robert johnson ripoff (well kinda...)

anyone noticed the similarities bewtween robert jonsons "come on in my kitchen" and the stones "you gotta move"?

is this some piece of common knowledge everyone has resultin in me lookin like a muppet?

 

The Stones didn't write "You Gotta Move", it was a cover of an old song by either Fred McDowell or Rev. Gary Davis.

 

see also: Robert Johnsons "Hot Tamales Red Hot" and Roy Rogers "Here Comes Santa Claus"

Not exactly the same, but if I were on the jury...

as for stones borrowing from robert johnson, thats no surprise!

 

Many people have borrowed from Robert Johnson...and many other blues guitars such as Muddy Waters or Howlin' Wolf

 

The blues is a womderful music form that is passed on and evolves. Realise that Robert Johnson 'borrowed' and 'evolved' - even if it merely involved changing some lyrics - from Son House. Elmore James in turn borrowed 'Dust My Broom' from Johnson, and evolved it via a scorching reverb into the precursor of electric blues that inspired Brian Jones - the founder, and coolest, of the Rolling Stones.


Blues then boomeranged back across the Atlantic with the british blues invasion of the mid to late '60s. And it goes on, although many, myself included, feel blues needs a complete overhaul and refurbishment. It is now all too often tired and dated. Note that none of the british '60's bands played blues in the style of the originals; they evolved it.

Now, however, many musicians try to 'mimic' the precise sound and manner of the '30's blues greats, playing repro guitars, old amps etc etc. Which is kinda funny, if you think about it, bearing in mind the '30s blues greats were contemporary musicans!

 

It's called the blues......
but anyway, the stones showed their love for robert johnson with their cover of "Love in Vain"

 

I saw Furry Lewis, one of the Delta's greatest blues men, open for the Stones TWICE. They LOVED that old bluesman. They were one of the few rock bands who paid royalties to the bluesmen they covered.

Check out www.DavidHoneyboyEdwards.com. You'll see a Stone jamming with Honeyboy, one of the last of the folks who actually played with Robert Johnson.

 

It's the blues tradition to always take and modify other peices. Many blues artists have only been known for the old standards they've played, creating none of note themselves.

 

A few people Robert Johnson "borrowed" from:
Skip James
Leroy Carr
Henry Thomas
Hambone Willie Newbern
Scrapper Blackwell
Charlie Patton
Casey Bill Weldon
Johnnie Temple

Check 'em out some time. You won't be sorry.