Tracklist Hide Credits

The Origins Of The Blues
A1	–Fra-Fra Tribesmen	Yarum Praise Songs Vocals, Rattle, Fiddle – Fra-Fra TribesmenWritten-By – Traditional	2:56
A2	–Mississippi John Hurt	Stack O' Lee Blues Vocals, Guitar – Mississippi John HurtWritten-By – Traditional	2:45
A3	–Blind Willie McTell	Travelin' Blues Vocals, Guitar – Blind Willie McTellWritten-By – McTell*	3:18
A4	–Charley Patton	Stone Pony Blues Vocals, Guitar – Charley PattonWritten-By – Patton*	2:49
A5	–Blind Lemon Jefferson	Black Snake Moan Vocals, Guitar – Blind Lemon JeffersonWritten-By – Jefferson*	3:01
A6	–Leadbelly	Pig Meat Papa Vocals, Guitar – LeadbellyWritten-By – Ledbetter*	3:15
A7	–Texas Alexander	Broken Yo-Yo Guitar [Uncredited, Probably] – Lonnie Johnson Vocals – Texas AlexanderWritten-By – Alexander*	3:02
A8	–Peg Leg Howell	Broke And Hungry Blues Vocals, Guitar – Peg Leg HowellWritten-By – Howell*	3:19
Blues And Entertainment
B1	–Barbecue Bob And Laughing Charley	It Won't Be Long Now - (Part One) Vocals, Guitar – Barbecue Bob, Laughing CharleyWritten-By – Lincoln*, Hicks*	3:28
B2	–Henry Williams And Eddie Anthony	Georgia Crawl Vocals, Fiddle – Eddie AnthonyVocals, Guitar – Henry WilliamsWritten-By – Anthony*, Williams*	3:20
B3	–Mississippi Jook Band	Dangerous Woman Guitar – Roosevelt Graves*Piano – Cooney VaughnTambourine – Uaroy GravesWritten-By – Graves*	2:43
B4	–Memphis Jug Band	Gator Wobble Guitar – Charlie BurseLeader, Harmonica – Will ShadePiano, Jug – Jab JonesWashboard, Cowbell, Wood Block – Robert BurseWritten-By – Burse*, Shade*	2:39
B5	–Bessie Smith	In The House Blues Cornet – Louis BaconDrums – Floyd CaseyPiano – Clarence WilliamsTrombone – Charlie GreenVocals – Bessie SmithWritten-By – B. Smith*	3:00
B6	–Lillian Glinn	Shake It Down Bass – Unknown ArtistCornet – Unknown ArtistPiano – Unknown ArtistVocals – Lillian GlinnWritten By – Glinn*	3:12
B7	–Bertha "Chippie" Hill	Pratt City Blues Cornet – Louis ArmstrongPiano – Richard M. JonesVocals – Bertha "Chippie" HillWritten-By – Hill*, Jones*	2:53
B8	–Butterbeans And Susie*	What It Takes To Bring You Back (Mama Keeps It All The Time) Backing Band – Eddie Heywood And His Sons Of HarmonyHarmony Vocals [Duet] – Butterbeans And Susie*Piano – Eddie Heywood Written-By – Edwards*	3:24
The Thirties, Urban And Rural Blues
C1	–Leroy Carr / Scrapper Blackwell	Midnight Hour Blues Guitar – Scrapper BlackwellVocals, Piano – Leroy CarrWritten-By – L. Carr*	3:04
C2	–Faber Smith / Jimmy Yancey	East St. Louis Blues Piano – Jimmy YanceyVocals – Faber SmithWritten-By – J. Yancey*	2:48
C3	–Peetie Wheatstraw	Good Whiskey Blues Guitar – Casey Bill*Vocals, Piano – Peetie WheatstrawWritten-By – Bunch*	3:08
C4	–Casey Bill* / Black Bob	W.P.A. Blues Piano – Black BobVocals, Guitar – Casey Bill*Written-By – W. Weldon*, L. Melrose*	3:15
C5	–Bo Carter	Sorry Feeling Blues Vocals, Guitar – Bo CarterWritten By – Chapman	3:08
C6	–Robert Johnson	Little Queen Of Spades Vocals, Guitar – Robert JohnsonWritten-By – Johnson*	2:14
C7	–Bukka White	Parchman Farm Blues Vocals, Guitar – Bukka WhiteWashboard – Washboard SamWritten-By – White*	2:37
C8	–Memphis Minnie	Me And My Chauffeur Blues Guitar [2nd Guitar] – Little Son Joe Lawler*Vocals, Guitar – Memphis MinnieWritten-By – M. Lawlar*	2:45
World War Ⅱ And After
D1	–Blind Boy Fuller / Sonny Terry	I Want Some Of Your Pie Harmonica – Sonny TerryVocals, Guitar – Blind Boy FullerWritten By – F. Allan	2:40
D2	–Brownie McGhee	Million Lonesome Women Harmonica – Jordan WebbVocals, Guitar – Brownie McGheeWashboard – Washboard SlimWritten-By – B. McGhee*	2:34
D3	–Joe Williams* / Sonny Boy Williamson	Wild Cow Moan Bass – Ransom KnowlingDrums – Judge Riley*Harmonica – Sonny Boy WilliamsonVocals, Guitar – Joe Williams*Written-By – Williams*	2:51
D4	–Big Bill Broonzy	All By Myself Bass – Ransom KnowlingPiano – Memphis SlimVocals, Guitar – Big Bill BroonzyWashboard – Washboard SamWritten-By – W. Broonzy*	2:26
D5	–Joe Turner* / Pete Johnson	Roll 'Em Pete Piano – Pete JohnsonVocals – Joe Turner*Written-By – J. Turner*, P. Johnson*	2:50
D6	–Otis Spann	Bloody Murder Bass – Willie DixonDrums – Clifton JamesHarmonica – Walter "Shaky" Horton*Vocals, Piano – Otis SpannWritten-By – O. Spann*	3:34
D7	–Elmore James	Sunnyland Bass – Unknown ArtistBass Guitar – Unknown ArtistDrums – Unknown ArtistPiano – Unknown ArtistVocals, Guitar – Elmore JamesWritten-By – E. James*	2:20
D8	–Johnny Shines	I Don't Know Bass – Willie DixonDrums – Clifton JamesVocals, Guitar – Johnny ShinesWritten-By – J. Shines*	3:30

