The guitars of Robert Johnson.
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- We discuss the man who gave the guitar the "bad boy" image!
A deal with the Devil? OR WORSE: Record label executives?
We dig deep into the Delta with the help of Jonathan Nicholas and Dave Milsom. Please subscribe to Jon here: / doublecrossingtime
/ jonathannicholasmusic
Check out and thank Dave here for helping us record: business.faceb...
I know it's a downer but only a few 100 people are watching my vids to the end so I can't survive on these numbers. To the guys who watch, sub, comment and share...You guys are the best. See you in the next video!
Owen
5:33 listen to that slide tonality...
Oh yeah, man! Rippin' tone.
yeah and it's a metal slide rather than a glass bottle neck, interesting
If I see Robert Johnson in the title, I watch. It's that simple.
ListenToKassandra Thanks. Hopefully you like it and it fuels your RJ addiction.
Definitely. It was a great video.
Phew!
them are not even johnson guitars, whats it all about ??
@@lovechildmusiccouk what?
Jeff Beck said it best. Robert Johnson was my guru. Without him, I would be working at the post office.
Edison invented the lightbulb. Robert Johnson invented the delta blues. Eric Clapton says the same thing
Maybe Clapton said that. I don’t hear Robert Johnson in Beck’s playing. He’s more Les Paul etc...
The Gunter Hotel where Johnson recorded at is 10min alway from where I live and is a beautiful hotel downtown.
That’s awesome. We want to plan a trip and record there one day.
Jealous man, A dream to go visit it.
its a great hotel i stayed there in 2009. great little bakery in the lobby. the deli across the street has some boss pizza too.
@@RavnerRavner is it possible to ask for the same room?
@@bombercountyblues it's debatable if anyone remembers the actual room. They might claim to know, but it was 83 years ago! The hotel went through some hard times in the 70s and 80s
Brilliant change up Owen. Good to see you with some company...please keep these guitar history lessons coming, they're very entertaining and inspiring for new riffage
That’s awesome! I’ll def do more niche meet ups when the right guy/gear crosses my path.
Hoooooly shit, when that dude started playing I almost crap my pants, it sounds so similar!
Thanks! Hear more on my channel or my site www.jonathannicholasmusic.com
will do!
Sweet home Chicago. Thank you Robert Johnson. He wrote it. Theme song of the 2nd city. CHICAGO
Best version of 32-20 Blues I have ever heard, besides the original.
Thank you so much! Check out my version with my jug band The Rumblestrutters
Robert Johnson is one of my guitar heroes! The delta is were my family is from too i started playing guitar a year ago after hearing him play, there is just something about the blues that I can feel at times when i listen to it.
Thank you for recording this! Great video!!
Johnson and Hopkins acoustic tone is where it's at. Love that you mentioned the importance of the room!
The research & attention to detail you put into your videos never ceases to amaze me. Glad I found your channel, you deserve more subscribers (though 12,000 is quite impressive)
Thanks Anthony! I think the key is if people start sharing my vids on blues/rock/metal forums/Facebook groups etc then I’ll get the push in subs. I think my vids still lack that something that urges people to share.
So I’m going to work hard and try and put more effort into the non playing aspects. I tend to treat the talking parts as an afterthought and put all the effort into capture process. I need to treat both equally.
Keep up the Robert Johnson stuff guys!
Great voice and playing! I’ve been a Robert Johnson fan and blues fan and player, since my early teens. Wonderful to hear this degree of skill and passion.
Thank you!
Thank you! Check out my other videos on my channel!
This was a GREAT video! Thank you for doing this and taking on the challenge! \m/
Not even all the way through yet. Just wow.
Great! I was apprehensive about the video, with Jon’s back to camera and guerrilla video/audio. So I’m glad the first comment is digging it!
Nothing wrong with that guitar sound, and the facing the wall recording was Robert Johnson. It's hard to believe that there were so few songs recorded.
29 songs.
Absolutely awesome! It's cool to not only see these amazing instruments, but also how you (as closely as possible) mimicked the recording atmosphere to try and capture that original sound and tone. You're right, at Circle of Tone you don't mess around. Thanks for sharing such a fantastic video and for the education behind it all as well.
