"I'm So Glad" is a

Delta blues Delta blues is one of the earliest-known styles of blues. It originated in the Mississippi Delta and is regarded as a regional variant of country blues. Guitar and harmonica are its dominant instruments; slide guitar is a hallmark of the s ...

-style song originally recorded by American musician

Skip James Nehemiah Curtis "Skip" James (June 9, 1902October 3, 1969) was an American Delta blues singer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter. AllMusic stated: "Coupling an oddball guitar tuning set against eerie, falsetto vocals, James' early recordings ...

in 1931. Blues historian Gerard Herzhaft notes "This spiritual probably dates back to the beginning of the blues". Blues writer Stephen Calt describes it as "a Two-Step piece marked by fiendishly fast playing nan eight bar arrangement single measures." Calt also adds the song is not related to an earlier Lonnie Johnson tune with a similar title.

Paramount Records Paramount Records was an American record label known for its recordings of jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey, Tommy Johnson (guitarist), Tommy Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson. Early years Paramoun ...

released James' "I'm So Glad" on the then-standard 10-inch 78rpm shellac phonograph record in 1931. It is included on various compilations as well as ''Hard Time Killing' Floor'' (2005), a CD collecting all of James's known recordings, issued by Yazoo Records. James's version is noted for its

irony Irony, in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what, on the surface, appears to be the case with what is actually or expected to be the case. Originally a rhetorical device and literary technique, in modernity, modern times irony has a ...

, as the upbeat melody and repeated refrain of "I'm so glad" are set against lyrics that describe restlessness and romantic anguish. James' song has been recorded by early blues artists, including Fred McDowell.

Cream adaptation

British

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

group

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...

reworked "I'm So Glad" using an electric

blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre, genre and form of rock music, rock and blues music that relies on the chords/scales and instrumental improvisation of blues. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electri ...

arrangement. In September 1966, they recorded it for their debut album, '' Fresh Cream''. The song was a feature of their live performances and a recording from October 1968 is included on the album '' Goodbye'' (1969). An album review included: "it's the rampaging 'I'm So Glad' that illustrates how far they've come; compare it to the original studio version on ''Fresh Cream'' and it's easy to see just how much further they're stretching their improvisation." As a result of Cream's albums and performances, "I'm So Glad" gained a much wider audience and other artists often based their versions on Cream's. Skip James was pleased with the new interpretation of his song and remarked: "That piece is absolutely gonna stand."

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...

added an intro and titled the song "Prelude: Happiness/I'm So Glad" for their first album '' Shades of Deep Purple'' (1968); " Jon Lord's organ flourishes, weaving classical riffs, and unexpected arabesques into "I'm So Glad," which sounds rather majestic here", according to AllMusic's Bruce Eder..

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...

did a live rendition of the song at there legendary U.S. festival performance.

References

{{authority control 1931 songs Blues songs Delta blues songs Cream (band) songs Deep Purple songs Song recordings produced by Robert Stigwood Paramount Records singles African-American spiritual songs

Cream adaptation

See also

References