Chick Stripling - Johnson's Old Grey Mule / Talking Blues

(Featured with Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mt. Boys)

(Emperor 45-EM-19-CS-62) 1962

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This is a rare 7" which according to the label is backed by members of Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys. Chick had apparently worked for Jimmy Martin's band for a spell in 1962.^[1]

Chick also recorded Johnson's Old Grey Mule with the Stanley Brothers in May 1962 as Chickie's Old Gray Mule, although it wasn't released until the 1964 Remarkable Stanley Brothers Play And Sing Bluegrass Songs For You LP. Curiously, the stereo version of that album, feature a different take to the one on the King Years, 1961-1965 4-CD box set.

Chick's 45 version has the same two verses as the Folk Festival 2-CD release, from the Feb 1961 University Of Chicago Folk Festival, where the song is introduced by Carter:-

Carter: "This is not an up-town tune, but it's one of the old comical deals they had so many many years ago. Chick Stripling with his version of 'Johnson Had An Old Gray Mule', how about a little of that?
Chick: (after a brief comic stint) "I was borned and raised on a farm and used to plow a mule quite a bit, back before we had tractors, and I learned this old tune from way back them days..."

The flipside of the 45 features a spoken word comedic Talking Blues, which is an loose adaptation of Chris Bouchillon 1926 song. This can be found on youtube.

Other artwork / related images:

[1] Wayne W. Daniel 'Chick Stripling: Dancer, Comedian And Old-Time Fiddler' - Bluegrass Unlimited, No. 1993.