Countin' The Blues

Nearly 100 years ago Ma Rainey wrote and recorded Countin’ The Blues. It is now in the public domain world wide thus we own all rights to this arrangement per forum posting protocol.

It’s difficult to understand why over all these years virtually nobody else has recorded the song. One would think it would’ve become a blues classic. I guess all the heavy hitters were too busy mining the Robert Johnson catalog


We took her lyric and arranged it with a new melody (by Janice) while hoping to retain the emotion of the original. Ma Rainey was a complex lady whose life was at times care free and defiant or sad. The lyrics may initially seem obtuse but with our research they became more and more illustrative of her life. Many of the references are to the names of her other songs or to places where she apparently performed. But it gets deeper. Boll Weevil was a song she wrote that referenced the insect that changed so many lives in the south by destroying cotton crops. She also wrote about Moonshine and the troubles it brought her. Jailhouse is thought to reference the time she spent incarcerated supposedly for bi-sexuality.

Ultimately she was a survivor during a time that had to be extraordinarily difficult for an African-American woman (the last verse appears to allude to this but leaves one wondering about the ambiguity). We hope we did the song justice.

Big thanks to Peter. He provided us with multiple great guitar track styles to choose from. Ultimately we all agreed to use a dual recording of Fender Peter and Gibson Peter. BTW, Janice said her vocal tag came from Buddy Guy. Bud said, well, OK.

We thank you for listening and appreciate comments!

Tech/track stuff:

Janice - Vocal: Rodes NT1 mic > Scarlett 212 > Logic Pro EQ > CLA Vocals
Peter - guitar solos and fills: whatever the man does
Bass: RT 564 Blues Monday Sw 065 > Logic Pro EQ > Waves Bass Rider > CLA Bass
Rhythm Guitar: RT 565 Blues Monday Sw 065 > EMT 140 Reverb sim
Piano: MIDI SuperTrack 2848 BluesSlow128Mike Sw 065 > CLA Unplugged
Drum kit: RD BluesMondaySw8 > CLA Drums (hi-hat volume shaped down 6db)
Snare: Neutron 2 > EMT 140 Reverb sim
(Neutron masking on bass/drums & rhythm guitar/piano)

DAW: Logic Pro X
Mastering: Logic EQ > Waves LinMB > Waves L2 > Ozone Tonal Balance > YouLean Loudness Meter

Countin' The Blues
© 2020 Trad Arr B. Merritt, J. Merritt & P. Fulham
PD lyric by Ma Rainey

Layin' in bed this mornin' with my face turned to the wall
Layin' in bed this mornin' with my face turned to the wall
Trying to count these blues so I could sing 'em all

Memphis, Rampart, Beale Street set 'em free
Memphis, Rampart, Beale Street set 'em free
Graveyard, 'Bama Bound, Lord, Lord, come from Stingaree

Lord, ‘rested at midnight, jailhouse made me lose my mind
Lord, ‘rested at midnight, jailhouse made me lose my mind
Bad Luck ’n Boll Weevil made me think of old Moonshine

Lord, goin' to sleep now for mama just got bad news
Lord, goin' to sleep now for mama just got bad news
To try to dream away my troubles, countin' these blues

Man!!! You guys absolutely nailed this one!

You had me hooked right from that super cool intro with the dual guitars (excellent work from Peter) and then Janice comes in ... WOW!

Just superb, one of my favorite vocals from her. The was she phases the second "lose my mind" ... just about made me lose MY mind Just great phrasing, passion, and tone throughout.

Love the mix and arrangement.

Well done Bud, Janice, and Peter!

Hi Janice and Bud,

Gee, that's a impressing one you made! And that from a 100 year old song!
This won't be forgotten now, that's for sure.
All (instruments and vocals) sound so impressing. It's like you're sitting in the same room as you played in! Enjoyed it very much and I believe I will not be the only one (with Dave). My compliments about how you did this.

It's also nice you've counted the Blues Babu was looking for in his song 'How many Blues'. I think you helped him a lot.

Hans

It just keeps getting better. We aren't even into the 1930's.

Thanks Dave
Loved that phrase by Janice as well, and I especially liked the ending. It's always great to play on these tracks.
Peter

That is very generous of you Dave and coming from a blues man it is even more special to us! You put a BIG smile of appreciation on Janice’s face.

Thanks!

