@@nodiet8660 Inside Llywen Davis. It's a Cohen Brothers film about a struggling folk muscian working just before Dylan put folk back on the map. It's in my top 20. Don't watch it unless youre ready to let your heart hurt. Oscar Isaac. Top shelf all around
Yes, Leadbelly killed someone in a drunken fight, but people glance over the fact that the other person was also trying to kill him. The life of a bluesman in the south most times ended in tragic despair. There is a reason the music is called "the blues." The stories are real, and painful.
This is the only way that I was able to figure out how he got in prison, for some reason, it's hard as hell to find anything about him online, thanks man
@@benjiporraz7418 I believe he was released from prison twice while serving time for murder or homicide. The governor of Texas pardoned him because he liked a song Ledbelly sang. The second pardon was from prison in Lousiana. Life was not easy for these men who pioneered the blues.
When my gr4andfather, heard The Animals cover of this song, he just laughed and told me he first heard this song in New Orleans around 1916.... He said it was a urban myth about a Dope House in The French Quarter...
Folk music is a tricky thing, just look at what Curt Cobain did with this song.... Or even what Tom Waits has done... Eminem sumed it up perfectly when he recorded a lyric that was somewhere along the lines of, "though I'm not the first king of controversy, I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley, to do black music so selfishly, and use it to get myself wealthy."
I think everyone should know that this isn't even Lead Belly singing on this track, it's his wife, if you listen you can even hear him mutter "let my baby sing" there is a version of him singing it called "In New Orleans" but this is NOT Lead Belly singing.
Thank you, Jimsters. I kept listening to this and thinking: "That's a woman, isn't it?" But I could not find anything, so I thought it was a either the recording or an 'artistic decision.' Did Mrs L. Belly sing anything else, 'cos she has a real soulful voice?
She sang on "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" as a duet with Lead Belly. I am not sure if she sang on anything else though. Chances are she PROBABLY did, there are so many recordings out there.
Such a legendary musician its hard to believe that he actually killed somebody. He was locked up in Angola Prison in Louisiana for a while which is one of the birthplaces of the blues. I just watched a documentary called Music From The Big House about some of the musicians who are currently incarcerated for life in Angola today. Really interesting stuff I definitely recommend it if you're a blues/country fan.
I don't care how many years one practices blues guitar. It's impossible to capture the sound and style of the original pioneering Bluesmen! There's something about it that's lost and will never be duplicated. I've been playing blues guitar for over 40 years and I'm still not even a pimple on Lead Belly's ass as a bluesman! I can play for sure, but I'm far from a bluesman and I would never call myself one!
The legend of Leadbelly has spread far and wide. Like so so many Black American legends in music, sports, civil rights etc. From NZ and know the worth of this man.
This song is based on an old English folk song from around the 1600's. The oldest known existing recording is of a man named Clarence "Tom" Ashley and Gwen Foster. Who recorded it for Vocalion Records in 1934. Ashely says he learned from his grandfather Enoch Ashley. It has been rewritten and rerecorded more times and by more artist, than probably, any song in history. But is best known by the Eric Burton and the Animals version.
Prior to the rise of records, most people entertained themselves with music instruments played by performers or themselves, like banjos and guitars. And many songs were performed this way adding variations and influences along the way. So the fact that the song has "blues" in it means at some point it became part of blues tradition. And in the Appalachians there was a large amount of influences from different populations.
For anyone confused and I SEE alot of people confused. Leadbelly is NOT singing here its his wife. Thats why you cant hear him remind her the words "Go tell my baby sisters" before she starts singing it at 1:17
My father adored Leadbelly,his favourite blues man,so I was introduced to him very early on,that was in the 70's I'm now in my early fiftys and his music has been a constant throughout that time 🎸❤️
I found Lead Belly today through a FB quiz!! So many of my favourite songs were a cover of his originals 😢 I am having a bitter sweet flutter in my heart.
Here is a clarity on the folk origins on the inspiration for the lyrics of this song. first, like many American folk songs, no one knows the actual original singer, never mind who was the first to actually write down the lyrics. But there was house in New Orleans actually called "The Rising Sun" it was a brothel in the 1800s for several decades, and this is not a case of what came first the chicken or the egg, the Brothel did not lift it's title from some folk song, ( that's pretty much a late 20th century marketing idea) but that one or some folk blues singer (s) pieced it together like most songs by personal experience, or a familiar story or event . As for thinking that Bob Dylan or the Animals where the originators, well that happens with many songs back in the 50s-70s, as artist knew that good songs are rare and worth doing, unlike many who go for flash in the pan, trendy lyrics and tunes. The originator of the song "tom Dooley" was actually tom dooley, who left behind the words written on his jail wall, as he was hung the next day for the crime he mentioned in the song., it wasn't written by the Kingston trio, Peter Paul and Mary or anyone else, but it's been a popular folk song because it's truthful and relates a very human experience, as does the House of the rising sun (my favorite song of all times since 1966) it's a human experience song, timeless.
Many thanks to you ejdiii33, even if I'm not be livin' in your country today, and even if I've been a simply man born here, in France, your lines already meet my thoughts. Thanks of our Lord (and Bryan Ferry), I found a precious Lead Belly's song (Goodnight Irene) that I will sing, tomorrow night, for my fellows, as we are used to met us together once a month for a gig, to play and sing American folk songs... And many more !
