Skip to main content
Music of, by, and for the people
Folklife
Folkways
Festival
SIGN IN
Explore
Learn
Join
Shop
Support Us
Explore
Explore Overview
Artists
Folkways Magazine
Online Exhibits
Playlists
Podcasts
Learn
Learn Overview
Lesson Plans
Courses
Interactives
Libraries
Partners
Join
Jobs & Internships
Mailing List
Donations
Visit Us
Shop
Shop Overview
Bestsellers
Books
Box Sets
DVDs
Essential Picks
Gift Certificates
Labels and Collections
Merchandise
New Releases
Series
Vinyl
About
Mission & History
Donors & Patrons
Staff
Awards
Proposals
News
Customer Service
Ordering Information
Distributors
Educational Discounts
Wholesale Inquiries
License Requests
Shopping Cart
My Account
FAQ
Browse By
Genre
African American Music
African American Spoken
American Folk
American History
American Indian
American Popular
Bluegrass
Blues
Cajun & Zydeco
Caribbean
Celtic
Central Asia
Children's
Classical
Contemporary & Electronic
Country
Documentary
Drama
Gospel
Hawai'i
Hip Hop
Historical Song
Holiday
Humor
India
Islamica
Jazz & Ragtime
Judaica
Language Instruction
Latin
Miscellany
Music Instruction
Old Time
Oral History & Descriptiongraphy
Poetry
Prose
Psychology & Health
Sacred
Science & Nature
Sounds
Soundtracks & Musicals
Spoken Word
Struggle & Protest
World
World History
Geography
Africa
Eastern Africa
Burundi
Comoros
Djibouti
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Kenya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mozambique
Réunion
Rwanda
Seychelles
Somalia
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Middle Africa
Angola
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo (Kinshasa)
Congo (Brazzaville)
Equatorial Guinea
French Equatorial Africa (former)
Gabon
Sao Tome and Principe
Northern Africa
Algeria
Egypt
Libya
Morocco
Sudan
Tunisia
Western Sahara
Southern Africa
Botswana
Lesotho
Namibia
South Africa
Swaziland
Western Africa
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cape Verde
Côte d'Ivoire
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Liberia
Mali
Mauritania
Niger
Nigeria
Saint Helena
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Togo
Asia
Central Asia
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Northeast Asia
China
Hong Kong
Japan
Korea (former)
Korea (North)
Korea (South)
Macao
Mongolia
Taiwan
Tibet (former)
Southeast Asia
Borneo (former)
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Vietnam
Southern Asia
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Iran
Maldives
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Western Asia
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Cyprus
Georgia
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Palestine
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Europe
Eastern Europe
Belarus
Bulgaria
Byelorussia (former)
Czech Republic
Hungary
Moldova
Poland
Romania
Russia
Slovakia
Ukraine
USSR (former)
Northern Europe
Bouvet Island
Channel Islands
Denmark
England
Estonia
Faroe Islands
Finland
Iceland
Ireland
Isle of Man
Latvia
Lithuania
Northern Ireland
Norway
Scotland
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
Sweden
United Kingdom
Wales
Southern Europe
Albania
Andorra
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Gibraltar
Greece
Italy
Kosovo
Macedonia
Malta
Monaco
Montenegro
Portugal
San Marino
Serbia
Serbia and Montenegro (former)
Slovenia
Spain
Vatican City (Holy See)
Yugoslavia (former)
Western Europe
Austria
Belgium
France
Germany
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Switzerland
Oceania
Australia & New Zealand
Australia
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
New Zealand
Norfolk Island
Melanesia
Fiji
New Caledonia
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Vanuatu
Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
Guam
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Nauru
Northern Mariana Islands
Palau
Polynesia
American Samoa
Cook Islands
French Polynesia
Niue
Pitcairn
Samoa
Tokelau
Tonga
Tuvalu
Wallis and Futuna Islands
The Americas
Caribbean
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Haiti
Jamaica
Martinique
Montserrat
Netherlands Antilles
Puerto Rico
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
Virgin Islands of the United States
Central America
Belize
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Northern America
Bermuda
Canada
Greenland
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
United States
Southern America
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
French Guiana
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Artist
Beausoleil
Big Mama Thornton
Big Bill Broonzy
Brownie McGhee
Dock Boggs
Clifton Chenier
Elizabeth Cotten
Country Gentlemen
Woody Guthrie
Roscoe Holcomb
Lightnin' Hopkins
Ella Jenkins
Flaco Jiménez
Lead Belly
Mance Lipscomb
Fred McDowell
Mary Lou Williams
Memphis Slim
Mighty Sparrow
Elizabeth Mitchell
Bill Monroe
New Lost City Ramblers
David Nzomo
Suni Paz
Jean Ritchie
Tony Schwartz
Mike Seeger
Peggy Seeger
Pete Seeger
Snooks Eaglin
Sonny Terry
Dave Van Ronk
Waddie Mitchel
...