J&B

This is stunning. Congratulations to all, but ... with all my immense respect to everyone else, Janice's voice is what makes this track (in my humble view, of course!). Perfect tone, timbre, sound ... what can I say? Superb job. Sad and uplifting at the same time. The guitars are also the perfect match for the voice in their solos. And that last note!!!

An excellent effort!!!

The guitars remind me of The Thrill Is Gone from the Domino soundtrack.
The BIAB band is really well sorted...the cymbal crashes all the way to the bottom of the bass is sppot on.
If Peter is the icing and the band is the batter then Janice must be the jam in this blues cake.
LOVELY stuff on all levels.

Janice, Bud & Peter,

This is outstanding... I'm blown away by how you all have re-imagined this song.

The vocal, production and guitar tracks blend seamlessly to make this an instant classic here on the forum or anywhere.

Love the cover art as well!

Bob

Ahhhhhh turns to awe. Excellent production!! What a great way to start the day. Thanks!!!

J&B + Peter.
Gorgeous blues tune! To my taste, one of the strongest songs I heard by your team. I can start pulling things and mention various parts, but that will be "ears" talking, in my heart there is nothing more to say except CONGRATULATIONS! Thank you for sharing!

Misha.

P.S. I am sure Ma is approving and smiling

Thank you Hans. And we are happy that you got a live band feel from it!

J&B

Hey, this is some great cool blues y'all!



Note: I am taking a different approach to getting re-involved and stay involved with the forum after a business-related absence. I listen to the forum in the background while I am writing and working, just to enjoy all the songs. Then, I will go to each one on a separate occasion and post the equivalent of a “Love It”—my version of a like. That is why all my comments might come at the same time, though I could have listened days ago.
This is the best way I know to stay caught up. If I feel I have to listen one song at a time and then offer a critique it makes my brain shut down. I just want to enjoy them—like I am listening to the radio.
If I post any new songs in the future, it will just be as a “radio” post—hope you enjoy it. If you do, that is cool. There is no need to post a lengthy comment.
I have been listening in my absence and all the new stuff sounds great. This will be attached to all my messages for a few weeks or a month until my new method is understood. Thanks!!

Thanks Ed. There’s a world of great material in the PD for sure.

J&B

Awesome blues. Love the two different tones and panning Peter used on the guitar parts. Just a beautiful vocal Janice.

Janice,is too bad that the author couldn't be around to hear you sing her song. As usual, your vocals brings alive anything you sing. Great arrangement all around.
Thanks!

Mike B.

Thanks for mentioning that last note. It caught me (Bud) by surprise when we were recording. And, if I may brag on her, it was her usual two takes and I’m done

We appreciate your support.

J&B

Hi all

Excellent mix and another superb vocal, Janice. What a gifted interpreter of the blues you are!

I was also taken (very pleasantly) by surprise by that final note. Wow.

Peter's guitar playing is OK, too (just kidding, my friend - excellent as per usual).

My (now) second favourite version of this song is the one Ma Rainey recorded with Louis Armstrong, which features some lovely playing by him.

Regards,
Leon

Thanks Hans Bud certainly has a way of making clear engaging mixes.
Peter

I'm just back to listen again.
The analysis and discussion of the lyric is great AND you didn't throw a spoiler in either - you've left the majority to be as impressionistic and evocative as the best blues always is.
The melody magic applied to those words is very cool.

What a tune! I'm a sucker for the blues, and this one knocked it out of the park. The mix is amazing, and the instrumentation and groove are fantastic as well. As always, Janice's vocals are stunning as well. It all comes together beautifully, and makes for an engaging listen.

You should be proud of this one - thanks for sharing!

Hi there J&B + Peter,

Lost for words. (Almost)

Nice to hear an extended intro - you don't get that so much these days. On radio mixes in
the old days, we were only allowed short intros, so the DJs couldn't do the talk-over on them.
The DJs made an art-form out of this until the BBC banned the practice! Peter's guitar work on this
made me think instantly of Robert Cray - one of my favourites, so I was hooked straight away.

Well, Janice. Whatever you turn your hand to you do SO well, but your blues in particular is always fabulous.
Full of emotion and that special blues timing, plus dynamics as well. In these days of compressing
everything, a lot of expression is removed from vocals, but this one shines.

Beautiful arrangement and the mix sounds loud and clear with everything working as it should.
Thoroughly enjoyed the listen and about to go back for a second.

ROG.

