STUDIO SESSION FOR JERRY LEE LEWIS
FOR SUN RECORDS 1963
SAM PHILLIPS RECORDING STUDIO
639 MADISON AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
SUN SESSION: WEDNESDAY AUGUST 28, 1963
SESSION HOURS: 7:00PM-10:00PM
PRODUCER AND RECORDING ENGINEER - SAM PHILLIP
''CARRY ME BACK TO OLD VIRGINIA''
Composer: - James Bland
Publisher: - B.M.I. - Hal Leonard Corporation
Matrix number: - None - Chatter - Count-In - Take 3 (2:54)
Recorded: - August 28, 1963 - Not Originally Issued
Released: – October 2015
First appearance: - Bear Family Records (CD) 500/200rpm BCD 17254-15-25/26 mono
JERRY LEE LEWIS AT SUN RECORDS THE COLLECTED WORKS
"Carry Me Back To Old Virginny" is a song which was written by James A. Bland (1854-1911), an African American minstrel who wrote over 700 folk songs. It is was an adaption by Bland of the traditional "Carry Me Back To Ole Virginny" popular since the 1840's and frequently sung by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. Bland's version, the most well known, was adapted in 1878 when many of the newly freed slaves were struggling to find work. The song has become controversial in modern times. A third reworded version was Virginia's state song from 1940 until 1997, using the word "Virginia" instead of "Virginny''. In 1997, it was retired on the grounds that the lyrics were considered offensive to African Americans. On January 28, 1997, the Virginia Senate voted to designate "Carry Me Back To Old Virginia" as state song emeritus and a study committee initiated a contest for writing a new state song. The Virginia General Assembly suspended the contest on January 5, 2000 and recently reinstated it. There are currently eight candidates. In January 2006, a state Senate panel voted to designate "Shenandoah" as the "interim official state song''. On March 1, 2006, the House Rules Committee of the General Assembly voted down bill SB682, which would have made "Shenandoah" the official state song. James Bland himself was an educated black man born in Queens, New York, and educated at Howard University. His adaption of "Carry Me Back," however, is written from the perspective of a nostalgic former slave. Defenders of the song argue that "Carry Me Back To Old Virginny" articulates and perhaps satirizes the feelings of betrayal and abandonment white Southerners felt after Emancipation. Like minstrel music of the same era, the song was written in dialect, from a black point of view, and expressed the feelings some whites wished blacks to feel; in this case, nostalgia for days of slavery. Others argue the song was written to express difficulties and discrimination facing free blacks in the North which perhaps were bitter enough to make slavery an ironically appealing contrast. These defenders argue that minstrel's songs were never written to be taken literally but were sly and humorous. The slightly less explicit "Old Folks At Home," still the state song of Florida with important modifications, carries a similar message.
''Carry Me Back To Old Virginia'' the single (Sun 396) is another story, however. This was the only track originally issued from Jerry Lee's final Sun session. Jerry himself was already long gone and recording for Smash Records by the time Sun 396 hit the streets in March, 1965. ''Carry Me Back'' was literally the last thing Jerry Lee recorded for Sun Records, and it's a finely crafted piece of work featuring both Roland Janes and Scotty Moore on guitar. Immediately before this final take, Sam Phillips was captured on tape saying, ''We're broke and we're out of tape so this'll have to be the last one''. Undaunted as usual, Jerry Lee replies ''Ah ha, then let's get her!'' and proceeds to do just that. The track begins with Jerry's count off and a surprising 12 bar instrumental lead-in. Sam had been trying, with varying degrees of success, to slow the tempo over the last several takes and finally has his way here. The backbeat is still relatively heavy on this mid-tempo offering, and the guitar plays a strong counter rhythm. The restrained chorus gives the proceedings a very churchy feel. In fact, this is a very southern sounding record, capped by Jerry's exclamations at the close. ''I'm bringing it on in'' are the final words he spoke (or sang) into a Sun microphone. By any account, Jerry rode off into the Sun-set just about as impressively and confidently as he came in.
Name (Or. No. Of Instruments)
Jerry Lee Lewis - Vocal & Piano
Scotty Moore - Acoustic Guitar
Roland Janes - Lead Guitar
W.R. Felts - Organ
Herman ''Hawk'' Hawkins - Bass
Morris ''Trap'' Tarrant - Drums
String Arranged by Vinnie Trauth
Strings consisting of
Anne Oldham, Noel Gilbert,
Joan Gilbert, Milton Friedsland
Chorus led by Hurshell Wayne Wiginton
© - 706 UNION AVENUE SESSIONS - ©
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