Film footage of Robert Johnson

[wolvoboy]

An interesting film that has been found of Robert Johnson playing his guitar various people are arguing that it is authentic, i like to believe that it could be him,make up your own mind

wolvoboy

[oldmanblue]

i take notice of people like robert lockwood his say's not him good enough for me,having said that look at the finger's of the guitar player & then look at the photograph of R.J. and look at the finger's but one of the guy's said that the film posters were for films released in 1942 R.J. died in '38 .omb

[Deleted]

Nobody's arguing - the guy who came up with the film said he couldn't say who it was, and the other people in the YouTube piece the are saying categorically there's no way that it's Robert Johnson, based on both factual evidence which dates the film, and personal testimony from someone who knew him....no amount of wanting it to be Robert Johnson will make it so.

[blueshome]

This clip was around a few years ago and, as has been stated, was clearly taken after RJ was long gone.

More importantly, why does every old photo, film of a black guy with a guitar have to be Johnson? The number of things popping up on evilbay and the recent Vanity Fair RJ photo farce show there's a lot of wishful thinking out there amongst other things.

[Deleted]

Film made 1942. RJ died 1938. RJ not immortal.

A film of some fast long fingered chap but not RJ.

[Michael Messer]

The never-ending search for a little bit more of Robert Johnson.

I find that each one gets a bit more ridiculous. The recent photo was obviously not him, but was at least taken during his lifetime. This film clip was taken after he died. It is really not even worthy of a discussion. I don't understand how and why 200 people gathered in a lecture theatre to watch a film of an unidentified street singer taken four years after Johnson's death.

Actually I thought that the film is beautiful and is worth watching. I love the footage of the street singer with the long & nimble fingers, but to try and connect it to someone who died four years earlier is a little odd I feel.

I think we are watching footage of a den of vipers all hoping to make a buck or two. Levere is the owner of everything Robert Johnson related. He owns the publishing company, King Of Spades Music, the rights to the two images, and I think I am right that he also owns the recordings. Clutching at straws to generate interest and sales in a time of free downloads, in my opinion.

We've had the fake RJ guitar, the fake RJ photos, the fake RJ film, what next I wonder....

Shine On
Michael.

[wolvoboy]

I agree with you Michael i think the film is beautiful more important than the claims of it to be of RJ but gives us an idea what it must have been like to live in that period of time that is long gone,all that is left is the Music,but it would have been nice for it to be RJohnson .
wolvoboy

[wolvoboy]

while were on the subject of Robert Johnson how true is this claim by Robert Lockwood to have 30th song never recorded by robert Johnson( mr downchild)

wolvoboy

[wolvoboy]

Hi Michael in answer to your question what next
We've had the fake RJ guitar, the fake RJ photos, the fake RJ film, what next I wonder....

wolvoboy

[Michael Messer]

The speed of RJ's recordings issue was really put to bed when Andrew Rose did the Pristine Audio remasters in 2007.

Not all of Andrew Rose's remasters of RJ's songs are perfect, but the ones he got right do sound amazing. If you haven't heard them, they are well worth getting and forming your own opinion. Rose's remasters are more than just speed corrected, they approached remastering of 78 records in a whole new way.

Shine On
Michael.

[Deleted]

I was in the attic yesterday and found a dusty old contract signed with blood between someone called RJ and Belezebub.Perhaps Percy knows where I could get it carbon dated to prove its authenticity
Maybe should get it on ebay

Cheers

Rob

[percythewonderant]

I have a lot of respect for Robert Johnson but have never understood why he has become such a hugely important artist in the history of the blues. My take on the legend is that he was the first, (that I have been made aware of ), that made the break away from sticking with the musical forms that were current in his local community and he learned and adopted styles and techniques from the recordings of other players. Interesting stuff but not interesting enough to justify the fuss that has been made. 2,290,00 references on the WWW!

What evidence do we really have that he did die back then in 1938, howling like a dog etc.?

I guess that the mystery surrounding him came initially from the tale of that mysterious, (Romantic?) death before he could make the big time at carnegie hall. Son House helped keep the ball rolling by stating that he had sold his soul to the Devil - by which I am sure he meant that RJ sang secular songs. The Devils Music. Coincidentally (?) the devilish connection fitted in with a couple of the songs in his repertoire too.

Then there was the second album which for a good while was only available as a bootleg. When it was eventually released as an authorised copy it sold like hot cakes. It is not so long ago that there were no photographs of Robert Johnson. After they appeared in the worlds press, the second takes were found and released. There have been Books and documentary films and TV shows. With each new revelation the sales of Vinyl and CDs have increased. Now perhaps the proof that Wolf's account was was wrong and RJ survived that awful night and was alive in 42?

Perhaps this piece of film is the real thing. The final piece in the very slow but brilliant piece of long term marketing of Robert Johnson by John Hammond. He knew a thing or two about marketing. And after all, his son has also played no small part in RJs popularity.

Now that he is the highest grossing Blues artist ever, perhaps he will reveal himself to his public and, with the Stones to support him, do that long planned trillion dollar tour. Maybe, just maybe?

Taking all this into account - Bottleneck Bob, I think that you'd be best advised to wait until the tour is underway before you put it on ebay !

[wolvoboy]

there is even confusion as to where Robert Johnson is Buried,of hand i think there is three different gravesites, if Robert johnson is buried in one of them who on earth is in the other two,maybe they are empty and Percy is right and that he did not die,or Lu Ciffer took him . or maybe he might be reincarnate in me!! got the right Name,anyway just going down the pub might go past the crossroads on the way
wolvoboy

[Michael Messer]

There is a death certificate which has been verified as the death certificate of the legendary musician.

Shine On
Michael.

[percythewonderant]

I realised that the paper work had been done but wasn't there some confusion about what Robert died of and when. If doubt can be cast as to whether the Doctor ever saw the deceased I'm not sure that the death certificate would get in the way of a good marketing campaign!

I don't think that this is the first time that someone has tried to pass a piece of film archive off as RJ. I recall that some years ago there was another clip of a street musician, wearing a hat, which was said to possibly be RJ.

I'm sure that every time someone can make a few dollars by attaching his name to something they will.

Just an aside - Wasn't there a Vinyl hoax in the late seventies maybe early eighties? A blues recording that was being passed off as Magic Sam or one of those surprisingly good but relatively unknown guys? Someone felt that there wasn't enough genuine material to sell so some posthumous recordings were made? Can anybody enlighten me?