It’s Day 7 on the December of Drinking set list, and we’re heading into the weekend! Yeah, I know it’s only Thursday, but I like to get a jump start on things. The next artist on our chart is a woman without peer, who is more well known for her civil rights activism than her tunes about gin. But, hey, everybody could use a drink now and again…
Nina Simone – Gin House Blues
Nina Simone is one of my big musical influencers. My collection of her recordings is only surpassed in number by those of Ella Fitzgerald. While there’s a ton that I could say about her, the topic at hand is drinking songs, and Miss Simone threw down on one of my favorites. “Gin House Blues” is the actually the title of two different songs that were originally recorded by Bessie Smith. The song we’re spinning today is also known by the name “Me And My Gin,” and has been recorded by a variety of artists. I like Dinah Washington’s “Me And My Gin,” but my favorite version of this song is Nina Simone’s live take.
Nina recorded “Gin House Blues” multiple times. The first version appears on Forbidden Fruit, released in 1961. This recording hews more closely to the original blues tune, with its spare accompaniment and straight forward delivery. She rerecorded it for ‘Nuff Said in 1968. This album is mostly live, from a performance at Westbury Music Fair. This time around, “Gin House Blues” is a rollicking upbeat number, a rarity for Miss Simone.
I was trying to find a video of her playing this live, but couldn’t dig up a good quality copy. But this is the version from ‘Nuff Said, and the musical quality is very good. Here’s Nina Simone, with “Gin House Blues.” Cheers!
Drinks List
- King Cole Trio – Scotchin’ With The Soda
- Big Bad VooDoo Daddy – You And Me And The Bottle Makes Three Tonight
- George Thorogood & The Delaware Destroyers – I Drink Alone
- Stick McGhee & His Buddies – Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee
- Willie Nelson – I Gotta Get Drunk
- Kendrick Lamar – Swimming Pools (Drank)
- Nina Simone – Gin House Blues
