Mother Fuyer

"Mother Fuyer"
Single by Dirty Red
A-side "Mother Fuyer"
B-side "Home Last Night"[1]
Released 1947
Format 78 rpm, 10" single
Recorded 1947
Genre Jump blues
Label Aladdin Records
Writer(s) Dirty Red

"Mother Fuyer" was a jump blues song, written and recorded by Dirty Red in 1947. The single was released by Aladdin Records on a 78 rpm, 10" shellac single record.

Background

The words "mother for you" or "mother fuyer", as minced oaths for "motherfucker", were used in blues and R&B records from the 1930s. Examples include Memphis Minnie's "Dirty Mother For You" (Decca Records, 1935) and Washboard Sam (1935),[2] plus Roosevelt Sykes in 1936,[3] with the slightly amended title of "Dirty Mother For You (Don't You Know)".[4] The singer Stick McGhee, whose recording of "Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" was a hit in 1949, claimed that he had originally heard the song as "Drinking Wine, Motherfucker".[5][6]

Record

Red Nelson found no reason to be particularly oblique over the title of this jump blues track, which he recorded in 1947.[7] It was released using the nom de disque, Dirty Red, by Aladdin Records (catalog reference 194A).[8] The effective minced oath seemed to have confused the censors.[9] The dirty blues lyrics included the lines "I got to put this mule to jumpin' in yo' stall, I'm a lovin' muther for ya".[7] The track, which Nelson claimed to be his own on the record label, was clearly a variant of the earlier songs of a similar nature and song title.

Dirty Red's "Mother Fuyer" has been listed on numerous compilation albums, including The Aladdin Records Story (1994).[10] Dirty Red's recording was played on episode two of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour, when the themed title was 'Mother'.[11]

Cover versions

The song was covered by Chick Willis on his 1972 album Stoop Down Baby... Let Your Daddy See,[12] and released as a B-side on a single on La Val Records.[7][13] Willis claimed songwriting credits.

The song was also covered by B.B. King in 1977 and appeared on his album, King Size, with King this time claiming ownership of the songwriting.[14] It was also on his subsequent compilation albums, King of the Blues (1992) and Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. B.B. King (2012).

Magic Slim recorded a live cover version of "Mother Fuyer" for his 1987 album, Live At B.L.U.E.S.[15]

Mama's Pride recorded the song for their 2006 live album, A "Live" and Well.[16]

Other variants

Johnny "Guitar" Watson had a hit in 1977 with "A Real Mother For Ya".[17]

Billy Boy Arnold included a song with the title "Dirty Mother Fuyer", as the opening track on his 1979 album, Checkin' It Out.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Dirty Red (6) - Mother Fuyer / Home Last Night (Shellac)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  2. ↑ Paul Garon; Beth Garon. Woman with Guitar: Memphis Minnie's Blues. Books.google.co.uk. p. 199. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  3. ↑ "Internet-Verbindungen (frames)". Wirz.de. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  4. ↑ Jim Dawson. The Compleat Motherfucker: A History of the Mother of All Dirty Words (Feral ... Books.google.co.uk. p. 135. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  5. ↑ Peter Silverton (2011). Filthy English: The How, Why, When And What Of Everyday Swearing. Portobello Books.
  6. ↑ Jim Dawson (2011). The Compleat Motherfucker: A History of the Mother of All Dirty Words. ReadHowYouWant.com. p. 135.
  7. 1 2 3 Peter Silverton. Filthy English: The How, Why, When And What Of Everyday Swearing. Books.google.co.uk. p. 146. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  8. ↑ "Dirty Red"Mother Fuyer" 1947 Aladdin 194". YouTube. 2011-01-21. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  9. ↑ "Dirty Red: Mother Fuyer (1947) | Elsewhere by Graham Reid". Elsewhere.co.nz. 2012-11-29. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  10. ↑ Lindsay Planer. "The Aladdin Records Story - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-11-02.
  11. ↑ "Sirius XM Holdings Inc. - Bob Dylan's 'Theme Time Radio Hour' to Launch Season Two on XM September 19". Investor.siriusxm.com. 2007-09-06. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  12. ↑ Bill Dahl. "Stoop Down Baby...Let Your Daddy See - Chick Willis | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  13. ↑ "Chick Willis - Mother Fuyer (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  14. ↑ "Mother Fuyer - B.B. King | Song Info". AllMusic. 2012-09-24. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  15. ↑ "Magic Slim - Live At B.L.U.E.S. (Vinyl, LP)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  16. ↑ "Mama's Pride (2) - A "Live" And Well At The Pageant (CD, Album)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  17. ↑ Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 164. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
  18. ↑ "Checkin' It Out - Billy Boy Arnold | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
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