Otis Rush + Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown

¤  Otis Rush was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, on April 29, 1934. As a youngster, Otis Rush taught himself to play harmonica and guitar. Otis Rush is left-handed and as many other left-handed blues guitarists, he plays a right-handed guitar upside down and left-handed. He worked with his mother and his brothers and sisters in the field, and sometimes he sang and played guitar in the church. Otis Rush moved to Chicago in 1948. Listening to Muddy Waters live on stage inspired Otis Rush to start a career as a blues artist and soon he began to play in clubs on Chicago’s South Side.

In 1956, Otis Rush signed with Cobra Records. Cobra released his first hit I Can’t Quit You Baby. After Cobra had collapsed, Otis Rush switched to Chess Records where he had his hit All Your Love (I Miss Loving), played in rumba rhythm. Otis Rush later made recordings for Duke, Vanguard, Cotillion, Capitol, Bullfrog, Quicksilver, Alligator, Mercury, Blind Pig, and House of Blues. Otis Rush represents the second generation of Chicago blues artists who broke with the rural musical traditions to develop a more sophisticated way to sing and play the blues. Otis Rush has a sonorous tenor voice with an unique timbre and he is admired for his expressive vocal style. In February 2004, he suffered a stroke.

  ♦  ‘I Can’t Quit You Baby’  ⇓

Well, I can’t quit you baby, but I got to put you down for awhile
Well, you know, I can’t quit you baby, but I got to put you down for awhile
Well, you know, you messed up my happy home baby,

made me mistreat my only child

Yes, you know I love you, baby, my love for you I’ll never hide
Oh, you know I love you, baby, my love for you I’ll never hide
Yes, you know I love you, baby, well you just my ordered size

Well, I’m so tired I could cry, I could just lay down and die
Oh, I’m so tired I could cry, I could just lay down and die
Yes, you know you my only darling, you know you my desire

When you hear me moaning and groaning,

you know it hurts me deep down inside

Oh, when you hear me moaning and groaning,

you know it hurts me deep down inside
When you hear me holler , baby, oh, you know your my desire

  ♦→‘Double Trouble‘  ⇓

I lay awake at night can’t sleep just so troubled
It’s hard to keep a job, laid off and havin’ double trouble
Hey, they say you can make it if you try
Yes, in this generation of millionaires,

it’s hard for me to keep decent clothes to wear

You laughed at me walkin’ baby, when I had no place to go
Bad luck and trouble have taken me,

I have got no money to show
Hey, hey, to make it you’ve got to try, baby, that’s no lie
Yes, in this generation of millionaires,

it’s hard for me to keep decent clothes to wear

♦  ‘Gambler’s Blues’ + ‘It’s my own fault’  ↓

I don’t know what love is, but I think I must have it bad
Yeah, you I don’t know what love is, people, whoah, but I think I must have it bad
Yeah, you know some people say love is just a gamble,
but whatever it is, it’s enough to drive old me mad

They say love is just a proposition, strictly a game of give and take
Yeah, they say love… love is a proposition, strictly a game of give and take
Oh yeah, this woman took everything I gave her
and I’m here to tell to you that love proposition stuff ‘s a fake

It’s my own fault, baby – Treat me the way you wanna do …
Yes when you were loving me, baby
At that time, little girl, I wouldn’t be true

You used to be here with me baby – Now you’re running around with the boys
You said you were gonna leave me – Gonna be over in Illinois, my own home place

Treat me the way you wanna do
Yes when you were loving me, baby
At that time, little girl, I didn’t love you

Oh, I don’t know much about gambling, I don’t know much about the dice
This woman knows my ways so well, she knows I’m not the type for a […?]

∞  with Eric Clapton  ↓  ‘All Your Lovin’ [Miss Loving]’

All the love I miss loving, all the kiss I miss kissing . . .
Before I met you baby, never knew what I was missing.

All your love, pretty baby, that I got in store for you . . .
I love you pretty baby, well I say you love me too.