How cool you would mention that! I had suggested The Thrill Is Gone to Peter as the vibe I had in mind.

And, yes, those crashes were different in a good way. The way they were played/recorded for the RD and CLA Drums seemed to all contribute to the sound.

Thank you for the thoughtful and supportive comments!

J&B

Thanks a lot. Should be more good ones in the 20's.

Peter

J&B ... And Peter ....

So sweet! That's a super arrangement and the vocal, needless to say, is beyond stellar. And Peter ... you killed it! I like the panning on the lead parts ... super cool!

You guys always put a smile on the face of your listeners. Also, the little extra reverb on Janice's voice is great. It expands the width of the track and gives it a crisp but not offensive edge that's awesome. Loved it!

Best to all three of you ...

Alan

Oh my. Wonderful and respectful arrangement. The verb on Janice's fantastic vocal really had her facing the wall. I don't know that I've ever heard her "sound" better, and that's high praise. The two leads were very tasty and either well-cut-together or well-planned. In short, they work. All in a creamy mix that sounded great in these at about 2 o'clock volume.

Error

Janice, your vocal on this is among your best work... and Bud has captured and finessed the processing to capture all the magic!
Lovely guitar tones and call/response guitars, Peter!
Long ago I heard Boll Weevil sung by a British folkie- this is new to me and helps explain the soul of the author.
Great work by all!

Robert

Thanks for the comment - and yes Janice's vocal absolutely makes the track.

Peter

Thanks Bob. When we first ran across this song we felt it was special. Thanks for helping us feel that perhaps we did it justice. And glad you like the photo - the background is a storage building at our homestead

J&B

Thanks for listening!

J&B




Thanks Misha. And we understand not parsing things out. We often take that approach. Just go for the totality.
Glad you like it!!!

J&B

Thanks Ray.

Peter

Hi Janice, Bud and Peter.
In this song, we feel old blues roots with a very high quality version. Thanks for that ! Christian

Hi J&B,

Great work! You made a song by giving new melody and arrangement to the lyric by someone about 100 years ago.

I made a similar thing. "First Love" which is included in the album "Sincerely Yours" is the song I created by giving a new melody and arrangement to the poem "Hatsu Koi" (First Love in Japanese) by Tohson Shimazaki, a well-known poet and novelist about 100 years ago in Japan.

The blues is something I am not so familiar with, but I can understand your work is excellent and I like it very much.
Janice's vocal is really attractive as always.

Hiroshi

Thanks Scott! And you oughta hear the other tracks he sent — all were great.

J&B

Thanks Bob, appreciate the comments.

Peter

Ok, who are you people? I mean, this is SO good!

So, the idea was, "let's use these lyrics?" Then you made this amazing song?! Just wow!

I'm not going to go into all that's already been said. I would be repeating from this thread, and many others pertaining to the craftsmanship you all continuously exhibit. I love hearing what technically skilled people who don't let the "technical" get in the way of what they do. Based from experience, knowledge, and a willingness to know the rules and bend them when it serves the song. The emotion is what matters. Chills.

That picture is one of the coolest I've seen on here. The blue, the vibe, the old signs...it all just struck me right. Is it weird to say the picture was a great set up for the song?

Well, it appears it took 100 years to finally get this song right. Congrats on a fantastic delivery from every aspect.

P.S.

I very much appreciate the effort and notation of that effort.

Thanks Marty.

Peter

Came back for a 4th or 5th listen ... can't remember exactly how many. But however many, it's not enough. Still loving this great song and production! best to all of you ...

Alan

Thank you Mike!

J&B

Outstanding recording. Good use of BIAB. I love the electric guitars (real and BIAB - hard to tell one from the other). Great vocals. Great mix. Nice work.

Peter's opening is a delight. Soulful. The bass and the drums are perfect - beefy but respectful. (all of these comments apply throughout the entire 5:32).

The mix is impeccable.

OMG What a vocal. In that girl's lifetime of music, every note sung previous to this has been leading to this perfect moment. EXQUISITE.

Last note...heaven. Chills.

Grammy-worthy. (Not kidding).

fj

Wow.

Blues done excellently. Vocals, guitar, mix... all excellent.

Thank you very much Leon for the generous comments! And, yes, Armstrong plays some amazing horn on that track, indeed.

J&B

Yep. This has quality and talent pouring out of it. I would expect no less from Janice and Bud A great interpretation of a classic song, delivered with real heart and soul. Top shelf all around!

