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Lead Belly's Last Sessions

Lead Belly
Lead Belly's Last Sessions

Spontaneous, intimate, spellbinding recordings from 1948. Four discs contain 96 songs and include the two remaining unissued tracks from the Last Sessions, plus Lead Belly's best-known songs such as Midnight Special, Goodnight Irene, and Rock Island Line. The 24-page booklet contains rare photos, articles, original documentation, technical notes, biography, bibliography, and discography. Produced and annotated by Frederic Ramsey, Jr. Reissue compiled and annotated by Anthony Seeger, Matt Walters and Jeff Place. "Rich in tone and pungent with history and personality." — Goldmine

Track Listing

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101
Yes, I Was Standing in the Bottom Lead Belly 1:40
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102
Yes, I'm Going Down in Louisiana (Version 1) Lead Belly 0:42
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103
Ain't Going Down to the Well No More Lead Belly 1:23
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104
Dick Ligger's Holler Lead Belly 0:43
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105
Liza Jane Lead Belly 2:08
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106
Dog Latin Song Lead Belly 0:52
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107
Leaving Blues Lead Belly 0:31
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108
Go Down, Old Hannah Lead Belly 4:59
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109
The Blue Tailed Fly (Jimmie Crack Corn) Lead Belly 2:20
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110
Nobody in This World is Better Than Us Lead Belly 1:26
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111
We're in the Same Boat, Brother Lead Belly 2:18
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112
Looky Looky Yonder Lead Belly 1:33
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113
Jolly O the Ransom Lead Belly 0:57
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114
Old Ship of Zion Lead Belly 1:51
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115
Bring Me a Little Water, Silvy Lead Belly 1:27
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116
Mistreatin' Mama Lead Belly 1:24
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117
Black Betty Lead Belly 1:52
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118
Ain't Going Down to the Well No More Lead Belly 2:45
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119
Yes, I'm Going Down in Louisiana (Version 2) Lead Belly 0:28
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120
I Don't Know You, What Have I Done? Lead Belly 3:11
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121
Rock Island Line Lead Belly 1:03
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122
Old Man, Will Your Dog Catch a Rabbit? Lead Belly 1:29
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123
Shorty George Lead Belly 0:46
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124
Stewball Lead Belly 2:34
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125
Bottle Up and Go Lead Belly 1:25
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126
You Know I Got to Do It Lead Belly 0:52
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127
Ain't It a Shame to Go Fishin' on Sunday Lead Belly 1:21
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128
DeKalb Blues (Ain't Gonna Drink No More) (Version 1) Lead Belly 2:37
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129
Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues Lead Belly 2:18
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130
My Lindy Lou Lead Belly 1:08
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131
I'm Thinking of a Friend Lead Belly 3:22
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132
He Never Said a Mumbling Word Lead Belly 2:28
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133
Gee, But I Want to Go Home (Army Life) Lead Belly 3:59
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134
In the World Lead Belly 2:01
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135
I Want to Go Home Lead Belly 1:26
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201
New Iberia Lead Belly 3:08
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202
Dancing with Tears in My Eyes Lead Belly 3:11
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203
John Henry Lead Belly 4:59
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204
Salty Dog Lead Belly 3:29
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205
National Defense Blues Lead Belly 3:30
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206
Easy, Mr. Tom Lead Belly 2:08
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207
Relax Your Mind Lead Belly 4:09
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208
Bottle Up and Go Lead Belly 3:36
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209
Polly Wolly Wee Lead Belly 1:45
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210
Pig Latin Song Lead Belly 2:10
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211
Hawaiian Song Lead Belly 2:15
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212
Drinkin' Lum Y A Alla Lead Belly 1:50
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213
The Gray Goose Lead Belly 2:17
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214
Silver City Bound Lead Belly 6:01
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215
The Titanic Lead Belly 5:14
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216
Death Letter Blues Lead Belly 3:30
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217
Oh, Mary Don't You Weep Lead Belly 3:28
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218
He Never Said a Mumbling Word Lead Belly 2:49
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301
The Midnight Special Lead Belly 2:11
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302
Boll Weevil Lead Belly 3:06
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303
Careless Love Lead Belly 6:29
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304
Easy Rider Lead Belly 3:00
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305
Fannin Street (Mr. Tom Hughes' Town)(Cry to Me) Lead Belly 3:31
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306
DeKalb Blues (Ain't Going to Drink No More) (Version 2) Lead Belly 3:54
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307
Birmingham Jail Lead Belly 2:56
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308
Old Riley Lead Belly 1:46
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309
Julie Ann Johnson Lead Belly 1:11
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310
It's Tight Like That Lead Belly 3:12
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311
4, 5 and 9 Lead Belly 4:53
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312
Good Morning Babe, How Do You Do? Lead Belly 0:41
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313
Jail House Blues Lead Belly 4:31
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314
Well, You Know I Had to Do It Lead Belly 2:56
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315
Irene (Goodnight Irene) (Version 1) Lead Belly 1:22
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316
Story of the 25 Cent Dude Lead Belly 2:20
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317
How Come You Do Me Like You Do? Lead Belly 3:24
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318
Hello Central, Give Me Long Distance Phone Lead Belly 5:29
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319
Hesitation Blues Lead Belly 2:17
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320
I'll Be Down on the Last Bread Wagon Lead Belly 3:35
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401
Digging My Potatoes Lead Belly 4:00
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402
Springtime in the Rockies Lead Belly 3:02
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403
Chinatown Lead Belly 1:12
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404
Rock Island Line Lead Belly 1:57
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405
Backwater Blues Lead Belly 3:27
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406
Governor Pat Neff (Sweet Mary) Lead Belly 3:12
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407
Irene (Goodnight Irene) (Version 2) Lead Belly 2:44
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408
Easy, Mr. Tom Lead Belly 2:16
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409
In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down Lead Belly 2:54
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410
I'm Alone Because I Love You Lead Belly 2:54
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411
House of the Rising Sun Lead Belly 2:23
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412
Oh, Mary Don't You Weep Lead Belly 1:58
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413
Talk About Fannin Street Lead Belly 3:41
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414
Fannin Street (Mr. Tom Hughes' Town) Lead Belly 3:36
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415
Sugar'd Beer Lead Belly 1:40
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416
Didn't Old John Cross the Water? Lead Belly 2:01
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417
Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out Lead Belly 3:19
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418
Bully of the Town Lead Belly 2:08
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419
Sweet Jenny Lee Lead Belly 1:54
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420
Yellow Gal Lead Belly 2:04
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421
He Was the Man Lead Belly 3:48
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422
We're in the Same Boat, Brother Lead Belly 4:16
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423
Leaving Blues Lead Belly 2:36
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Album Info

Catalog Number(s)

SFW40068, FA 2941, FA 2942, FP 241, FP 242

Year(s) Released

1994, 1953

Recording Date(s)

September-October, 1948

Recording Location(s)

Home of Frederic Ramsey, New York, New York, USA

Label/Collection

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Genre(s)

African American Music; American Folk; Blues

Country(s)

United States

Culture Group(s)

African American

Instrument(s)

Guitar; Vocals

Language(s)

English

Credit(s)

Frederic Ramsey - Producer, Recorder, Liner Notes
 Lead Belly - Artist
 Anthony Seeger - Producer, Liner Notes
 Matt Walters - Producer, Liner Notes
 Moses Asch - Liner Notes
 Sean Killeen - Liner Notes
 Alan Yoshida - Mastering Engineer
 Visual Dialogue - Designer
 Jeff Place - Liner Notes
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