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BOOK & CD SET: THE MEMPHIS BLUES AND GOSPEL OF ROBERT WILKINS. Guido van Rijn. AGRAM Blues Books, Overveen (The Netherlands). 150 pp. Illustrated. Rolling Stone — Part 1; Rolling Stone — Part 2; Jail House Blues; I Do Blues; That’s No Way To Get Along; Alabama Blues; Long Train Blues; Falling Down Blues; Nashville Stonewall Blues; Police Sergeant Blues; Get Away Blues; I’ll Go With Her Blues; Dirty Deal Blues; Black Rat Blues; New Stock Yard Blues; Old Jim Canan’s; Losin’ Out Blues -1; Pressing On; I Wished I Was In Heaven Sitting Down; I Want Jesus To Walk With Me; When The Saints Go Marching In (21 tracks). ARGAM Blues Books. ISBN 97883437330 & ABCD 2032. €40 (Book + CD, €35 for book only) + p&p. https://agramblues.com/the-memphis-blues-and-gospel-of-robert-wilkins/.
This is the seventh in the author’s series of biographical/discographical and lyric transcription books following on from volumes on blues artists Smokey Hogg, Walter Davis, Leroy Carr, Washboard Sam, Jazz Gillum and Joe & Charlie McCoy.
Robert Wilkins (aka Tim Wilkins / Reverend Robert Wilkins), was born in Hernando, Mississippi, in 1896, and he moved to Memphis in 1915. He recorded for Victor and Brunswick - 12 sides between 1928 and 1930 including the two part Rolling Stone, Jail House Blues and That’s No Way To Get Along. In 1935 he recorded five sides in Jackson, Mississippi, for Vocalion which included New Stockyard Blues, a song about his employers the Owen Brothers who ran The Horse & Mule Commission Company in Jackson and ‘Old Jim Cannan’s’ (mistitled) about ‘gangster and political fixer' Jim Kinnane which was initially unissued.
In 1942, when his wife was taken seriously ill, he prayed for her recovery. She recovered and Wilkins abandoned the devil’s music altogether and performed only religious material.
In 1964 he was re-discovered in Memphis by Dick Spottswood, who recorded him and issued eight on the album Rev. Robert Wilkins - Memphis Gospel Singer on Piedmont which included the track The Prodigal Son a reworking of That’s No Way To Get Along. Wilkins soon became part of the early 1960s blues revival and he played the Newport Folk Festival in 1964.
No piece on Wilkins would be complete without reference to “The Rolling Stones”. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were knowledgeable blues fans and in 1968 the Stones covered Wilkins’ Prodigal Son on their Beggars Banquet album. The song was wrongly credited to Jagger and Richard on the first pressings of the album, selling over 375,000 copies.
When this error was pointed out to Decca/London Records, the Stones’ UK and US label (who made the error) it was rectified and royalties for the sold albums ($3750) and all future sales were paid to Wilkins and his heirs. Wilkins bought a house in Memphis from the royalties paid by the Stones.
Another interesting story is that whilst staying with Dick Spottswood and his wife, Wilkins was fascinated by their ‘Etch-a-Sketch’ toy. He asked if he could have it, explaining that he thought God would guide his hands and give him a message.
Wilkins continued to tour playing the Memphis Country Blues Festival in 1968 with tracks issued by Blue Horizon on The Memphis Country Blues Festival album.
As with all of Guido’s books in this series this has a full biography, complete lyric transcriptions, discographical details, beautiful illustrations and comes complete with a CD with the complete prewar tracks and four unissued postwar ones.
Essential reading and not to be missed. Order a copy at: guidovanrijn88@gmail.com.
TONY BURKE