He learned this from a tradition going back to American Indians, the banning of talking drums led to a fusion of this music rather than the afro-cuban one, the Blues ... and Led Zep-belly is an update of the new/old genre.
June 10 2022 I JUST NOW LEARNED ABOUT THIS SONG BY LEAD BELLY FROM THE 30'S...!!!! HOW INCREDIBLE IS THIS....WOW...!!!!!!!!!!! Who would've thunk this could have ever come from where it did...just blows me away. It's a real shame Lead Belly didn't put this w/at least a guitar w/it. real shame. Thank You Smithsonian' for making this available for all generations to find & enjoy. Seek n Ye Shall Find...!!!
Taking some bong hits listening to true classics today is Leadbelly and scrolling through his songs it's amazing how many artists throughout the years took inspiration and even full songs from Leadbelly. Some iconic songs came from this man right here it's ashame he lived in such racial time he'd of been a legend in today's world
Funny how society generally tries to deny leadbelly did all of these songs, since major label Artists and bands covered many of them in the 1969s and 70s I guess its due time for giving credit where it's due, for a change Fancy label lawyers for the majors involved do nothing but suppress the facts, and leadbelly songs are being unacknowledged and refused, time and time again Thanks for sharing
It should be "Leadbelly", one word. His name was Huddie Leadbetter, nicknamed "Leadbelly" because once he was shot in the belly (he spent years in prison for murder) and the bullet was never removed. First "bluesman" (Leadbelly was a "songster" rather than a "bluesman") who played in Europe...
I don’t know what “spiderbait” is, but welcome to your musical consciousness raising, my friend. Nothing is really new, and you’ll have a much deeper experience with art if you dig into and understand the roots and antecedents of the things that are being sold to you. 😊 Humans are so interesting, and the art they make can be universal, essential, and timeless.
Toxic Rick, it's not really theft, a lot of Artists liked his songs, and wanted to popularize them. Sure it wouldn't make sense for Ram Jam to make a worker's chant, but turning it into a rock song, they did very well. Nirvana was the truest with their rendition of In the Pines(Where did you sleep last night), The Animals did a beautiful rendition of House of the Rising Sun, and these songs were recorded by Lead Belly, not written by him.
I first heard this song from RamJam. 1970's were my teen years, I've been very confused about the lyrics for many years, last night I decided to look up the original song and found this first OFFICIAL recording fromm 1933, in this original version LeadBelly sings about Black Betty having a baby, other stories are around saying that Black Betty was 2 things. 1) that ugly whip 2) the vehicle that delivered the prisoners to that ugly prison I'm still confused, I'm trying to understand as my father was a racist and didn't know it, I didn't turn out like him simply because I was born to listen to what my soul and my guardian spirits ALWAYS told me, the clapping kind of sounded like an ugly whip in a strange way I'd love to be wrong about that.
I was just wondering if anyone had any more information on this song. To me it sounds like a "work" song. Something used to synchronize the efforts of a work crew. I think I heard something like this in a video showing an all black crew straightening a stretch of railroad tracks with nothing but steel bars. Similar to the sea chanteys that were used to get sailors in sync when pulling on lines to raise sails. Does anyone know?
supposedly it started as a british marching song, Black Betty being their guns at the time, named for the black stock, which got succeeded by the Brown Bess/Bessie depending on who you ask, which failed to have much accuracy, resulting in the backlines shooting the frontline soldiers by mistake somewhat often. That's mostly word of mouth though as we have no recordings of this obviously, but it can be later traced to work songs possibly sung by slaves and definitely sung by prisoners. if you look up "black betty original" on here, surely one or two tracks will come up as sung by black prisoners on the railroad tracks they worked on.
I found this a few years back, but it's always cool to find a song that you think is one groups song just to find out it was a cover like Train Kept A-Rollin from Aerosmith, blew my mind that it was a Yardbirds song. I know a shit load of old music too, 10's of thousands of songs, and I still keep finding stuff that was the original that someone else covered and I thought the band covering it that it was there song. I heard SRV playing Commit A Crime live and I thought it was his for a while and then I ran into the Howlin Wolf version and love it too!
I leaned about him in an English class in college. I hated the class and I couldn't stand the teacher but one good thing was he introduced us to Leadbelly 💕🤷
Lots of confusion on this song. It's in 4/4 fast tempo and the clap is on 4, which is unusual. Or you can say he is superdividing a moderate tempo 4/4 and clapping on and-of-2.
All music that is "American " is based of black cadence work songs. These songs are the basis of a mod American blues, rock, pop, country, country-western, hip hop, etc. It all started here
@@rgsultracomedy2867 Elvis was called the King of Rock and Roll, not the father of it. All Rock aficionados understand that Rock came from a combination of the Blues and Country.
