Blind Willie McTell Discography
Blind Willie McTell
b.1901, Thomson, Georgia
d. 1959, Atlanta, Georgia.
Known Recordings
Record companies: Vi = Victor, Co = Columbia, OK = OKeh, Vo = Vocalion,
De = Decca, LC = Library of Congress, Re = Regal, Atl = Atlantic, BV =
Bluesville.
- 18 October 1927, Atlanta, Georgia; as "Blind Willie McTell":
-
- Writin' Paper Blues 40308-1-Vi 21474
- Stole Rider Blues 40309-1-Vi 21124
- Mama, 'Tain't Long Fo' Day 40310-1-Vi 21474
- Mr. McTell Got the Blues (take 1) 40311-1-Vi unissued
- Mr. McTell Got the Blues (take 2) 40311-2-Vi 21124
- 17 October 1928, Atlanta, Georgia; as "Blind Willie McTell":
-
- Three Women Blues 47185-2-Vi V38001
- Dark Night Blues 47186-1-Vi V38032
- Statesboro Blues 47187-3-Vi V38001
- Loving Talking Blues 47188-3-Vi V38032
- 30 October 1929, Atlanta, Georgia; as "Blind Sammie":
-
- Atlanta Strut 149299-2-Co 14657-D
- Travelin' Blues 149300-1-Co 14484-D
- Come On Around to My House Mama 149302-2-Co 14484-D
31 October 1929:
- Kind Mama 149319-2-Co 14657-D
- 26 November 1929, Atlanta, Georgia; as "Blind Willie McTell":
-
- Teasing Brown (Harris & Harris comedy duet) 56597-1-Vi V38594
- Drive Away Blues 56599-1-Vi V38580
27 November 1929:
- This Is Not the Stove to Brown Your Bread (Harris & Harris) 56610-1-Vi V38594
29 November 1929:
- Love Changing Blues 56635-1-Vi V38580
- There were six other solo recordings at these sessions, presumably destroyed.
-
- 17 April 1930, Atlanta, Georgia; as "Blind Sammie":
-
- Talkin' to Myself 150257-2-Co 14551-D
- Razor Ball 150258-2-Co 14551-D
- 23 October 1931, Atlanta, Georgia; as "Blind Sammie":
-
- Southern Can Is Mine 151904-1-Co 14632-D
- Broke Down Engine Blues 151905-1-Co 14632-D
- Experience Blues (Ruth Willis vocal) 151906-1-Co 14642-D
- Painful Blues (Ruth Willis vocal) 151907-1-Co 14642-D
- 23? October 1931, Atlanta, Georgia; as "Georgia Bill":
-
- Stomp Down Rider 405002-1-OK 8936
- Scarey Day Blues 405003-1-OK 8936
- Rough Alley Blues (Ruth Willis vocal) 405004-1-OK 8921
31 October 1931:
- Low Rider's Blues 405084-1-OK 8924
- Georgia Rag 405085-1-OK 8924
- Low Down Blues (Ruth Willis vocal) 405086-1-OK 8921
- 22 February 1932, Atlanta, Georgia; as "Hot Shot Willie", with Ruby Glaze,
vocal:
-
- Rollin' Mama Blues 71603-?-Vi 23328
- Lonesome Day Blues 71604-1-Vi 23353
- Mama, Let Me Scoop for You 71605-?-Vi 23328
- Searching the Desert for the Blues 71606-1-Vi 23353
- 14 September 1933, New York City; as "Blind Willie McTell":
-
- Warm it Up to Me 14008-2-Vo 02595
- It's Your Time to Worry 14009-2-Vo unissued
- It's a Good Little Thing 14010-1-Vo 02622
18 September 1933:
- You Was Born to Die 14024-1-Vo unissued
- Lord Have Mercy if You Please 14027-1-Vo 02623
- Don't You See How This World Made... 14034-1-Vo 02623
- Savannah Mama 14035-1-Vo 02568
- Broke Down Engine (version 1) 14036-2-Vo 02577
- Broke Down Engine (version 2) 14037-3-Vo unissued
- My Baby's Gone 14038-2-Vo 02668
19 September 1933:
- Love-Makin' Mama 14045-1-Vo unissued
- Death Room Blues 14048-2-Vo unissued
- Death Cell Blues 14049-1-Vo 02577
- Lord, Send Me an Angel 14050-1-Vo unissued
21 September 1933:
- B&O Blues No.2 (take 1) 14066-1-Vo 02568
- B&O Blues No.2 (take 2) 14066-2-Vo unissued
- Weary Hearted Blues 14067-1-Vo 02668
- Bell Street Lightnin' 14068-1-Vo unissued
- Southern Can Mama 14069-2-Vo 02622
- Runnin' Me Crazy 14070-1-Vo 02595
- East St. Louis Blues 14071-1-Vo unissued
- These sessions were recorded with Curley Weaver on 2nd guitar. -
- 23 April 1935, Chicago, Illinois; as "Blind Willie McTell":
Volume 3 CD Cover
-
- Ain't It Grand to Be a Christian C-9934-A-De 7140
- We Got to Meet Death One Day (take 1) C-9935-A-De unissued
- We Got to Meet Death One Day (take 2) C-9935-B-De 7140
- Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around C-9936-A-De unissued
- I Got Religion, I'm So Glad C-9937-A-De unissued
- Dying Gambler C-9944-A-De 7093
- God Don't Like It C-9945-?-De 7093
- Bell Street Blues C-9946-A-De 7078
- Let Me Play with Yo' Yo-Yo C-9947-A-De unissued
25 April 1935:
- Lay Some Flowers on My Grave C-9952-A-De 7810
- Ticket Agent Blues C-9954-A-De 7078
- Cold Winter Day C-9956-A-De 7810
- Your Time to Worry C-9957-A-De 7117
- Cooling Board Blues C-9958-A-De unissued
- Hillbilly Willie's Blues C-9959-A-De 7117
- Kate McTell sings on 9934, 9936, 9937, 9944, 9945 and 9954.