Thanks for sharing, John. I love music, blues/jazz/any music from all eras and all COUNTRIES. Where I live, very few people will even try to listen to, much less 'understand' or study foreign music. Not I though. I realize there is sooo much beautiful, inspirational and painfully true musical art in the world, any lover of music is missing most of the greatest art there is by narrowing their likes to only music from one country. It's great to read your post, knowing American blues has fans all over the world. Best wishes to you and your friends!
+EliteHackerPro after the animals, this aint got shyeet on their version...atleast not in my current mood, but thats the thing about music, hits ya differently depending on your mood
Well this one is actually a song that dates back to at least the civil war, and likely further. Old American folk song, though it's thought to possibly have started as an English folk song. There is no record of it found that far back though
Totally agree. You are absolutely speaking to the truth. Makes me feel a little better that many legends do say that led belly was “.the inspiration” I.e nirvana , jimmy Paige and many others .
Jan Soors Really? You know that for sure? True, he was convicted of manslaughter and did a little time but he was also pardoned for that crime. The other murder, well, a black man in the Southern U.S. in the early 1900s accused of anything would be convicted by an all white jury almost without exception regardless of the facts or evidence. Its hard to be black anywhere in the racist U.S. but the South in those days was a particular kind of hell for people of color. That aside, there was and still is little by way of proof that Lead Belly killed anyone. He was known to have a nasty temper at times when drinking and got into physical altercations with people, but im not ready to piss on his grave just yet
My dad played and sang this song my entire life (37 years now) so I know every word yet I've never heard this version. Very cool to hear it in this way.
Goes back further. Lead Belly copied it... ua-cam.com/video/147kS8O59Qs/v-deo.html And it was an Appalachian folk song before that and a British folk song prior to it being sung in Appalachia... The history of song is a wonderful thing!
It's so amazing how influential these songs are, to all of the 60's and 70's rockers who became super stars and in turn those bands influenced my parents generation which then turned into bands like Nirvana who obviously covered "black girl" re-named by Kurt to "My Girl" for obvious reasons I think. I also think another aspect of this is that amazing is these songs were written by black folk who had no other outlet to voice their frustrations, sorrow, angst, and depression. They never intended them to become a genre nor visions of fame. Nope, they sang their sorrows away and it helped them cope with the atrocities known as slavery and in later years complete oppression. I just have so much respect for these musicians. As a huge music fan and a massive Nirvana fan, I am really grateful to that band for introducing Leadbelly to me thru their cover, once I found him, I was able to discover other great musicians from that genre and time period. These men sang about what they knew, it meant something to them. They were playing these songs to survive, not monetarily but spiritually. I am grateful these men recorded their music to be appreciated.
@@car4sale556 Song is much older than that, there is a version being song as early as 1905 among rural Southerners in mines in Appalachia. Th e term House of the Rising Sun is found in English folk songs as well as French back to the 17th century or so. Ledbelly, who was from Louisiana, did a southern Blues version no doubt, but there were folk style versions before Ledbelly did his version. Ledbelly is a legend in Louisiana music history, he was in prison for a crime and his songs were played on some radio station across Louisiana, the Governor of LA herd it and was so moved, Ledbelly was pardoned.
Metal Inc Can you explain how it works? I can never understand the need of some to thumb down videos. If I don’t like one, I simply walk away, now if I do like it, I for sure give it a thumbs up, but that’s just me ✌🏻😁
I am only 13 but I love lead belly and generally don't like any music past the 1970s but when I was first introduced to Leadbelly I realized just how dependent 60s rock especially was in his music with bands like the Beatles rolling Stones animals etc.
I am in full agreement with you on that buddy. I can play quite a few blue songs, including several Robert Johnson tunes, but that version of HRS by Leadbelly still leaves me all in a knot when I try to figure out where he is, tuning-wise, etc. It is also one of the greatest finger-picked songs I have ever heard.
Old Missisippi/ La.Bayou blues=core of rock. Real life ups&downs of common ppl. G•father left me blues albums, LB included. K Cobain did this legend proud. Introduced new generation to REAL thang☺♡ RIP, LB & KC
Wow!! So this man originally sang many of my favorite songs. Im so stiled to have discovered a new (to me) artist. WhereDid You Sleep Last Night? is my favorite song Nirvana does and i knew it was a cover but i had never heard the original until about 5 minutes ago. So i then looked up Leadbelly and i am amazed! This man was most definitely ahead of his time
How can someone "dislike" this? Seriously. What did they think it was going to sound like or be? Its almost insulting that someone would dislike this. Great post, thanks for sharing this version.
House of the rising sun and the nirvana version of where did you sleep last night are some of my all time favorite songs, it’s a shame that I never knew about lead belly until recently
The oldest known existing recording is by Appalachian artists Clarence "Tom" Ashley and Gwen Foster, who recorded it for Vocalion Records in 1934. Ashley said he had learned it from his grandfather, Enoch Ashley
😢 I think Leadbelly was a legend in his time he's very very very very very very good good singer he can sing and I really like in the pines I listen to that quite often and you going to walk that lonesome valley t..
No one really knows how old this song really is. Nor its exact origins... its original rendition. But each subsequent take on it seems to work and work well.
