On JamDay I was in a car travelling through Lincolnshire. The heavens opened, the rain hammered down so hard that traffic slowed to a crawl through the fens. This song sprang to mind as we drove. This is my favourite recording of this song - a hard rocking piece of gospel from the late 60s by Big Mama Thornton. A pioneer in the history of female popular music singing, historically she sits on the mid-20th C transition between earlier blues trads and the development of late 20th C popular blues-derived music styles. Her performances form part of that developmental shift in music culture. She was not like the other women! She sang from her guts, utilising power, vocal grain & expression most usually associated with male singers. She dressed like a man when she wanted to and influenced many later younger female singers like Janis Joplin. This won't be the last time Big Mama will appear on my jam list for sure! (Apologies for the quality of the recording - couldn't use the one I wanted.)

karenmonid 30 Jun 2014