blues~link INCORPORATING BLUES WORLD JULY 20p “ I Just Love Everybody” JOHN JACKSON INTERVIEW I was born in Rappahannock County, Virginia, and I grew up around the mountain section. Of course we had to work very hard with a big family, fourteen of us in the family. And father had to take us out to work when we got big enough to work, thinnin' corn, and cuttin' corn, and pickin' apples. You know, just different kinds of work around the farm, and we grew up with workin' people. Of course, after we got big enough, we had to tote walnuts, hull them out, crack the kernels out; to get clothes and shoes. And the scattered apple trees, what we called the wild apple trees, we would go pick those apples up, and wash them and spread them out on a tin roof, and peel the apples and cut them up in small slips, and we would call them dried apples; sell them for half went down and asked him his business. cent a pound. And after he got through talkin' with me, And then I used to trap a lot when I growed he wanted to know what we do around up, like catchin' pole cats, muskrats, here. So I got to tellin' him Daddy played 'possums and moles, minks, 'coons, foxes guitar and Mama played accordion or and that kind of thing, and made fairly french harp, and we pitch horse shoes and good money. The fur man would come play ball, and that kind of thing. So he said, around about every two weeks. "I play guitar; " said, "if you bring it down to the spring. I'll play you some songs." So Father played guitar, mother played french I goes back to the house so I can call for harp and accordion. But when they built the guitar and bring it back to the spring. the road through Rappahannock County, He'd play me a song, then he'd be back for they had prisoners on the road, and they another bucket, and he'd play me another had one named "H appy", and he was the song, and he'd run with it. And so he really water boy. He used to tote water from our had more influence on me than anybody spring, and you know how kids is, they in music. I mean I learned a lot of olden always have to see what grown folks want, tunes; and I learned one, I can't remember and what they doin'. the all of, and that was the Midnight Blues And I was just one of those people. So I that I really learned from him. STILL PUTTING A SPELL ON - 3 + STARS OF FAITH IN CONCERT - 4 + NEWS - 5 + WALKING TO NEW ORLEANS - 6 + RAGTIME - 7 + BLUES LPS - 7 + ADS - 15 + Continued from front page. Blues-Link (incorporating Blues World) P. O. Box 152, Barnet, Herts., EN5 4HU. And that's the kind of growin' up we had. Editor: Chris Smith People then didn't have no kind of club or General Manager: Alan Balfour nowhere to go at all. People's neighbours Creative Services: Mike Black and all would get together and go out In the fields and sit under the trees, and have Subscription Rates: dinner and play ball. And the ones that UK — 6 issues (including postage) £1. 50 didn't like to play ball would like to pitch 12 issues (including postage) £3. 00 horse shoes, or sit around with guitars and Overseas — Payment should be in sterling play music and that kind of thing. And by IMO or by International Giro — our that's the kind of growin' up I had when I account No. is 32 733 4002. US rates grew up. I really enjoyed that kind of are $4. 00 for 6 issues surface, $8. 00 for growin' up. I don't know that everybody 6 issues by air mail. Double up for 12 along in my time had that kind of growin' issue subs. up. But that's how it was around the Cheques: mountains where I was born and raised. All cheques should be made payable to Blink Publications Ltd. and crossed I didn't start playing professionally until '& Co. ' 1965. I had quit playin' for fifteen years Copyright: and when I was re'scovered. And when this All items in this magazine are copyright song came out. Walk Right In And Let Your Blink Publications Ltd. and may not be Hair Hang Down, my kids got so interested reproduced without written permission in it, till I was playin' it for them one day of the publishers. on the porch, and the mailman came down the road deliverin' mail, and he came over PUBLISHERS' STATEMENT and got so tickled at the kids dancin' and me playin'. And he said, "How about Blues-Link has over the past few issues comin' on and playin' something with me made considerable losses due to rising tonight? I'd like to meet you to this gas postage and printing costs coupled with station. " which was just two blocks from a decline in advertising revenue. For the the house. And so I met him up all that magazine to continue publication it must night and we got to playin', and a man came be a strictly "break-even" concern as the in named Chuck Perdue. He heard us playin', publishers are unable to continue subsidis­ and he got interested in it and wanted to ing it. The publishers regret the necessity know what I was playin'. So I told him I'd to reduce the number of pages but hope hit a couple of chords on the guitar, just that the reduction in cover price will meet like I tell everybody. He got interested in with readers' approval. it, so when he kept after me I played an old song of Candy Man, which was Mississippi John Hurt's. And nothin' would do except Editorial for to come over to his house and play I have little to add to the above, which something for him. So when I didn't go tells it like it was and is, but I would like that evening, he was at my house sittin' on to add my apologies for the delay in the porch when I came in from work. I publication, and hope you enjoy this issue played real smart for him, and he said, "How — and future issues. We will do the best about you comin' over Saturday night? I'd we can with what we have, both money like to make some tapes of you, would you and material. Please keep all reviews mind? " 1 said no. So along about 7: 30, 8 short — and expect them to get shorter in o'clock on Saturday night, I didn't go; he the editorial office. Thank you for your calls me, wanted to know was 1 comin' over, patience. Sorry about the lack of a letters and I told him I didn't know. So I didn't page but it's that space problem again! come over, and he come over and got me, Chris Smith and took me over, and made some record­ ings. On the next week he said, "Since you played Candy Man, how would you like to Still Putting A Spell On meet the man who wrote Candy Man? " And I said, "I know there ain't nobody As a postscript to the feature in Blues-Link livin' after thirty years that wrote that song." 5, I can report that Screamin' Jay Hawkins He said, "Oh, yes, there is, Mississippi John is alive, nearly well, and living in New York. Hurt. He's in Washington playin' at Ontario He's recently been hospitalised for stomach Place right now. " So he kept talkin' to me, operations, but hopefully, by the time you and I decided I would go along the next read this the treatment will be successfully weekend and see him. And sure enough, on completed and he'll be back on the road. a Friday night he came by and picked me up and took me to the Ontario Place. Over the last couple of years Jay has suffered two disappointing setbacks when first the And sure enough, when I walked in, old album which he considers his finest (A John Hurt sittin' on the stage just as big as Portrait Of A Man And His Woman, Hot life. I just couldn't believe it was him. So I Line 10024-25), and then the single which got to listen to him play and meet him. was certainly one of his most commercial And then they asked me to play a couple (Monkberry Moon Delight, Queen Bee 101), of songs. And on the next week, it was a failed to reach the public, let alone sell any man came in town name of Mance Lipscomb. copies. Both of the record companies He taken me back to hear him, and that's involved disappeared with Jay's money and when they put me on the stage, and just the records as soon as they were pressed. about the time 1 played half a song, this Although a tew copies trickled over here, man Chris from Arhoolie label jumped up and the rest are either stashed in warehouses said, "1 want to make a record 'bout that somewhere or have been recycled into man. I want to make a record 'bout that Osmond's 45s. man.