Welcome to the circle! Thanks!
Just to kinda add and i mean this with all due respect to musicians. Since the early Delta blues all the way to the mid late 80's a lot of musicians not all that were involved in some way of their own generation were are all little more gritty and really tough. From led Belly killing a man all the way to Social distortion and a lot of in between musicians have seen and done things that just aren't done anymore. Real struggle and fear for your safety makes a different person. I think a big part of Robert Johnson allure is his life, which was hardly charmed by any means. You can write lyrics about a hard life all you want and play drop A# tuning on 9 strings all day, but to really be authentic is a hard thing to come by now a days. A lot of modern bands grew up with supportive parents very good music /singing lessons and yeah they can play better than Hendrix or SRV but there is a lack of Authentic personality. It may be the beer talking but Tragedy creates beauty. P.s. if you ever visit San Antonio The pints are on me
Yep. Musicians also get comfortable/rich and lose their edge. Like Sting, Metallica etc.
Did Metallica ever have a edge?
Social Distortion is not powerful music at all.
That's the first time I've heard an American refer to beer in pints.
You are absolutely right. Joe Bonamassa comes to mind. He's a monster player but where is the feeling coming from. Where's the experience of pain and heartache? I understand that's probably a good thing in most professions but not art and definitely not the blues.i guess it means things are getting a little better some things a little worse.
Absolutely amazing, bravo. I wish I was there live for these recordings. I just love the slide sound and the blues
I was wondering if you guys were gonna play into a corner. Thanks for not letting me down.
Yep! It’s great to get out of the cookie cutter modern production rules. Nobody likes modern production anyway so why do we all follow the rules?
When Robert recorded he turned his chair to the corner. I've heard it was because he didn't want anyone to pick up on his style. Not sure if that's the truth or not.
I have heard that Jhonson was recording this way so as not to be seen in the eye while playing
WOW MAN!!! I am well aware what you just played and the level of Difficulty to play like that and sing at the same time, NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE!!!! YOU ARE SO VERY GOOD!!!! You need to be on stage touring the World my friend!!! I am 50 now and I have not heard many in my days who can play as you. VERY GOOD!!! (My Strat got stolen---Three people broke into my house, stabbed me, left me to die and took the 1962 Fender Stratocaster my Late Mother had given me. I was 22 then, and never wanted to see another Guitar ever again, Unless of course it was mine, Never had such luck though) Now I of course wish I'd never given up on it, as I was getting pretty good. Next time 'round I guess. :) So Impressed with your Playing!!! Right On!!!
liveatvictoria thank you so much for your kind words, check out my channel for more videos. Really sorry to hear about the incident involving your strat, Id be heartbroken.
Thank you so much for the kind words they've come a important time for me, check out my channel if you want to see more.
So sorry to hear what happened. Once again thank you for watching the video.
Wow, hearing Johnson's material played on these original axes gives me chills. This was damn great
You guys did great. Didn't expect to see this outta you but I've obsessed with Robert Johnson recently so this is remarkably timed.
Delighted you liked the video. Huge change of pace for me but a welcome one.
Wow. You guys nailed the vibe. Well done.
Damned impressive! Very much liked the playing, and I'm always interested in any discussion of the evolution and techniques of popular music in the fist half of the 20th century.
wow just wow, just wooooow... that guitar you held owen, the things i would do to be able to record a few takes with it on my music... AWESOME VIDEO!
As someone who's lived here in Hazlehurst MS their entire life I can assure you that he created the hype, no devil, no deal. The REAL crossroads is at the cemetery in Beauregard MS. Ike Zimmerman taught him guitar. I work with Ike's granddaughter shes in her 60s. They used parlor style guitars, as they were more easily traveled with. They stayed here in the off season then when the train came thru everyone loaded up and went north to the delta to work in the fields and pick and pack the various harvests. Y'all wanna know his secret? Come down here and work in the 90% humidity in 100°f and 85° f at night with no air con. Its oppressive then there were social factors at that time that were most vicious and appalling. Thats were y'all fail to grasp it 100%
Thanks for the upload
Great info. Thanks.