Just yesterday I went to the 3rd Annual Leadbelly Tribute just outside Shreveport, LA. I had no idea it was the church where he's buried. The blues is alive in my town.
@@ReggieHaze89 I don't know when I found out this was a very old song, probably about 10 years ago when I looked it up. I can't tell you what the 45 I undoubtedly had in the 60's (maybe 70's) said, and while I probably still have it (I have quite a stack or 45's and LP's), I see that images of most of the records you see for sale on Ebay/elsewhere say Traditional, or Traditional arranged by Allan Price, or just Price. The last one is a bit misleading. The Animals released it in 1964, Bob Dlyan released his cover in 1962. (You can find it on UA-cam, pretty poor in comparison.) He stopped performing it when people started calling his version a cover of The Animals song. That annoyed him. Certainly The Animals are the successful version, so it is understandable that people would think they were the originals. Wikipedia has a pretty good write up.
I never really realized how many songs can be attributed to lead belly, this.. black bettie and many and many others to numerous to mention. Elvis, Dylan, artists known by one name only are doing covers of Lead belly. He is an unsung hero of the blues ... covered by many greats. Now we have .... well nothing ... cyrus beiber and a turn to the foundation.
Many of the songs we enjoyed from the late 40's thru the birth of Rock and Rol were originally Blues songs performed by Black musicians, due to the racism of the time the radion stations would not play "Black" music so they turned to White entertainers to copy and release the "White" version. Elivs was one of the few early entertainers who had learned from listening to Black Godspel and Blues players who was able to make the crossover in music with his style and sound. As the 60's came upon us the doors were opened to more and more Black entertainers. Some have been extremely good and others not so much.
James Maxwell "they turned to white artist to copy and release a white version". That's not entirely true. As nice as it is to blame racism for practically everything, blues music being turned to rock was not quite that simple. Mostly it was because times were changing to rock and many of the musicians were putting what they'd heart to rock music.
this song was recorded for the first time in 1933 by clarence ashley and gwen foster. truth is no one knows who wrote it for sure it was around long before first recording
Of the many versions of this song I've heard, I love the The Animals version best. Just discovered lead belly..looks like I found the legend behind all the legends..
@@christophersawyer253 How so? How does one get "ripped off" when they record, in 1944, an old folk song of unknown origin that predates the Civil War, and could possibly go back as far as the 17th century, that was already recorded by at least 7 different artists before this recording?
The blues were rejected by mainstream America but the British musicians embraced the blues, repackaged, and brought it back to mainstream America. The British musicians also respected the blues singers and even toured with them in Europe. Funny how racism and segregation can turn a blind eye toward incredible music and talented black musicians.
Are you serious? Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, etc. were already famous and loved in America well before Led Zeppelin and the likes came along. Stop trying to rewrite history. The only major thing British rock bands added to blues was normalizing the "touching" of underage "groupies"
I heard of this guy on Nirvana unplugged........I come from the north of england where blues is seldom heard. But I love this old, dirty, unique sound! I love howling wolf too....Legends!!!!
This is clearly the greatest version of The House of the Rising Sun. Everyone that played the song played it with those chords a, C, D, F, etc. but this one is special. They made the song a cliche but this version saves the song.
This version is sung by Leadbelly's wife. These are the lyrics from Leadbelly's singing of the song: There is a house in New Orleans They call the Rising Sun It's been the ruin of a many a poor boy And me, oh God, I'm one I'm goin' to tell my baby sister Please don't do like I have done Please shun that house in New Orleans They call the Rising Sun If I had listened at what my momma said I woulda not been here today Huddie be so young, so foolish, and so wild (Huddie is pronounced hew-dee) I let a rambler lead me astray I'm goin' back to New Orleans My race is almost run I'm goin' back to New Orleans Beneath the Rising Sun
True , low country blues . His is the beginning of everything. Including , The Beatles. Look into it . Van Morrison, said it too . The twelve string guitar. A genius in all respects
THANKS TO LEADBELLY'S GRANDSON for signing his grandfather's album for me-it was an AWESOME Birthday surprise @ The Mustang Shop in Shreveport, Louisiana on 6-20-2016, sincerely, Angel
+Trenton Lemke Lead Belly made versions of many traditional folk songs. There's nothing wrong with that, I think it's wonderful that people take the old songs and do their own thing with them. That's what folk songs are for. It's allowed them to morph and develop throughout history and across regions as they were carried by foot from place to place and only through live performance and writing until this past century - giving us interesting insight into the lives and cultures of the past. I love hearing many different versions of the same song and appreciating them separately, not in competition.
I was this many days old to learn how many songs were stolen from Ledbelly. I know he is far not the only African-American artist to have this happen to him. I truly hope that their contribution is brought to light
No, I mean "The Blues had a baby and they Named it Rock and Roll". As a matter of fact the Blues had many babies...(inc. country, jazz, and the list goes on and on)...It.was brought to america from africa via slavery....from field hollers and the call and response...the the slaves used to communicate...as they oft times were forbidden to talk to each other...and evolved into the first true american music...The Blues had a Baby and they Named it Rock and Roll...is the name of a song ..btw...
Jack Straw Tell it! The use of sounds and rhythms together(even speech) comes out of Africa,no matter what label they put on it here in America or the world.Why can't they just tell the truth?
