"Farther Up the Road" or "Further on Up the Road" is a blues song first recorded in 1957 by Bobby "Blue" Bland. It is an early influential Texas shuffle and features guitar playing that represents the transition from the 1940s blues style to the 1960s blues-rock style.
The song became Bland's first record chart success and one of his best-known tunes. As a blues standard, "Farther Up the Road" has been performed and recorded by numerous blues and other artists,[1] including Eric Clapton who has made it part of his repertoire.
In 2022, Bland's recording was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in the 'Classics of Blues Recording – Singles' category.[2]
The songwriting for "Farther Up the Road" is credited to Joe Medwick Veasey, a Houston-area independent songwriter/broker, and Duke Records owner Don Robey. In an interview, blues singer Johnny Copeland claimed he and Medwick wrote the song in one night; Medwick then sold it the next day to Robey, with Robey taking Copeland's songwriting credit.[3] According to Bobby Bland, Medwick wrote the song with no involvement by Robey.[3]
The guitar work on the song has been attributed to three different guitar players: Pat Hare, Mel Brown, and Wayne Bennett.[3] However, Bland noted that Hare was the session guitarist, having been chosen by arranger/trumpeter Joe Scott.[3] It was Hare's only session with Bland, although he was in Junior Parker's Blue Flames, who sometimes provided backup while Bland was on tour.[3] Bennett and Brown were Bland's later guitarists.[3]
Composition and lyricsedit
"Farther Up the Road" has been called a "seminal Texas shuffle"[4] featuring "a style which Bland evolved as his own, with his light, melodic vocals riding over an ebullient shuffle".[5] According to music critic Dave Marsh, "Bland's deep vocal and Scott's arrangement, which swings as hard as it rocks, links Ray Charles' big band R&B to more modern currents in Southern soul".[6] Bland's smooth vocals are contrasted with Pat Hare's raucous, overdriven guitar fills and soloing,[7] a style which prefigured the blues-rock sound of the late 1960s.[8] Music critic Dave Marsh adds that the song is "a virtually perfect Texas blues ... [Pat Hare's] signature lick provides the missing link between T-Bone Walker and Eric Clapton".[6] The backing arrangement is provided by the Bill Harvey Orchestra, who added a big band-influenced[9] intro and outro as well as chord substitutions to the twelve-bar scheme. The song has been notated in 4/4 time in the key of F with a moderate (108 beats per minute) tempo.[10]
Part of the song's success may be due to Bland's "telling a convincing story, making brief lyrical vignettes highly believable with his conversational style".[11] Author Anand Prahlad comments on the song's use of "the theme of reciprocity":[12]
Farther on up the road, someone's gonna hurt you like you hurt me (2×) Farther on up the road, baby you just wait and see You got to reap just what you sow, that old saying is true (2×) Like you mistreat someone, someone's gonna mistreat you
However, Prahlad adds, "His [Bland's] usage of the proverb contains a philosophical dimension that is absent from the other [songs with similar themes] and a momentary distance from the emotional wound".[12]
The song was Bland's first charting single after several years of recording for various record companies. It became a number one hit during a fourteen-week stay in 1957 in the Billboard R&B chart as well as reaching number 43 in the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.[13] Bland enjoyed nearly uninterrupted chart success for the next twenty years.[13] "Farther Up the Road" is included on Bland's first album, Blues Consolidated, a co-release with Junior Parker in 1958 on Duke Records.[14] The song is included on many official Bland compilations, including The Best of Bobby Bland and I Pity the Fool: The Duke Recordings, Vol. 1.[14]
Eric Clapton renditionsedit
Eric Clapton recorded several versions of "Farther Up the Road" over the years, usually calling it after its opening lyrics "Further on Up the Road".[15] Clapton uses the lyrics from the original, but the song is performed at a faster tempo as an unembellished shuffle. The song first appeared on his 1975 live album E. C. Was Here. In 1976, a live version was recorded with Freddie King, which is included on Freddie King (1934–1976). Also in 1976, he performed the song with the Band in the concert film The Last Waltz. Another live version was recorded in Japan in 1979 for Clapton's Just One Night. In 1981, Clapton recorded it with Jeff Beck during The Secret Policeman's Other Ball benefit show. A version with Joe Bonamassa appears on the 2009 video Joe Bonamassa: Live from the Royal Albert Hall. Clapton co-performed the song with Robbie Robertson during Clapton's third induction at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and resurrected it for his 2007 and 2011 Asian, European and American world tours.
