♪ ♪ It's the 30 Minute Music Hour. I'm Andy Moore. Tonight it's the Carolina Chocolate Drops! ♪ ♪ ( beatboxing ) ♪ ♪ ♪ Everybody talkin' 'bout ♪ ♪ Their sweetie nowadays ♪ ♪ I've got the one ♪ ♪ With the sweetest ways ♪ ♪ Your baby may ♪ ♪ Roll her jelly fine ♪ ♪ Nobody's baby can ♪ ♪ Roll it like mine ♪ ♪ Your baby ♪ ♪ Ain't sweet like mine ♪ ♪ She bake her jelly roll ♪ ♪ All the time ♪ ♪ And when I'm feelin' ♪ ♪ Lonesome and blue ♪ ♪ My baby ♪ ♪ Know just what to do ♪ ♪ Yes sir ♪ ♪ She even call me honey ♪ ♪ She even let me ♪ ♪ Spend her money ♪ ♪ Never has a baby ♪ ♪ Put me outdoors ♪ ♪ She even buys me ♪ ♪ All of my clothes ♪ ♪ I don't want to brag ♪ ♪ Just want to put you in line ♪ ♪ Your baby ♪ ♪ Ain't sweet like mine ♪ ♪ Oh no ♪ ♪ Your baby ♪ ♪ Ain't sweet like mine ♪ ♪ Play it ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh, play that thing ♪ Play it ♪ ♪ ♪ Your baby ♪ ♪ Ain't sweet like mine ♪ ♪ She bake her jelly roll ♪ ♪ All the time ♪ ♪ And when I'm feelin' ♪ ♪ Lonesome and blue ♪ ♪ My baby ♪ ♪ Know just what to do ♪ ♪ Yes sir ♪ ♪ She even call me honey ♪ ♪ She even let me ♪ ♪ Spend her money ♪ ♪ Never has a baby ♪ ♪ Put me outdoors ♪ ♪ She even buys me ♪ ♪ Every piece of my clothes ♪ ♪ Now I don't want to brag ♪ ♪ Just want to put you in line ♪ ♪ Your baby ♪ ♪ Ain't sweet like mine ♪ ♪ Oh no ♪ ♪ Your baby ♪ ♪ Ain't sweet like mine ♪ ♪ Rattle them bones ♪ ♪ ♪ Blow that jug ♪ ♪ Where's your jug?
( beatboxing ) ♪ ♪ (laughs) ♪ ♪ ♪ Your baby ♪ ♪ Ain't sweet like mine ♪ ♪ She bake her jelly roll ♪ ♪ All the time ♪ ♪ And when I'm feelin' ♪ ♪ Lonesome and blue ♪ ♪ Oh my baby ♪ ♪ Know just what to do ♪ ♪ Yes sir ♪ ♪ She even call me honey ♪ ♪ Honey, honey ♪ ♪ She even let me ♪ ♪ Spend her money ♪ ♪ Never has a baby ♪ ♪ Put me outdoors ♪ ♪ It's too cold ♪ ♪ She even buys me ♪ ♪ All of my clothes ♪ ♪ And his shoes ♪ ♪ I don't want to brag ♪ ♪ Just want to put you in line ♪ ♪ Your baby ♪ ♪ Ain't sweet like mine ♪ ♪ Oh no ♪ ♪ Your baby ♪ ♪ Ain't sweet like mine ♪ ♪ Ah yeah ♪ ♪ Your baby ♪ ♪ Ain't sweet like mine ♪ ♪ ♪ ( applause ) Thank you folks. Now this next one we're going to do is one that Hubby is going to sing. It's called "From Four 'Til Late." It goes a little something like this. Where would I be without you?
