Mighty Long Time -- question

[tom ball <havaball@xxxxxxx>]

Glenn wrote:
I have a question for the Sonny Boy II experts, and you who know you 
are. Regarding "Mighty Long Time" (track #10 of King Buscuit Time), 
the liner notes of the Arhoolie disc say that Cliff Bivens, or Givens 
(two spellings for this name are given-which is correct?) is the sole 
accompanyist on bass vocals and "broom," which I take to mean a 
washtub bass. To me, it sounds like SB II is backed up by a a guitar, 
which would have been played by Joe Willie Wilkins, and a string bass 
playing the same tango line an octave apart. What's the story with 
this track?
The reason I'm asking is because I've have transcribed all three harp 
solos from MLT for the next issue of Sing Out! magazine and I need 
accurate info for the article I'm writing that will accompany with 
the transcription.
Any help will be greatly appreciated
________
Russ responded:
My understanding is that Cliff Givens, the great doo-wop bass discovered
by Lillian McMurray and later a member of the Ink Spots, vocalized the
bass lines and slapped a broom on the floor for purcussive effect.
________________________
Russ is correct -- that's bass singer Cliff Givens.  (Perhaps a bit 
of stretch to attribute his discovery to Mrs. McMurry tho, as he'd 
been in the business since '35, recorded for RCA in '41, and had 
already been a member of both the Ink Spots and the Golden Gate 
Quartet.)  From what I've read, SB's bass player didn't show up at 
the session so Lillian called Cliff, who was known to her from the 
Trumpet gospel sessions by The Southern Sons.

This is one of my favorite SBWII pieces, and a very strange one 
indeed.  Every discography I've ever seen says this song is 
guitarless, and upon the first few listens, it certainly seems to be. 
But the more one critically listens to it (especially the middle to 
late parts,) the more it sounds like there may be a very 
lightly-played single-string guitar line, doubling Givens' bass part 
an octave higher. Is that what you're hearing, Glenn?  Because if so, 
I believe I hear it as well... in fact there seem to be a couple of 
spots where I could swear I'm hearing crackle from a pick-up.  But 
then the whole song is so drenched in studio-added reverb/echo that 
it's rather difficult to analyze.  There's no string bass on the 
song, but the combination of reverb/echo plus Givens' sharply 
articulated vocal attack (combined with the possible ghost guitar) 
make it sound, at times, like a string bass.  And although many 
books, liner notes and discogs state that Givens also played broom on 
this song, I don't hear it.  Mark Ryan's book says he played the 
broom in a wire-brushes fashion, by scraping it on the floor.  Great 
story, and it does seem to be audible on other songs from this 
session ("Stop Now, Baby" and "Too Close Together" for example,) but 
does anyone actually hear it on Mighty Long Time?  Or are my ears 
just shot?!?  :)

Amazing song, tho...  And an all-time classic recording, IMHO.  And 
I'm sure Mrs. McMurry would get a huge laugh out of all us 
harpfiend/internet types discussing (on computers) whether or not a 
guy played a damn broom 50+ years ago...  :)

cheers,

Tom Ball
Santa Barbara

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