Referencesedit
^ "Bobby "Blue" Bland: Farther Up the Road – Also Performed By". AllMusic. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
^"BLUES HALL OF FAME - About/Inductions". Blues.org. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
^ Santelli, Robert (2001). "Bobby 'Blue' Bland". The Big Book of Blues. Penguin. p. 47. ISBN978-0-14-100145-6.
^ Shadwick, Keith (2001). "Bobby 'Blue' Bland". The Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues. Oceana. p. 241. ISBN978-0-681-08644-9.
^ ab Sullivan, Steve (2013). "Farther Up the Road (1957) – Bobby Bland". Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Volume 2. Scarecrow Press. p. 472. ISBN978-0810882966.
^ ab "Bobby 'Blue' Bland: Farther Up the Road – Appears On". AllMusic. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
^ "Eric Clapton: Further on Up the Road – Appears On". AllMusic. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
January 01, 1970
farther, road, confused, with, bruce, springsteen, song, later, covered, johnny, cash, further, road, blues, song, first, recorded, 1957, bobby, blue, bland, early, influential, texas, shuffle, features, guitar, playing, that, represents, transition, from, 194. Not to be confused with the Bruce Springsteen song later covered by Johnny Cash Farther Up the Road or Further on Up the Road is a blues song first recorded in 1957 by Bobby Blue Bland It is an early influential Texas shuffle and features guitar playing that represents the transition from the 1940s blues style to the 1960s blues rock style Farther Up the Road Single by Bobby Blue BlandB side Sometime Tomorrow Released1957 1957 RecordedHouston Texas 1957GenreBluesLength2 45LabelDukeSongwriter s Don Robey Joe Medwick VeaseyProducer s Don RobeyBobby Blue Bland singles chronology Don t Want No Woman 1957 Farther Up the Road 1957 Teach Me 1957 The song became Bland s first record chart success and one of his best known tunes As a blues standard Farther Up the Road has been performed and recorded by numerous blues and other artists 1 including Eric Clapton who has made it part of his repertoire In 2022 Bland s recording was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in the Classics of Blues Recording Singles category 2 Contents 1 Background 2 Composition and lyrics 3 Eric Clapton renditions 4 ReferencesBackground editThe songwriting for Farther Up the Road is credited to Joe Medwick Veasey a Houston area independent songwriter broker and Duke Records owner Don Robey In an interview blues singer Johnny Copeland claimed he and Medwick wrote the song in one night Medwick then sold it the next day to Robey with Robey taking Copeland s songwriting credit 3 According to Bobby Bland Medwick wrote the song with no involvement by Robey 3 The guitar work on the song has been attributed to three different guitar players Pat Hare Mel Brown and Wayne Bennett 3 However Bland noted that Hare was the session guitarist having been chosen by arranger trumpeter Joe Scott 3 It was Hare s only session with Bland although he was in Junior Parker s Blue Flames who sometimes provided backup while Bland was on tour 3 Bennett and Brown were Bland s later guitarists 3 Composition and lyrics edit Farther Up the Road has been called a seminal Texas shuffle 4 featuring a style which Bland evolved as his own with his light melodic vocals riding over an ebullient shuffle 5 According to music critic Dave Marsh Bland s deep vocal and Scott s arrangement which swings as hard as it rocks links Ray Charles big band R amp B to more modern currents in Southern soul 6 Bland s smooth vocals are contrasted with Pat Hare s raucous overdriven guitar fills and soloing 7 a style which prefigured the blues rock sound of the late 1960s 8 Music critic Dave Marsh adds that the song is a virtually perfect Texas blues Pat Hare s signature lick provides the missing link between T Bone Walker and Eric Clapton 6 The backing arrangement is provided by the Bill Harvey Orchestra who added a big band influenced 9 intro and outro as well as chord substitutions to the twelve bar scheme The song has been notated in 4 4 