All your loving, pretty baby, all your loving, pretty baby . . .
Since I first met you baby, I never knew what I was missing.
Hey, hey baby, hey, hey baby.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, baby, oh, oh, baby.
Since I first met you baby, never knew what I was missing.

 · · ·  w/  Luther Allison  ↓  ‘Every Day I Have the Blues’  [1986]

…Oh man, this guy is something: he’s one of my idols and his name is Mr Luther Allison. Let’s give him a hand . . .

First of all, ladies and gentlemen, how about a big hand for my idol, Mr Otis Rush? Mr Eric Clapton! My ex-keyboard player…

I’m sitting here with my heart in my hand

I’m waiting for a frined, people,  I hope you understand

I don’t mean to be funny but I just feel like a natural man

I got the blues – I get the blues everyday – Yeah . . .

But with a little help from my friends I will […?] all the way

Thank you Otis, but let me play my blues … Here’s my teacher – This man I’ll forever love – Tonight I’m gonna sing my song – Eric Clapton – you’re the one [. . . ?]

… Eric Clapton!  Blues! 

It’s been a long long time I got together with my friend

He had ‘So Many Roads’ [. . . ?]  he didn’t wanna play no bob dylan

But the blues hit him in the mind – and his  heartbeat . . . Otis … Otis … Otis … play the blues!

 

Oh I hate to see me go – So long –  I hate to see me go

It might be never never, never again – but I’m telling all how  [. . . ?]

÷            ÷                      ÷            ÷                      ÷            ÷

¤  Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown  

[1924-2005]

Born on the border between Texas and Louisiana, Brown recalls early musical experiences that were a Rich gumbo of influences. While his father taught him what he refers to as “Texas fiddling”, country, cajun and big band jazz were all part of his musical upbringing, and he incorporated fiddle, harmonica, guitar and mandoline into his live act, which showcases what he calls “true American music”.

♦  ‘Born in Louisiana’  ⇓

Let’s go – I’m gonna tell you where I was born, and I’m gonna tell really where my home is – in this state: Texas. Born in Louisiana…

I was born in Louisiana, and raised on the Texas side . . . That makes me a […?] more than […?]

Texas and Louisiana is just a few feet apart

I know both of the planets – That’s where I got my style

Cause I was born in Louisiana and raised on the Texas side. That makes me a […?] more than […?]

 

My mother came from Louisiana, my father I don’t know from where

And if you would ever ask, I would say that I don’t care

Cause I was born in Louisiana and raised on the Texas side.

I was way for 21 when my father said goodbye.

♦  ‘Dollar Got The Blues’ ⇓

Dollar got the blues – Gettin’ lower every

Dollar got the blues – Gettin’ lower every

I wanna do something about it

Folks, if I only had my way

 

Used to be 2 for 1 – Now it’s 1 for 2

Used to be 2 for 1 – Now it’s 1 for 2

What in the world are we poor people gonna do?

3 and 3 is 6,  ↑  baby
3 and 6 is nine
If you gimme your 6
Baby, I’ll give you mine

Well, I went to Detroit city
My feet got soaking wet
I was soaked, I was frostbitten
And I ain’t thawed out yet

So long, baby
Hope we’ll meet again
If you ever in trouble
Just remember I’m your friend

∇   ‘Okie Dokie Stomp’  ⇓

♦  with CANNED HEAT ⇓  Montreux _ 1973

·  ·  ·   ‘Worried Life Blues’ ⇓

Oh lordy lord, oh lordy lord.  It hurts me so bad for us to part. 
But someday baby,  I ain’t gonna worry my life any more. 

So many days since you went away. I’ve had to worry both night and day.
Yeah, but someday babe, I ain’t gonna worry my life any more.

You’re on my mind every place I go. How much I love you, nobody know.
But someday babe, I ain’t gonna worry my life any more.

•→ Clarence «Gatemouth» Brown interviewed ⇐