The Monday Blues

Here it is the first Monday after the holidays. The kids are back in school and it is back to work for us working folks.  It is not an easy day for much of the country.

With that being said, it is appropriate to pick a song that fits the mood.  So it is back to 1947 we go…

“Stormy Monday,” originally “Call It Stormy Monday,” (not to be confused with “Stormy Monday Blues”) was written and recorded by T-Bone Walker in 1947 and released as a single on the label Black & White. Like many blues songs, it’s about a guy who wants his gal back.  Needless to say, every day of the week he’s hurting.

Many artists were influenced by the song.  Van Morrison covered it in 2017 and said the song has had a connection with him for a long time.

(From songfacts.com:)

“That would be 1963 when I first heard that. Bobby “Blue” Bland. I never heard the T-Bone Walker version until later. Hearing that song was a pivotal moment for me. There was a black GI who brought a 45 over from America. He was in the army and he played that song for me. It was one of those Eureka moments. It probably changed everything.”

BB King said it was the song that inspired him to play electric guitar:

“My greatest musical debt is to T-Bone …’Stormy Monday’ was the first tune. ‘They call it Stormy Monday’, sang T-Bone, ‘but Tuesday’s just as bad’. Yes, Lord! The first line, the first thrilling notes, the first sound of his guitar, and the attitude in his voice was riveting. I especially loved ‘Stormy Monday’—and I still sing it today.”

(From Wiki:) “Stormy Monday” is one of the most popular blues standards, with numerous renditions. As well as being necessary for blues musicians, it is also found in the repertoires of many jazz, soul, pop, and rock performers. The song is included in the Grammy, Rock and Roll, and Blues Foundation halls of fame as well as the U.S. Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.

Happy Monday!