time in the key of F with a moderate 108 beats per minute tempo 10 Part of the song s success may be due to Bland s telling a convincing story making brief lyrical vignettes highly believable with his conversational style 11 Author Anand Prahlad comments on the song s use of the theme of reciprocity 12 Farther on up the road someone s gonna hurt you like you hurt me 2 Farther on up the road baby you just wait and see You got to reap just what you sow that old saying is true 2 Like you mistreat someone someone s gonna mistreat you However Prahlad adds His Bland s usage of the proverb contains a philosophical dimension that is absent from the other songs with similar themes and a momentary distance from the emotional wound 12 The song was Bland s first charting single after several years of recording for various record companies It became a number one hit during a fourteen week stay in 1957 in the Billboard R amp B chart as well as reaching number 43 in the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart 13 Bland enjoyed nearly uninterrupted chart success for the next twenty years 13 Farther Up the Road is included on Bland s first album Blues Consolidated a co release with Junior Parker in 1958 on Duke Records 14 The song is included on many official Bland compilations including The Best of Bobby Bland and I Pity the Fool The Duke Recordings Vol 1 14 Eric Clapton renditions editEric Clapton recorded several versions of Farther Up the Road over the years usually calling it after its opening lyrics Further on Up the Road 15 Clapton uses the lyrics from the original but the song is performed at a faster tempo as an unembellished shuffle The song first appeared on his 1975 live album E C Was Here In 1976 a live version was recorded with Freddie King which is included on Freddie King 1934 1976 Also in 1976 he performed the song with the Band in the concert film The Last Waltz Another live version was recorded in Japan in 1979 for Clapton s Just One Night In 1981 Clapton recorded it with Jeff Beck during The Secret Policeman s Other Ball benefit show A version with Joe Bonamassa appears on the 2009 video Joe Bonamassa Live from the Royal Albert Hall Clapton co performed the song with Robbie Robertson during Clapton s third induction at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and resurrected it for his 2007 and 2011 Asian European and American world tours References edit Bobby Blue Bland Farther Up the Road Also Performed By AllMusic Retrieved May 5 2019 BLUES HALL OF FAME About Inductions Blues org Retrieved 20 March 2022 a b c d e f Farley Charles 2011 Soul of the Man Bobby Blue Bland Jackson Mississippi University Press of Mississippi pp 74 88 89 ISBN 978 1 60473 919 0 Santelli Robert 2001 Bobby Blue Bland The Big Book of Blues Penguin p 47 ISBN 978 0 14 100145 6 Shadwick Keith 2001 Bobby Blue Bland The Encyclopedia of Jazz amp Blues Oceana p 241 ISBN 978 0 681 08644 9 a b Sullivan Steve 2013 Farther Up the Road 1957 Bobby Bland Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings Volume 2 Scarecrow Press p 472 ISBN 978 0810882966 McGee David 2005 B B King There Is Always One More Time Backbeat Books p 51 ISBN 978 0 87930 843 8 Koda Cub Pat Hare Artist Biography AllMusic Retrieved June 27 2014 Larkin Colin 2006 Bland Bobby Encyclopedia of Popular Music Oxford UK Oxford University Press p 2006 ISBN 978 0397518487 Bobby Blue Bland Farther Up the Road SheetMusicDirect com Music Sales Group Retrieved June 27 2014 Bobby Bland Answers com Retrieved September 27 2010 a b Prahlad Sw Anand 1996 African American Proverbs in Context Jackson Mississippi University Press of Mississippi p 93 ISBN 978 0 87805 889 1 a b Whitburn Joel 1988 Top R amp B Singles 1942 1988 Menomonee Falls Wisconsin Record Research p 45 ISBN 0 89820 068 7 a b Bobby Blue Bland Farther Up the Road Appears On AllMusic Retrieved September 11 2014 Eric Clapton Further on Up the Road Appears On AllMusic Retrieved September 11 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Farther Up the Road amp oldid 1187452081, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
