STRANGE THINGS HAPPENING EVERY DAY (Michelle Shocked)
“Strange Things Happening Every Day” is a traditional African American spiritual. It was most famously, and influentially, recorded by Sister Rosetta Tharpe in late 1944, becoming a hit record in 1945. The recording has been cited as an important precursor of rock and roll. In recent years, versions of the song have also been recorded by Michelle Shocked, Johnny Cash, Linda Gail Lewis, and Tom Jones. (More from Wikipedia)
I first encountered Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s music on Michelle Shocked’s fascinating 2007 gospel CD, ToHeavenURide. The CD was recorded live at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival; the album name is a takeoff on the nickname for the festival, “To Hell You Ride”. Shocked launched her concert with a long introduction about Tharpe’s legacy and then performed “Strange Things Happening Every Day”.
(June 2013/1)
