San Francisco Bay Blues

"San Francisco Bay Blues" is an American folk song and is generally considered to be the most famous composition by Jesse Fuller.[1] Fuller first recorded the song in 1954 (released 1955) for a small label called World Song.[2] The song was brought into wider popularity in the early 1960s by club performances by Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Bob Dylan, and Jim Kweskin. Recorded covers have been performed by many artists including The Blues Band, Paul Jones, Jim Croce, The Weavers, The Brothers Four, Paul Clayton, Richie Havens, Eric Clapton, The Flatlanders, Paul McCartney, Hot Tuna, Janis Joplin, John Lennon, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Mungo Jerry, Glenn Yarbrough, George Ellias, Phoebe Snow, The Wave Pictures, The Halifax III and Eva Cassidy. A "one-man band" rendition of the song featuring a kazoo solo was recorded by Fuller himself in a 1962 concert. This has been included in a Smithsonian Folkways compilation, Friends of Old Time Music.[1]

Topic Records issued the original Jesse Fuller version on a 10-inch vinyl LP called Working on the Railroad in 1959 and included it as track six of the first CD of the Topic Records 70 year anniversary boxed set Three Score and Ten.

Notes and sources

  1. 1 2 Peter Siegel, liner notes to Friends of Old Time Music (Smithsonian Folkways, SFW40160) (link)
  2. ↑ Jesse Fuller discography


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