Thanks Misha.

Peter

Ray, thanks for those thoughts. Had we not recently done See See Rider it is unlikely we would’ve ever discovered this obscure write of hers. We tried to treat it with respect.

J&B




Thank you Deryk. Glad to learn you are a blues guy! We appreciate your kind remarks.

J&B

Great to hear from you ROG and we deeply appreciate your comments. Yes, I use almost no compression on Janice's vocal...been throwing a bit of delay in lately with the reverb (Waves CLA Vocals). Also use an eq setting I've used with her since analog days. We couldn't agree more as we feel that over processing just sucks the soul right out of a vocal. Thank you for mentioning the mix. We greatly admire yours so it means a lot for you to say that.

J&B

Thanks David.

Peter

What a marvelous and quality performance by you guys. Top notch at every level and every element of the song...

The guitar is standout and is the perfect lead into the just-right vocals. This is so strong.

Enjoyed my listen and will be listening many more times. This song is a gift. Really. A gift...

Thanks a lot Al for everything and how cool that you noticed the different reverb on the vocal. Experimenting around a bit with Waves CLA Vocals. We do appreciate you.!

J&B

Janice & Bud,

This is just a killer mix . . . .everything pops, so clear and crystal. All the accolades above are well-deserved. Cool and smoky—beyond amazed at the artistry and production.

My very humble regards,

Deej

Thanks for that Scott, appreciate the comments.

Peter

Actually she was facing a filing cabinet with a quilted table runner hanging down it Really.

Thanks for mentioning the reverb. This only the second or third song for which we've used Waves CLA Vocals after years of Nectar 2. The processing is minimalist...a very small amount of compression, some eq tweaking and the reverb. Janice selected which reverb to use of the three that the plugin has.

Peter's two guitar weren't comped. He played the two separate tracks (well planned) and sent them on. All I had to do was pan them.

And thanks for mentioning the mix also. The sparser the better for me!

Heck, thanks for everything you said!

Bud

WOW, another winner guys, there's so many styles I'm not keen on, blues being one of them, but man, I loved this. Janice, your voice is amazing and needs to get out there and teach those young eeejits how to sing. 10-10 from me on this one.

Outstanding work on guitars as well Peter

Fantastic!!! Love the great heartbeat of the rhythm tracks, and Peter's singing riffs alternating left and right!! AND, of course, on top of this bed lies the voice of our own queen of blues/soul, the epic Janice!!!!! Great job by all!!! Take care. Greg

Robert, we love it when a song evokes a memory! She certainly had soul.

Thanks for the kind remarks.

J&B

Thanks Christian!!

J&B

Thank you for listening and commenting!

J&B

We appreciate your thoughtful remarks and even more so as they are very supportive of our efforts. Thanks for focusing on the emotion. We were very much taken in by the lyric and story behind them and Janice did her best to express that vocally. Hey, also thanks for mentioning the photo. Folks rarely comment on SC photos. I (Bud) took that in front one of our outbuildings (we collect old signs).

Thanks again for all!

J&B

Awesome!

Thanks for sharing.

James

He Alan, thanks for coming back!!!

J&B




Thanks. Yep, Peter played some fine tracks!

Gobsmacked...what to say?

Talking about making a girl happy! Wow.

And your comments on the mix? Another Wow.

We are thrilled you liked it. We felt early on that the lyric after reading the backstory was something Janice could get into...in that method actor way she has. I'll sign this only as Bud because she is way too modest to say something remotely resembling that

Thank you.

Bud

Hey you guys,

Outstanding stuff here! Great guitar work, instrumentation, mixing... then Janice comes in singing and it's a 4 chair turn!

Very nice,

Greg

Thanks David!

J&B



Thank you Ed. For us, irrespective of genre, it’s all about soul. Thanks for mentioning that.

J&B

Thanks David!

J&B



Thank you Ed. For us, irrespective of genre, it’s all about soul. Thanks for mentioning that.

J&B



Charlie, you well know your production chops and that makes us deeply appreciative of your remarks.

Thank you!

J&B

Thanks! Glad we got you you to listen to some blues! We appreciate it.

J&B




Deej, you are too kind. But we’ll take it
Thanks also for mentioning the mix.

J&B

Wow! That is a wonderful review that made both of us smile...big time.

Thank you Greg!

J&B

Thanks!

J&B



Thank you. Janice loved that comment!!!

J&B