Maybe people who don't like the style? I acknowledge the artistic creativity of it but it's not really that entertaining to listen to in my opinion, lyrics are kind of rambling and no instrumentals plus the off beat clapping just doesn't work for me. I think this is one of those instances where I prefer the cover, like all along the watchtower. Bob dylan for sure wrote it but Hendrix' version is just better. Same here.
ive allways been told black betty was a british musket. her child is the lead ball that exited her barrel. it then proceeded to go blind, wild, and crazy.
Amazing the number of relatively modern hits that were remakes from Lead Belly!
Lot's of talent
I thought Lead Belly sang blues / folk songs that weren't recorded till he covered em.
He did the same thing as the modern artists... adaptations of older songs... but he is an important link in the chains of musical history.
Leadbelly wrote this song.
It's actually a much older marching cadence. Black betty is a rifle. It's wild baby is the bullet, the gun is blind, can't shoot straight.
@@michaelg7601 yes, I was just reading up about this
He claps on every 3 &1/2 beat love this song
Right on 👍 👌
I know, it's crazy. I would have gone off beat lol but be keeps it consistent
He learned this from a tradition going back to American Indians, the banning of talking drums led to a fusion of this music rather than the afro-cuban one, the Blues ... and Led Zep-belly is an update of the new/old genre.
Check out the Northwest Coast Indians in BC to really hear some wild polymeter ...
It took me a while to figure out where the clap was... I've never heard this beat!
Everyone should research how Lead Belly got his start... it's pretty amazing. His music literally saved his life. Awesome song.
Dan Underwood Yep. Read about it on Wiki. Good thing he had musical talent.
Amazing life story. Almost too good to be true. Everyone should check out Leadbelly's outstanding journey!
The Goat!!!! Give this Man all the credit. He could play 6 different instruments!!! He changed the world.
June 10 2022 I JUST NOW LEARNED ABOUT THIS SONG BY LEAD BELLY FROM THE 30'S...!!!! HOW INCREDIBLE IS THIS....WOW...!!!!!!!!!!! Who would've thunk this could have ever come from where it did...just blows me away. It's a real shame Lead Belly didn't put this w/at least a guitar w/it. real shame. Thank You Smithsonian' for making this available for all generations to find & enjoy. Seek n Ye Shall Find...!!!
Great to hear this one. RIP Lead Belly. You are a Legend!
My grandfather used to sing this just like that. It was something else cause the timing was insane.
@GameHackGirl th-cam.com/video/zZYryyA28go/w-d-xo.html
Taking some bong hits listening to true classics today is Leadbelly and scrolling through his songs it's amazing how many artists throughout the years took inspiration and even full songs from Leadbelly. Some iconic songs came from this man right here it's ashame he lived in such racial time he'd of been a legend in today's world
josh sass he's still a legend in today's world!
iron head wrote this song
lead belly, the patriarch of modern music.
Long live to Patriarchy :v
black betty was the feared carriage that took men from the prison to solitary confinement. It was feared/ all they had was their togetherness.
Thank you for that explanation.
Funny how society generally tries to deny leadbelly did all of these songs, since major label Artists and bands covered many of them in the 1969s and 70s
I guess its due time for giving credit where it's due, for a change
Fancy label lawyers for the majors involved do nothing but suppress the facts, and leadbelly songs are being unacknowledged and refused, time and time again
Thanks for sharing
lmao the genius!! a classic with only vocals and clapping 😂😂
They instruments in 1933 because it was the several war
That was awesome! This has always been on of my favorites from Ram Jam. I love hearing and reading about the origins of the song!
This has always been ONE of your favorites from RamJam?
It should be "Leadbelly", one word. His name was Huddie Leadbetter, nicknamed "Leadbelly" because once he was shot in the belly (he spent years in prison for murder) and the bullet was never removed. First "bluesman" (Leadbelly was a "songster" rather than a "bluesman") who played in Europe...
Doesn't get better than this
Eric Clapton, Nirvana etc he will never will be forgotten. He’s truly immortal.
Very glad someone could educate us on Black Betty.
I had no clue what black Betty actually was. I spent many nights on the dance floor in the 80s dancing to his remakes. What an iconic voice.
My job is so shitty, I'm going to start singing work chants at my computer checking my email, etc.
I was cooking and started singing it. Then my 8 year old was like, "mama what are you singing??" So here I am lol
Omg hilarious! That should be like an SNL skit or something.
Somebody has written your anthem already, The White Collar Holler th-cam.com/video/rsDkmVo2fg4/w-d-xo.html
Exactly!
