Sam Chatmon: Cold Blooded Murderer (1978)

Sam Chatmon performs "Cold Blooded Murderer," vocal and guitar. Shot by Alan Lomax, John Bishop, and Worth Long at Sam Chatmon's home, Hollandale, Mississippi, August 1978. For more information about the American Patchwork filmwork, Alan Lomax, and his collections, visit culturalequity.org. [02.06.04]

[@merkur8777]

I was fortunate enough back in the mid 70s to see Mr. Chatmon play live. Very cool to sit 15 feet away and watch him work.

[@Freedomfighter76239]

Merkur87 dude you better not be messing with me rn

[@nelsonx5326]

Amazing!

[@dmorrowhvac]

Man like that playing a song like that and a woman like that just come walking down the street and don't even look up seems like god sent her by for scenery for the video or the devil did prolly the devil

[@lynchie137]

Looked like that cameraman had a little bit of a crush on that fine looking lady walking down the street.......

[@tgipson20]

Lol me too a lil. How could he not capture that moment though it was pure art. Reminds me of that booka white video of jelly roll with the girl unlacing them knee high boots. Like a music video before captured live. Lol

[@mexicantextiles6093]

Lomax is a real cultural hero, these recordings are an inspiration.

[@rkl17]

Oh man..... that's the Blues baby..... that's the real, down South, low down, heartfelt blues. Thank you so much for posting this.

[@TheVatonaught]

Got to see Sam live one night...he opened up for the Chicago Blues Stars with blues giants...he blew the audience away ! They let him play two sets...he had a cold and wore threadbare clothes but his voice and string band guitar really made me wake up to that genre of blues.

[@photojones1]

Pure and from the source, music like this can move mountains.

[@kennedykiser557]

A Blues Legend indeed. Not to mention being very gifted & blessed.

[@swim_ad]

I sold my soul at the crossroads and the devil still ain't make me play like that

[@conken5623]

Reminds me of my family playing together in Oklahoma and Arkansas.. nobody had money, so no one could "go out" to movies or restaurants. Our entertainment was fishing, hunting, or getting together on Friday or Saturday nite at a friend's or relatives house. All the men would be on porch, everyone smoked so that kept the mosquitoes away as the smokey was heavy, women inside talking about babies, cooking or husbands and all of us kids were in the yard playing some kind of tag. No one asked to come over, just one of the men would start playing on his porch, usually working on tuning, then a neighbor would hear and pass that info on till it hit almost a 30 mile radius. Funny how news traveled so fast, and most didn't even have a land line. Everybody show up in their old beat up trucks, w kids piled in the bed, women bring a pot luck, men brought beer or a form of moonshine they bought or made. Everyone had their own instrument. And the older teens be bringing theirs to listen and learn with. 1/2 the men chewed, other yelled at them stop spitting this way or push the spot-on closer to them. I have seen fist fights over spitting, they all laugh in the end. Nobody shot each other yet everyone had shot guns or rifles inside the truck hanging in the rack across back window. Some dogs, not many as men were hard on the training of coon or bird dogs. But the music always had a rhythm, they drag us girls to sing some short songs and few if the women did too. Lived it when someone caught big catfish and we had fresh catfish fry, kids had water from hose or if lucky water diwn cool aides, someone always brought watermelon or cantaloupe in summer, and quick cookies during off season. We never cared, all us kids wanted to do was run and play cops and robbers, tag or hide and seek. Much simpler time. So much better than phones and tablets, computers, no catching fireflies or junebugs down sisters shirts, no passing the baby off to over 30 adults to give mama a break. I think it sad mothers have no help from their neighbors w their babys. No wonder so many new mothers are depressed after having one, no breaks at all to have good fun and advice from so many older moms all in one place. Music was love stories, wars they be in or work that was hard like factories, railroad, plenty hunting fishing songs. Sunday afternoon after church was different, potlucks at church Sundays men bring instruments and it was all good old church songs, us kids sang more on those days, and moms running around trying is to stay clean in Sunday bests, it was only about 2-3 hours after church but we all go home, very happy. Monday starts the week and we do it all over again. It was a very good life.

