Скачать или смотреть Doug Sahm - Betty Jo

The original of this one came from an obscure black singer & bandleader (officially "orchestra") called Spot Barnett. He was a guy who Doug knocked around with musically in the Eastside of San Antonio in the fifties. It's a slow surging blues ballad not unlike tracks by Sunny & the Sunliners and also not a million miles away from swamp pop, yet another of the forms of music that Doug would sometimes dip into.

I confess that I took a bit of time to be converted to the Doug Sahm gospel but it was the 1992 album, "Doug Sahm & Friends: The best of Doug Sahm's Atlantic sessions" which did it for me. Previous attempts to get into the man had left me with only a partial appreciation of his skills as the sheer sloppiness of some of his early work got in the way. His sessions for Atlantic Records were held in 1973 and one album, "Doug Sahm & Band" was released that year. The album I bought, "Doug Sahm & Friends ...", released in '92, was a partial round up from the earlier album plus some extra tracks. I'd add that there was also a later 2 CD album, The Texas Groover: Complete Atlantic Recordings" released in 2004 which gives an even better view of the sessions (though, contrary to the title, it still isn't complete).

Enough of that, what struck me about "Doug Sahm & Friends" was that even though sloppiness was present in places there were also some superbly arranged numbers where the skills of Doug plus the musicians he'd brought with him plus the marvellous Atlantic session men (inc. Dr. John) really shone. In addition, that versatility which has often been commented upon, was given much more of a chance to blossom than hitherto. I even grew to love some of that sloppiness where Doug's own love and enthusiasm for his music was communicated in a looser way.