My job is so shitty
I gotta work in the city
Bam a lam
I get paid a little bitty
My checkbook ain't pretty
Bam a lam
First time listening to leadbelly instant fan 2019
Best Blues singer I ever listened too and still do
wait, so spiderbait's song was a cover of ram jam's, which was a cover of Lead belly's?
Check out the Mason Rack, it beats em all!
Which, again, was probably a version of an old marching song, yes. :)
Which is an old-timey chain gang, work crew song originally.
And Leadbelly's 1939 version was a cover of James "Iron Head" Baker from 1933
I don’t know what “spiderbait” is, but welcome to your musical consciousness raising, my friend. Nothing is really new, and you’ll have a much deeper experience with art if you dig into and understand the roots and antecedents of the things that are being sold to you. 😊 Humans are so interesting, and the art they make can be universal, essential, and timeless.
Been listening to this song for years and never knew Ledbelly wrote it!
Oh Spike Kitty...😊
It wasn't written by LeadBelly either it, it's James "Iron Head" Baker.
Just learned this today. Thanks to Tom Jones. :D
@@luvuyomgenge6312 oh. oops
I just got blown away. Wow is all I can say.
love how simplistic it is
Now, i know where that 1970's band Ram Jam got their "Black Betty" song from. Lead Belly!!!!
but the very first people to sing this song were slaves. so ram jam got it from lead belly, and lead belly got it fro. the slaves
from*
Ikr. I had not a clue till now. Have a great day/night.
Not just ram jam... EVERYONE stole from him
Toxic Rick, it's not really theft, a lot of Artists liked his songs, and wanted to popularize them. Sure it wouldn't make sense for Ram Jam to make a worker's chant, but turning it into a rock song, they did very well. Nirvana was the truest with their rendition of In the Pines(Where did you sleep last night), The Animals did a beautiful rendition of House of the Rising Sun, and these songs were recorded by Lead Belly, not written by him.
I first heard this song from RamJam. 1970's were my teen years, I've been very confused about the lyrics for many years, last night I decided to look up the original song and found this first OFFICIAL recording fromm 1933, in this original version LeadBelly sings about Black Betty having a baby, other stories are around saying that Black Betty was 2 things.
1) that ugly whip
2) the vehicle that delivered the prisoners to that ugly prison
I'm still confused, I'm trying to understand as my father was a racist and didn't know it, I didn't turn out like him simply because I was born to listen to what my soul and my guardian spirits ALWAYS told me, the clapping kind of sounded like an ugly whip in a strange way I'd love to be wrong about that.
Never heard this before. Rick Beato sent me here. I literally got chills.
Ram jam brought me here 👌
I was just wondering if anyone had any more information on this song. To me it sounds like a "work" song. Something used to synchronize the efforts of a work crew. I think I heard something like this in a video showing an all black crew straightening a stretch of railroad tracks with nothing but steel bars. Similar to the sea chanteys that were used to get sailors in sync when pulling on lines to raise sails. Does anyone know?
supposedly it started as a british marching song, Black Betty being their guns at the time, named for the black stock, which got succeeded by the Brown Bess/Bessie depending on who you ask, which failed to have much accuracy, resulting in the backlines shooting the frontline soldiers by mistake somewhat often. That's mostly word of mouth though as we have no recordings of this obviously, but it can be later traced to work songs possibly sung by slaves and definitely sung by prisoners. if you look up "black betty original" on here, surely one or two tracks will come up as sung by black prisoners on the railroad tracks they worked on.
@@deemeacham7397 I found the original from a Texas Railroad workers crew. :)
Change playback speed to 1.5x and you got a jam!
I guessed if that music is from ram Jam, wow, Leadbelly is a legend,
I found this a few years back, but it's always cool to find a song that you think is one groups song just to find out it was a cover like Train Kept A-Rollin from Aerosmith, blew my mind that it was a Yardbirds song. I know a shit load of old music too, 10's of thousands of songs, and I still keep finding stuff that was the original that someone else covered and I thought the band covering it that it was there song. I heard SRV playing Commit A Crime live and I thought it was his for a while and then I ran into the Howlin Wolf version and love it too!
To supplement your education:
th-cam.com/video/VkZhJJ8sPmw/w-d-xo.html
Which was a cover johnny burnette song that was also a cover of a r&b song! (The train kept a rollin)
enjoyed that sooo much. thanks for posting
Anybody know Lead Belly?
1930's original Black Betty!
legend
Amazing sound for a recording that pre-dates magnetic tape.
I leaned about him in an English class in college. I hated the class and I couldn't stand the teacher but one good thing was he introduced us to Leadbelly 💕🤷
2019...still here...o my
Oh Damn this is epic
Who's Black Betty now..... 🎶🎶🦊💖💖. Ces't Moi xxxxx 💕🎤🎸🎼🎵
2023: Excellent. Thank You
Had no idea Lead Belly was still cuttin albums in 2015
This is great, around what time was this?
