Milk Cow Blues (song)

Robert Johnson recorded a version of Sleepy John Estes' song, re-titled "Milkcow's Calf Blues", at his last recording session on June 20, 1937.^[1] It was released by Vocalion Records in September 1937 as the B-side to "Malted Milk."

Johnnie Lee Wills version

In 1941, Johnnie Lee Wills (younger brother of Bob Wills) recorded a version which was released the same year by Decca Records as "Milkcow Blues" by Johnny [sic] Lee Wills & His Boys. It was sung by Cotton Thompson.^[2]

Bob Wills also recorded it on the Tiffany Transcriptions with a vocal by Tommy Duncan. The Wills/Duncan release "Brain Cloudy Blues" is heavily influenced by "Milk cow blues" too.

Elvis Presley & The Blue Moon Boys version

"Milkcow Blues Boogie"
"Milkcow Blues Boogie" cover
Song by Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill from the album A Date With Elvis
Released	January 8, 1955
A-side	You're a Heartbreaker
Recorded	November–December 1954
Genre	Rockabilly
Length	2:39
Label	Sun, RCA
Writer(s)	Kokomo Arnold

Elvis Presley, accompanied by Scotty Moore on guitar and Bill Black on bass, recorded a rockabilly version retitled "Milkcow Blues Boogie" at Sun Records in November or December 1954. The arrangement was closer to Wills' version than to the Arnold original.^[2] The song was released in January 8, 1955 with "You're a Heartbreaker" as the A-side, but would not be released on LP until 1959, when it was included on the RCA LP A Date with Elvis. The tune was also released as a 45 rpm single, along with "You're a Heartbreaker" on RCA Victor records (47-6382). It is listed as 2:34 minutes long, with the publisher Leeds Music ASCAP. It has catalog number F2WW-8044.

Eddie Cochran version

"Milk Cow Blues"
Song by Eddie Cochran from the album Never to Be Forgotten
Released	1962
Recorded	August 25, 1959
Genre	Blues
Length	2:40
Label	Liberty
Writer(s)	Kokomo Arnold
Producer(s)	Eddie Cochran

Eddie Cochran's version of "Milk Cow Blues" was posthumously released on the album Never to Be Forgotten.

Musicians:

Eddie Cochran: vocal and guitar
Dave Shriver: electric bass
Gene Riggio: drums
Jim Stivers: piano

Other versions

The McGee Brothers (Sam and Kirk) recorded a version of the song.
1934: Kokomo Arnold recorded two versions of the song, and was believed to be the first one after Sleepy John Estes in 1930.
1946: Cotton Thompson. On King Records. This is sometimes incorrectly credited to Moon Mullican because Cotton was part of Moon's band and recorded this after a Mullican session in 1946. Available on 2 Mullican CDs nowadays and called "New Milk cow blues".
1947 The Maddox Brothers and Rose
1955: Mike Seeger recorded a banjo version that was inspired by the Johnnie Lee Wills version.^[3]
1956: [Bob Crosby] b-side of 'Bob Crosby and his Orchestra in Hi Fi' album with Nappy Lamar on vocals. http://www.discogs.com/artist/374399-Bob-Crosby-And-His-Orchestra
1960: Ricky Nelson b-side of single w/ You Are The Only One, also included on album Million Sellers and compilation Legendary Masters
1962: George Lewis on his album Endless The Trek Endless The Search
1965: The Kinks on their album The Kink Kontroversy (although they credit the song to Sleepy John Estes on the UK release).
1967: The Chocolate Watchband on the 1994 CD reissue of their album No Way Out.
1970: We Five on their album Catch the Wind.^[4]
1971: Mungo Jerry on the second side of their maxi-single, "Lady Rose".
1976: Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen on their live album We've Got A Live One Here.
1977: Levon Helm & the RCO All-Stars on their self-titled album as 'Milk Cow Boogie'.
1977: Aerosmith their album Draw the Line.
1977: Pirates former Johnny Kidd's band recorded the song. It appears on their 1977 live album "Out Of Their Skulls".
1979: Jerry Lee Lewis recorded on the Elektra label.
1981: Glen Campbell recorded the song on his album Glen Campbell Live.
1990: Dead Moon on their 1990 album, Defiance.
1990: Aerosmith on their 1990 MTV Unplugged Live Performance in New York.
1991: George Strait on his 1991 album, Chill of an Early Fall.
2000: Willie Nelson on his 2000 album, Milk Cow Blues.
2001: Doc Watson on his album, Doc Watson at Gerdes Folk City, recorded live in 1962 and 1963 but never released until 2001.
2002: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, featuring Doc Watson, on the 2002 album Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Volume III
2004: Eric Clapton on his 2004 tribute to Robert Johnson, Me and Mr. Johnson, titled as Milkcow's Calf Blues.
2008: Patrick Wall (Irish blues artist) on his album "Lay me down beside my darling".
2008: Wayne "The Train" Hancock ((Progressive Torch & Twang)(Country)) Live in 2008 on Impact Radio89FM
2009: Obits on their debut album I Blame You.
2016: The Kinks featured a live version on their 2016 Record Store Day exclusive album, "The Kinks in Koncert 1965"
Roscoe Holcomb recorded "Milk Cow Blues" on his album "An Untamed Sense of Control".
Mississippi Fred McDowell recorded "Milk Cow Blues" on a self-titled album.
The song is also featured in the film Walk the Line, in which it is covered by Tyler Hilton.

References

1 2 The Blues Line: Blues Lyrics from Leadbelly to Muddy Waters, edited by Eric Sackheim, Jonathan Shahn, Da Capo Press, 2003
1 2 Russell, Tony (2007). Country Music Originals: The Legends and the Lost. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-532509-5. OCLC 85822512.
↑ The McGee Brothers rendition of "Milk Cow Blues" can be found on this anthology: . It is described in more detail in both French and English in its online booklet:
↑ We Five, Catch the Wind Retrieved February 29, 2012.

