Death Have No Mercy - A cover (sort of)

[VikingBlues]

I've never recorded a cover version of an old blues song. Never tried to play one either. Now you'll know why!

It's not a cover that's too faithful to the original, so I hope the Reverend Gary Davis would forgive me.

No backing track safety net. Just Hagstrom Viking Deluxe on Rhythm, Vintage Advance AV4 bass, a bit of clean Strat, and some creaking vocals.

Think I'm going to have to start gargling whisky or smoking to get the right voice!

http://www.box.net/shared/pvoyqf0g9t

[HalfBlindLefty]

VB, no words of praise, no negative response, just :

You have been holding back on us
Now you have an obligation to record more of this stuff. No holding back anymore.
I don't remember ever hearing the original, but your version is

Mhh I can imagine hearing a lonesome bluesharp, crying it's heart out, in there

[ElMano]

I like that Lennard Cohan sounding Voice of you I has somting poetic just the way a aspect from scottish Myths Weldone

[Strummer07]

Its spot on VB

nicely executed and the voice is good......love the simple backing too

On performance .nothing but praise !!



On the words in the song and the sentiment ....Its just the gloomiest blues I've ever heard

[vancouverois]

It is a pretty nice job you did It sounds good!
I wish I could sing in the same way

[Blindboy]

Nice job!

It's not a cover that's too faithful to the original, so I hope the Reverend Gary Davis would forgive me.

I'll bet that the good Reverend would be glad that people are still singing his songs after, what, eighty years. With covers, I much prefer to hear someone take it and make it their own, to hearing someone sound just like the original. If I want to hear the original, I'll listen to it. This sounds like VikingBlues. You, my friend, have a distinct style and sound. It took me YEARS to get to where I felt I had a style of my own, and didn't just sound like a clone. (still working on that )
Keep up the good work.
By the way, your accent reminds me of my uncle Doug, whom I saw two weekends ago. He is originally from Dundee.

[VikingBlues]

Ahh, errr ....

It just came about as Hawkeye Herman has just started doing Phase 3 lessons on Jamplay (Phase 3 = full songs) and his enthusiasm inspired me to try something new (as it often does).

I tried to keep it simple to keep it as resonably acoustic sounding as possible Strummer. Sorry - it is a little bit gloomy isn't it!

As further lessons appear I'll maybe risk another go at something like this HBL, but I do find trying to play other peoples songs very difficult. That is part of the reason (along with stage fright) that I've never considered a go at public performance. I agree Blindboy, that for me to try to do an exact cover would be doomed to be worse than the original or not add anything - I think I was worried though that I wasn't close enough to the essence or spirit of the original.

And also worried partly, similar to nearly all of us, I like the sound of my own voice much less than others seem to do - thanks ElMano and Vancouveris for your encouraging words. I do remember feeling almost as bad about my guitar playing 10 months ago, so maybe it'll get easier.

Cheers guys!

[Bluesmole]

VB. Never mind "finding that tone". You've found it. I got very emotional because of the playing!!!
Maybe there's something in the water in Berwick? (No, I don't mean whiskey!)
Excellent.

[VikingBlues]

VB. Never mind "finding that tone". You've found it. I got very emotional because of the playing!!!
Maybe there's something in the water in Berwick? (No, I don't mean whiskey!)
Excellent.

Thank you Bluesmole - just as well with it being 8 bar that it's not minor key though - that would be toooo much I think.

Difficult to tell with the water - I can't get past the smell of chlorine! Like drinking a swimming pool.

Ahhh - whisky - too much blood in my alcohol stream.

[12bar]

A bit late after a very busy weekend - I really missed something. Cohen, Dylan, Petty, Cave, and now VB - you don't need no smoke nor whisk(e)y! That's a great Blues voice and the playing is fantastic. Keep on!

[VikingBlues]

A bit late after a very busy weekend - I really missed something. Cohen, Dylan, Petty, Cave, and now VB - you don't need no smoke nor whisk(e)y! That's a great Blues voice and the playing is fantastic. Keep on!

Thank you for the encouragement 12bar. It came out better than I could have hoped for - but Michael "Hawkeye" Herman is a great teacher and I find I get caught up in his enthusiasm and play better while still under his influence. I also like his view that you should play to sound like yourself.

I'm learning all the time which is great - it makes the blues guitar a great hobby - I hit a solid brick wall with classical guitar lessons several years ago and the only way forward was improving technical skill - leave passion and interpretation locked up in a dungeon. Lost my enthusiasm for guitar for a while with that.

Playing around with Hawkeye's next lesson the last day or so - which might lead to recording - too soon to know - but I'm having fun with it.

By the way, your accent reminds me of my uncle Doug, whom I saw two weekends ago. He is originally from Dundee.

My accent is a strange combination of a lot of influences. If it was a dog it would be a mongrel. Although I've had nearly 45 of my 55 years in Scotland I did in early years live south of the border - my Dad's family were Irish but emigrated to Yorkshire, where he was brought up, and my Mum is from the South of England from a family with some Scottish roots. Then my wife's family was from Fife and I've picked up a nuance or two from there too.