04.19.06 @ 7:23 pm

Will any of these be available for download? Hats off to a good job. Well done!
Robert Brooks

04.19.06 @ 10:02 pm

Thanks, Robert. I hadn’t planned on making them available in any regular way. If there was some interest in trying to work out some of the songs that have major gray areas, I could post those. There are a couple of recent posts that have tunes from volume 4:

If You Don’t Want Me Please Don’t Dog Me ‘Round
Dead Wagon Blues

Feel like taking a crack at one? “Old Grey Mule, You Ain’t What You Used To Be” could use some work!

04.23.06 @ 6:05 pm

Hey Frankie. GREAT job! I love the Sheiks and have always been turned on by their songs and I particularly like their bass runs. Interesting key selections. What chord voicings do you rekon are being used when they play in Bflat and Eflat? Im a country blues and old time player and am unfamiliar with these keys. Im intrigued…mostly by BFLAT.

04.24.06 @ 8:03 am

Hi Christian - Thanks! The Sheiks definitely do have a particular backup sound. Most of it is based on the use of F and C shapes moved up the neck and no capos. The backup guitarist (whether Walter, Bo or Sam) will play B-flat at the 6th fret using an F-shape. The IV chord is played using a C-shape with the root on the 5th string at the 6th fret. Let the 3rd string ring in unison with the 4th string fretted at the 5th fret.

That last chord is also used as the I chord for the tunes in E-flat. I’m planning a page on some of these backup styles, so I’ll leave a more detailed discussion for that. One of the really neat things is the way the division of labor works out when there are two guitarists - that really nails the sound!

04.25.06 @ 11:27 pm

Interesting. Thanks a lot. Ill fool around with that for a bit.

04.26.06 @ 8:54 am

I contributed to this thread at Weenie Campbell that you might find useful. I incorrectly identified the key for Honey Babe Let The Deal Go Down, unfortunately, but it should be a useful starting point.

08.14.06 @ 8:44 pm

Right on! Glad I found you. I would love to hear anything you know about Walter Vinson’s guitar technique….

Hats off,
Hi-Tone Hokum

08.15.06 @ 8:08 am

Hi Shawn - glad you like the site. I’ve been meaning to make some time to put my thoughts about Walter Vinson down on paper. For what it’s worth, I think the backup style he used on many of the Sheiks’ recordings might have been developed in cooperation with the Chatmons - I can see Lonnie insisting on a particular backup style, the other Chatmons working it out and sharing it with Walter Vinson and the McCoys. They all seem to be able to play along the same lines, making definite identification of who’s playing on what very difficult at times.

They all navigate beautifully in flat keys, keeping things lively with bass runs - it’s rather unlike the fiddle accompaniment you’d find in an old-time, bluegrass or swing band, but seems to owe a little to each in some small way. Although to many guitar pickers it probably sounds kinda simple, it leaves a lot of room for additional accompanists, sounds great, clearly puts down a rhythmic footprint and is very easy to sing over top of. Perfect for ensemble playing.

05.16.07 @ 11:01 am

Frankie,
Glad you’re doing this, I’m a big fan of The Sheiks. I would love somebody to work out a tab of some of these songs where they worked the lead violin parts into a guitar arrangement. That could be very nice.

I tried clicking on a number of links to song lyrics, but nothing came up. I don’t know if I’m having a problem connecting, or you just haven’t gotten around to transcribing everything. I’ve done a couple myself, and could add them if you need them.

Chris

05.17.07 @ 7:49 pm

Hi Chris - the lyrics have been taken down, basically indefinitely, although they’re all done, more or less. The keys and such will stay up, though.

Frankly (har-dee-har-har!), I’ve never been very interested in “solo guitar” arrangements of the music of the Sheiks. The magic for me is in the simplicity of their ensemble sound and their commitment to just plain sounding good. It seems to me that a lot of modern players worry about “authenticity,” “complexity,” “moving the music forward” - whatever… the whole notion of just “sounding good” gets left in the dust, just like a lot of really great music from a long time ago.

