STAR BLUES on 8th May 2011 at 22:00

The centenary of the birth of the most influential blues artist of them all, Robert Johnson, offered a unique opportunity to review his entire recorded output. He recorded 29 songs in an eight month spell: just 76 minutes of music. (We didn't do the unused 12 takes which added another 30 minutes) . Eleven 78 records came out of the sessions during his lifetime with one more posthumous disc.

What made our show so different was that we played them all in the order Johnson recorded them, just as they would sound to the bluesmen like Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones when they first found his marvellous music. Most likely they found them on the "King of the Delta Blues" album issued in 1961. It would be another 25 years before anyone knew what he looked like: the first photo was published in Rolling Stone magazine in 1986.

The music was paramount last night with just a few nuggets of trivia to put it into context. Over 30 albums selling a million copies each have at least one Robert Johnson song. His Terraplane Blues is a candidate for the first rock'n'roll song about sex and cars (the car was made by the Hudson Company in Detroit and was "launched" by Amelia Earhart). His flight from "Hellhound on My Trail" is about running from the law and his pleadings at "Cross Roads Blues" were to the Lord for mercy not as a bargain with Satan.

The story of him facing the corner in the hotel room in San Antonio for his first sessions has been put down to shyness or an unwillingness to let anyone see his newly acquired guitar prowess. Just as likely is that is where the engineers found the sweet spot in the room for the myriad of other types of artists they planned to record, including Mexican musicians. His death by poisoning does not tell the whole story, the reverse side of his death certificate apparently has a note from the plantation owner where he died that states Syphilis claimed his life due to a weakened immune system. Three churches all claim his final resting place and the building at 508 Park Avenue Dallas - where he did the second (final) sessions was recently subject to a demolition order despite a million dollar restoration project.

Elijah Wald wrote a book in 2004 that laid a lot of the myths and legends to rest; I've not read it but he seems to have missed the point (at least once): How many other musicians from the last century can still inspire today and be worthy of fulsome tributes from around the world?

Last nights special STAR BLUES show gave us all a chance to listen to his distinctive guitar and expressive voice on a set of songs that have become familiar through thousands of cover versions. Genius in every sense of the word.

Track	Artist	Album
Kind Hearted Woman Blues	Robert Johnson	[1-10]Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues [Robert Johnson] - Robert Johnson{- -}
I Believe I'll Dust My Broom	Robert Johnson	[1-1]Reborn And Remastered - Robert Johnson{- -}
Sweet Home Chicago	Robert Johnson	[3-29]Me And The Devil - Peter Green Splinter GroupRobert Johnson{- -}
Ramblin' On My Mind	Robert Johnson	[1-9]Reborn And Remastered - Robert Johnson{- -}
When You Got A Good Friend	Robert Johnson	[1-15]Contracted To The Devil - Robert Johnson{- -}
Come On In My Kitchen	Robert Johnson	[1-7]Reborn And Remastered - Robert Johnson{- -}
Terraplane Blues	Robert Johnson	[3-19]Me And The Devil - Peter Green Splinter GroupRobert Johnson{- -}
Phonograph Blues	Robert Johnson	[2-19]Beg Borrow Or Steal - Various ArtistsRobert Johnson{- -}
32-20 Blues	Robert Johnson	[1-20]Reborn And Remastered - Robert Johnson{- -}
They're Red Hot	Robert Johnson	[1-23]Contracted To The Devil - Robert Johnson{- -}
Dead Shrimp Blues	Robert Johnson	[1-22]Robert Johnson And Old School Blues - Robert Johnson{- -}
Cross Road Blues	Robert Johnson	[1-3]Reborn And Remastered - Robert Johnson{- -}
Walking Blues	Robert Johnson	[1-11]Robert Johnson And Old School Blues - Robert Johnson{- -}
Last Fair Deal Gone Down	Robert Johnson	[1-24]Contracted To The Devil - Robert Johnson{- -}
Preachin' Blues	Robert Johnson	[3-13]History Of Rhythm And Blues Part One - Various Artists{- -}
If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day	Robert Johnson	[1-6]Reborn And Remastered - Robert Johnson{- -}
Stones In My Passway	Robert Johnson	[1-18]Robert Johnson And Old School Blues - Robert Johnson{- -}
I'm A Steady Rollin' Man	Robert Johnson	[1-5]Reborn And Remastered - Robert Johnson{- -}
From Four Until Late	Robert Johnson	[1-11]Contracted To The Devil - Robert Johnson{- -}
Hellhound On My Trail	Robert Johnson	[1-9]Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues [Robert Johnson] - Robert Johnson{- -}
Little Queen Of Spades	Robert Johnson	[1-13]Robert Johnson And Old School Blues - Robert Johnson{- -}
Malted Milk	Robert Johnson	[1-21]Contracted To The Devil - Robert Johnson{- -}
Drunken Hearted Man	Robert Johnson	[2-28]Beg Borrow Or Steal - Various ArtistsRobert Johnson{- -}
Me And The Devil Blues	Robert Johnson	[1-4]Reborn And Remastered - Robert Johnson{- -}
Stop Breakin' Down Blues	Robert Johnson	[1-13]Legends Of The Blues Volume 1 - Various Artists{- -}
Traveling Riverside Blues	Robert Johnson	[1-18]Reborn And Remastered - Robert Johnson{- -}
Honeymoon Blues	Robert Johnson	[2-29]Beg Borrow Or Steal - Various ArtistsRobert Johnson{- -}
Love In Vain	Robert Johnson	[1-13]Contracted To The Devil - Robert Johnson{- -}
Milkcow's Calf Blues	Robert Johnson	[1-13]Reborn And Remastered - Robert Johnson{- -}