Description
The Original Sloth Band is Tom Evans, Chris Whiteley, Ken Whiteley.
This is a collection of songs recorded as The Original Sloth Band would play them live – without overdubbing.
The first song is an old fiddle tune. Learned from Chet Parker’s hammered dulcimer version The New Heartbreak Blues is roughly based on Gus Cannon’s Heart Breaking News with a few words from Willie McTell. Fats Waller was the inspiration for The Sheik of Araby. Heaven has been recorded by Flatt & Scruggs, among others (notably Red Allen & The Kentuckians on County). The Johnson Rag was adapted from Jimmy Dorsey and his Dorseyland Band’s version, featuring the inimitable Claire Shanty Hogan. Probably the only other version of I Just Want To Be Horizontal is by Pat Flower and his Rhythm. Stealin’ is from the most prolific of the old jug bands: The Memphis Jug Band.
Side Two opens with the old Coon & Saunder’s Nighthawks hit, Rhythm King. Get A Job is by that traditional folk group, The Silhouettes. More than one source went into The How Long Blues but it owes its greatest debt to Franki Half-pint Jaxon. We found Vulture… at a Kiwanis Club rummage sale. Mandolin King Rag is in honour of the original mandolin king, Ex-King Thug III of Belgravia. Coming In Glory is from the singing of Fred Price, Clint Howard, and Doc Watson. Buddha’s Got The Blues comes from the hot sleepy delta land of southern North York.
Recorded, produced and edited at MENISCUS with Graham Jones engineering.
Cover by Patrick Lee/Sloth Enterprises and Jerry Shiner.
Originally released on vinyl.
Now available for download. Does not include original cover artwork or graphics.