The sweet sound of tuning. ♪ ♪ ♪ From four 'til late ♪ ♪ I was wringing my hands ♪ ♪ And cryin' ♪ ♪ From four 'til late ♪ ♪ I was wringing my hands ♪ ♪ And cryin' ♪ ♪ I believe in my soul ♪ ♪ That your man ♪ ♪ Is Gulfport bound ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Now from Memphis to Norfolk ♪ ♪ Is a 36-hour drive ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ From Memphis to Norfolk ♪ ♪ Is a 36-hour drive ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Ain't a man ♪ ♪ Just like a prisoner ♪ ♪ And he ain't never satisfied ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Now, a woman's ♪ ♪ Just like a dresser ♪ ♪ Some man's always running ♪ ♪ Through its drawers ♪ ♪ That woman's ♪ ♪ Just like a dresser ♪ ♪ Some man's always running ♪ ♪ Right through its drawers ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Cause so many men ♪ ♪ To wear an apron overall ♪ ♪ ♪ Go on, man. ♪ ♪ ( imitating trombone ) ♪ I said ♪ ♪ From four 'til late ♪ ♪ She gets with a no good ♪ ♪ Bunch of clowns ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Yeah from four 'til late ♪ ♪ She'll get with a no good ♪ ♪ Bunch of clowns ♪ ♪ And she don't do nothing ♪ ♪ But tear a good man's ♪ ♪ Reputation down ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Now when I leave this town ♪ ♪ Gonna bid you fare-- ♪ ♪ Farewell ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ When I leave this town ♪ ♪ Gonna bid you fare-- ♪ ♪ Farewell ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ But when I come back again ♪ ♪ You'll have a great long ♪ ♪ Story to tell ♪ ♪ ♪ ( applause) Well, we'll do this one called "Hit 'Em Up Style." It's just a good old-fashioned revenge number. Y'all ready?
Yeah. Okay. ♪ ♪ ( beatboxing ) ♪ ♪ ♪ Well, he was schemin' ♪ ♪ I was beamin' ♪ ♪ In his Beamer just beamin' ♪ ♪ I can't believe that♪ ♪ I caught my man cheatin' ♪ ♪ So I found another way ♪ ♪ To make him pay for it all ♪ ♪ So I went to Neiman Marcus ♪ ♪ On a shoppin' spree-ah ♪ ♪ And on the way ♪ ♪ I grabbed Sole & Mia ♪ ♪ As cashbox rang ♪ ♪ I threw everything away ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Hey Ladies ♪ ♪ When you're man ♪ ♪ Wanna get buck wild ♪ ♪ Just go back ♪ ♪ And Hit 'Em Up Style ♪ ♪ Get your hands on his cash ♪ ♪ And spend it ♪ ♪ To the last dime ♪ ♪ For all the hard times ♪ ♪ When you go ♪ ♪ Then everything goes ♪ ♪ From the crib ♪ ♪ To the ride ♪ ♪ And the clothes ♪ ♪ So, you better let him know ♪ ♪ That if he mess up ♪ ♪ You gotta hit 'em up ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ There goes the dreams ♪ ♪ We used to say ♪ ♪ There goes the times ♪ ♪ We went away ♪ ♪ There goes the love I had ♪ ♪ But you cheated on me ♪ ♪ And that's for that now ♪ ♪ There goes the house ♪ ♪ We made a home ♪ ♪ There goes ♪ ♪ You'll never leave me alone ♪ ♪ There go the lies ♪ ♪ You told ♪ ♪ This is what you owe ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This is what you ♪ ♪ Owe-owe-owe ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ While he was braggin' ♪ ♪ I was comin' down the hill ♪ ♪ Just draggin' ♪ ♪ All his pictures ♪ ♪ And his clothes ♪ ♪ In my bag, and ♪ ♪ Threw everything out ♪ ♪ Till there ♪ ♪ Was just nothing left ♪ ♪ And I paid all the bills ♪ ♪ About a month too late ♪ ♪ It's a shame ♪ ♪ We have to play these games ♪ ♪ The love we had ♪ ♪ Just fades away ♪ ♪ Fades away-ay-ay ♪ ♪ Hey Ladies ♪ ♪ When you're man ♪ ♪ Wanna get buck wild ♪ ♪ Just go back ♪ ♪ And hit 'em up style ♪ ♪ Get your hands on his cash ♪ ♪ And spend it ♪ ♪ To the last dime ♪ ♪ For all the hard times ♪ ♪ When you go ♪ ♪ Then everything goes ♪ ♪ From the crib ♪ ♪ To the ride ♪ ♪ And the clothes ♪ ♪ So, you better let him know ♪ ♪ That If he mess up ♪ ♪ You gotta hit 'em up ♪ ♪ Hey, Ladies ♪ ♪ What? ♪ ♪ When you're man ♪ ♪ Wanna get buck wild ♪ ♪ Come on ♪ ♪ Just go back ♪ ♪ And hit 'em up style ♪ ♪ Get your hands on his cash ♪ ♪ And spend it ♪ ♪ To the last dime ♪ ♪ For all the hard times ♪ ♪ When you go ♪ ♪ Then everything goes ♪ ♪ From the crib ♪ ♪ To the ride ♪ ♪ And the clothes ♪ ♪ So you better let him know ♪ ♪ That if he mess up ♪ ♪ You gotta hit 'em uh-uh-up ♪ ( applause) Well that got the studio rocking.
