''The Complete Blind Willie Johnson'' is a compilation album of all the known recordings by American
gospel blues
Gospel blues (or holy blues) is a form of blues-based gospel music that has been around since the inception of blues music. It combines evangelistic lyrics with blues instrumentation, often blues guitar accompaniment.
According to musician an ...
singer-guitarist
Blind Willie Johnson
Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945), commonly known as Blind Willie Johnson, was an American gospel blues singer and guitarist. His landmark recordings completed between 1927 and 1930, thirty songs in all, display a combinat ...
.
[
] As part of the Roots N' Blues series, it was released jointly by
and
Legacy Recordings
Legacy Recordings is an American record label that is a division of Sony Music. Formed in 1990 after Sony's acquisition of CBS Records, Legacy originally handled the archives of Sony Music-owned labels Columbia Records and Epic Records. In 2 ...
, on April 27, 1993. All of the tracks on the two-
compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. It employs the Compact Disc Digital Audio (CD-DA) standard and was capable of hol ...
set were originally issued by Columbia on the then-standard two-sided
78 rpm record format.
Over the years, many of the songs were included on other compilations, such as
''Blind Willie Johnson – His Story'' (1957) and ''Praise God, I'm Satisfied'' (1977);
[ Yazoo Records L-1058] however, this album marks the first time all of Johnson's recordings were compiled on one set. In 2013, Columbia reissued the album as ''The Essential Blind Willie Johnson''.
Background
The tracks on the album originate from five recording dates between December 3, 1927, and April 20, 1930. Johnson, who provided lead vocals and guitar accompiment, was sometimes backed by female vocalists, most commonly his first alleged wife Willie B. Harris.
Blues historian
Samuel Charters provided the information in album's liner booklet, correcting some biographical errors he made from his first project featuring Johnson's recordings, titled ''Blind Willie Johnson 1927–1930''.
[
]
Track listing
See
List of songs recorded by Blind Willie Johnson for sessionography information.
Disc one
#"
I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole" – 3:03
#"
Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed" – 3:12
#"
It's Nobody's Fault but Mine" – 3:09
#"
Mother's Children Have a Hard Time" – 3:21
#"
Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground
"Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground"Because documentation is scarce in early recordings, the title of the song appears differently in many sources. It is often called "Dark Was the Night" or punctuated as "Dark Was the Night (Cold Was the Gr ...
" – 3:20
#"
If I Had My Way I'd Tear the Building Down" – 3:08
#"
I'm Gonna Run to the City of Refuge" – 3:23
#"
Jesus Is Coming Soon" – 3:11
#"
Lord I Just Can't Keep From Crying
"Lord I Just Can't Keep From Crying" is a traditional gospel blues song recorded in 1928 by Blind Willie Johnson (vocals and guitar) and Willie B. Harris (vocals), who is thought to have been his first wife. Some versions of the song recorded by ...
" – 3:01
#"
Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning
"Keep Your Lamp(s) Trimmed and Burning" is a traditional gospel blues song. It alludes to the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, found in the Gospel of Matthew at 25:1-13, and also to a verse in the Gospel of Luke, at 12:35.
The song has ...
" – 3:03
#"
Let Your Light Shine on Me
"Let Your Light Shine on Me" is a traditional gospel blues song, having been recorded by The Wiseman Quartet in 1923, by Ernest Phipps in 1928, and by Blind Willie Johnson in 1929. The song itself is also known as "Shine On Me", "Let It Shine on ...
" – 3:09
#"
God Don't Never Change
"God Don't Never Change" is a gospel blues song recorded by Blind Willie Johnson in 1929. The song is sometimes titled "God Don't Ever Change".
Lyrics
The verses include allusions to:
* Psalm 114:4 "The mountains skipped like rams, and the l ...
" – 2:57
#"
Bye and Bye I'm Goin' to See the King
"Bye and Bye We're (or, I'm) Going to See the King" is a Christian song from the African-American musical tradition. It is known by a variety of titles, including "I Wouldn't Mind Dying (If Dying Was All)" and "A Mother's Last Word to Her Daugh ...
" – 2:52
#"
Sweeter as the Years Roll By
"Sweeter as the Years Go By" is a Christian hymn written by Lelia N. Morris in 1912. It has been included in 87 hymnals. Its subject-matter is expressed in the refrain:
It has been recorded in various, mostly gospel, styles. In 1929, it was r ...
" – 2:46
Disc two
#"
You'll Need Somebody on Your Bond
"You'll Need Somebody on Your Bond" (later titled "You're Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond") is a gospel song that is attributed to both tradition and to gospel blues musician Blind Willie Johnson. Johnson first recorded the song in December 1930 ...
" – 3:05
#"
When the War Was On
"When the War Was On" is a call and response blues song recorded in 1929 by Blind Willie Johnson and Willie B. Harris, who is thought to have been his first wife. Johnson plays bottleneck guitar, and sings throughout in his "growl" (false bass ...
" – 3:02
#"
Praise God I'm Satisfied
"Praise God I'm Satisfied" is a traditional gospel blues song recorded in 1929 by Blind Willie Johnson
Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945), commonly known as Blind Willie Johnson, was an American gospel blues singer and ...
" – 3:11
#"
Take Your Burden to the Lord and Leave It There
"Leave It There" is a Christian hymn composed in 1916 by African-American Methodist minister Charles A. Tindley. It has become popular enough to have been included in 12 hymnals; and even to be attributed to " traditional" or "anonymous". ...
" – 2:56
#"
Take Your Stand
"Take Your Stand" is a gospel blues song recorded in 1929 by Blind Willie Johnson on vocals and acoustic guitar and an unidentified female singer.
Music historian Samuel Charters describes it as "another of the white gospel songs that he o ...
" – 3:01
#"
God Moves on the Water
"God Moves on the Water" is a gospel blues song recorded by Blind Willie Johnson in 1929 and released on a 78 rpm record by Columbia Records.
The song describes the sinking of RMS ''Titanic'' and the consequent loss of life after it struck an i ...
" – 2:59
#"
Can't Nobody Hide from God" – 3:21
#"
If It Had Not Been For Jesus" – 3:23
#"
Go with Me to That Land" – 3:04
#"
The Rain Don't Fall on Me" – 3:18
#"
Trouble Will Soon Be Over" – 3:07
#"
The Soul of a Man" – 3:13
#"
Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right" – 3:05
#"
Church, I'm Fully Saved To-Day" – 3:07
#"
John the Revelator" – 3:17
#"
You're Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond
"You'll Need Somebody on Your Bond" (later titled "You're Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond") is a Gospel music, gospel song that is attributed to both tradition and to gospel blues musician Blind Willie Johnson. Johnson first recorded the song in ...
" – 3:10
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Complete Blind Willie Johnson (album), The
1993 compilation albums
Blues compilation albums
Columbia Records compilation albums
Blind Willie Johnson albums