![The Animals - House Of The Rising Sun (Music Video) [4K HD]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/N4bFqW_eu2I/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Animals - House Of The Rising Sun (Music Video) [4K HD]](/img/tr.png)
"If it was never new, and it never gets old, then it's a folk song."
Damn. That's an amazing quote
Yes.
Llewn davis
Who said that?
@@nodiet8660 Inside Llywen Davis.
It's a Cohen Brothers film about a struggling folk muscian working just before Dylan put folk back on the map.
It's in my top 20. Don't watch it unless youre ready to let your heart hurt. Oscar Isaac. Top shelf all around
Yes, Leadbelly killed someone in a drunken fight, but people glance over the fact that the other person was also trying to kill him. The life of a bluesman in the south most times ended in tragic despair. There is a reason the music is called "the blues." The stories are real, and painful.
*killed someone twice
This is the only way that I was able to figure out how he got in prison, for some reason, it's hard as hell to find anything about him online, thanks man
@@benjiporraz7418 you are a moron. Learn to use google
tragic despair because he was prob fucking dudes wife.
@@benjiporraz7418 I believe he was released from prison twice while serving time for murder or homicide. The governor of Texas pardoned him because he liked a song Ledbelly sang. The second pardon was from prison in Lousiana. Life was not easy for these men who pioneered the blues.
Just discovered lead belly..looks like I found the legend behind all the legends..
Definitely one of the literal fathers of 99% of American popular music.
Lead Belly and Robert Johnson ofc
you better listen to this: ua-cam.com/video/NdgrQoZHnNY/v-deo.html
Mitchell Spanjaard look up the crossroads doc it’s details part of his story. I saw it recently that’s why I clicked on this song
@@markgreen2170 Thank you.
When my gr4andfather, heard The Animals cover of this song, he just laughed and told me he first heard this song in New Orleans around 1916.... He said it was a urban myth about a Dope House in The French Quarter...
Awesome
Folk music is a tricky thing, just look at what Curt Cobain did with this song....
Or even what Tom Waits has done...
Eminem sumed it up perfectly when he recorded a lyric that was somewhere along the lines of, "though I'm not the first king of controversy, I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley, to do black music so selfishly, and use it to get myself wealthy."
@trenthink I'm not a big fan of Elvis but he did it at a time where it was more available to the public and he did it with pasazzz/flash.
I was told it was a whore house in the French quarters
@trenthink Kurt Cobain did "Where did You Sleep Last Night " not "House Of The Rising Sun" and Leadbelly was Kurt's favorite.
I think everyone should know that this isn't even Lead Belly singing on this track, it's his wife, if you listen you can even hear him mutter "let my baby sing" there is a version of him singing it called "In New Orleans" but this is NOT Lead Belly singing.
wow good catch!
It's still good though, his wife was a good singer as well.
Agreed!
Thank you, Jimsters. I kept listening to this and thinking: "That's a woman, isn't it?" But I could not find anything, so I thought it was a either the recording or an 'artistic decision.' Did Mrs L. Belly sing anything else, 'cos she has a real soulful voice?
She sang on "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" as a duet with Lead Belly. I am not sure if she sang on anything else though. Chances are she PROBABLY did, there are so many recordings out there.
Such a legendary musician its hard to believe that he actually killed somebody. He was locked up in Angola Prison in Louisiana for a while which is one of the birthplaces of the blues. I just watched a documentary called Music From The Big House about some of the musicians who are currently incarcerated for life in Angola today. Really interesting stuff I definitely recommend it if you're a blues/country fan.
he got sent to prison like 3 different times just for stabbing people
@@cringebleach905 And got out at least twice by singing for the guv'nah of at least two different states, who then pardoned him.
@@cringebleach905 Yeah but it's SUPER HARD TO BELIEVE he actually killed somebody. A little harmless stabbing never actually hurt anybody.
@@yissssss Hah those were different times, shit, people were having revolver duels in the streets
thats when he wrote midnight train
I don't care how many years one practices blues guitar. It's impossible to capture the sound and style of the original pioneering Bluesmen! There's something about it that's lost and will never be duplicated. I've been playing blues guitar for over 40 years and I'm still not even a pimple on Lead Belly's ass as a bluesman! I can play for sure, but I'm far from a bluesman and I would never call myself one!
Lead belly the overlooked and underrated badass southern blues man
Love, LeadBelly for most all of my 80+ years.
Please write me !
Respect
@@GodAlwaysWins17still listening to blues?
The legend of Leadbelly has spread far and wide. Like so so many Black American legends in music, sports, civil rights etc. From NZ and know the worth of this man.
This song is based on an old English folk song from around the 1600's. The oldest known existing recording is of a man named Clarence "Tom" Ashley and Gwen Foster. Who recorded it for Vocalion Records in 1934. Ashely says he learned from his grandfather Enoch Ashley. It has been rewritten and rerecorded more times and by more artist, than probably, any song in history. But is best known by the Eric Burton and the Animals version.
Thank you for the information!
i believe the most recorded song in history is "yesterday" by the beatles.😁
Prior to the rise of records, most people entertained themselves with music instruments played by performers or themselves, like banjos and guitars. And many songs were performed this way adding variations and influences along the way. So the fact that the song has "blues" in it means at some point it became part of blues tradition. And in the Appalachians there was a large amount of influences from different populations.
