Do you dig this tune, or what? i love hearing all the different interpretations, from Cab Calloway on.....so many variations on the lyrics as well - did you know the original lyrics were included in Carl Sandberg's "The American Songbook" with a copyright of 1927? Most references say it was written and copyrighted in 1929 by Joe Primrose, but it's most likely an amalgamation of old folk songs that had been circulating for a time. anyhoo, here's my take on it - hope you dig it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfjlM-FufUY&feature=channel_page
it's a great one.the first time i heard it was the cab calloway version on a betty boop cartoon. the cartoon was on a double feature with "reefer madness".that sandberg would include it in a book of his favorite songs is tribute to it also.....the betty boop cartoon is on you tube i noticed.it's pretty trippy...a person wouldn't want to miss louis armstrong's rendition either.
Joe's got some soul, that's for sure....and that Betty Boop animated St. James by Cab Calloway is the bomb, baby!
yeah.it's a great old song.there was some great cartoon creations during that time of betty boop,felix the cat and others.it must have been the 20's and 30's.tripping out stuff with buildings comeing to life and stuff.it looks like the artists were smoking some pretty good mj but they may just have been real imagintive.
It is a great song. So good that Bob Dylan used the melody for his song Blind Willie McTell. I highly recommend it.
