"Denomination Blues" is a gospel blues song composed by Washington Phillips (18801954), and recorded by him (vocals and zither) in 1927. In 1938,

Sister Rosetta Tharpe Sister Rosetta Tharpe (born Rosetta Nubin, March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) was an American singer and guitarist. She gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her Gospel music, gospel recordings, characterized by a unique mixture of spir ...

(191573) recorded a

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

version of the song under the title "That's All". She subsequently recorded several versions with orchestral accompaniment. In 1972,

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, an ...

recorded the song on his album '' Into the Purple Valley''.

The songs

Denomination Blues

Phillips' song is in two parts, occupying both sides of a 78rpm single (it is over five minutes long, and could not have fitted on a single side because of technical limitations). In 1928, it sold just over 8,000 copies; a considerable number at a time when a typical single by

Bessie Smith Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the " Empress of the Blues", she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1930s. Inducted into the Rock and ...

, "The Empress of the Blues", sold around 10,000. The song is in strophic form: it consists of 17 verses sung to essentially the same music, all with a similar last line. In Part 1, Phillips gently mocks several

Christian denominations Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

for their particular obsessions ( Primitive Baptists,

Missionary Baptists Missionary Baptists are a group of Baptists that grew out of the missionary / anti-missionary controversy that divided Baptists in the United States in the early part of the 19th century, with Missionary Baptists following the pro-missions move ...

, A.M.E. Methodists, African Methodists, Holiness People, and Church of God); and in Part 2, several types of people he felt were insincere in their beliefs (

preachers A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach components such as a ...

who want your money, preachers who insist that a college education is needed to preach

the gospel The gospel or good news is a theological concept in several religions. In the historical Roman imperial cult and today in Christianity, the gospel is a message about salvation by a divine figure, a savior, who has brought peace or other benefits ...

, and people who "jump from church to church"). Phillips is known to have attended several churches of different denominations, and the lyrics likely reflect his personal experience. His own faith was uncomplicated, as these extracts from the lyrics show: The song appears to have been thereafter completely neglected until 1972, when Ry Cooder included a version (with verses omitted and rearranged) on his album ''Into the Purple Valley''. It has since been

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

several times. Many cover versions omit some of, or rearrange, or add to, or rewrite, Phillips' words; perhaps for artistic reasons, or perhaps to support the artist's own beliefs; sometimes contradicting the message Phillips had tried to convey. Some cover artists, negligently or otherwise, have claimed the song to be their own composition.

That's All

In 1938,

recorded a version of the song entitled "That's All" for

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

. She recorded four songs that day, the first gospel songs recorded by Decca; all were immediate successes. The tune is similar to but not identical to Phillips'; the lyrics include some of Phillips' words (notably the striking phrase "educated fool", and the words "that's all" repeated at the end of each verse), but differ in several ways. That, and her choice of title, suggests that she may have learned the song through

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another. Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (1985 ...

rather than from Phillips' recording. In 1941, she re-recorded the song, accompanied by

Lucky Millinder Lucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder (August 8, 1910 – September 28, 1966) was an American swing and rhythm-and-blues bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang, his showmanship and musical ...

's Jazz She continued to perform it throughout her career. Although Tharpe's "That's All" had gained an independent life, the recording history suggests that it and Phillips' "Denomination Blues" have merged back into a single stream following Cooder's 1972 cover of the latter song; for example,

The 77s The 77s (alternatively spelled the Seventy Sevens, the 77's, or simply 77's) is an American rock music, rock band consisting of Michael Roe on vocals/guitar, Mark Harmon (musician), Mark Harmon on bass guitar, and Bruce Spencer on drums. Histo ...

' 1982 version uses both titles.

Recordings

Denomination Blues

* 1927Washington Phillips, Columbia single * 1969-74Perry Tillis * 1972

, on the album '' Into the Purple Valley'' * 1975 Barry McGuire,

2nd Chapter of Acts The 2nd Chapter of Acts was a Jesus music and early contemporary Christian music group composed of sisters Annie Herring and Nelly Greisen and brother Matthew Ward. They began performing in 1972 and enjoyed their period of greatest success du ...

and a band called David, on the album '' To the Bride'' * 1975Parchment, on the album ''Shamblejam'' * 1982The 77s, "Denomination Blues (That's All)" on the album '' Ping Pong over the Abyss'' * 1992Marianne Antonsen, on the album ''Pickin' Up the Spirit'' * 1996Michael Hakanson-Stacy, "Denomination Blues, Pt. 2" on the album ''Sanctuary Blues'' * 1999

Geoff Bartley Geoff Bartley (born 1948) is an American acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter whose musical style combines roots, blues, jazz, and traditional folk. He lives in the Boston area, where he can be found at The Can Tab Lounge in Cambridge, Mas ...

, on the album ''Hear That Wind Howl'' * 2000The 77s, on the album ''

Late Late may refer to: * LATE, an acronym which could stand for: ** Limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, a proposed form of dementia ** Local-authority trading enterprise, a New Zealand business law ** Local average treatment effect, ...

'' * 2005Taylor Grocery Band, on the album ''Taylor Grocery Band'' * 2006

Rodney Crowell Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album '' Diamonds & Dirt''. ...

, on the album ''Voice of the Spirit, Gospel of the South'' * 2008 Buddy Greene, on the DVD ''A Campfire Homecoming'' * 2009 Ashley Cleveland, on the album ''God Don't Never Change'' * 2010Blue Rhythm Boys, on the album ''Come On If You're Comin * 2011 Kenny Brown, on the album ''Can't Stay Long''

That's All

* 1938

, Decca single * 1941Sister Rosetta Tharpe with Lucky Millinder's Jazz Orchestra, Decca single * 1943Sister Rosetta Tharpe with Lucky Millinder's Jazz Orchestra (live) * 1943Sister Rosetta Tharpe with (probably)

Noble Sissle Noble Lee Sissle (July 10, 1889 – December 17, 1975) was an American jazz composer, lyricist, bandleader, singer, and playwright, best known for the Broadway musical ''Shuffle Along'' (1921), and its hit song "I'm Just Wild About Harry". Ea ...

and His Orchestra (live) * 1961Sister Rosetta Tharpe * 2013Brick Fields and The Chosen Ones (feat. Rj Mischo), on the MP3 album ''Go Ahead and Sang the Blues''

References

{{authority control Gospel songs Washington Phillips songs 1927 songs Columbia Records singles Decca Records singles Ry Cooder songs