Comments on: The House of the Rising Sun

By: Daniel Gaucher

Daniel Gaucher — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:40:26 +0000

Hi Tom

Just a quick work! Great shows. Hi quality I can hardly find in my french Quebec. Happy new year!
Daniel

By: bdbd

bdbd — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:16:19 +0000

Response to Linda Brown — Here’s the link that you’re looking for — Virginia Blood and Mixt Company.
http://www.mixtcompany.com/

By: Tracy

Tracy — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:58:26 +0000

I listened to this while driving to visit my sick Dad in the hospital. It was a wonderful show to listen to and took my mind off of more serious things for a little while.

Thanks!

By: J.H.

J.H. — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:32:25 +0000

Note to Tom – They didn’t say that Lomax’s Georgia Turner recording was THE first but imply that it was the most influential. In fact, the show opens with what is identified only as “a 1933 version” so perhaps it was the one wiki mentions.

By: EJ

EJ — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:39:42 +0000

I too was looking for the version by the guest Virgina (Blood?). I believe the correct name is Virginia Lee who is part of the group Mixt Company. The song appears on their Family ‘n Favorites Album. I believe it is the correct one. Hope this helps…

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:29:07 +0000

ORIGINAL LYRICS – Question for anyone who caught the show: Did Ted Anthony say that the Alan Lomax recording (on 15 Sept 1937, of 16 year-old Georgia Turner) was the very FIRST known recording of this song?
Not like it’s completely reliable, but Wikipedia says: “The oldest known existing recording is by versatile Appalachian artists Clarence ‘Tom’ Ashley and Gwen Foster and was made in 1933. Ashley said he had learned it from his grandfather, Enoch Ashley.”
If the author mentioned that part, I missed it; but I’m just wondering how/when the “original” lyrics were established or fully evolved. Thx, -TJR

By: Steve K

Steve K — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:24:12 +0000

I grew up in the 60s and always loved the Animal’s rendition of this song. Which brings me to this question: during the show, it was mentioned that “Eric Burdon got all the glory and Allen Price got all the money”. Does anyone know anymore about this? The Animals were a hell of a band and did so much along with a whole lot of other British bands of that time to bring American-African-Blues-Folk music to the attention of American youth of that day and also to the whole world!

By: linda brown

linda brown — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:09:10 +0000

I loved this show. What is the correct name of the woman (Virginia Blood?) who you played a cut of Rising Sun? I would love to have that recording.
I really enjoy your show!

By: david

david — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:50:27 +0000

Cat Power does a great version also. This is such a great song. I wonder if any other song has been covered so much in so many varying ways.

By: Beverley Mason

Beverley Mason — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:46:51 +0000

YOU TUBE has some interesting “House of the Rising Sun” renditions. Search bevbilly

By: Chris Kaminski

Chris Kaminski — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:34:50 +0000

An Austrian musical group EAV {Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung] recorded a superb derivative version which they called: Es steht ein Haus in Ostberlin, shortly after the fall of the Berlin wall. Not being fluent in German, I relied on an Austrian friend for a translation, which he summarized to me some sixteen years ago as a poignant story of an East Berliner who seeks his fortune in the West only to return home in failure. Not the same words, not quite the same melody, but unmistakenly the House of the Rising Sun.

By: Hayden Carruth

Hayden Carruth — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:27:28 +0000

Have you heard the version of “House” done by The Blind Boys of Alabama? They sing the words of Amazing Grace to the tune of House.

Pretty amazing.