Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair

"Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair" is a late-1920s blues song written by composer George Brooks and made famous by Bessie Smith.[1][2] In the song, a female narrator confesses the murder of a deceitful lover[3] and expresses her willingness to accept her punishment.[4][5] The song is notable for being among the selections officially banned from being played on radio by the British Broadcasting Corporation.[6]

The song, both in its original rendition and in cover versions, has been included in numerous albums as well as live performances. Profiling a new volume of Smith's recordings, a reviewer comments, "Some of her most deservedly famous records are here ... as well as some that ought to be, like 'Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair";[7] another reviewer also singled out that as one of two particularly "terrific numbers" that made Bessie Smith: The Complete Recordings, Vol. 3 an improvement over the previous volumes.[8]

Additional recordings

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Dinah Washington covered the song with "her own peculiar intensity," a reviewer notes in writing about the Washington biography Queen; "her recording ... can give a listener chills — especially when Dinah declares, with her strong, deliberate enunciation, 'Burn me, 'cause I don't care.' "[9] A 1984 preview of a Philadelphia folk festival highlighted the song as an example of "Dave Bromberg's selection of musical esoterica" for his performances,[10] while a critic listing his favorite death-penalty-themed tunes remarked that Bromberg's take, "in a neo-Dixieland style, even better captur[ed] its wicked humor."[1] Bromberg continued performing the song well into the 21st century, with a 2011 concert review listing the song among "classic Bromberg faves."[11] A reviewer praising a low-band radio station for its unusual programming noted "an inspired couple of hours of Prisoner [sic] songs, ranging from Lefty Frizzell's majestic, gothic tale of love and murder "Long Black Veil" to Bessie Smith's touching plea, 'Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair."[12]

Tracy Nelson covered the song for her 1995 album I Feel So Good,[4][13][14][15][16] in a performance that reviewer Paul Harris said "summons a perfectly Gothic essence of dread that few blues singers these days convincingly bring to the form."[3] Harris interviewed the singer later that year for a piece that begins with a quote from the lyrics: "Judge, your honor, hear my plea / Before you open up your court / I don't want no sympathy / Because I cut my good man's throat," calling the verse a "dire lyric" that "recalls for us that the blues are, in essence, a gothic tradition."[17] Nelson, whose rendition Harris called "satirical"[3] and a Chicago Sun-Times reviewer called "surprisingly playful,"[18] dedicated the song on at least one occasion in 1996 to O. J. Simpson.[19] Nelson's version also appeared on a 2001 Rounder Records compilation album of women blues singers, Any Woman's Blues,[20] and in her 2003 live-performance album recorded at West Tennessee Detention Center, Live from Cell-Block D,[21] leading one favorable reviewer to comment on the "temerity" of singing this song in a prison venue, chalking the choice up to "her fabled perversity."[22]

In 2004, artist Eden Brent included the song as one of the tracks for her debut album Something Cool, in what a reviewer termed "notably a great go at 'Send Me to the 'lectric Chair'" in highlights of the covers on the release.[23] Actor-singer Tyne Daly included "'Lectric Chair" in her 2010 musical live show "Songs";[24] reviewer David Wiegand called the performance "one of the highlights [in a] show with nothing but highlights," saying it was "suitably low-down without lapsing into a parody of the blues"[25] and Richard Houdek characterized as "a brassy, no-regrets account."[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b Steve Terrell. "Terrell's tune-up - pop CD reviews" (column on death-penalty themed songs), The Santa Fe New Mexican, 11 March 2005, Pasatiempo section, page PA-50: "This tune, circa 1928, is about someone who has murdered her lover and demands to be executed, showing no remorse. In the mid '70s, David Bromberg revived the song in a neo-Dixieland style, even better capturing its wicked humor."
  2. ^ "George Brooks (composer)". uscb.edu. Discography of American Historical Recordings, University of California at Santa Barbara. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Paul A. Harris. "Recordings" (roundup review of recent releases), St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2 March 1995, page 4G.
  4. ^ a b Paul Jarvey. "Blue no more," Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 11 May 1995, Time Out section, page C1.
  5. ^ Joyce Marcel. "Tracy Nelson sings up a storm" (concert review), Union-News, 2 December 1995, Arts & Entertainment section, page B8.
  6. ^ Leigh, Spencer (2008). This Record Is Not to Be Broadcast: 75 Records Banned by the BBC 1931–1957 (liner notes). Acrobat Music Group. ACTRCD9015. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  7. ^ Jeff Simon. "In brief" (music reviews), The Buffalo News, 13 November 1992, page G37.
  8. ^ Wayne Bledsoe. "Shopping guide for givers of thoroughly modern music boxes" (review of boxed compilation sets), Knoxville News-Sentinel, 11 December 1992, page 10.
  9. ^ Mary Kunz. "The big life and big voice of Dinah Washington, The Buffalo News, 19 September 2004, Book Reviews section, page G7.
  10. ^ Jonathan Takiff. "De Danann/Arlo Guthrie/John Eddie"(preview of area folk concerts), Philadelphia Daily News, 28 September 1984, Features section, p. 49.
  11. ^ Greg Haymes. "Two giants find common ground" (concert review), The Times Union, 4 April 2011, Capital Region section, page B6.
  12. ^ Harper Barnes. "Low end of band holds sweet surprises," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 22 March 1992, page 2C.
  13. ^ David Steinberg. "Honoring her colorful musical roots," Albuquerque Journal, 7 April 1995, page E25.
  14. ^ Larry Nager. "Recordings," The Commercial Appeal, 25 March 1995, page C3.
  15. ^ David Prince. "Lightning strikes when her voice is unleashed," The Santa Fe New Mexican, 7 April 1995, Pasatiempos/Reviews section, page 21.
  16. ^ Bob Townsend. "Pop music - Tracy Nelson," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 27 October 1995, Preview section, page P4.
  17. ^ Paul A. Harris. "Dire greats - Tracy Nelson captures blues' gothic tradition," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 21 July 1995, Everyday magazine section, page 6E.
  18. ^ Dave Hoekstra. "Blues in all hues - festival wraps with eclectic mix of acts," Chicago Sun-Times, 5 June 1995, Features section, page 27.
  19. ^ Dave Tianen. "Blues artist Tracy Nelson back among friends" (concert review), Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 21 October 1996, B News section.
  20. ^ Jim Santella. "Discs" (roundup of recent releases), The Buffalo News, 12 October 2001, Gusto section, page G18.
  21. ^ Jeff Johnson. "Sunday" (roundup of recent releases), Chicago Sun-Times, 20 July 2003, Sunday section, page 5.
  22. ^ Jeff Simon. "'Down So Low' has power to bring pop music up so high" (commentary column), The Buffalo News, 5 August 2003, Entertainment section, page C1.
  23. ^ Bill Ellis. "Beat Generation at best in 'Misery' - party at Patrick's tonight marks Bluff City quartet's CD release" (roundup of recent releases), The Commercial Appeal, 12 June 2004, page E6.
  24. ^ Rex Reed. "The Daly Show," The New York Observer, 26 January 2010, Culture section.
  25. ^ David Wiegand. "Music review - spotlight on song - and all of it sublime," San Francisco Chronicle, 14 January 2010, Datebook section, page E1.
  26. ^ Richard Houdek. "Her own turn," The Berkshire Eagle, 4 September 2010, Business section, page D6.
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