If the oldest know existing record is from 1934. I can only imagine how many lost recording of this song were made between 1850-1933
@@coopergumbybro that’s copyrighted, how could it be the most recorded song in history?
This man is an absolute legend. Shame he isn't recognized as that by a lot of people. I didn't even know who this guy was until a few days ago
He’s been well known by us borin’ ol’ fart* baby boomer boys since the early 60s
* attribution: Pete Townshend ‘The Kids Are Alright’ movie
And Doc Watson
And kurt cobain
Watch the movie Leadbelly if haven't already.
@@revolutionaryj6464 you're trying to say Kurt Cobain isn't recognized? Do you live on Mars?
For anyone confused and I SEE alot of people confused. Leadbelly is NOT singing here its his wife. Thats why you cant hear him remind her the words "Go tell my baby sisters" before she starts singing it at 1:17
My father adored Leadbelly,his favourite blues man,so I was introduced to him very early on,that was in the 70's I'm now in my early fiftys and his music has been a constant throughout that time 🎸❤️
Leadbelly = Legend. Many copies and covers but this IS the blues
The blues always carried a pack on its back filled with what was and what the future was to bring. Amazing stuff here.
I found Lead Belly today through a FB quiz!! So many of my favourite songs were a cover of his originals 😢
I am having a bitter sweet flutter in my heart.
C'mon, just join the club and be happy!
Here is a clarity on the folk origins on the inspiration for the lyrics of this song. first, like many American folk songs, no one knows the actual original singer, never mind who was the first to actually write down the lyrics. But there was house in New Orleans actually called "The Rising Sun" it was a brothel in the 1800s for several decades, and this is not a case of what came first the chicken or the egg, the Brothel did not lift it's title from some folk song, ( that's pretty much a late 20th century marketing idea) but that one or some folk blues singer (s) pieced it together like most songs by personal experience, or a familiar story or event . As for thinking that Bob Dylan or the Animals where the originators, well that happens with many songs back in the 50s-70s, as artist knew that good songs are rare and worth doing, unlike many who go for flash in the pan, trendy lyrics and tunes. The originator of the song "tom Dooley" was actually tom dooley, who left behind the words written on his jail wall, as he was hung the next day for the crime he mentioned in the song., it wasn't written by the Kingston trio, Peter Paul and Mary or anyone else, but it's been a popular folk song because it's truthful and relates a very human experience, as does the House of the rising sun (my favorite song of all times since 1966) it's a human experience song, timeless.
+ejdiii333 Thanks for that.
Many thanks to you ejdiii33, even if I'm not be livin' in your country today, and even if I've been a simply man born here, in France, your lines already meet my thoughts. Thanks of our Lord (and Bryan Ferry), I found a precious Lead Belly's song (Goodnight Irene) that I will sing, tomorrow night, for my fellows, as we are used to met us together once a month for a gig, to play and sing American folk songs... And many more !
Thanks for sharing, John. I love music, blues/jazz/any music from all eras and all COUNTRIES. Where I live, very few people will even try to listen to, much less 'understand' or study foreign music. Not I though. I realize there is sooo much beautiful, inspirational and painfully true musical art in the world, any lover of music is missing most of the greatest art there is by narrowing their likes to only music from one country. It's great to read your post, knowing American blues has fans all over the world. Best wishes to you and your friends!
thank frank proffit for bringing tom dooley to the world :-)
How do you know that?
What a great artist🎤😍
+EliteHackerPro after the animals, this aint got shyeet on their version...atleast not in my current mood, but thats the thing about music, hits ya differently depending on your mood
Only the Good Die Young
stfu
A true legend.
thank you, How To Make Sushi
awesome blues track, and this is leadbelly's wife singing the track and leadbelly playing the guitar. blues magic right here.
Jamie Warrior Warlord McCallum Sweet voice; caterwauling guitar!
I thought it's Leadbelly singing, I didn't listen carefully
Every song I hear from this guy is better then the last. So many famous acts robbed him blind. Thanks for posting..
Well this one is actually a song that dates back to at least the civil war, and likely further. Old American folk song, though it's thought to possibly have started as an English folk song. There is no record of it found that far back though
@@llegedly Christian Frederick Martin (1796-1867). Guitars at the time used so-called catgut strings created from the intestines of sheep.
Totally agree. You are absolutely speaking to the truth. Makes me feel a little better that many legends do say that led belly was “.the inspiration” I.e nirvana , jimmy Paige and many others .
This is a piece of American history. Thank you for uploading it!
I didn't know about him til I sold the distinctive guitar he played , I found in old house in phila I bought, love this American folk/blues music.
There is no one like Leadbelly. Thanks, Huddie Ledbetter, you made the world a better place.
Robert Johnson
+Kakor Never Dies His music gives me too much chills
He was a criminal. A killed a few people.
Jan Soors Really? You know that for sure? True, he was convicted of manslaughter and did a little time but he was also pardoned for that crime. The other murder, well, a black man in the Southern U.S. in the early 1900s accused of anything would be convicted by an all white jury almost without exception regardless of the facts or evidence. Its hard to be black anywhere in the racist U.S. but the South in those days was a particular kind of hell for people of color. That aside, there was and still is little by way of proof that Lead Belly killed anyone. He was known to have a nasty temper at times when drinking and got into physical altercations with people, but im not ready to piss on his grave just yet
@@janpcs Doesn't negate the huge musical influence he had and will have forever. Your jealousy is adorable though!
