That Black Snake Moan

"That Black Snake Moan"
Single by Blind Lemon Jefferson
B-side
ReleasedOctober 1926
March 1927 (re-release)
Recorded1926
GenreCountry blues
Length3:04
Label
Songwriter(s)Blind Lemon Jefferson
Producer(s)J. Mayo Williams
Blind Lemon Jefferson singles chronology
"Bad Luck Blues"
(1926) 		"That Black Snake Moan"
(1926) 		"Booger Rooger Blues"
(1926)

"That Black Snake Moan" is a song written and recorded by American country blues musician Blind Lemon Jefferson.[1] Inspired by singer Victoria Spivey's "Black Snake Blues", the song was released on Paramount Records in 1926, and has since become recognized as a signature composition which exemplifies Jefferson's unconventional melodic style and utilization of double entendres.[1] The song was re-recorded a year later as "Black Snake Moan" for Okeh Records,[1] and both versions have remained accessible through the availability of several compilation albums.

Background

During the 1920s, Paramount Records were in-demand for customers of genuine country blues recordings. Blind Lemon Jefferson had been performing across Texas and the Mississippi Delta since 1912 and garnered a considerable following.[2] Jefferson was signed to Paramount in 1925 as a result of one of two proposed scenarios: pianist Sammy Price recommended him to the label or Paramount music director Arthur C. Laibly discovered Jefferson performing on Dallas streets.[2][3] Regardless, a talent scout recorded demos with Jefferson and the singer traveled to Chicago to record his first official sides: a pair of gospel tunes under the pseudonym Deacon L. J. Bates. Sales were strong, prompting further sessions with Jefferson in 1926.[4]

In his third session for Paramount, Jefferson recorded "That Black Snake Moan", along with "Black Horse Blues", "Corina Blues", and "Jack O' Diamond Blues".[3] Riddled with sexual nuances, lyrically "That Black Snake Moan" was explicit with its intentions, with lines such as "Mmm, black snake crawlin' in my room / And some pretty mama had better come and get this black snake soon".[5] Record producer J. Mayo Williams recalled Jefferson was "just as cool and collected as any artist I've ever seen" as they carried out the session.[2] Indeed, Jefferson's calm and collected persona coupled with high-pitched howls added to the song's sexual innuendo.[3] Jefferson was inspired to compose the song after singer Victoria Spivey enjoyed success with "Black Snake Blues", a tune that Spivey insists was not intended to have the same sexual innuendo as Jefferson's "That Black Snake Moan".[6]

"That Black Snake Moan" was first released on Paramount in October 1926.[7] Jefferson re-recorded another version of the song for Okeh Records, which was closely related to the original rendition, but also had superior sound quality.[2] This version, titled simply "Black Snake Moan", was released in March 1927 along with another well-known Jefferson tune "Matchbox Blues".[7] The composition has remained relatively accessible throughout the years, appearing on Jefferson compilation albums such as The Immortal Blind Lemon, Black Snake Moan, and King of the Blues.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c Giles Oakley (1997). The Devil's Music. Da Capo Press. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-306-80743-5.
  2. ^ a b c d Obrecht, Jas. "Black Snake Moan / Matchbox Blues" (PDF). Loc.gov. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c Groom, Bob (1991). Blind Lemon Jefferson – Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order: Volume 1 (1925–1926) (CD booklet). Document Records.
  4. ^ Lane, Josalyn. "Blind Lemon Jefferson - Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  5. ^ Pattison, Robert (1987). The Triumph of Vulgarity: Rock Music in the Mirror of Romanticism. Oxford University Press. p. 59. ISBN 9780195365030.
  6. ^ McNally, Dennis (2014). On Highway 61: Music, Race, and the Evolution of Cultural Freedom. Group West. p. 108. ISBN 9781619024120.
  7. ^ a b "Recordings by Blind Lemon Jefferson". honkingduck.com. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  8. ^ "Blind Lemon Jefferson: Discography". discogs.com. Retrieved May 10, 2016.