Yes thats the point, the deal is a myth, ike wasn't ☺
Jonathan Nicholas indeed not. But I'll admit that if he didn't have the lore and mythology Behind him, he would be relegated to the long list of minor bluesman in the footnotes of history. But the marketing of the Faustian bargain pushes him to a plateau of the best of the best Like Son House, Booka white , honey boy Edwards, et al. Hell Tommy Johnson(no relation, allegedly) from Crystal Springs(6 miles north) used the devil story to great success as well. Its crazy how many of these caliber musical geniuses were in a 20 mile radius in that pre war and post war era.
Robert Hennington I feel his ability is muted by what he was expected to record, bar from preachin blues (up jumped the devil) which is his masterpiece
Hi Robert..enjoyed your contribution immensely To know zimmermans granddaughter is a great privilege. I met, was inspired and instructed by Son House. His teaching to this day changed my whole approach. I visit and play in Clarksdale every October...made this a few years ago ua-cam.com/video/NUL-YHIexhE/v-deo.html....I dared to cover a Johnson tune...here kevinbrown1.bandcamp.com/track/travelling-riverside-blues
Would love to chat more if you feel so inclined especially about his zimmerman period...one fact in particular...the validity of which might have some bearing on the myth..Im here thekevinbrown@aol.com. regards KB
You guys are great excellent rendition of 3220 in stones in my pathway 👌🏼🎶🎸🎸🎸🎶.... You've definitely done your homework 👍🏼
This one was fun love that you are going this back in history much respect as always great stuff man,🤘👌
I’m just glad that as long as there has been 6 strings, it comes hand in hand with rebellion and fighting spirit. Long may it continue.
Beautiful, incredible work, thank you both!!
Boboh Buboh Cheers BB!
I used to sit on Robert Junior Lockwood porch Johnny Shines will come over this is back in Cleveland for early Seventies...👍🏼🎶🎸🎶
Very cool
Excellent Excellent video. Your comments about Eric Clapton are spot on as he has stated himself. Years ago he did a documentary about recording his Robert Johnson album and in it he admitted there were several songs that he spent considerable time practicing because of the difficulty of playing them like RJ, AND the added difficulty of singing at the same time. Super job👍 (watched under another name, comment under this name😊)
Delighted you liked it. That difficulty is why people thought he sold his soul. He got impossibly good in two years.
That was some blues playing for a welshman lol fantastic bro
Incredibly good. This really was a treat. Thank you!!!
It was fun. Previously I was really sick so I was glad to have someone else do the hard work. Haha.
wish you'd turn around so I could see what you're doing. Excellent interpretation!!!
Loved your Hex-mas videos because I'm a metal fan at heart, but this sounds amazing! I have a Robert Johnson CD somewhere, but can't say I've ever given it enough attention.
Awesome. Glad to bring back the blues.
Oh my, what a treat of a video. The sound of the guitar facing the corner put the hairs up on my arm. TODAY, Robert Johnson's 117th Birthday. What a treat, a treat, a treat, that Stones in my Passway, amazing.
andrew wheeler thanks Andy.
I thought Robert was born in 1911.?
Same tone as Robert Johnson, your playing and the guitar is legit, damn that slide
Thank you.
I'm genuinely impressed gentlemen
Thank you
Good old corner loading! The guy was sooooooo ahead of his time amd he knew it too!!🎸🎵💜🎶
Yep. So advanced. That’s why people thought he was getting supernatural help.
Fantastic, didn't expect you to tackle this, suggests you could dig into anything. I'd like to humbly request a video on Robin Trower Bridge of Sighs, specific similarities with/differences from Hendrix's tone.
Awesome, just subbed
A couple years ago l listened to a recording of a radio interview with RJ's mysic tutor Ike Zimmerman's daughter where she spoke about the time RJ spent with her family learning from her father. She recounted how they would practice for many hours. She also said her father taught many others including several women, and was way better than RJ and also composed several of the songs RJ recorded.
I watch everything I can on Robert Johnson. I have watched this piece alone several timnes. By the way what is the neck width on a KG 14?
