Earworm of the Day: Odetta - Midnight Special

This is one of those songs I "collect" covers of, but none of them come close to Odetta's.

Youtube Find of the Day: Odetta and Johnny Cash

 

I usually find some of the greatest stuff on YouTube by coincidence. I was looking for some older Odetta clips, which are few and far between even in today's archival culture. I did, however, stumble upon this old clip of Odetta on the Johnny Cash show from 1969. Here's the info provided:

Odetta on "The Johnny Cash Show," August 30, 1969. The first song she performs is based on a Negro "field blues" song known simply as "Black Woman," then duets with Cash on "Shame And Scandal In The Family," which was written by a calypso artist who went by Sir Lancelot, in the 40s.

Rewind: Odetta - At the Gate of the Horn

Most of what's on At the Gate of the Horn can be found on the 2-disc Tradition Masters compilation, but I really should focus on the now out-of-print original. Released in 1957, At the Gate of the Horn, a mix of traditional African-American spirituals and English folk songs, is thought to be Odetta's best.

I'm pretty sure I discovered Odetta by way of Bob Dylan (more about my relationship with Dylan's music here), and I fell in love with her deep, resonant voice. Born Odetta Holmes on New Year's Eve, 1930, Odetta is a singer-songwriter, activist and has been referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement." (Wikipedia). She died two years ago, just before her 78th birthday.