Mr hip with the out time claps..too cool for school
I love how no.one in the comments relatea this to general feel of punk all through the years.
What these Folk singers did for Working Class Punx is phenomenal.
Incredible
I'm still waiting for MOBY to sample parts if this song!
Moby's still a thing?😂😂
still listening in 2016.
Ignacio Alvarez 2018
2018 but The first time i listen was the "Ram Jam" versión in 2017
People will still listen in 100 years
2019 sir
If you're happy and you know it klap your...
Lots of confusion on this song. It's in 4/4 fast tempo and the clap is on 4, which is unusual. Or you can say he is superdividing a moderate tempo 4/4 and clapping on and-of-2.
damnit!so great
All music that is "American " is based of black cadence work songs. These songs are the basis of a mod American blues, rock, pop, country, country-western, hip hop, etc. It all started here
Old Shreveport boy. Well mooringsport. Close enough.
As i got older, i was wondering who else did this song!! O'l Lead Belly, it was great. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻
Wasn't it George Harrison who said that without Leadbelly there would have been no beatles
My Big Mamma use to sing this song and others while she was work’in Dat MoJo in her Kitchen… I miss you Ethel Mae…
rly like this
Why isn't Lead Belly considered the father of rock and roll?
He wasn't white like Elvis. Sad but true
@@rgsultracomedy2867 Elvis was called the King of Rock and Roll, not the father of it. All Rock aficionados understand that Rock came from a combination of the Blues and Country.
Elvis is the king of rock and roll. Irrelevant point.
Wow...Well done
Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Leadbelly
James Brown
@@trevorcorcoran5007 Little Richard
Dead Kennedys
Soulja Boy
Alex P soulja boy? Excuse me what the fuck
Black Betty id public domain, you are welcome, young film makers
Sounds perfect at 1.4 speed (using custom option)
Who are the 28 dead people that gave a thumbs down to Leadbelly.
Maybe people who don't like the style? I acknowledge the artistic creativity of it but it's not really that entertaining to listen to in my opinion, lyrics are kind of rambling and no instrumentals plus the off beat clapping just doesn't work for me. I think this is one of those instances where I prefer the cover, like all along the watchtower. Bob dylan for sure wrote it but Hendrix' version is just better. Same here.
☀️☀️☺️☺️💗💗 ...
I remember my Grannie singing this song 🎵
Even though what we think of "black betty" isn't exactly the same its so interesting how influential lead belly really was
What would Lead Belly think of RamJam, and Spider Bait?
Vernon any where you have found him in motion, thanks
Over yourself. Ha. 💖👍🎶
Epic.....
Is there nothing pop rock musicians didn't steal from Lead Belly?
*AMERICAN GODS?*
A man ain't nothing but a man
Amazing. Never thought Huddie Leadbelly resembled Wesley Snipes but their he is.
Quit reaching... Smfh
LOL Apart from them both being dark skinned adult men - they don't look alike!
2018
2019
2020
One man jukebox
Americana good, Ty :D
♥️♥️♥️♥️
super !!
Ain’t the internet great.
American gods Brought me here
instrument free lady's n gents.
♥
My neighbor sings this song while raking leaves in his yard. Completely nude except for a red, sequined top hat.
Black Eyed Susans Show
So Ram Jam did not write this? But thier own version. So did Tom Jones
Ram jam did not write this song.
When snooty older people tried to tell you that Ram Jam was the original.
Great cover! Like House Of The Rising Sun, it'll never be known who first did it.
I'm enraptured
VALHALLA?
Ain't nobody going to fucking Valhalla!
When u heard spiderbait first and never knew it was remade twice 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️
The clapping is really hard to do, try it
It’s on the offbeat isn’t it? Tricky
It’s really not. He put his heart and soul into it and is mimicking the timing of a whip.
I thought it was just me when I found impossible to clap where leadbelly clapped. I’m glad it really is musically difficult. So is a yard whip-
Thanks big time to the person who said to clap on the “a” of bam a lam. Saved me from total madness.
But it’s still hard to do
Ram Jam ripped him off
Man, sampling needs to be outlawed
He sounds like he could be someone's granpa.
Why did he steal this song from Lynyrd Skynyrd?
Idiot
ive allways been told black betty was a british musket. her child is the lead ball that exited her barrel. it then proceeded to go blind, wild, and crazy.
sounds like ram jam just made up their own lyrics.
Incierto sorewa burning hell awaits led Kashmir little illusion postmortem Tsuki Du cáncer shikari subliminal drain pay to win numb Green universe dream surprises anything goes spaces
Brought here by American Gods and Caravan Palace.
?
what