This song was covered by Lonnie Donegan who started to play in trad jazz bands in the early 50's. Donegan's success, and the simplicity of his set up, prompted scores of British kids to form their own skiffle groups .One of these formed in the spring of 1957 called the Quarrymen and the rest is history.
My giddy aunt this must be rare as I have thousands or McCartney recordings - literally thousands and I have never heard this. Thank you for posting. Great fun.
Paul's doing a Lonnie Donnegan impersonation, playing in a skiffle style (basically the way they would have done it when the Beatles were still the Quarrymen), but you can still tell it's Paul. It's a rehearsal recording, I think it was rehearsals for the Unplugged MTV show (they wound up doing Midnight Special instead). I've got that bootleg, it's legit. The John one's legit as well. I'm laughing at the doubters.
also done by Ringo in 2014, Little Richard in 1988, & Johnny Cash. I put all of these with the Leadbelly original in my Ringo playlist. Thanks for the upload!
The Wikipedia entry for this song identifies separate recordings by Lennon and also by McCartney, each on bootleg tapes, and indicates when and where they were recorded.
Agreed - Paul (1990s) & John (1970s). This is one of the most significant songs in rock-n-roll history! Leadbelly heard it with Alan Lomax who recorded Arkansas prisoners sing it in '34. Leadbelly tweaked & released it in '37, which was covered in '55 by Lonnie Donegan, which caused the skiffle craze in the UK. It was one of the first songs played by John's skiffle band The Quarrymen ('56) who were joined by Paul ('57) then George ('58) before becoming The Beatles ('60). (/watch?v=sVIsr9VpPJI)
I want it to be them . I've been a massive fan since I was four in 1964. I'm sure John's version is his bc my ears have never let me down as a fan or as a hobbyist- guitarist. However I'm not sure about the paul version....fun to listen to and think about. Thank you for finding it :-)
This is obviously the real Paul and John.. geez people... John and Paul's vocals are so easy to catch. John's talking voice and playing is a dead give away
From what I can hear this is legit. It just sounds like old Paul instead of Beatle Paul (which it is) so I think that makes people weary. Paul's version is from MTV Unplugged. John has so many bootleg recordings that sound just like this, he was trying to sing with some twang, but his little banter in the middle sounds very much like him. I think someone else said his is from the Lost Lennon Tapes. I believe this is real.
This is undoubtedly McCartney. He used a similar "American voice" for Rocky Raccoon and other recordings. As for Lennon, if you continue to listen through the entire track, you can hear his faux-American accent segue into his absolutely unmistakable Liverpudlian scouse. Any Beatle scholar can attest to the authenticity.
I thought this was okay....Johnny Cash's version is far better though. Johnny's version has a chugging groove that makes you feel like you are actually ON the Rock Island train.
No way is this Paul McCartney. It might be that replacement they brought in after Pauls fatal car crash in 1964, - the same guy who did the vocals on Lady Madonna, but its not the real Paul.
@1982pencil Of course, you're right! What I meant is that McCartney's style is more folk-country, while Lennon is more rock ... (abilly). This in almost all of their musical career. Always as my personal opinion ... Excuse my English ... Bye bye from Italy!
100% john and paul,if you think its not you haven't listened to them enough to recognise their voices and you are in no way qualified to speak on the subject.
@SECRETDRBoogie I think both john and paul have the ability to have that rock style. Just listen to helter skelter, long tall sally, band on the run etc..both can do whatever they wanted, thats why they were amazing.
Why bother to try to copy Donnegan? No one can sing this song like him. He never copied nobody; did it all his own way. They pale in comparison with Lonnie.
I will be 60 yrs of age in April of this yr 2011 Uh these 2 guys are F N Genius song writers Very Interesting 2 C these 2 OSO different interpretations of this awesome LEADBELLY CLASSIC just recently got N 2 the Blues every 1 owes LEADBELLY an E nor mus Kudo for INSPRATION 2 go 4 it atttack the song
No, Kelly Pace is the first ever recording of the song, Lead Belly was there though, set up the equipment in an Arkansas prison where Pace was serving 42 years for stealing a car.
he didn't write it, it was around at least 20 years before he started performing it, but he did make up some of his own improvised lyrics which are in his and all future recordings of it, inc Lonnie Donegan
If you could ever recognize a Scouse accent trying to be a vanilla US accent or something else, you would know the truth of this talking and singing. Truth is, none of this includes one.
Then you need to do your homework as a Beatles fan till you learn to either recognize the sound of John and Paul's voices in all of their incarnations or at least learn to know what songs they've recorded and what ones they haven't.
Debbie Jane If it was which I have not looked up as yet it was covered by Lonnie Dongegan. He started skiffle and due to his success and the simplicity set up prompted scores of British kids to form there own groups. One of these were called the Quarrymen in the Spring of 1957.
no its not a Pete Seeger song. It started life as a commercial song advertising the train line in the early 1900s, Leadbelly picked it up as part of his repertoire but described it as a chain gang song. Alan Lomax recorded him performing it when he got out of jail, in 1947, two years before he died. This is most likely the record Lonnie (then Tony) Donegan based his version on. Pete Seeger has written some great songs, but he had nothing to do with Rock Island Line. Have a read of the book Roots, Radicals and Rockers by Billy Bragg, a great history of skiffle.
