Blind Man in the Tear Gas
1990 · Fan Club FC 064 CD · Brownsville, Tennessee
- Artist
- Sleepy John Estes
- Title
- Blind Man in the Tear Gas
- Release
- Delta Experimental Projects Compilation Vol 1 The Blues / Vol 2 Spring Poems
- Year
- 1990
- Label
- Fan Club # FC 064 CD
- Format
- CD · Compilation
- Language
- English
- Country
- Brownsville, Tennessee, USA
- Genre
- Blues · Country Blues
- Primary theme
- Post-War
Annotation — Blues songs
Various artist compilation, featuring the prominent and highly regarded Sleepy John Estes, known for Country Blues / Delta Blues music, born 25 January 1899 in Ripley, Tennessee, USA, and died 5 June 1977 in Brownsville, Tennessee, USA. The compilation featured the song "Blind Man in the Tear Gas" (New Rose Records # FC 064 CD - NR 761), recorded in 1972 in Collierville, Tennessee, featuring Sleepy John Estes on vocal and guitar, James Luther Dickinson on piano, and Ry Cooder on mandolin1 According to blues historian Guido Van Rijn, in his book "Nixon and Ford Blues", this track was written about protest demonstrations: "I first got to Washington... tear gas all in my eyes". Note the reference to then President Richard Nixon: "I heard Mr. Nixon spoke... every man or woman... ought to fight for his own rights".Sources1Wirz discographies↩
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Notes
On the various-artists compilation; track 11. Track 11 (Vol. 1: The Blues). Ry Cooder mandolin, East Memphis Slim piano (Discogs). Distributed by New Rose; price code NR 761; barcode 3 347120 022817; pressed by MPO; made in France. Compiled and recorded by Jim Dickinson. Compiles Vol. 1 (LP Fan Club FC 044, 1988) and Vol. 2 (LP FC 064, 1990). Discogs notes do not give a recording place for track 11.
About the artist
Sleepy John Estes (1899/1900-1977) was a country blues guitarist, singer and songwriter born in Ripley, Tennessee, who lived in Brownsville, Tennessee; he first recorded for Victor in 1929 and was rediscovered in 1962, later recording for Delmark. [Source: Wikipedia]