"No Leadbelly- no Beatles!" -George Harrison
My dad played and sang this song my entire life (37 years now) so I know every word yet I've never heard this version. Very cool to hear it in this way.
there was a build'n wall in Huntsville, TX with his portrait on it~ rite around tha corner from death row... he's a favorite of mine 😊
I SOO love this song. I never knew it went back so far! This is SOO cool. It has made my day to stumble across this gem! Thank you for sharing this.
Goes back further. Lead Belly copied it... ua-cam.com/video/147kS8O59Qs/v-deo.html And it was an Appalachian folk song before that and a British folk song prior to it being sung in Appalachia... The history of song is a wonderful thing!
Brilliant is this one of Lead Belly i love all his Blues.
It's so amazing how influential these songs are, to all of the 60's and 70's rockers who became super stars and in turn those bands influenced my parents generation which then turned into bands like Nirvana who obviously covered "black girl" re-named by Kurt to "My Girl" for obvious reasons I think. I also think another aspect of this is that amazing is these songs were written by black folk who had no other outlet to voice their frustrations, sorrow, angst, and depression. They never intended them to become a genre nor visions of fame. Nope, they sang their sorrows away and it helped them cope with the atrocities known as slavery and in later years complete oppression. I just have so much respect for these musicians. As a huge music fan and a massive Nirvana fan, I am really grateful to that band for introducing Leadbelly to me thru their cover, once I found him, I was able to discover other great musicians from that genre and time period. These men sang about what they knew, it meant something to them. They were playing these songs to survive, not monetarily but spiritually. I am grateful these men recorded their music to be appreciated.
When a man like Leadbelly sings you feel the pain in there voice. He went through hell and back in his lifetime..R.I.P Legend
This is his wife singing....
And I believe this is his wife
WOW! I NEVER heard this version before. Awesome Blues song.
Why would anyone downvote this? Leadbelly is legendary... I'm gonna go ahead and say that's 369 people I don't want to be friends with.
Found the redditors.
@@car4sale556 Song is much older than that, there is a version being song as early as 1905 among rural Southerners in mines in Appalachia. Th e term House of the Rising Sun is found in English folk songs as well as French back to the 17th century or so. Ledbelly, who was from Louisiana, did a southern Blues version no doubt, but there were folk style versions before Ledbelly did his version. Ledbelly is a legend in Louisiana music history, he was in prison for a crime and his songs were played on some radio station across Louisiana, the Governor of LA herd it and was so moved, Ledbelly was pardoned.
This is NOT Leadbelly singing this song.. this is a womans voice.. some say she is his wife..
Metal Inc Can you explain how it works? I can never understand the need of some to thumb down videos. If I don’t like one, I simply walk away, now if I do like it, I for sure give it a thumbs up, but that’s just me ✌🏻😁
because different people have different tastes in music.
The greatest Blues by the beatifull soul of LEADBELLY.
I am only 13 but I love lead belly and generally don't like any music past the 1970s but when I was first introduced to Leadbelly I realized just how dependent 60s rock especially was in his music with bands like the Beatles rolling Stones animals etc.
screw it, I'm gonna sing this over "where did you sleep last night".. works..
Jonathan Campbell I thought the same
Basically the same. You could even do the nirvana version
wheres muh sandwich?
@@bitmammothOG in the pines, in the pines, where the sun don't ever shine...
rene L :D lol this made my week ;)
It doesn't matter who wrote this song. It's just so cool to hear earlier versions than the Animals who done this tune justice.
leadbelly - one of the greatest musicians to ever live.
Lead. Belly. Two words.
Excellent bulesman music human being u inspire me everyday brother Leadbelly
An excellent master from the old days!!! Thanks for sharing....
this a legendary song, in great voice
@DownForwardPunch nobody specified who was singing it just that the voice is great
Pure genius. This has stood the test of time. LOVE this song!!!
I am in full agreement with you on that buddy. I can play quite a few blue songs, including several Robert Johnson tunes, but that version of HRS by Leadbelly still leaves me all in a knot when I try to figure out where he is, tuning-wise, etc. It is also one of the greatest finger-picked songs I have ever heard.
Old Missisippi/ La.Bayou blues=core of rock. Real life ups&downs of common ppl. G•father left me blues albums, LB included. K Cobain did this legend proud. Introduced new generation to REAL thang☺♡ RIP, LB & KC
Wow!! So this man originally sang many of my favorite songs. Im so stiled to have discovered a new (to me) artist. WhereDid You Sleep Last Night? is my favorite song Nirvana does and i knew it was a cover but i had never heard the original until about 5 minutes ago. So i then looked up Leadbelly and i am amazed! This man was most definitely ahead of his time
thank you kurt for always giving credit to the people you cover. it makes young nirvana fans like myself discover this beautiful music.
I think your confusing “my girl” by Nirvana. They didn’t cover this song. Another band did And it became a hit . But definitely not Kurt.
@@rickywar8139 i know they didnt, but they exposed me to leadbelly. Which is why i made it to this video. Understand?
