The Lead Belly Songbook - Lead Belly, no stranger to the blues

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Midnight Special

Click here to listen to Real Audio format 28.8 modem. This is the MIDI recording of the entire score as printed.

Lead Belly's arrangement of the Midnight Special has become the most popular arrangement for this song. Musicologists have traced its origin to the 1920's but there is no credited writer that I know of. Because of Huddie's past incarcerations, and his arranging prowess, this song came to be associated with his authorship and he has a strong claim. Many others, John Fogerty, John Cash, among them, have used this same way of arranging the melodies and choruses.

I especially like his use of the bass fills. Listen for that. It is played in the "D" position.

Click here to listen to Real Audio format 28.8 modem. An excerpt from Lead Belly's 1948 recording of Last Sessions.

click here to see an example of the written score of Midnight Special