Public Domain Blues Songs - Free To Record - Discussion

[12bar]

Most Blues songs are still protected by copyright, as already mentioned in this post.

However, there are some (early) Blues songs published before 1923 that are Public Domain (PD), so they can be used freely, recorded including lyrics, and uploaded here.
I'll try to collect them in this thread, together with Lyrics and - if possible - chords. Although the 12bar server is not located in the USA, it is safe to use the US copyright, simply because those songs are usually PD in other countries. Most of these Blues can be found on Youtube go get an idea of it.

It's not strictly all Blues, some jazz standards and bluesy traditionals are also included.
This list will be updated from time to time. Bold ones are more popular.

EDIT:
The songs are now at
http://12bar.de/pd_blues.php

[Strummer07]

12 Bar

I just wanted to acknowledge the amount of work you've put in to get this 'free to record' thread up and all thses songs tabbed
Much appreciated

[VikingBlues]

I'd like to agree with everythng Strummer has said. Thanks 12bar.

A lot of them are songs I don't know too, so it'll be educational.

[VikingBlues]

I've been looking / listening to some of the pieces listed on this thread by 12bar and there's some very good ones that I've enjoyed finding fo rthe first time.

I've a query on "NobodyKnows You When You're Down and Out" 4 posts above here.

Basically all makes sense after listening to some performances except in the last verse where there are the three lines of frequent chord changes and I'm having trouble getting to grips with the timing.

The lines D7 up to F7, F7 back down to D7, and the G7s, Cs, and F7s of the last line. Can anyone give me some pointers on the rhythm of these changes and how they fit in with the words? I'm not "getting" it from the versions I've listened to.

By the way 12bars inclusion of A7 on the first line is spot on - most other versions of the tab I've seen for this song only have A and it's much more effective with the A7.

[ElMano]

Maybe this is not the right place to post it but i hope 12bar ore HBL post it somewhere else But i have the BT of Nowbody Know's you
I will load it up for who ever want it.

download/file.php?id=507

[VikingBlues]

Maybe this is not the right place to post it but i hope 12bar ore HBL post it somewhere else But i have the BT of Nowbody Know's you
I will load it up for who ever want it.

download/file.php?id=507

Thanks ElMano - I'll see if I can make sense of it when just hearing the BT. But I might just try a recording without a BT - it makes a change to do it all myself.

[DavieGarden]

Most Blues songs are still protected by copyright, as already mentioned in this post.

However, there are some (early) Blues songs published before 1923 that are Public Domain (PD), so they can be used freely, recorded including lyrics, and uploaded here.
I'll try to collect them in this thread, together with Lyrics and - if possible - chords. Although the 12bar server is not located in the USA, it is safe to use the US copyright, simply because those songs are usually PD in other countries. Most of these Blues can be found on Youtube go get an idea of it.

It's not strictly all Blues, some jazz standards and bluesy traditionals are also included.
This list will be updated from time to time. Bold ones are more popular.

• Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do (Porter Grainger / Everett Robbins)
• Amazing Grace (trad.)
• Beale Street Blues (W.C. Handy)
• Danny Boy (trad.)
• Down Hearted Blues (Alberta Hunter / Lovie Austin)
• The Broadway Blues (J. Brandon Walsh / Terry Sherman)
• House Of The Rising Sun (trad.)
• Jelly Roll Blues (Ferdinand Joseph Lemott aka Jelly Roll Morton)
• Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out (Jimmy Cox)
• St. James Infirmary Blues (trad.)
• St. Louis Blues (W.C. Handy)

Search out an album called 'BLUES IN A BOTTLE' by Kevin Thorpe, his band do a fantastic version of 'Ain't nobody's business if I do', it's really jazz blues but I guarantee you will all love it.

[Thaumiel]

"Forty-Four" or "44 Blues" should be public domain. There are recordings of it with vocals in the late 1920's, but it was concidered a standard already in the early 1920's, and I can't find a copyright owner. Back then it was instrumental. Please verify.

"Good Morning, School Girl", was first recorded in 1937, but it seems to have no copyright holder to the song itself, from what I can tell. Could someone verify?

"See See Rider", first recorded 1924. Ownership unclear, but it seems PD. Please verify.

Rollin' and Tumblin' is a traditional, first recorded in 1928.

Below are some songs in blues from are confirmed PD. Some of them are a bit jazzier.

Blame It On The Blues - 1914. CONFIRMED Public Domain.
Crazy Blues - 1920. CONFIRMED Public Domain.
Down Home Blues - 1921. CONFIRMED Public Domain.
Downhearted Blues - 1922. CONFIRMED Public Domain.
Ninety Nine Blues - 1920. CONFIRMED Public Domain.
Railroad Blues - 1920. CONFIRMED Public Domain.
The Memphis Blues - 1912. COMFIRMED Public Domain.
St. Louis Blues - 1914. CONFIRMED Public Domain.
I Ain't Got Nobody - 1915. CONFIRMED Public Domain.
Beale Street Blues - 1916. CONFIRMED Public Domain.
Baby Won't You Please Come Home - 1919. CONFIRMED Public Domain.
Trouble in Mind, 1924. CONFIRMED Public Domain.
Worried Life Blues, traditional, first recorded in 1941. CONFIRMED Public Domain.

[12bar]

Thanks a lot - that gives us a lot more great songs to play with. What's your source for "confirmed"?

[Strummer07]

Eric Bibbs CD Blues "Ballads & Worksongs " is a compilation of a whole load of traditional Blues Songs ( Public Domain )- super CD too !

Going down the Road Feeling Bad ( sung regulaly by the Grateful Dead and often attibuted to Woody Guthrie- but its Public Domain for sure)
John Henry . ( Joe Bonamassa does a great version of this - combined with "Take this Hammer")
Take this Hammer
Candy man
Come Back baby
Frankie and Albert
Stagger Lee

all good blues songs

[Thaumiel]

Thanks a lot - that gives us a lot more great songs to play with. What's your source for "confirmed"?

It's called the Public Domain Information Project, with webpage on http://www.pdinfo.com/ which feels rather trustworthy. Besides, if it's written before 1923 it should be automatically PD, right? 90 years?

[Thaumiel]

The Midnight Special is a Trad. Arr.

[12bar]

Yes, should be. The American Copyright law is not easy to understand since the last copyright extension.
I'll put it all together next week. Thanks again!

[12bar]

I've started to review all of them and out them on a separate page:
http://12bar.de/pd_blues.php
Still a lot of work to do.

I've removed the songs itself here, this thread is now for discussion.

[Thaumiel]

This is an excellent idea, thank you!

[Strummer07]

Super piece of work 12 bar - thank you !

[Pena]

Ty 12 bar

[VikingBlues]

The new page is an excellent idea - a great source of reference!

[12bar]

I've now finished the first version, it's available in the upper menu (PD Blues songs). I've collected everything I've found and removed those songs that clearly are still under copyright. If anyone has more songs to add or additional info (chords, lyrics...), please post it!

[jjwalters]

I just want to say that I have spent the last hour or so looking for some good blues guitar on Amazon . . . then I found your radio room and WOW there is some really good stuff in there . . . thanks to everybody who contributes . . . .