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distributed in
Memphis and lists "Group" as the author. However, a copyright registration was filed by Ford, and it is his name (and sometimes the group members' names) that appears as the songwriter on Albert King's and most subsequent releases. This has led some commentators to misleadingly refer to "Crosscut Saw" as "the R. G. Ford song" and ignores the song's origins.
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listed "Tommy McClennan" as the songwriter on the 1941 original 78 record, but there is no indication that it was copyrighted. In 1964, R. G. Ford, a
Memphis attorney, produced a single of "Cross Cut Saw" by a local group, the Binghamton Blues Boys, on his own East Side Records. The single was only
386:
In addition to this technique, it is worth noting King's tone, which is light and distinctive with a bit of edginess coming from the inclusion of some distortion. In part, it is this combination of lightness, extensive wide string bending, and subtle gritty distortion that helped to give King sound
29:
218:, a Mississippi bluesman and contemporary of Tommy McClennan, recorded a version of "Cross Cut Saw Blues" with similar lyrics on June 3, 1941, three months before McClennan. The song was not released at the time, but eventually appeared in 1992. In an interview,
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with blues musicians. French music historian Gérard
Herzhaft adds "it is Albert King (Stax 201 on 2 November 1966) who made it one of the necessary pieces of modern blues". Perone notes that King's frequent performances at rock venues also made it a
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recorded his version calling it "Crosscut Saw". The same lyrics as McClennan's "Cross Cut Saw Blues" were used, except for two verses which were replaced by guitar solos. However, King uses a different arrangement based on an
416:
album, which "became one of the most popular and influential blues albums of the late '60s". The song remained in his repertoire throughout his career and several live recordings have been released on albums, such as
184:
style of the time. McClennan, who sings and plays acoustic guitar, and an unknown bass player, recorded the song at the RCA Studio A in
Chicago on September 15, 1941. The lyrics make use of double-entendre:
222:, who knew Tony Hollins, was asked "Well, did Tony Hollins or Tommy McClennan do it first? They both recorded it around the same time". Hooker responded "I think Tommy McClennan did it first". In
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Blues Hall of Fame as a "classic of blues recording". In its announcement, the
Foundation notes the song's "complicated evolution", but adds that King's version made it a popular
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164:'s recording of the song was released in 1941 and has since been interpreted by many blues artists. "Crosscut Saw" became an early R&B chart hit for
237:
In the earlier days of the blues, it was not unusual for an unrecorded or unpublished song to be in the repertoire of several blues singers. In the
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Music educator and writer James E. Perone describes the song as having one of the better examples of King's well-known string bending technique:
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has been identified as the one primarily responsible for bringing the song to Stax and King as well as giving it a Latin (Afro-Cuban) beat.
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tradition, such songs were passed around and developed over an extended period of time without regards to ownership.
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160:-style song "that must have belonged to the general repertoire of the Delta blues". Mississippi bluesman
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and McClennan, and that McClennan got the song "Crosscut Saw" from Harney.
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800:"2018 Hall of Fame Inductees: "Cross Cut Saw" – Albert King (Stax, 1966)"
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662:
The Voice of the Blues: Classic
Interviews from Living Blues Magazine
643:(Album notes). Tommy McClennan. Travelin' Man. p. 1. TM CD 06.
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157:
100:
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Babe, I'll cut yo' wood so easy, you can't help say "hot dog"
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Stax released it as a single, which reached number 34 in the
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207:'s characterization of McClennan's timing as erratic.
391:On November 2, 1966, King recorded the song at the
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375:rhythm pattern, similar to that of his 1962 song "
776:: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
589:Listen to the Blues!: Exploring a Musical Genre
443:In 2018, "Cross Cut Saw" was inducted into the
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192:I'm a cross cut saw, and drag me across yo' log
190:Now I'm a cross cut saw, drag me 'cross yo' log
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142:Tommy McClennan (listed on record, see article)
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176:Tommy McClennan's "Cross Cut Saw Blues" is a
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360:R. G. Ford (listed on record, see article)
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496:Herzhaft, Gerard (1992). "Crosscut Saw".
