 years! What a hoot! Especially since it seems to be popular now among black folks? Considering how it was received back then, that's pretty funny. I mean - yeah, it is borderline offensive, but it was meant to be, its roots go back to military drill and road gang work chants, then through the blues, so yeah, the lyrics are all double-entendre, always were...
Great tunes sees no colors😎
This song goes back almost 200 years and there are several versions and different interpretations, including black betty is a rifle.
professor of rock did a good video on the songs history ua-cam.com/video/wVk53xKieI4/v-deo.html
BRILLIANT! Apparently it is a rifle who had a child gone wild, a pistol which was made in Alabama... (is it Remington? dunno- not a gun expert at all) Also dunno if its coincidence but to prime a Musket you have to "Ram" the ball in with a Ram rod, if you don't do it properly it Jams.
This is a song you can hype up and the listener still isn’t ready!
We used to have parties in the 70’s with the band set up on the front porch and people coming and going all night long! So much fun!! Hunch punch in ice coolers & beer in ice in bathtubs! 😂
There is a slightly longer version available.
It was rumored that this video cost about $20. No kidding. Great reaction. Peace
Black BEAUTY was the horse. Black Betty is the song.
😄❤
My first horse was named Beauty she was black and a beauty thanks for reminding me of her.😊
Black Beauty was a horse, Bam Alam!
Of course, of course, Bam Alam! 🎧 💓 🎶
ua-cam.com/video/8u5NgC4lZ8s/v-deo.html
@seasickviking
Black Betty was a Black woman...the song was sang by blues singer/guitarist~
Named...LeadBelly~
The lead singer was also the lead singer in a group from the Sixties known as The Lemon Pipers. They had a one hit wonder called Green Tambourine
The song that leaves you on the hook! No catch and release with this song.
I absolutely love Radar Love, even though when driving AND singing this song along with the radio, you will be driving over the speed limit! Done it at least a dozen times!
Black Betty is an old blues song this is not the original even though this is great
Lead singer here is Myke Scavone, a New Jersey boy. He's still active. I think the whole band was from the NY-NJ area.
Okay, there is a 'rumor' that it was about a musket. However there was never a musket called a "Black Betty" used as a regulation army piece. The British Army used a musket called the "Brown Bess" and as there is no known musket after the "Brown Bess" called a Black Betty and no written information regarding such a piece prior to it, there is no reason to believe the song was written about a musket of any type. (That's not to say that there couldn't have been some local yokel who named his hunting rifle "Black Betty" and sung a song about it.)
There is also a written report ( John A. Lomax, “Songs from Southern Chain Gangs” in American Ballads & Folk Songs) that it was a song sung by black inmates as a work song and that it was about the whip that the guards used to 'motivate' the inmates.
My personal opinion is that it's about a woman who lived in Biringham who was a lover of the man who actually wrote the song, possibly Leadbelly, she would get him high (and that's no lie) and generally make him feel good about life. She also, apparently, had a child who she let run wild. I think too much can be read into the song when, basically, It's a song about a woman. IMHO
The child went blind, probably due to syphilis.
I took a course in college on rock history. We started with this song. Your correct, it is not about a musket. That is an urban legend that refuses to die. But, your analysis is also incorrect for two reasons, you pointed out the first. The song was not originally recorded by Leadbelly. He is just the person most known for the song. The song was originally recorded by the Lomax brothers in 1933. The recording is in the Smithsonian and its of convict John Baker and a group of prisoners at the Sugarland Prison in Texas. Second, the part about Birmingham may be about a woman, but it would be someone in Ram Jam knew. They added that part. They also added the part "she really gets me high, you know that's no lie". The original lyrics go like this, "Oh, Black Betty (x2). Black Betty had a baby (x2), damn thing gone crazy (x2). Damn thing wasn't none of mine (x2), damn thing gone blind (x2). Looky here, Black Betty (x2). Jump steady, Black Betty (x2)". That's it. The most agreed upon analysis is that it is about a whip carried by the Sugarland warden. He carried a whip the convicts nicknamed "Black Betty", but it was only used as a scare tactic. Later, guards started carrying whips and actually used them (had a baby that went crazy). Bam-ba-lam was the term convicts would use for getting whipped, "He's fixing to get a bam-ba-lam".
@@krkhns - Thanks for dropping that knowledge. Didn't know 99% of that.
There is a longer version. Enjoyed this back in the day.
Haha you two could never disappoint us, I love it when you introduce Amber to stuff you've already heard, both reactions are priceless 🤩
I just had to watch that again lol
One of my all time favs from high school. I've been waiting for you guys to get to this.
This is an ABSOLUTE after work jam session! And this song is FIRE!!! Played after the first goal at EVERY SINGLE UNH Wildcats hockey game!!! Fish on the ice!!!
Loved your REACTION Guys . So right you can't sit still.
Yes! This one is such a banger.
I also love the version of this same song by the band *_Spiderbait,_* you guys *really* should check that one out as well if you can. That one slaps so hard too!
Agreed!
Im 61 and did not remember this song in 1977 , BUT i Know it now LOL,, The 70s ROCKED SO HARD
SPIDER WHO LOL
not like THE JAM
Not like RAM JAMS though
My son is now 26 but when he was 8 he used to sing it as Whoa Black Betty has a family van.
I love the Spiderbait cover of this song (an Australian Alternative Rock Band). It would be great to do a reaction to
"Black Betty" was a cadence sung by black confederate soldiers during the civil war. Black Betty was a rifle made in Birmingham, Alabama. The company that made the gun made an "improved model", hence "Black Betty had a child". They hated the new rifle because it didn't shoot straight. Hence, "damned thing gone wild". Ram Jam put music to the 160-year-old cadence.
This is so how my parents partied back in the 70's
I remember back in the late 70's my friends and I were stoned to the bone and while playing some foos ball we heard this song for the first time and my buddy just lets out "What's that noise?" and then, it hit us.
Six pack a tall cans and some lucky strikes is the only payment needed that day.
Best backyard jam this side of Van Halen...by the way, this format is WAY better than having a tiny little video screen for the performing artist. Should do it this way from now on.
Do Ah Leah by Donnie Iris if you get a chance. That guy does not look like he should be rockin out like that😂😅🤣
The original 'Black Betty' song was a Black work song. Then the Blues singer Huddie 'Lead Belly' Ledbetter did a rendition of it. The lead guitarist for Ram Jam, Bill Bartlet, did the re-write for their version of it
If you don't want it to be over, play the studio version .
Lol woooowwww lol my parents used to sing that song to me and it used to get me sooo mad! Lol because since my name is Veronica it reminded me of the old comics Betty and Veronica from the Archies