The Bill Broonzy Story

by Big Bill Broonzy

The Bill Broonzy Story cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 1 January 1960
  • Label: Verve
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 3:23:51
  • Community rating: 3.84/5 from 1 rating

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Recorded in Chicago by the broadcaster Bill Randle, the sessions alternate Broonzy's spoken life story with the songs that carried it, from Arkansas sharecropping to the Chicago blues clubs. Issued after his death as a five-record set, it remains the fullest self-portrait any bluesman of his generation left behind.

Genres

Descriptors: acoustic, storytelling, male-vocals, bluesy, traditional

Tracklist

  1. Key To The Highway (2:32)
  2. Dialogue - Volume I, Track 2 (3:43)
  3. Mindin' My Own Business (2:54)
  4. Dialogue - Volume I, Track 4 (0:53)
  5. Saturday Evening Blues (3:17)
  6. Dialogue - Volume I, Track 6 (3:54)
  7. South Bound Train (3:28)
  8. Dialogue - Volume I, Track 8 (3:31)
  9. Tell Me What Kind Of Man Jesus Is (2:23)
  10. Dialogue - Volume I, Track 10 (0:28)
  11. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (2:50)
  12. Dialogue - Volume I, Track 12 (0:54)
  13. Joe Turner Blues (5:24)
  14. Dialogue - Volume I, Track 14 (2:03)
  15. Joe Turner Blues (1:02)
  16. Dialogue - Volume I, Track 16 (2:46)
  17. Plowhand Blues (2:58)
  18. Dialogue - Volume I, Track 18 (3:42)
  19. Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad (2:17)
  20. Dialogue - Volume I, Track 20 (5:50)
  21. Makin' My Getaway (3:10)
  22. Dialogue - Volume II, Track 1 (6:24)
  23. Stump Blues (3:49)
  24. Dialogue - Volume II, Track 3 (9:41)
  25. See See Rider (2:56)
  26. I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town (2:17)
  27. Dialogue - Volume II, Track 6 (6:24)
  28. This Train (3:03)
  29. Dialogue - Volume II, Track 8 (3:30)
  30. Hush, Hush (4:13)
  31. Dialogue - Volume II, Track 10 (2:31)
  32. Backwater Blues (4:06)
  33. Slow Blues (2:53)
  34. Dialogue - Volume II, Track 13 (0:56)
  35. It Hurts Me Too (2:04)
  36. Dialogue - Volume II, Track 15 (0:59)
  37. Kansas City Blues (3:26)
  38. Dialogue - Volume II, Track 17 (1:56)
  39. In The Evening (When The Sun Goes Down) (4:27)
  40. Dialogue - Volume II, Track 19 (0:06)
  41. Dialogue - Volume III, Track 1 (2:35)
  42. Worried Life Blues (2:23)
  43. Dialogue - Volume III, Track 3 (3:25)
  44. Trouble In Mind (3:16)
  45. Dialogue - Volume III, Track 5 (4:13)
  46. Take This Hammer (3:21)
  47. Dialogue - Volume III, Track 7 (1:11)
  48. The Glory Of Love (2:30)
  49. Dialogue - Volume III, Track 9 (4:10)
  50. Louise Blues (3:22)
  51. Dialogue - Volume III, Track 11 (4:31)
  52. Willie Mae Blues (3:20)
  53. Dialogue - Volume III, Track 13 (1:09)
  54. Alberta (2:57)
  55. Old Folks At Home (Swanee River) (1:53)
  56. Dialogue - Volume III, Track 16 (2:26)
  57. Crawdad Song (2:44)
  58. Dialogue - Volume III Track 18 (1:47)
  59. John Henry (3:29)
  60. Dialogue - Volume III, Track 20 (0:49)
  61. Just A Dream (On My Mind) (3:38)
  62. Dialogue - Volume III, Track 22 (0:54)
  63. Frankie And Johnny (2:08)
  64. Dialogue - Volume III, Track 24 (4:38)
  65. Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home? (2:11)
  66. Dialogue - Volume III, Track 26 (0:18)
  67. Hollerin' The Blues (8:19)

Credits

  • Big Bill Broonzy - primary artist, guitar, vocals, written-by
  • David Stone Martin - cover
  • Charles Segar - written-by
  • Traditional - written-by
  • Ma Rainey - written-by
  • Bessie Smith - written-by
  • Brownie McGhee - written-by
  • Elmore James - written-by
  • Tampa Red - written-by
  • Reverend Charlie Jackson - written-by
  • Maceo Merriweather - written-by
  • Richard M. Jones - written-by
  • Leadbelly - written-by
  • Billy Hill - written-by
  • Huddie Ledbetter - written-by
  • Doc Watson - written-by
  • Hughie Cannon - written-by

More from Big Bill Broonzy: full discography