Companies, etc.

• Distributed By – Messaggerie Musicali

Credits

• Design, Sleeve – Ian Cameron
• Producer, Compiled By, Liner Notes – Paul Oliver

Notes

Subtitled:
Una storia documentata del blues su disco compilata da Paul Oliver

Laminated gatefold

Some copies, possibly the ones sold together with Paul Oliver's book, came with a small white sticker on the labels saying “DISCO CAMPIONE NON VENDIBILE" ("Sample record not for sale").

Made In Italy

Sleeve images: Townscape - South Side of Chicago in the 'thirties ©Library of Congress
L-R front;
Big Joe Williams ©Valerie Wilmer; Jimmy Yancey / Bessie Smith / Blind Boy Fuller ©Paul Oliver; Elmore James ©George Adins.
L-R Back;
Leadbelly ©Lawrence Cohn; Mississippi John Hurt ©Richard A. Waterman; Memphis Minnie ©Paul Oliver; Charley Patton ©Bernard Klatzko; Blind Lemon Jefferson ©John Steiner.

Tracks info - [orig 78 rpm issues in parenthesis]:
The Origin Of The Blues. ℗ 1927-1964
A1: Nangodi, Northern Territory, Ghana, June 1964. [Previously unissued]. (Public Domain)
A2: New York City. Dec 28 1928 [Okeh 8654] 401481-B (Public Domain)
A3: Atlanta, Georgia, Oct 30 1929 [Columbia 14484] 149300-1 (Public Domain)
A4: New York City. Jan 30 1934 [Vocalion 02680] 14727-1 (Cop. Con.)
A5: Chicago, Illinois. Mar 14 1927 [Okeh 8455] 80523-B (Cop. Con.)
A6: New York City. Mar 25 1935 [ARC 6-04-55] 17181 (Cop. Con.)
A7: San Antonio, Texas. Nov 27 1929 [Okeh 8764] 403357-A (Cop. Con.)
A8: Atlanta, Georgia. Apr 10 1929 [Columbia 14438] 148236-1 (Cop. Con.)

Blues And Entertainment. ℗ 1926-1936
B1: Atlanta, Georgia. Nov 09 1927 [Columbia 14268] 145192-2 (Cop. Con.)
B2: Atlanta, Georgia. Apr 19 1928 [Columbia 14328] 146148-2 (Cop. Con.)
B3: Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Jul 1936 [ARC 6-12-71] HAT 141 (Cop. Con.)
B4: Chicago, Illinois. Nov 06 1934 [Okeh 8958] C-78-3-2 (Cop. Con.)
B5: New York City. Jun 11 1931 [Columbia 14611] 151594-1 (Cop. Con.)
B6: New Orleans, Louisiana. Apr 24 1928 [Columbia 14315] 146180-1 (Cop. Con.)
B7: Chicago, Illinois. Nov 23 1926 [Okeh 8420] 9950-A (Cop. Con.)
B8: New York City. Feb 01 1930 [Okeh 8950] 403711-B (Cop. Con.)

The Thirties, Urban & Rural Blues. ℗ 1931-1941
C1: New York City. Mar 16 1932 [Vocalion 1693] 11499-A (Leeds Music Ltd.)
C2: Chicago, Illinois. Feb 23 1940 [Vocalion 05464] WC-2956-A (Leeds Music Ltd.)
C3: Chicago, Illinois. Mar 25 1935 [Vocalion 02978] C-924-A (Cop. Con.)
C4: Chicago, Illinois. Feb 12 1936 [Vocalion 03186] C-1256-1 (Leeds Music Ltd.) ["W.P.A." acronym = Works Progress Administration]
C5: New York City. Jun 04 1931 [Okeh 8889] 404930-A (Cop. Con.)
C6: Dallas, Texas. Jun 20 1937 [Vocalion 04108] DAL-395-2 (Cop. Con.)
C7: Chicago, Illinois. Mar 07 1940 [Okeh 05683] WC-2981-A (Leeds Music Ltd.)
C8: Chicago, Illinois. May 21 1941 [Okeh 06288] C-3765-1 (Cop. Con.)

World War II And After. ℗ 1938-1963. ℗ 1968 D8
D1: Memphis, Tennessee. Jul 12 1939 [Vocalion 05030] MEM-110-1 (Cop. Con.)
D2: Chicago, Illinois. May 23 1941 [Okeh 06329] C-3791-1 (Cop. Con.)
D3: Chicago, Illinois. Jul 22 1947 [Columbia 37945] CCO 4836-1 (Cop. Con.)
D4: Chicago, Illinois. Jul 17 1941 [Okeh 06427] C-3908-1 (Leeds Music Ltd.)
D5: New York City. Dec 30 1938 [Vocalion 4607] 23892-1 (Leeds Music Ltd.)
D6: Chicago, Illinois. May 1968 Blue Horizon 57-3142 (Goodie Two Shoes)
D7: Chicago, Illinois. c.1963 [Previously unissued] (Uncle Doris Music)
D8: Chicago, Illinois. May 1968 Blue Horizon 7-63212 (Goodie Two Shoes)

Barcode and Other Identifiers

• Matrix / Runout (Lato 1): CI 63572◊1L 28/11/69
• Matrix / Runout (Lato 2): CI 63572◊2L 3/12/69
• Matrix / Runout (Lato 3): CI 63573◊1L 3/12/69
• Matrix / Runout (Lato 4): CI 63573◊2L 3/12/69

Other versions

Category	Artist	Title (Format)	Label	Category	Country	Year
66218, M 63572, M 63573	Various / Paul Oliver	Various / Paul Oliver - The Story Of The Blues ‎(2xLP, Comp, Mono)	CBS, CBS, CBS	66218, M 63572, M 63573	UK	1969
SOPI 20-21	Various / Paul Oliver	Various / Paul Oliver - The Story Of The Blues ‎(2xLP, Comp, Mono, Gat)	CBS/Sony Inc.	SOPI 20-21	Japan	Unknown
CG 30008	Various	The Story Of The Blues ‎(2xLP, Comp, Mono, RP)	Columbia	CG 30008	US	Unknown
S 67260	Various / Paul Oliver	Various / Paul Oliver - The Story Of The Blues ‎(2xLP, Comp)	CBS	S 67260	Spain	1972
510728 2	Various	The Story Of The Blues ‎(2xCD, Comp)	Legacy	510728 2	Europe	2003