NEVER BEEN TO MEMPHIS
BUT BLUES FEELS LIKE HOME TO ME
by Rowland Jones
Images: Supplied
It was early 2007 and my wife Lesley and I were about to move to Italy; my intention was to get involved in the flourishing Blues scene there. I was trying to write an arrangement of ‘The thrill is gone.’ inspired by a version by Zachary Breaux but as it developed I became keen on the idea of creating a new song – yes, writing an original blues.
to be kicking in! At this point, I remembered a radio programme where the interviewer had asked Chris Rea about the idea that ‘white men couldn’t sing the blues’. His response was precise and concise, AND probably the only time I’ve heard the word ‘bollocks’ on Radio Four. So, with this thought in mind, I began to write my first Blues.
I’d been involved in writing songs before but it had always been as part of a band in a group effort or kind of co-assembling a song, using my music and someone else’s lyrics but this time, this would be my song. Here was the problem. I’m a Brit living in South Manchester and about to move to Italy. How much further from the blues can you get? The closest thing I get to picking cotton balls is flossing my teeth and I didn’t even own a stall for another mule
My first thoughts were relating to what I wasn’t in terms of being a ‘Bluesman’ and trust me there were many … and out they came ‘I’ve never been to Memphis, Never been to Tennessee.’ ‘Never been on the killing floor, Never picked a bale.’ I included every blues cliche I could except ‘Woke up this morning’ which I felt had already been parodied sufficiently, and anyway this was not meant to be a parody, it was my take on the Blues. I was
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ISSUE 124
BLUESMATTERS.COM