@@nirvana182ify hell yeah man !
ayo i remember the mma fight your pfp came from
@@sirpsychosecksi4953 Ayo, I remember the song your profil name came from 🤟
You're a freak of nature 😉
How can someone "dislike" this? Seriously. What did they think it was going to sound like or be? Its almost insulting that someone would dislike this. Great post, thanks for sharing this version.
House of the rising sun and the nirvana version of where did you sleep last night are some of my all time favorite songs, it’s a shame that I never knew about lead belly until recently
I am Braziliam Man. Like many Blues music
Wonderful video, Thanks for sharing. I’m new friend always like your video
The oldest known existing recording is by Appalachian artists Clarence "Tom" Ashley and Gwen Foster, who recorded it for Vocalion Records in 1934. Ashley said he had learned it from his grandfather, Enoch Ashley
Carajo, cada versión es mejor, a casi un siglo de esta canción sigue siendo buena, mágica y nostálgica. 💁
Thanks for posting these gems. What a treasure trove!!!! I hit the jackpot!!!!! :-)
swirlcrop
Oh my God. Lead Belly's sings about America. Hear the story of America.
not knowing this band... they have amazing songs. thanks Kurt for leading me here.
this aint rock and roll, and wasn't meant to be , this is heart n soul
This is music at its roots... If you have a open mind to music this is awesome. So bluesy
0:21 spoonful spoonful spoonful
Good eye
Apart from playing it, what did Clapton have to do with Spoonful?
@@AmiGuitarbro the original is by Howlin Wolf
😢 I think Leadbelly was a legend in his time he's very very very very very very good good singer he can sing and I really like in the pines I listen to that quite often and you going to walk that lonesome valley t..
He's like the grandfather of rock and roll. So many legendary rock songs are covers of his songs
No one really knows how old this song really is. Nor its exact origins... its original rendition. But each subsequent take on it seems to work and work well.
fabulous!! blues like it is meant to be
Man, he’s the progenitor of all rock, isn’t he?
Just yesterday I went to the 3rd Annual Leadbelly Tribute just outside Shreveport, LA. I had no idea it was the church where he's buried. The blues is alive in my town.
Thank you for the greatest music
Thanks for posting this. Good sound quality especially considering the recording equipment available during his time.
many did this tune possibly 150 years ago
I love blowing people’s minds who didn’t know this wasn’t an animals original
Why should that blow their minds? It is not an Animals original.
@@AlexA-nd3yyblew my mind when I found out it was an American traditional, I had no clue.
@@ReggieHaze89 I don't know when I found out this was a very old song, probably about 10 years ago when I looked it up. I can't tell you what the 45 I undoubtedly had in the 60's (maybe 70's) said, and while I probably still have it (I have quite a stack or 45's and LP's), I see that images of most of the records you see for sale on Ebay/elsewhere say Traditional, or Traditional arranged by Allan Price, or just Price. The last one is a bit misleading.
The Animals released it in 1964, Bob Dlyan released his cover in 1962. (You can find it on UA-cam, pretty poor in comparison.) He stopped performing it when people started calling his version a cover of The Animals song. That annoyed him.
Certainly The Animals are the successful version, so it is understandable that people would think they were the originals. Wikipedia has a pretty good write up.
Neither is leadbelly's lmao
@@AnotherLife_732 right! Its a Traditional! Who knew!
I Offer My Gratitude 4 This Legendary Song Whether Blues or Leadbelly it's auditory Gold in
This is Americana at it's finest.
Can't understand why it would get so many dislikes.
Great job Mr. Leadbelly.
I never really realized how many songs can be attributed to lead belly, this.. black bettie and many and many others to numerous to mention. Elvis, Dylan, artists known by one name only are doing covers of Lead belly. He is an unsung hero of the blues ... covered by many greats. Now we have .... well nothing ... cyrus beiber and a turn to the foundation.
Many of the songs we enjoyed from the late 40's thru the birth of Rock and Rol
were originally Blues songs performed by Black musicians, due to the racism
of the time the radion stations would not play "Black" music so they turned to
White entertainers to copy and release the "White" version. Elivs was one
of the few early entertainers who had learned from listening to Black Godspel
and Blues players who was able to make the crossover in music with his
style and sound. As the 60's came upon us the doors were opened to more
and more Black entertainers. Some have been extremely good and others
not so much.
James Maxwell
"they turned to white artist to copy and release a white version". That's not entirely true. As nice as it is to blame racism for practically everything, blues music being turned to rock was not quite that simple. Mostly it was because times were changing to rock and many of the musicians were putting what they'd heart to rock music.
this song was recorded for the first time in 1933 by clarence ashley and gwen foster. truth is no one knows who wrote it for sure it was around long before first recording
James Maxwell Yeah I'm guessing that's why most early Rock 'n Roll artists were black.
Of the many versions of this song I've heard, I love the The Animals version best.
Just discovered lead belly..looks like I found the legend behind all the legends..
Andressa Vasconcelos ohhh for sure. Lead belly was ripped of by EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@christophersawyer253 How so? How does one get "ripped off" when they record, in 1944, an old folk song of unknown origin that predates the Civil War, and could possibly go back as far as the 17th century, that was already recorded by at least 7 different artists before this recording?
there's a good book called "chasing the rising sun" that suggests this song may trace back to the 16th century england
deep, in the spirit of ray hat tap dancer, mr. leadbelly an inspiration always!