16:Blues standard popularized by Albert King
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395:studio in Memphis, with the house band,
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920:"Corey Stevens & Texas Flood:
798:Blues Foundation (March 6, 2018).
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618:The Bluebird Recordings 1939–1942
865:Thursday Night in San Francisco
628:. pp. 2, 5. 07863 67430-2.
420:Thursday Night in San Francisco
156:" as it was first called, is a
694:The World Don't Owe Me Nothing
616:Aldin, Mary Katherine (1997).
545:. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin:
228:The World Don't Owe Me Nothing
1:
897:. Studio Vista. p. 112.
541:Top R&B Singles 1942–1988
387:that was easily identifiable.
199:The song follows the classic
504:University of Arkansas Press
410:. It is included on King's
456:staple, with recordings by
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766:. 1989. p. 1. 8213-2.
758:(CD reissue liner notes).
660:; van Singel, Amy (2002).
502:. Fayetteville, Arkansas:
924: – Review"
867: – Review"
832:"Albert King – Biography"
690:Edwards, David "Honeyboy"
587:Perone, James E. (2019).
499:Encyclopedia of the Blues
203:progression, contrary to
26:
1014:Bluebird Records singles
989:Stevie Ray Vaughan songs
828:Erlewine, Stephen Thomas
755:King of the Blues Guitar
397:Booker T. & the MG's
308:Stax, Memphis, Tennessee
232:Richard "Hacksaw" Harney
224:David "Honeyboy" Edwards
54:"You Can't Read My Mind"
639:Templeton, Ray (1990).
408:Billboard R&B chart
893:Olsson, Bengt (1970).
389:
275:"Down Don't Bother Me"
197:
641:Travelin' Highway Man
413:Born Under a Bad Sign
22:"Cross Cut Saw Blues"
698:Chicago Review Press
595:. pp. 100–101.
463:Money and Cigarettes
211:Tony Hollins version
772:cite AV media notes
245:Albert King version
180:, that follows the
154:Cross Cut Saw Blues
1009:Songwriter unknown
984:Eric Clapton songs
922:Blue Drops of Rain
468:Stevie Ray Vaughan
427:Songwriter credits
77:September 15, 1941
1004:Hokum blues songs
999:Delta blues songs
979:Albert King songs
918:Pendragon, Jana.
904:978-0-289-70033-4
762:. New York City:
739:978-0-14-006223-6
707:978-1-55652-275-8
675:978-0-415-93654-5
624:. New York City:
602:978-1-4408-6614-2
364:
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226:' autobiography,
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90:Studio A, Chicago
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445:Blues Foundation
432:Bluebird Records
399:. Group drummer
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298:November 2, 1966
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205:Big Bill Broonzy
201:twelve-bar blues
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620:(Album notes).
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933:. Retrieved
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216:Tony Hollins
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150:Crosscut Saw
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994:Blues songs
760:Albert King
658:O'Neal, Jim
626:RCA Records
439:Recognition
368:Albert King
262:Albert King
178:Delta blues
166:Albert King
969:1941 songs
963:Categories
843:August 13,
726:Deep Blues
549:. p.
478:References
454:blues rock
377:I Get Evil
373:Afro-Cuban
319:Soul blues
239:folk music
878:August 5,
859:Koda, Cub
700:. eBook.
666:Routledge
474:, 2000).
366:In 1966,
929:AllMusic
872:AllMusic
837:AllMusic
812:March 7,
724:(1981).
692:(1997).
593:ABC-CLIO
537:(1988).
423:(1990).
295:Recorded
280:Released
129:Bluebird
74:Recorded
59:Released
285: (
152:", or "
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325:Length
304:Studio
270:B-side
258:Single
107:Length
83:Studio
49:B-side
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342:Label
314:Genre
182:hokum
158:hokum
124:Label
101:Blues
96:Genre
937:2021
899:ISBN
880:2022
845:2010
814:2018
804:The
778:link
734:ISBN
702:ISBN
670:ISBN
597:ISBN
555:ISBN
512:ISBN
347:Stax
287:1966
283:1966
66:1941
62:1941
551:238
508:443
472:SRV
379:".
260:by
88:RCA
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