[@CretinMike27]

It is F#. It's standard tuning though. In guitar terms it is in "A" but he's tuned a step and a half low.

[@tylerhurd9569]

A and long A.

[@AFaceintheCrowd01]

How’d that happ’n?

[@jerryjames4090]

It is F# tuned to the 432 Hz frequency range

[@ADZ1LL4]

It don't matter as long as you playing it ..

[@ugmold]

Beautiful Guitar, and artist of course.

[@AndrewRaines614]

2:39 what a catchy and fun chord progression.

[@jamesagwe2981]

2:39

[@sampson623]

@@jamesagwe2981 thanks for that haha

[@barristanselmy2758]

Just give me my money, and ill catch a train and go.

[@blackkoganinja5093]

Sam is so badass!!!!

[@RandyStrubleBackingTracks]

Nothin' better then an evening spent listenin' to a batch of your vids!! This is a great one!!

[@neogeoriffic]

You can really learn a lot by watching these old dudes play!

[@ryankiziltoprak7108]

Putain cette archive est juste incroyable, Sam Chatmon respect !!!! Alan Lomax merci pour tout se travail de titan

[@niteclydn]

That's REAL old school blues

[@mashcot]

It's in the key of between F and F sharp ! ;)

[@jerryjames4090]

It seems that way because he is tuned to F# at the 432 Hz frequency range, rather than the official world-wide standard tuning range of 440 Hz.

[@catman953]

love it thanks for posting this

[@nikosfragosofficial]

Super!!!!!!!!

[@DanFrechette]

Best video on youtube.

[@dwaynetempest3433]

True to the bone ,wicked to the core ,fix me sumadat baby and we gonna hit the floor

[@edwardbright5894]

Dude has DEFINITELY Lived some of the songs he sang 🤠👍🇺🇸🎼🎵🎶☎️

[@MrZaf12]

just wonderful

[@KerryianMcKenna]

Great Historic stuff !

[@AnalogOpher]

If a Robert Johnson film surfaced, it wouldn't be as astonishing as having fucking Sam Chatmon play for us on his front porch.

[@tomitstube]

now that's the blues.

[@QuintinPenola]

thank u Alan Loman

[@edwardbenes5015]

Fun tune Thanks

[@glennrogers8537]

Thank You 4 Posting this video

[@jay94271]

Damn me i miss '78

[@BertrandLaurenceMusic]

Way way cool

[@valeriyblinov1573]

Super!!! Folk!!! Blues!!!

[@johnathanzaine]

Sam was smooth with that!

[@jamieaditya1162]

If I'm not mistaken he was related to Bo Carter..if so what a family!!

[@0Reilly08]

You're not mistaken. Bo's real name is Armenter Chatmon.

[@jamieaditya1162]

Bo and Sam sound alike in their singing. Similar voice..Bo was an amazing guitar player too. His playing on "Mashing that thing" is incredible!

[@Pentagonshark666]

And a blues legend Charlie Patton was also his half brother.

[@micoveliki8729]

Brothers

[@BeneeUK]

They think Charlie Patton is his oldest bro

[@chadbeaver2943]

It's funny how many people that watch this video know so little about blues history and Sam Chatmon, when people comment and call him white. He's actually black!

[@GeriHew]

Take another look. This video is in colour. Not all of us are still living in the black & white world.

[@SlimDavenport]

+chad beaver Sam Chatmon was 1/2 white, 1/4 black and 1/4 choctaw

[@osiruskat]

OK. I can see it know. Sam Chatmon gets refused service at an all "white" and tells them "you know I'm only 1\4 'black'". In their eyes he still was " black" and second class not quite human. He identified as "black" man and face all "black" Americans have mixed ancestry.

[@Pentagonshark666]

But he don't seem black!!!

[@g.davidlawrence8471]

Seems Blue.

[@shortstuffstumpleson]

And she had no idea the legend she was struttin' by

[@IIllytch321nonadinfinitum]

Ha, question at the end with its mysterious answer.

