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Sugar Blues
Jazz, jugband and ragtime song by Lucy Fletcher and Clarence Williams 1919
ARTIST: Lyrics from various sources
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: Published 1913; according to Meade it was recorded in 1911 by Ada Jones and Bill Murray on Ed 10492.
RECORDING INFO: Sugar Blues [Me II-AB14] - Fletcher, Lucy/Williams, Clarence
Light Crust Doughboys. Light Crust Doughboys / Yesterday and Today, Doughboy Records DB-1039, CD (1994), trk# 4
Waller, Fats (Thomas). Valentine Stomp, RCA (Victor) LPV 525, LP (1966), trk# B.02 [1935/08/02]
Wills, Bob; and the Texas Playboys. Tiffany Transcriptions, Vol. 7. Keep Knockin', Kalidescope F-29, LP (1987), trk# 12
Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys, vocals by Billy Massey; recorded March 27, 1931.
From Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys, 1925-1935; The Chronogical Classics 783.
SOURCES: Kuntz, Fiddler's Companion, http://www.ceolas.org/tunes/fc). Johnson (The Kitchen Musician's No. 7: Michigan Tunes), Vol. 7, 1986-87; pg. 5. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), Vol. 2, 1995; pg. 132. Ruth (Pioneer Western Folk Tunes), 1948; No. 72, pg. 26. RCA LCP 1001, Ned Landry and his New Brunswick Lumberjacks - "Bowing the Strings with Ned Landry." Ruffwater Stringband - "Michigan Winter."
NOTES: Sugar Blues is a song that became popular by Clyde McCoy's 1931 recording featuring the sound of the growling wah-wah mute. Although McCoy's version was strictly instrumental, there are lyrics. The song was written by Lucy Fletcher and Clarence Williams in 1919. It was first recorded by Sara Martin in 1922.
Popular versions with vocals were made by both Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys, and Fats Waller. The Wills recording with fiddle solos was covered by other old-time country groups including The Rice Brothers Gang in 1938 and the Tennessee Ramblers in 1939. Wills probably learned the song from the 1929 Dallas String Band (African- American rural string band) recording.
SUGAR BLUES Bob Wills (Fletcher-Williams)
I got those sugar blues,
Everybody's singing those sugar blues,
The whole town is ringing;
My lovin' mama, sweet as she can be,
But the doggone gal turned sour on me!
I'm so unhappy, I feel so bad,
I could lay me down and die;
You can say what you choose,
But I'm all confused;
I've got those sweet, sweet sugar blues,
More sugar,
I got those sweet, sweet sugar blues!
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