What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?
Happy New Year, everyone.Washington Phillips recorded this Charles Tindley hymn in the late '20s accompanying himself on a zither. Beautiful stuff.
Washington Phillips - What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?
Peace abounds like a river, they say...
12 Comments:
Washington Phillips actually played the dolceola/dulceola, a bizarre instrument that put a keyboard on top of a zither (like he is holding in the picture). Lotsa information at:
http://www.minermusic.com/dolceola/dolceola.htm
Actually, the dulceola theory has been pretty soundly debunked, even according to that page you posted. Phillips was never pictured with one, no-one remembers him playing one, and his instrument simply doesn't sound like one.
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That's exactly right - Yazoo even put out a new reissue of Washington Phillips' sides with new liner notes (and a pretty snappy cover painting) by Pat Conte, explaining his role in the confusion over the years. I see him now & then - he was excited to be able to help set the record straight in some way.
The new Yazoo re-mastering of WP is just wonderful, by the way - definitely worth purchasing again. It also includes the recordings of Blind Mamie and A.C. Forehand. Their music would fit right in here!
No link to the song?
Wow. I'm out of practice :) The link is there now. Thanks, anonymous.
two other washington phillips tracks over at The Smudge of Ashen Fluff
http://popdrivel.blogspot.com/2006/01/wouldnt-mind-dying.html
including a version of the Rev. I B Ware's 'I Wouldn't Mind Dying..."
Hey! Ain't it me what suggested this song? Shouldn't I get a check or something? Anyway, great information on this guy -- many thanks, as always. ... You know, back when I was a young punk, if you had told me anything this beautiful had been recorded in the 1920's, I wouldn't have believed you.
Beautiful is right. This is Wonderful. Thank you.
Hey, I know this is slightly old but could you please fix the link? I heard the song somewhere but I can't find it anywhere.
Washington Phillips' music can be found on CDs still in print; Amazon has at least one. Email me directly if you're having trouble...
ps - my email address is [my first name] at [my domain name without the www].
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