Album: The Centennial Collection
Year: 1936
. . .
This is probably the oldest song I’m going to cover on Certain Songs. I’m not going to say that it’s the oldest song I love — after all, both “Wild Mountain Thyme” and “La Bamba” probably go back centuries — but, with the possible exception of something from one of the Harry Smith anthologies, it’s the oldest captured performance that resonates with me.
“Kind Hearted Woman Blues” was the very first song that famed country producer Don Law — a great reminder at how musically artificial some of the divides of American popular music truly are — recorded with Johnston after Law probably walked up to him and said, “here I am, let’s make records!” And the first result was a timeless tale of lust, frustration and infidelity.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #1944: Robert Johnson – “Kind Hearted Woman Blues”