Hey man I told my Producer why he should subscribe to your channel. You got a damn good ear, and because of what you you do on your channel for historical musical sound, and how you recreate it.
Adam H. Thanks man! It’s been a lesson for me too.
Robert Johnson was a bluesman for aure, but Django Reinhardt was waaaay ahead of his time as well.
Agreed. Django Reinhardt doesn’t get the love he deserves sometimes.
Superb! One of the best guitar videos I've seen on UA-cam.
Thanks Paul. Means a lot.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Holy shit.
Haha. Cheers.
This guy has that 3 finger roll down. Impressed
That gibson L1 could be the one if u look at the pic of him holding it, it has striking similarities of wear around the pickguard area. Unfortunately Johnson never owned the Gibson L1, it was given to him to hold for the sake of the photo. Johnson would not have been able to afford that guitar.
That would be epic.
I COULDNT UNDERSTAND THE BIG DEAL ABOUT RJ ,,,WHEN I STARTING PLAYING THE BLUES........NOW, IM HEARING THE GREATNESS AND IM OBSESSED WITH HIS HAUNTING VOICE, MUSIC, AND STORY...LOVE IT!......I THINK WHEN U REALIZE THAT HES THE ONLY ONE PLAYING IN HIS SONGS, AND DARE TO COPY HIS MUSIC, AND TIMING HE MADE UP HIS OWN RYTHM THAT NOONE HAS EVER REPRODUCED CORRECTLY, PLUS HIS LYRICS ARE LIKE LITTLE MOVIES, I GET LOST IN HIS STORIES...HE WAS SCARY/GREAT NO PUN INTENTED!
AND WITH OUT A DOUBT, THE L-1 IS THE GUITAR I HEARD IT IMMEDIATLY..THE KALAMAZOO IS WAY TO BRIGHT THE L1 HAS THAT WARMTH
great job on this video!!!!
Wonderful work.thank you.i love this music,so much.😁💡👍🎸
All roads lead back to The Delta.
Are the strings also from the 1920s, lol. Seriously, what strings/gauges you have on both guitars? The tone was near perfect!
Ech Ech I use newtone strings heritage series low tension 12s that are hand wound. Nothing beats them. These are bronze but the old blues guys would've prob used nickel strings.
Brilliant musicianship
Great video and wonderful playing. That KG14 sounds fantastic in Jonathan's hands. It's been a while since I watched the Johnny Shines interview, but IIRC he mentions that Robert Johnson liked the Kalamazoos and also the (Oscar Schmidt) Stellas. The latter aren't as commonly associated with Johnson as they are with Charlie Patton etc, but I expect he's more likely to have played one than the costlier Gibson. I think that the guitar of an itinerant bluesman in the 1930s would have been very prone to damage (Johnson is known to have liked his women and his whisky and wasn't one to back down from a fight). Replacement guitars would need to be quickly sourced from what was readily available. The Stellas (and other brands made by the Oscar Schmidt Company) were widely distributed, sturdily built and relatively inexpensive.
Though its generally thought that the L1 RJ was pictured with prob wasnt his aa no one mentions a Gibson in their recollections. But if hw did own the gibson it would prob be the guitar he lost to a hotel fire, which would lead him to busk on the highway with a harmonica with Johnny Shines to raise cash to buy Kalamazoos each.
When I first started playing guitar I was given a tape…a cassette tape of early Bob Dylan & Robert Johnson. That along with Led Zeppelin live DVDs, Guns N Roses & funny enough Garth Brooks. What a wonderful world to grow up in with music. Lest I forget we owned a bar in the south. So, Lynard Skynard, .38 Special & local musicians was a given. 🎸 🤘🏻
At 16:42 ish that reminds me of Leadbelly “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”
Owned a bar in the south? And you misspelled Lynyrd Skynyrd???
Truth is it was more than two yrs between a novsist and a masterful player. Durring that time him and Ike spent days and nites playing an learning guitar.
Brilliant
Thank you. Just, thank you.
Thank you! Loving the response!
this might be my favorite video of yours... fantastic!
Very cool. The feedback is good so I’ll be doing more broad strokes with the channel in the future.
