Who did "A Good Day For The Blues"

[LiveMusic]

Played an acoustic jam couple of times where we played this song. Who did this song?

[Guitar Geezer]

Ruth Brown maybe?

http://www.vh1.com/shared/media/images/covers/170/290/294199.jpg

[Guitar Geezer]

OT...Interesting Bio:

BiographyThey called Atlantic Records "the house that Ruth built" during the 1950s, and they weren't referring to the Sultan of Swat. Ruth Brown's regal hitmaking reign from 1949 to the close of the '50s helped tremendously to establish the New York label's predominance in the R&B field. Later, the business all but forgot her -- she was forced to toil as domestic help for a time -- but she returned to the top, her status as a postwar R&B pioneer (and tireless advocate for the rights and royalties of her peers) recognized worldwide.

 

Young Ruth Weston was inspired initially by jazz chanteuses Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Dinah Washington. She ran away from her Portsmouth home in 1945 to hit the road with trumpeter Jimmy Brown, whom she soon married. A month with bandleader Lucky Millinder's orchestra in 1947 ended abruptly in Washington, D.C., when she was canned for delivering a round of drinks to members of the band. Cab Calloway's sister Blanche gave Ruth a gig at her Crystal Caverns nightclub and assumed a managerial role in the young singer's life. DJ Willis Conover dug Brown's act and recommended her to Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson, bosses of a fledgling imprint named Atlantic.

 

Unfortunately, Brown's debut session for the firm was delayed by a nine-month hospital stay caused by a serious auto accident en route to New York that badly injured her leg. When she finally made it to her first date in May of 1949, she made up for lost time by waxing the torch ballad "So Long" (backed by guitarist Eddie Condon's band), which proved to be her first hit.

 

Brown's seductive vocal delivery shone incandescently on her Atlantic smashes "Teardrops in My Eyes" (an R&B chart-topper for 11 weeks in 1950), "I'll Wait for You" and "I Know" in 1951, 1952's "5-10-15 Hours" (another number-one rocker), the seminal "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" in 1953, and a tender Chuck Willis-penned "Oh What a Dream" and the timely "Mambo Baby" the next year. Along the way, Frankie Laine tagged her "Miss Rhythm" during an engagement in Philly. Brown belted a series of her hits on the groundbreaking TV program Showtime at the Apollo in 1955, exhibiting delicious comic timing while trading sly one-liners with MC Willie Bryant (ironically, ex-husband Jimmy Brown was a member of the show's house band).

 

After an even two-dozen R&B chart appearances for Atlantic that ended in 1960 with "Don't Deceive Me" (many of them featuring hell-raising tenor sax solos by Willis "Gator" Jackson, who many mistakenly believed to be Brown's husband), Brown faded from view. After raising her two sons and working a nine-to-five job, Brown began to rebuild her musical career in the mid-'70s. Her comedic sense served her well during a TV sitcom stint co-starring with McLean Stevenson in Hello, Larry, in a meaty role in director John Waters' 1985 sock-hop satire film Hairspray, and during her 1989 Broadway starring turn in {+Black and Blue} (which won her a Tony Award).

 

There were more records for Fantasy in the '80s and '90s (notably 1991's jumping Fine and Mellow), and a lengthy tenure as host of National Public Radio's "Harlem Hit Parade" and "BluesStage." Brown's nine-year ordeal to recoup her share of royalties from all those Atlantic platters led to the formation of the nonprofit Rhythm & Blues Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping others in the same frustrating situation.

 

Factor in all those time-consuming activities, and it's a wonder Ruth Brown has time to sing anymore. But she does (quite royally, too), her pipes mellowed but not frayed by the ensuing decades that have seen her rise to stardom not once, but twice. ~ Bill Dahl, All Music Guide

[LiveMusic]

I dunno if it's Ruth Brown. No idea but it might be, judging from the lyric. I did find something from Bob Sokol web page and this may be it. We played non-stop for three hours each time, so lots of songs. I honestly can't remember but I and 90% positive "Our love is driftin' and it's a good day for the blues" was the hook.

 

He attributes it to Storyville, whoever that is.

 

===

 

Good day for the blues

 

Good day for the blues - Storyville; Malford Milligan

 

Intro: F-C-F

F C

Sometimes you fly so high

F C

You can't find a place to land

F C

Got money in the bank

F G

A drink in your hand

C--F

When the love gets low

F Am-F

Someone's gonna lose

F C G C - F - C

Cause our love is driftin, and it's a good day for the blues

 

C

When you shuffle your cards

F

You always have a winning hand

C

When luck is on the run

F G

You never have to take a stand

C--F

When the chips get low

F Am-F

You're gonna have to choose

F C G C - F - C

Cause our love is driftin, and it's a good day for the blues

 

F C - F - C

It's a good day, for Bobby Blue Bland

F G

For the thrill isn't gone, Magic Sam

C Am7

Whatever it takes, I do what I can do

F Dm7

To bridge this river that flows from me to you

C G C - F - C

Our love is driftin, and it's a good day for the blues

[Guitar Geezer]

Oh Yeah...that's what was humming in the back of my head.

 

Storyville was a combination of Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton (Double Trouble..You know ...SRV's band) and I think Doyle Bramhall II and Dave Grissom was in it. And Malford is this great young singer with a unique voice, They were together for a while after the Arcangels split.

 

<-----Gotta find that Cassette tape----->

 

Amazon link - has sound byte

 

Thanks for the Brain Juggle

[Outrider]

I saw Storyville live at Antone's in Austin, TX a few years back, and then again in Atlanta. Malford Milligan is an *amazing* singer. Absolutely fulla-soul, especially if you hear him onstage (vs. on CD). They were a great band with really superb musicians...one of the best live bands I've ever heard.

 

Storyville albums:

• Bluest Eyes...a great album, re-released at www.malfordmilligan.com
  
• Piece of Your Soul...almost as good. "Good Day for the Blues" is on this one.
  
• Dog Years...mmmmmmmm didn't like it much.
  

[Shinerfan]

I agree with seeing Storylive at Antone's, Malford Milligan is truely bad ass. Brought tears to my eyes, or was that all the smoke in the room? At any rate, I was lucky to grow up around these bands and keep me working on that "Great" live sound. If you like the song, some of the guys that were in the same scene have some great and overlooked music out there. Bob Schneider is starting to sell out but still going strong, Ian Moore moved to Seattle, but one of the best live guitar and acoustic shows ever, Vallejo for heavier stuff as well as PushMonkey, and last but not least the Sexton brothers Charlie and Will, who could be great if they ever get the s together. I realize this is decade old music but still have in all my facorite music lists, although a song list would help but that would take awhile. Thanks for the memories! Oh I just remembered Guy Forsythe has some great ballads and plays the saw on some solos. Peace!

-Jeff

[Chad Thorne]

Originally posted by guitar geezer:

OT...Interesting Bio:

BiographyThey called Atlantic Records "the house that Ruth built" during the 1950s, and they weren't referring to the Sultan of Swat...it's a wonder Ruth Brown has time to sing anymore. But she does (quite royally, too), her pipes mellowed but not frayed by the ensuing decades that have seen her rise to stardom not once, but twice. ~ Bill Dahl, All Music Guide

Ruth Brown still sings her butt off, both blues and gospel, putting to shame many women many years her junior who purport to be singers, but who have to be half-naked to get attention...