[@hdryder1568]

This man birthed sound!

[@bornfedslaughter]

very good

[@pukulu]

"oh I couldn't name 'em, I know so many of 'em"

[@MrCameron9000]

What was the camera man doing at the beginning?? Ha, anyways, a great clip nonetheless. Sam Chatmon is so underrated.

[@joybrucebruce3377]

Shame on Lomax keeping us from seeing him at the start. What you looking at Me too.

[@mindisaction]

The truth is out there !!!!

[@Schweinrich]

Cadillac pimp wagon in the background.

[@loud9829]

Ganster song

[@scornabecco]

@2517joe i think it's a standard tune...

[@PeluMaad]

@2517joe ...he's playing A chord shapes...

[@Craig07L]

Did this ever get put down on vinyl? I can only find it on CD "Sam Chatmon 1970-74"

[@lapboard340]

Yes, it did. I have all of his vinyl albums.

[@mashcot]

The guitar is tuned a minor third down

[@loveu-uu7oq]

real deal

[@spanishflew]

quality

[@sirdavidstratton9789]

Wonder who the girl is

[@eternalbeing3339]

His woman duh.

[@boogiejuiced]

sam chatmon should have a golden statue in my house

[@2517joe]

anyone have any ideas what tuning this is in? fairly sure its in the key of f sharp...

[@SlimDavenport]

Standard tuning. A Position. Tuned down 1 and 1/2 step.

[@gleb202]

One of the best White bluesmen I've heard

[@eternalbeing3339]

Lol

[@thrillbillyjp1]

Know what my dad does this same thing every now amd then to match his low flat voice. Take a standard or key of E or F and drop entire guitar down half step then drop D . Flattens out .

[@GhostyFilms]

He's got some interesting hands.

[@kingkonut]

chune

[@nickwadesbluesandgospelcha9072]

Just look at the cold blooded murderer strut down the street 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@2517joe]

hmmm well the song isn't atonal is it, so it does have a key.... yeah, but hey thanks for the romantic little speech though "tucker"

[@allkindsagirls6117]

@bryanking91 mine too man, mine too. haha

[@donaldlamb6325]

what kind of guitar is that

[@pelumaad331]

...a 30's vintage Gibson?

[@pelumaad331]

***** .....I wish my Recording KIng sounded like that.

[@pelumaad331]

***** ....Have you ever heard his old Mississippi Sheiks stuff ??? You can tell which vocals are him from way back in the 30s and 40s....

[@pelumaad331]

***** ...LOL...see you at Port Townsend one year.....

[@SlimDavenport]

+Donald Lamb It's a Gibson L-50

[@blizakebowman]

Passion > autotune

[@justforever96]

Should have given them more camera training before sending them out. And what's with filming the woman in the beginning?Just thought she was a hot piece or what?

[@havokbaphomet666]

+justforever96 It adds to the bluesy feeling, guess ye not familiar with that.

[@Jlogan205]

+justforever96 Lomax wasn't making a music video, he was documenting the folk music of the time and place. I think he did a damn good job.

[@tuckerrhall67]

It was not meant to jab,..... I just have been working with some fellas and stressing the importance of the "free Key" and to rely on ear more than tech and letters.... Frets,.. playing style and all that shit can make a tech tuned guitar sound off,... ya know what i mean,..... ? but i found out the key was in R......

[@eternalbeing3339]

Lol just give me my money and I'll catch that train n go.

[@tuckerrhall67]

ITS NOT a key,.... its not in tune,..... but his fingers have a little affair with each string,... those little gizmo's with the green n red lites,... welll. .....,,, there's 2 things on either side of your head,... they seem to work fine,...

[@LouisGanja]

it was the devil

[@nicolassosolic3760]

No wonder why Spanish guitar is played by virtuoso,that 's because the instrument was introduced centuries before it got popular over the states,blues is a very poor kind of music.

[@DockingFreidmanRecords]

Not really. Blues is not a poor form of music. You can't put this music on the level of mumble rap which to me is poor. Thats a ridiculous statement bro. It sounds dumb cause blues has a signature sound.