“Rollin’ and Tumblin’” (or “Roll and Tumble Blues”) is a blues song first recorded by American singer/guitarist Hambone Willie Newbern in 1929. Called a “great Delta blues classic”, it has been interpreted by hundreds of Delta and Chicago blues artists, including well-known recordings by Muddy Waters. “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” has also been refashioned by a variety of rock-oriented artists, including Cream on their 1966 debut, Fresh Cream. (More from Wikipedia)
As with many of the British Invasion bands, the Yardbirds initially played American R&B and blues songs rather than their own compositions. As reported in Wikipedia, during their days at the Crawdaddy Club: “They drew their repertoire from the Chicago blues of Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson II, and Elmore James, including ‘Smokestack Lightning’, ‘Good Morning Little School Girl’, ‘Boom Boom’, ‘I Wish You Would’, ‘Rollin’ and Tumblin’’, and ‘I’m a Man’.” In fact, Eric Clapton left the Yardbirds in March 1965 as a protest when the band finally got a hit single with a song that did not come from this milieu, “For Your Love” (written by Graham Gouldman, later a member of 10cc).
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Cream’s debut album, the fittingly titled Fresh Cream featured a mixture of traditional blues songs as well as band originals. The blues songs include Skip James’ “I’m So Glad”, “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” (originally written and recorded by Hambone Willie Newbern, with the first famous recording being by Muddy Waters), and the stomping “Spoonful” (written by Willie Dixon).
(May 2014)
