Vietnam Blues
1965 · L+R LR 42.012 · USA
- Artist
- J.B. Lenoir
- Title
- Vietnam Blues
- Release
- Down in Mississippi
- Year
- 1965
- Label
- L+R # LR 42.012
- Format
- LP · Album
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Songwriter
- J.B. Lenoir
- Genre
- Blues · Blues
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
The song "Vietnam Blues", another blues song by J.B. Lenoir about the Vietnam conflict. Originally recorded on 2 September 1966 at Sound Studio, Chicago, Illinois, for the German recorded producers Horst Lippman and Johannes Rau, under the supervision of the bluesman Willie Dixon. It featured the drummer Freddie Below. However, it seems that they did not release the record at the time. It probably made its first appearance in 1970, on the album titled Crusade (Polydor # 24-4011). For the 1980 reissue by L+R Records (# LR 42.012) they renamed album Down in Mississippi (taken from the first track title). Both of the J.B. Lenoir songs discussed ("Vietnam" and "Vietnam Blues") are on Vietnam Blues: The Complete L+R Recordings - a compilation of both Alabama Blues and Down in Mississippi - these are acoustic albums, with no bass and electric guitar, and with occasional drums, thus returning to the pre-war blues sound. This song drew a connection between Vietnam and civil rights in the US. Lenoir questioned why people complained about Vietnam, but ignored or forget the problems that black Americans faced in their own country: "everybody cryin' about Vietnam, the law killing me down in…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Annotation — Blues songs
The song "Vietnam Blues", another blues song by J.B. Lenoir about the Vietnam conflict. Originally recorded on 2 September 1966 at Sound Studio, Chicago, Illinois, for the German recorded producers Horst Lippman and Johannes Rau, under the supervision of the bluesman Willie Dixon. It featured the drummer Freddie Below. However, it seems that they did not release the record at the time. It probably made its first appearance in 1970, on the album titled Crusade (Polydor # 24-4011). For the 1980 reissue by L+R Records (# LR 42.012) they renamed album Down in Mississippi (taken from the first track title). Both of the J.B. Lenoir songs discussed ("Vietnam" and "Vietnam Blues") are on Vietnam Blues: The Complete L+R Recordings - a compilation of both Alabama Blues and Down in Mississippi - these are acoustic albums, with no bass and electric guitar, and with occasional drums, thus returning to the pre-war blues sound. This song drew a connection between Vietnam and Civil Rights in the US. Lenoir questioned why people complained about Vietnam, but ignored or forget the problems that black Americans faced in their own country: "everybody cryin' about Vietnam, the law killing me down in…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
American blues singer and guitarist, born 5 March 1929 in Monticello, Mississippi; noted for topical protest blues ('Vietnam Blues', 'Alabama Blues'); died 29 April 1967 in Urbana, Illinois, of injuries from a car accident. [Source: Wikipedia]
Themes
In collections
Blues songs · Civil Rights Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs