Arthur Crudup – Dirt Road Blues on vinyl LP. Delta blues compilation from the writer of Elvis first single. Ships from Germany.
About Dirt Road Blues
A vinyl compilation of Delta blues recordings from Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup, the bluesman whose song That's All Right became Elvis Presley's very first single.
Dirt Road Blues is a compilation album by Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup, released via Past Perfect Silver Line, gathering recordings made in Chicago between 1941 and the late 1940s. Crudup is best remembered as the writer of That’s All Right, the song Elvis Presley recorded for his 1954 debut single at Sun Records, though Crudup’s own catalogue of Delta and Chicago blues stands as significant in its own right. This listing is a vinyl LP compilation from a Berlin based eBay seller.
- Who was Arthur Crudup
- About this compilation
- The Elvis Presley connection
- Pressing details and buying advice
The Short Version
- Artist Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup was a Mississippi born blues guitarist and singer, active recording primarily in Chicago through the 1940s.
- Legacy His song That’s All Right became Elvis Presley’s debut single on Sun Records in 1954, effectively launching rock and roll.
- Recordings This compilation gathers tracks recorded in Chicago between 1941 and the late 1940s, including the title track Dirt Road Blues.
- Style Delta blues rooted in Mississippi tradition, with Dirt Road Blues itself derived from Charlie Patton’s earlier work.
- Ships From Berlin, Germany.
Arthur Crudup – Dirt Road Blues (LP, Comp)
Vinyl LP compilation, Past Perfect Silver Line
Vinyl LP compilation pressing of Dirt Road Blues, sold by a Berlin based eBay seller with 100% positive feedback.
Pressing Specifications
Who Was Arthur Crudup?
Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup was a Mississippi born blues musician who relocated to Chicago, recording steadily throughout the 1940s for the Bluebird and RCA Victor labels. Though he never achieved major commercial success in his own lifetime, Crudup's songwriting proved enormously influential; his 1946 song That's All Right became the basis for Elvis Presley's very first single, recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis in July 1954, a record widely credited with helping launch the rock and roll era. Crudup wrote several other songs later covered by Presley, including My Baby Left Me and So Glad You're Mine, though he saw little financial benefit from their success during his lifetime, a fact that has since coloured much of his historical legacy.
About This Compilation
Dirt Road Blues gathers recordings Crudup made in Chicago across the 1940s, including the title track, itself derived from Charlie Patton's earlier Delta blues work and reportedly popular enough on jukeboxes to visibly wear down record grooves at the time. The compilation captures Crudup's distinctive electric Delta blues sound, often accompanied by bassist Ransom Knowling and various Chicago session drummers, and features songs addressing recurring themes in his catalogue, including tracks named for various women, in the tradition of contemporaries like Lightnin' Hopkins and Big Joe Williams. As a compilation, the record offers a useful entry point into Crudup's catalogue for listeners drawn in by his historical connection to Presley and the earliest days of rock and roll.
- A direct historical link to Elvis Presley’s debut single and the birth of rock and roll
- Authentic Delta and Chicago blues recordings from the 1940s
- A useful compilation for newcomers to Crudup’s catalogue
- Historically significant songwriting legacy
- A compilation rather than an original studio album, given the era
- Niche appeal outside blues history collectors
- Fixed shipping cost from Germany
What is Dirt Road Blues by Arthur Crudup?
It is a compilation of Delta and Chicago blues recordings made by Crudup between 1941 and the late 1940s.
Why is Arthur Crudup historically significant?
His song That’s All Right became Elvis Presley’s debut single in 1954, widely credited with helping launch the rock and roll era.
What other Presley songs did Crudup write?
He also wrote My Baby Left Me and So Glad You’re Mine, both later recorded by Presley.
Where does the title track come from?
Dirt Road Blues was derived from Charlie Patton’s earlier Delta blues work, reworked with Crudup’s own duple rhythm.
Does this listing ship outside Germany?
The seller is based in Berlin and lists a fixed shipping cost; check the current listing for up to date international shipping options and rates.
Where To Buy This Pressing
Worth The Spin?
- A historically significant songwriter whose work helped launch rock and roll
- Authentic Delta and Chicago blues recordings from the 1940s
- Best suited to blues history collectors and rock and roll historians
Dirt Road Blues offers a valuable window into the roots of rock and roll through Arthur Crudup’s own catalogue, and this listing offers a vinyl compilation from a highly rated German seller.