The blues were rejected by mainstream America but the British musicians embraced the blues, repackaged, and brought it back to mainstream America. The British musicians also respected the blues singers and even toured with them in Europe. Funny how racism and segregation can turn a blind eye toward incredible music and talented black musicians.
Are you serious? Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, etc. were already famous and loved in America well before Led Zeppelin and the likes came along. Stop trying to rewrite history. The only major thing British rock bands added to blues was normalizing the "touching" of underage "groupies"
The British back then were listening to the blues like we were listening to gangster rap in the 80s
Leadbelly started it...the Animals perfected it. Both were great
Leadbelly wasn’t the first
The first recording of this version was called the rising sun blues from 1933, though the tune goes back further
Sinead O’Connor perfected it
Oryginał legendarnej piesni
I heard of this guy on Nirvana unplugged........I come from the north of england where blues is seldom heard. But I love this old, dirty, unique sound! I love howling wolf too....Legends!!!!
Such an Appalachian flair... love it.
This is clearly the greatest version of The House of the Rising Sun. Everyone that played the song played it with those chords a, C, D, F, etc. but this one is special. They made the song a cliche but this version saves the song.
Disagree. ua-cam.com/video/147kS8O59Qs/v-deo.html
This version is sung by Leadbelly's wife. These are the lyrics from Leadbelly's singing of the song:
There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
It's been the ruin of a many a poor boy
And me, oh God, I'm one
I'm goin' to tell my baby sister
Please don't do like I have done
Please shun that house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
If I had listened at what my momma said
I woulda not been here today
Huddie be so young, so foolish, and so wild (Huddie is pronounced hew-dee)
I let a rambler lead me astray
I'm goin' back to New Orleans
My race is almost run
I'm goin' back to New Orleans
Beneath the Rising Sun
this is a goldmine - stunned :-D
Beautiful°°°°°°ALWAYS!
Wow animals,Eric burden,thanks this the original artist,cool
NOT the original artist, but probably one of the earliest recordings of the song.
legends never die they Rome the earth above us singing heartache and pain.
3077nrth 40 roam
O Kurt adorava esse senhor.
New Orleans Louisiana. Be very careful out dare!
All these years I heard the Animals singing this song. I had no idea it was an original decades before. Such is music origins.
True , low country blues . His is the beginning of everything. Including , The Beatles. Look into it . Van Morrison, said it too . The twelve string guitar. A genius in all respects
THANKS TO LEADBELLY'S GRANDSON for signing his grandfather's album for me-it was an AWESOME Birthday surprise @ The Mustang Shop in Shreveport, Louisiana on 6-20-2016, sincerely, Angel
Not many people realize just how influential for music Lead Belly was. He can be credited with hundreds of standard and often-covered songs.
It's astonishing how many rock bands bit off leadbelly songs
this isn't his... no one knows who wrote it. But I agree they probably took a look at his work to find inspiration
Yeah, this song is from sometime in the 19th century but no one really knows where it came from.
RG 9mm I think what's more troubling is people probably believe that the animals are the original artist of the song
leadbelly aint write this boy and the only reason most people know of leadbelly is cause artists keep him alive by continually drawing inspo from him.
I'm so glad someone decided to covered this animals song in such a rough n ready blues style. Reminds me of blues tracks from the 40s or there abouts
I can’t tell if your jokeing
@@tennesseeboi6704 do you know I can't even remember if I was being silly
Have a pleasant day
Awesome, it clearly was a release to sing the blues in those days.
Leadbelly is one of the best songwriters in history!
+J.T. Bomar he didnt write this song
+soles fucking idiot leadbelly may had copyed one song but you probably like led zeppelin who has copyed 7 and more that i heard of
+Trenton Lemke Lead Belly made versions of many traditional folk songs. There's nothing wrong with that, I think it's wonderful that people take the old songs and do their own thing with them. That's what folk songs are for. It's allowed them to morph and develop throughout history and across regions as they were carried by foot from place to place and only through live performance and writing until this past century - giving us interesting insight into the lives and cultures of the past. I love hearing many different versions of the same song and appreciating them separately, not in competition.
I was this many days old to learn how many songs were stolen from Ledbelly. I know he is far not the only African-American artist to have this happen to him. I truly hope that their contribution is brought to light
It's older than him, it's believed to be a very old song.
Where did you sleep last night, black betty, midnight special, this man is a god and im just finding him
Even though your high in heaven we remember and love you leadbelly .
He never gets old.
leadbelly invented rock and roll
Well...The BLUES had a baby and they named it Rock and Roll
leadbelly was the ballsack that made the sperm that penetrated the egg, and therefore invented (or gave life to) rock and roll
No, I mean "The Blues had a baby and they Named it Rock and Roll". As a matter of fact the Blues had many babies...(inc. country, jazz, and the list goes on and on)...It.was brought to america from africa via slavery....from field hollers and the call and response...the the slaves used to communicate...as they oft times were forbidden to talk to each other...and evolved into the first true american music...The Blues had a Baby and they Named it Rock and Roll...is the name of a song ..btw...
Jack Straw Tell it! The use of sounds and rhythms together(even speech) comes out of Africa,no matter what label they put on it here in America or the world.Why can't they just tell the truth?
Willi Flow- Zya,Using just the basics the truth comes from the heart and soul.....The Blues is all heart and soul