I’m at sort of the opposite end in my guitar playing from my banjo playing. On banjo, I hope I never accompany another fiddle tune again… on guitar, I feel right now like I never want to play another “solo guitar” piece. I’d rather back up a fiddler or mandolin, or accompany another guitar player. The self-accompanied blues guitar player just doesn’t hold a lot of appeal for me, right now…

heh… it’s my blog, so I guess I can put up a soapbox wherever I want!

12.28.07 @ 4:01 am

Hey I know you took the lyics down but I’m really curious to find the lyrics to the Jazz Fiddler. Are you going to put them back up ever? Could you e-mail me them? (as much as you can!) Great site. Thanks in advance.

Jay

01.01.08 @ 11:58 pm

awesome work! Ive been playing with the sheiks in my room for about a year now and still stumped on the keys of over half the songs. Your site is a godsend. Were the lyrics taken down for legal smeagol reasons? I read what you wrote about solo guitar stuff, but i wonder if youve got basic chord progressions for some songs as i would love to play these songs with other folks besides the ones in my stereo.

09.19.08 @ 10:40 am

frankie, hi! i was wondering if you could help me with the lyrics to ” its backfiring now” and “blood in my eyes”. there are a few words i can’t get.. and those bass runs! phew! Ill keep plugging away. thank you, luther

09.19.08 @ 3:27 pm

Hi Luther - send me an email through the “Contact Us” link and I can get you a password for the lyrics and whatnot. I’m sure you can make a decent fist of the guitar parts - the fun is in the trying!

09.23.08 @ 4:13 am

Wow! Your Youtube vids are great! You guys sound amazing. I hope you”ll be on the Mississippi Sheiks Tribute CD.

09.23.08 @ 6:52 am

Thanks for the kind compliments about the youtube videos - fun for us and hopefully for whoever happens to see them. Nobody’d be more surprised about us showing up on that MS Sheiks tribute album than we would, that’s for sure! Good luck with it!

12.01.08 @ 12:04 pm

Hi. I would very much like to look at the lyrics for Mississippi Sheiks. So could you please send me the password.
Hope this is the right way to ask for it. I tried the “contact us”, but nothing happend. Thank you.

01.29.09 @ 7:38 am

Hello,

I’m interested in lyrics to one or two of the “Sheiks songs,” just to play at our fortnightly blues singalong in the local pub.

I’d be grateful for the password.

Steve

02.01.09 @ 7:56 pm

Hey there,
Finally figured things out.
I’m looking for lyrics to Mississippi Sheiks
Jake Leg Blues, and if it’s possible, an audio of it
Your site’s a great resource. Congrats.
Dan

03.04.09 @ 3:37 pm

I am a professor at UT Austin teaching a course about Songs as Social Criticism. It would be very useful for the few Sheiks songs I use to have a look at your lyrics. I Promise I will not abuse or spread the password.

Tom Palaima

06.20.09 @ 12:12 am

What a find for a Mississippi Sheiks lover. Am trying to learn to play these songs. Would very much appreciate the password.

Thanks
-Stuart

07.04.09 @ 8:52 am

What a treasure! Big thanks to Frankie…

Wondering if anyone has guitar tabs/chords for Sheiks songs. I’ve been wanting to learn guitar for my whole life and the Sheiks have become my incentive.

Stuart

07.05.09 @ 9:12 pm

Stuart - the chords are accessible enough, really. Check out this link - it should give some ideas:

A word about guitar backup, Mississippi Sheiks style

Many of these ideas are transferable to other Mississippi Sheiks songs.

07.21.09 @ 8:44 pm

Hi Frankie -Great site - have got around to the Sheiks after several years of getting into country blues . The tuning and playing tips are great.Would love to be able to access the lyrics pages - is it possible to get a password?
Regards
Ross

07.23.09 @ 1:59 pm

-Seems like some of the “mega” lyrics sites have MS Sheiks lyrics now. Just try searching on google. Of course I was only looking at “Sitting On Top Of The World” but a bunch of songs were listed. Ringtones are availible as well (Just kidding). -nick

07.23.09 @ 5:41 pm

They can keep whatever they’ve got, but maybe I’ll get me one of them ringtones. Think they’ve got “She’s Gone To Her Lonesome Grave?”