Look at Robert Johnson's hands @2:33. This guy was born to play guitar.
Yep. I freaked out when I saw Paul Gilbert's fingers too. Ironically my fingers are my weak aspect. I have joint issues where my fingers lock etc since I was a kid.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE Yeah, my right hand cramps bad.
What a curve ball Owen, definitely didn’t see this coming. Which is why I’m subscribed in the first place. Outstanding work brother.
Haha. Yep. Going from Mayhem to acoustic is pretty extreme.
Amazing guitars and some amazing playing. I don't believe I've heard a better rendition of this style.
Thank you that means a lot
Amazing video, I've always been interested in the legend of The Crossroads and Robert Johnson
Thanks for watching
Thanks Marty.
That was a cool history lesson!
Thanks man! I learned a lot too.
Awesome video, why do you have your back to the camera? You should be proud!! I have the book, The Search for R.J.!! So very talented, you are! !
If you go to 13:30 you see an artists rendition on how Robert Johnson recorded with his back to the room in a corner. We copied the technique for this video. Glad you liked it!
Thanks! We were recreating RJs set up and he corner loaded. Check out www.Jonathannicholasmusic.com
Cool! Love the guitars and playing. Subscribed. I suspect no deal was made, I think maybe Robert was like me in a way. Negative criticism (even from myself) is for some people the best catalyst to spur on hard work and in his case he went and got some lessons. He wanted to be good, so he pursued it fully with dedication. Like so many others. I speculate, but it seems reasonable doesn't it?
Yep. I agree. But it’s fun to give it a sprinkling of mysticism.
Charlie parker tried hanging with the big boys in the Kansas City after hours jams Bepop jazz guys would do after their shows. he couldn't keep up and they had to throw a cymbol at him to get him to leave the stage. he practiced for a few years, came back and blew the world away. so it certainly can be done. But it is a nice story isn't it?
David Parry not according to Son House and Willie Brown.
Well, if he did, Lucifer gave him a raw deal. A short life, and the travesty of not being able to be alive to appreciate all of the great music that was inspired by him. Kind of a "Don't Bet the Devil Your Head" vibe lol
Raw deal by the Devil? What a shock! That's unheard of! I was always under the impression that the Prince of Darkness was the fairest most honest soul-eating demon around. 😉
You’re not on a cross road at midnight, so you’re safe.
Thanks for this. I am a Metalhead, but as a guy whose been around a while, I know that without this music we have no Chuck Berry>Beatles>Zeppelin>Sabbath>Priest>Slayer>Modern Heavy styles. INFO is POWER!!!!
Agree! I learned a lot too.
Tidy Mushes!
Subbed to Jonathan.
That guitar rings like a bell!
Thanks! Tidy like...
It sure does. Crazy tone on them, there are modern repos but they don't quite have the edge the old ones do.
Thanks for posting this!
You are absolutely right if it had not been for Robert Johnson Muddy Waters and other gentleman like them we probably would not have rock and roll today. It is interesting to see a video on how they may have recorded these things considering at the time recording music was really still in its infancy. As for the whole story of Robert Johnson going to the crossroads and selling his soul you're right and what I think you were trying to say that he went to study with someone and came back really good. This surely would have been in the time when people progressed so quickly like that that it would have had it been of let's say an evil nature.But they say that about heavy metal and rock and roll for that matter today.Thank you for making this video it's always interesting to hear about the old school Blues.
Thanks Jack. It’s good to cover both sides of the mythology. But listening back it’s still crazy how good he was for 2 years. So I can see how his peers were freaking out.
Circle Of Tone feels like home. Great community.
Texas bluesmen from the early electric era T-Bone Walker, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Lazy Lester are influences of mine in respect to tone and technique. I play black and industrial metal.
It's awesome seeing so many metal guitarists digging this video and the blues roots.
I thought you were going to treat that 1926 Gibson like a baby, but you banged on it beautifully. You and Jonathan nailed this one to the wall.
That’s great to hear. Love this comment. I’m happy the metal dudes dug this one.