Curley Weaver plays on 9946, 9956 and 9958. -
- 5 November 1940, Atlanta, Georgia; as "Blind Willie McTell":
Library of Congress Recordings CD Cover
-
- You Got to Die -> Trying to Get Home LC 4069-B-1 & 2
- Monologue on accidents LC 4069-B-3
- Boll Weevil LC 4070-A-1
- Little Delia LC 4070-A-2
- Dying Crapshooter's Blues LC 4070-B-1
- Will Fox LC 4070-B-2
- I Got to Cross the River Jordan (version 1) LC 4071-A
- Monologue on old songs -> Old Time Religion LC 4071-B-1 & 2
- Amazing Grace (instrumental) LC 4071-B-3
- Monologue on Blues, his recordings, his life LC 4072-A-1, 2 & 3
- Baby, It Must be Love (King Edward Blues) LC 4072-B-1
- Murderer's Home Blues LC 4072-B-2
- Kill it Kid LC 4073-A-1
- Chainey LC 4073-B-1
- I Got to Cross the River Jordan (version 2) LC 4073-B-2
- Recorded by John Lomax for the Library of Congress archives. -
- August 1949, Atlanta, Georgia; as "Pig 'n' Whistle Red":
Pig'n Whistle Red CD Cover
-
- Ticket Agent (Curley Weaver vocal) C-2043-SIW 547
- Don't Forget It 1266-Re unissued
- A to Z Blues 1267-Re unissued
- Good Little Thing 1268-Re unissued
- You Can't Get Stuff No More 1269-Re unissued
- Love Changin' Blues 1270-1-Re 3277
- Savannah Mama 1271-1-Re unissued
- Talkin' to You Mama 1272-1-Re 3277
- East St. Louis Blues 1273-1-Re unissued
- Wee Midnight Hours 1274-?-Re unissued
- Pal of Mine (take 1) 1278-1-Re unissued
- Pal of Mine (take 2) 1278-2-Re unissued
- Baby, It Must Be Love 1279-Re unissued
- Sending Up My Timber (take 1) 1280-1-Re unissued
- Sending Up My Timber (take 2) 1280-2-Re unissued
- Lord Have Mercy if You Please 1281-Re unissued
- Trying to Get Home 1282-Re unissued
- It's My Desire 1285-Re 3272
- Hide Me in Thy Bosom 1286-Re 3272
- Curley Weaver, 2nd guitar. "I Got to Cross the River Jordan" and "How
About You"
were recorded at these sessions (possibly 1283 and 1284) but have not been
found. -
- Autumn 1949, Atlanta, Georgia; as "Barrelhouse Sammy - The Country Boy":
Atlanta Twelve String CD Cover
-
- Kill it Kid 320-Atl 891
- Razor Ball 321-Atl unissued
- Little Delia 322-Atl unissued
- Broke Down Engine Blues 323-Atl 891
- Dying Crapshooter's Blues 324-Atl unissued
- Pinetop's Boogie Woogie 325-Atl unissued
- Blues Around Midnight 326-Atl unissued
- Last Dime Blues 327-Atl unissued
- On the Cooling Board 328-Atl unissued
- Motherless Children Have a Hard Time 329-Atl unissued
- I Got to Cross the River Jordan 330-Atl unissued
- You Got to Die 331-Atl unissued
- Ain't it Grand to Be a Christian 332-Atl unissued
- Pearly Gates 333-Atl unissued
- Soon This Morning 334-Atl unissued
- Released on LP 5 October 1972 as Atl 7224, reissued on CD in 1992. -
- September 1956, Atlanta, Georgia; as "Blind Willie McTell":
Last Session CD Cover
-
- Baby, It Must Be Love
- Dying Crapshooter's Blues
- Don't Forget It
- Kill it Kid
- That Will Never Happen No More
- Goodbye Blues
- Salty Dog
- Monologue on his early life
- Beedle Um Bum
- A Married Man's a Fool
- A to Z Blues
- Wabash Cannonball
- Pal of Mine
- Recorded non-commercially by record store owner Ed Rhodes at his shop
on Peachtree
Street near Ponce de Leon Avenue. Released in the late 1960's on LP as BV-1040.
-
Credit for this discography goes to Adam Powers.