Label
Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology (ARCE)
Arhoolie Records
Blue Ridge Institute
Bobby Susser Songs for Children
Collector Records
Cook Records
Dyer-Bennet Records
Educational Activities
Fast Folk Musical Magazine
Folk-Legacy Records
Folkways Records
International Library of African Music (ILAM)
Mickey Hart Collection
Minority Owned Record Enterprises (MORE)
Monitor Records
Paredon Records
Plectrafone Records
Right on Rhythm
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Smithsonian Folkways Special Series
The London Library of Recorded English
Timberhead Music
UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music
Western Jubilee Recording Company
Browse By
Genre
African American Music
African American Spoken
American Folk
American History
American Indian
American Popular
Bluegrass
Blues
Cajun & Zydeco
Caribbean
Celtic
Central Asia
Children's
Classical
Contemporary & Electronic
Country
Documentary
Drama
Gospel
Hawai'i
Hip Hop
Historical Song
Holiday
Humor
India
Islamica
Jazz & Ragtime
Judaica
Language Instruction
Latin
Miscellany
Music Instruction
Old Time
Poetry
Prose
Psychology & Health
Sacred
Science & Nature
Sounds
Soundtracks & Musicals
Spoken Word
Struggle & Protest
World
World History
Country
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Borneo (former)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Byelorussia (former)
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Congo (Kinshasa)
Congo (Brazzaville)
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
England
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
Finland
France
French Equatorial Africa (former)
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Korea (former)
Korea (South)
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Lithuania
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Mali
Malta
Martinique
Mexico
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Northern Ireland
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Lucia
Samoa
Scotland
Senegal
Serbia and Montenegro (former)
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tibet (former)
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
USSR (former)
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands of the United States
Wales
Yemen
Yugoslavia (former)
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Label
Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology (ARCE)
Arhoolie Records
Blue Ridge Institute
Bobby Susser Songs for Children
Collector Records
Cook Records
Dyer-Bennet Records
Educational Activities
Fast Folk Musical Magazine
Folk-Legacy Records
Folkways Records
International Library of African Music (ILAM)
Mickey Hart Collection
Minority Owned Record Enterprises (MORE)
Monitor Records
Paredon Records
Plectrafone Records
Right on Rhythm
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Smithsonian Folkways Special Series
The London Library of Recorded English
Timberhead Music
UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music
Western Jubilee Recording Company
Catalog
School Boy
Big Mama Thornton
From
Ball N' Chain
Audio
School Boy
Buy Track
0.99
Track Info
Release
Ball N' Chain
Artist(s)
Big Mama Thornton
Year Released
1989
Catalog Number
ARH00305_107
Track Number
7
Duration
04:30
Country(s)
United States
Culture Group(s)
African American
Performer Credit(s)
Big Mama Thornton
- Vocals
Buddy Guy
- Guitar
Fred Below
- Drums
Fred McDowell
- Guitar
Jimmy Lee Robinson
- Bass
Eddie Boyd
- Piano, Organ
Join our email list for the latest news from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Click to join mailing list
Support our non-profit mission with a monthly donation and enjoy streaming access to the collection via our website
Become a Friend of Folkways