Your buddy Johnathan was good. You know, that Gibson you played a bit sounds like a piano when you let the bass register ring at the end of passages.
Thats the idea, Johnson played a bit of piano and certainly lifted concepts from piano players.
I think he used the L1on his last recording gs because theres an interview with Honeyboy Edwards whi saw him on Main Street right after the record sessions time and he said he was using a small gibson with a hike in the middle. He didnt say Kalamazoo and it was right after the 1937 recordings.
Great info.
@@CIRCLEOFTONE In reality we will never know what he recorded with, but johnny Shines who travelled round with him too said he was mad for the Kalamazoo, and he would have owned one around the time of his recordings, though I'd imagine he went through guitars like water travelling around like he did.
3:50 why can’t we see you play?????
Well done! Some great sounding guitars!
pcbullets I only wish you could have been in that room with them. The records on the wall acting as diffusers, the curtains, the bare surfaces etc made for a perfect swirly experience. Chills. Thanks for watching!
Those Guitars sound really good, The E F G Riff you played sounded good, I was playing a long with it..
Cool. This channel is called Circle to bring in the watchers so that’s perfect.
Some good talk Thankyou.
Thanks Dylan.
Robert Johnson's music is raw. Took me awhile to appriciate his style.
Yep. I think the production is part of the charm.
Awesome, love old blues
Cheers Robert.
Check out my page!!!
goddamn didn't expect this one, good fuckin job
Haha. I knew I’d get a few double takes with this title.
I’m gonna say it was the Kalamazoo, if that was the first one he played. Two totally different sounds.
Agreed, also the cheaper of the two back in the day.
Great as always Owen!
Cheers Andrew!
Nice! Loved this. Funny story about what Muddy had to say about Johnson. I live right down the street from where Muddy is buried in Alsip, Illinois, USA.
That’s awesome. Glad you like it. I’ll def shake down other experts to interview in the future.
Amazing video and very informative (:
Deviance Delighted you liked it. It was informative for me too.
A truly marvellous video.
I learned a lot myself. Really happy at the response! Glad you liked it!
Awesome video
This was excellent. Good work!
You hit it out of the ballpark on this one.
bwgti I give him a 9/10. It would have been 10 if the Devil turned up and I sold my soul for Tottenham to with the premier league. Thanks for watching!
I can hear it, especially in the words and transitions. Good stuff
Thanks for listening. It’s a great technique. I’m just glad I didn’t have to play this one!
All man, I'm going to have to dust off the slide and get my slide chops up now. I almost forgot how awesome those slide players are.
I realized that when I did the Zakk Wylde video. Slide is so alien to me so I respect those guys.
This is a great video. Thank you for making it.
+Adam Kotch Thanks Adam. It almost didn’t happen because I got sick. I’m glad I pushed through. It was great to get help recording for a change.
what a shame i picked up the guitar at 21 within a short time people couldnt believe how fast i caught on maybe robrt johnson leaves meets the person ike who unlocks the piece he needs and he could be just that gifted
Great discussion. I have a cool double CD collection of Robert Johnson tracks. Just a fantastic vibe and mood to those recordings.
The vibe is so great. Impossible to recreate. I did sneak in some subtle vinyl warp, machine noise and static/tape simulation to our recording but it's still too pristine/digital. But the trade off is we get more detail/headroom. Thanks for watching!
Keep up these great videos, guys!
👍👍👀 I hope this channel can stay alive. It is unique in so many ways. I have shared. I love nerd
Thanks for sharing. That is key to the channels success.
Good job.
Really interesting stuff as always, don't give it up
Thanks man. I’ll give it a good go in the next few months. Hopefully I make my vids more shareable. I think they lack that something which triggers people to share so I need to fix that.
Non believers will hate, it's all good but there are a few albums I can listen to and there is something very, very enchanting about the performance... There's a spiritual energy there and I don't think it's coming entirely from the player. Robert Johnson's recordings (all of them) have this mark. Jimi Hendrix's music did as well. Randy Rhodes guitar playing, there are others.... Then again it's probably all in my head.
rmzzz76 Yep. For religious it’s spiritual and for the atheists it’s mojo. And they all mean the same thing.