Wednesday, 9 April 2025

Woodrow Adams born 9 April 1917

Woodrow Wilson Adams (April 9, 1917 – August 9, 1988) was an American Delta blues guitarist and harmonica player. He made a late entry into the recording industry, producing three singles. His most accomplished song was "How Long", which offered an insight into his lifestyle. His works were later collected on a compilation album. 

Adams was born in Tchula, Mississippi, the son of plantation workers. From an early age, he was taught the rudiments of playing the harmonica and the guitar. Though he is mainly remembered for his music, he did not begin his recording career until the age of 35, when he was making a living as a tractor driver. On May 24, 1952, Adams, backed by the supporting group the 3 B's, recorded "Pretty Baby Blues" at Sun Studios, in Memphis. One member of the group was Fiddlin' Joe Martin, who would appear on all of Adams's recordings and performed live with him throughout his career. The resulting single, released by Checker Records, is now very rare; only one copy is known to still exist. 

                                    

In 1955, Adams returned to the studio, this time with the Boogie Blues Blasters, to record "Wine Head Woman" for his second single. It represented his transition from blues to a more commercial R&B style. Adams released one more single, "Something on My Mind", in 1961, as a solo effort before returning to his work on a plantation. None of his recordings had much commercial success. The musician David Evans recorded a session with Adams's former backing band in 1967. 

Fiddlin' Joe Martin & Woodrow Adams 1971

Adams's material has been circulated among a wider audience over the years and has received renewed interest. In 1974, two of his previously unissued tracks, "Pony Blues" and "How Long" (arguably his best-known song), were compiled on the album High Water Blues. The song was inspired by Adams's life on a plantation and emulates the instrumental and melodic style of Howlin' Wolf, who taught Adams how to play harmonica, and Wolf's 1954 song, "Baby How Long". 

Adams died in Tunica County, Mississippi, in 1988. After all of his past work was steadily released, the compilation album This Is the Blues, Volume 4, containing all of his recorded songs, was issued in 2015.   (Edited from Wikipedia)

2 comments:

boppinbob said...

For “Woodrow Adams – This Is The Blues (2015 Be Sharp)” go here:

https://pixeldrain.com/u/sBPHbie2

1. Pretty Baby Blues 3:08
2. She's Done Come And Gone 4:07
3. If You Don't Want Me 1:02
4. The Last Time 2:51
5. The Train Is Coming 3:01
6. Train Time 2:46
7. Wine Headed Woman 2:42
8. Baby You Just Don't Know 2:57
9. Something On My Mind 3:00
10. Sad And Blue 2:36
11. Seventh Son 2:18
12. Everything I Do Is Wrong 2:35
13. Don't You Know I Love You 2:43
14. I Love You O Yes I Do 2:05
15. How Long 5:54
16. Pony Blues 4:57

Found this LP repackaged on the streamers under the title “How Long” with an extra track “Tell Me Pretty Baby” not by Adams (so I omitted it). It made me chuckle to find that they had his name around the wrong way and on the mp3’s he was named as Adams Woodrow!. I’ve changed most of the meta-data except for the digital artwork , which annoyingly pops up when being played.

This set brings together just about everything Adams ever did: the early Chess single, plus more unissued tracks from that date, singles from the Meteor and Home Of The Blues label and rare material from 1967, which marked Adams' last time in the studio. Woodrow both sings and plays harmonica – although the earlier sides feature help on that instrument from Sylvester Hayes.

Tracks 1 to 6 rec. May 24, 1952 at Sun Studio in Memphis, TN
7 & 8: rec. 1955 in Memphis, TN
9 to 12: rec. 1961 in Memphis, TN
13 to 16: rec. August 28/29, 1967 in Robinsonville, MS

1 & 2: released 7/1952 on Checker 757
3 to 6: Sun/Checker unissued
7 & 8: released 2/1955 on Meteor 5018 as 78/45 rpm
9 & 10: released 3/1961 on Home Of The Blues ‎109
11 to 16: unissued

Hugh T. said...

Thank you for this! From what I can tell, the 17th and extra track is a repeat of track #1 with different, slightly inferior, remastering. I thought it might be a different take or different session but I can't hear any other difference and defer to the identical track length.