Robert Johnson

Albums	King of the Delta Blues Singers King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. II The Complete Recordings

Songs	"Kind Hearted Woman Blues" "Dust My Broom" "Sweet Home Chicago" "Come On in My Kitchen" "Terraplane Blues" "Stones in My Passway" "32-20 Blues" "They're Red Hot" "Dead Shrimp Blues" "Cross Road Blues" "From Four Until Late" "Hellhound on My Trail" "Travelling Riverside Blues" "Love in Vain" "Ramblin' on My Mind" "Last Fair Deal Gone Down" "Walkin' Blues" "Me and the Devil Blues" "Stop Breaking Down" "If I Had Possession over Judgment Day" "When You Got a Good Friend"

Related	Discography The Search for Robert Johnson Me and the Devil Blues Me and Mr. Johnson / Sessions for Robert J The Robert Johnson Songbook Johnson's guitars 27 Club Crossroads (1986 film)

Elvis Presley singles discography

1950s

1954	"That's All Right" / "Blue Moon of Kentucky" "Good Rockin' Tonight" / "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine" "You're a Heartbreaker"

1955	"Baby Let's Play House" "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" / "Mystery Train"

1956	"Heartbreak Hotel" / "I Was the One" "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" / "My Baby Left Me" "Don't Be Cruel" / "Hound Dog" "Blue Suede Shoes" / "Tutti Frutti" "Money Honey" "I Got a Woman" "Tryin' to Get to You" "Blue Moon" "I'll Never Let You Go (Lil' Darlin')" / "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You)" "Shake, Rattle and Roll" / "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" "Love Me Tender"

1957	"Too Much" "All Shook Up" "Peace in the Valley "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" "Paralyzed" (UK) "Jailhouse Rock" "Party" / "Got a Lot o' Livin' to Do!" (UK)

1958	"Don't" "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck" "Hard Headed Woman" "King Creole" (UK) "One Night"

1959	"I Need Your Love Tonight" / "A Fool Such as I" "A Big Hunk o' Love"

1960s

1960	"Stuck on You" "It's Now or Never" "Are You Lonesome Tonight?"

1961	"Surrender" "I Feel So Bad" "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" / "Little Sister" "Can't Help Falling in Love" / "Rock-A-Hula Baby"

1962	"Good Luck Charm" / "Anything That's Part of You" "She's Not You" "Return to Sender"

1963	"One Broken Heart for Sale" "(You're the) Devil in Disguise" "Bossa Nova Baby"

1964	"Kissin' Cousins" / "It Hurts Me" "What'd I Say" / "Viva Las Vegas" "Ain't That Loving You Baby" "Blue Christmas"

1965	"Do the Clam" / "You'll Be Gone" "Crying in the Chapel "(Such an) Easy Question" "I'm Yours" "Puppet on a String" / "Wooden Heart"

1966	"Tell Me Why" "Frankie and Johnny" / "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" "Love Letters" "Spinout" / "All That I Am" "If Every Day Was Like Christmas"

1967	"Indescribably Blue" "Long Legged Girl (With the Short Dress On)" / "That's Someone You Never Forget" "There's Always Me" / "Judy" "Big Boss Man" / "You Don't Know Me"

1968	"Guitar Man" "U.S. Male" "You'll Never Walk Alone" "Your Time Hasn't Come Yet, Baby" / "Let Yourself Go" "A Little Less Conversation" "If I Can Dream"

1969	"Memories" "How Great Thou Art" "In the Ghetto" / "Any Day Now" "Suspicious Minds" "Don't Cry Daddy"

1970s

1970	"Kentucky Rain" "The Wonder of You" "I've Lost You" "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" / "Patch It Up" "I Really Don't Want to Know" / "There Goes My Everything"

1971	"Rags to Riches" "Life" / "Only Believe" "I'm Leavin'" "It's Only Love" "Merry Christmas Baby" / "O Come All Ye Faithful"

1972	"Until It's Time for You to Go" "He Touched Me" "An American Trilogy" / "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" "Burning Love" / "It's a Matter of Time" "Separate Ways" / "Always on My Mind"

1973	"Steamroller Blues" / "Fool" "Raised on Rock" / "For Ol' Times Sake"

1974	"I've Got a Thing About You Baby" "If You Talk in Your Sleep" "Promised Land" / "It's Midnight"

1975	"My Boy" "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" "Bringing It Back" / "Pieces of My Life"

1976	"Hurt" / "For the Heart" "Moody Blue"

1977	"Way Down" "My Way" / "America the Beautiful"

1978	"Unchained Melody" / "Softly as I Leave You"

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Eddie Cochran

Studio albums	Singin' to My Baby

Posthumous studio albums	Never to Be Forgotten My Way (UK)

Compilations	12 of His Biggest Hits Summertime Blues Legendary Masters Series The Very Best of Eddie Cochran Great Hits

Live albums	On The Air

Singles	"Sittin' in the Balcony" "Drive In Show" "Twenty Flight Rock" "Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie" "Summertime Blues" "C'mon Everybody" "Teenage Heaven" "Somethin' Else" "Hallelujah I Love Her So" "Three Steps To Heaven" "Lonely" "Sweetie Pie" "Weekend" "My Way"

Movies	The Girl Can't Help It Untamed Youth Go, Johnny, Go!

Associated acts	Jerry Capehart Sharon Sheeley Gene Vincent

Related articles	Liberty Records Cash Records Ekko Records Crest Records Freedom Records Gold Star Recording Studios Gretsch

Book:Eddie Cochran

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