Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Corinna
(Taj Mahal / Jesse Ed Davis)

Trans World Dome (TWA Dome), St. Louis, Missouri, US, December 12, 1997 and
Guillaume Tell Studios Davout, Suresnes, Paris, France, June 22 - 24, 1998

Mick Jagger - vocals, harmonica
Taj Mahal - vocals, dobro guitar
Keith Richards - electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Ron Wood - pedal steel guitar
Darryl Jones - bass
Chuck Leavell - keyboards

Got a bird, what-a-whistles, baby got a bird, honey got a bird, it would sing
Baby got a bird, honey got a bird, it would sing
Without my Corinna, sure don't mean, sure don't mean a natural thing

I learned to love you baby, honey 'fore I call, baby 'fore I call your name
Yeah, baby 'fore I call, honey 'fore I call your name
Well, I love you Corinna, it sure don't mean, it sure don't mean a natural thing, well

Have mercy, have mercy, baby on my hard luck, honey on my hard luck soul
Baby on my hard luck, honey on my hard luck soul
I got a rainbow round my shoulder, looks like silver, shines like klondike gold, alright

Well, I love you honey, honey tell the world, baby tell the world I do
Yeah, honey tell the world, baby tell the world I do, come on
Ain't no woman in fourteen counties, love me baby, like the way I do, alright

I got a bird what-a-whistles, baby got a bird, honey got a bird, it would sing
Baby got a bird, honey got a bird, it would sing
Without my Corinna, sure don't mean, sure don't mean a natural thing

Corinna, Corinna, Corinna, oh yeah, Corinna, Corinna, Corinna

Produced by The Glimmer Twins

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “No Security” CD
(Virgin / Toshiba-EMI VJCP 25426) Japan, October 21, 1998



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-12-01 15:02 by René.

Is this written by Taj Mahal and Jesse Ed Davis? Dylan was doing it back in 62. It's on his Freewheelin' album. The song is an old folk standard.

well, the numbers attributed to Robert Johnson were also comprised of traditional music/lyrics
but most of us agree with the idea that his versions are his.
strange things happen when folk/blues oral traditions meet the business end of music, copyright laws, etc,
and we shouldn't try to apply our current concepts retrospectively, not even to the 1960s.

ahem, but i digress, sorry! i always loved Taj Mahal's take on this, so it was a true joy to hear the Stones join him.

isn't it "i learned to love you honey 'fore [as in "before"] i call your name"?
the lyric is more about sound than sense, but ...

Trad arr. bu Taj Mahal/Jessie Ed Davis. Taj also played Corrina with The Rising Sons in the mid 60s. Slightly different arranged though.

Using trad arr. is an old music business con for avoiding copyright and basically stealing a song especially from poor blues players who didn't have the money or backing to mount legal action. It happened a lot in the 60s and 70s and Led Zeppelin were among the best known offenders. Bob Dylan also lifted many old blues and folk songs and blatantly credited himself as the writer. Not sure if Willie Dixon was the first but he sued Zepp and the the practice pretty much stopped after his action.

One of my favs of NS. Wasn't aware of any pedalsteel though. I'll have to listen again.

yeah but for 80% blues songs there's no "definitive writer".
most of the songs should be credited as, for example, "Johnson/Johnson/House/Thornton/Dixon/Johnson/McDowell". despite no one of them ever met...

That's because the habit of crediting a songwriter didn't become common practice until the 20s and 30s. Many blues songs have their origins way earlier than that - especially the country blues and songs that were sung on the plantations.

These would be sung by wandering players and would be learnt by other musicians along the way so that a song would naturally evolve over time. It wasn't until the 70s that a precendent was set - not sure if it was the court action over My Sweet Lord - but the rule nowadays is moreorless that if a certain amount of notes in a passage of music are the same an action can be launched.

I absolutely love this track, easily the highlight of the No Security album for me. Shame Jesse Ed Davis wasn't alive to join them onstage too!

Taj original studio version is awesome, as is the live version on the "Rock 'n' Roll Circus" DVD extras.

>> It wasn't until the 70s that a precendent was set <<

when was it that Chuck sued the Beach Boys for Sweet Little 16/Surfin USA?
or was that settled out of court?

>> Using trad arr. is an old music business con for avoiding copyright and basically stealing a song <<

well ... do you know who originally wrote Corinna? "trad/arranged by" is simply true, in some cases.

with sssoul - sometimes tracking down original writers is real fun
or sometimes other do it for ya...

so much hated wikipedia has a huge and interesting article on this song: [en.wikipedia.org]

cheers

Thanks Amused. Guess that answers that one then.

Hey that Wiki Corrina is a good guide ....Mentions the pre-war
artists that use it from Bo Carter ...Blind Lemon on to Bob Wills ..
And even that Dylan borrows from Johnson's Stones In My Passway ...



ROCKMAN

Check out Taj's album "The Natch'l Blues" for a fantastic version of Corinna. This is one of my all time favorite blues albums containing "She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule to Ride", "Ain't That a Lot of Love", "The Cuckoo"...so many great tunes. CD has 3 bonus cuts not on the LP. 8 bucks on Amazon. Get it.

Love it! Don't forget the fantastic reindition of You Don't Miss Your Water

The first Taj ain't bad either. Great song called Leaving Trunk. No wonder the Stones had him on the Rock'n'Roll Circus.

Quote
vudicus
I absolutely love this track, easily the highlight of the No Security album for me.

Agree 100%. The interplay between Taj and Mick is phenomenal. Taj's sweet, sad voice gives this song so much depth and soul. And Mick is in top form on the harp.

Love the wordplay, too ... "honey", "baby", "baby", "honey"...

Drew



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-08-17 13:31 by drewmaster.

Taj Mahal's version can be found on his 1968 album The Natch'l Blues, which also contains the Blues Brothers favorite "She Caught the Katy (And Left Me a Mule to Ride)," which refers to the train which provided trips in the states of Missouri, Kansas and Texas, that is "MKT" or "Katy."

~Ben



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010-08-17 03:51 by BrianJones1969.

Dylan's "Corrina, Corrina" doesn't sound like the same song to me at all.

Great track! Love the way they embraced Taj! So much better playing with their fellow blues musicians than to pandering to the young hip crowd with some of the other more questionable "guests" they have allowed on stage. Great harp by mick!

And since we are plugging Taj albums don't forget De Ole Folks At Home...great country blues by the Taj.

Try Maestro, Taj's latest album. Brilliant!