Great stuff. That's a cut, Hit 'Em Up Style from that beautiful package right there. That's a Grammy Award winning record, Genuine Negro Jig. This is the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Adam, Rhiannon, Dom, and Hubby.
Welcome. Thanks for coming. The music has such deep roots. You're doing your own thing with it Dom.
Give us the 30-second background though on where the music came from and how you found it. Thirty, ready, go! Oh man, all right. ( chuckles ) Well the old time fiddling banjo tradition in America is several hundred years old.
How we got into it, there was a listserv called Black Banjo Players Then and Now. It's a listserv that's meant to talk about and explore the African and African American roots of the banjo, which at the time really wasn't well known. Rhiannon and I met at a thing called the Black Banjo Gathering, which happened in Boone, North Carolina in 2005. That's how we started the group the Carolina Chocolate Drops.
We played with a fellow named Joe Thompson, who is now 92 years-old, he's been playing since he was a very little boy. That was kind of the formation of our group. That's the how we started out and then from there we kind of expanded on. These are our two new members, Hubby Jenkins and Adam Matta.
And what additions they are to the line up. If you saw their program in Madison just the night before, we're on live on the web and this was taped. Never seen a theater respond, and who would have thunk that beatbox and a string band would work? There are a lot of people who were dubious about that right?
Weren't there? There are. Why do you think it works Adam? The beat in this kind of music.
Well there's just the element of the groove. The groove matches really well doing the beat. There's also the fact that the beatbox is an organic art form. It's kind of like a folk music in and of itself.
It can be traced back to ancient art forms of vocal percussion. Just the same way that the Drops are upholding their tradition. These roots do go way back and it's just about using what you got to created a sound, to create music, and to get people to dance. It does give new meaning to oral tradition.
Yeah exactly. Who's idea was it to find Adam or for you to find the Chocolate Drops? Well we met three years ago on a project. I have some friends from New York who have a band based in Brooklyn that play gypsy punk klezmer tango music, all string band stuff.
That band knew the Drops from the folk circuit and they brought me down to meet with them, to meet the Drops three years ago to collaborate on some recordings and just have fun and mixing the beats. I met the Drops three years ago and when Justin, the original third member decided to leave the band last year they gave me a call. Right. And meanwhile Hubby comes into the fold too with a mandolin, adds it's own panache, it's own little sparkle and shine, and more bones.
How many bands have more than one bones player? ( chuckles ) So no regrets? No, no regrets at all. I've been friends with Dom for a long time and gotten to hang out with them for a couple years while they were doing their thing and everything's been real natural, everything's been clicking.
No regrets at all. Yeah it shows. It seems like you guys have been together in this line up a lot longer than a few months. I've got to ask about the Grammy.
Rhiannon, what was it like? Was that insane to win a Grammy? Um, yeah. I mean-- ( chuckles ) Honestly, we were just happy to be nominated.
The winning it was pretty over the top. We were just excited to be there. You know? Right.
Was the event like super fancy, and swag, and free gifts? People ask us about the swag, we didn't get any swag. Not even after we won, there was just too many people. There's like 98 categories in the daytime, but it was just, you know, kind of exciting just to be there.
Neither me nor Dom are really into the cocktail party thing, so there was a couple parties we kind of showed up and went, okay that's enough and we left. It was cool to be there. When we got there, that was when we realized that we were just in Traditional Folk and that's why we're on the commercials half, 'cause we hit the red carpet, and... Nobody was there.
All the news commentators were there, but they didn't stop us. We just kept walking right in there with no problem. Only the Carolina Chocolate Drops would celebrate winning a traditional folk music Grammy by hiring a beatbox. So innovate and continue and thank you so much for your uplifting music.
Please if we could have a few more, it'd be great. Sure thing. Well, this is one that Adam wrote here. You know he's had some hard times, and I guess he's going to have to tell you in song about it.
That's right, beatboxing is a difficult journey. And this is a song-- It's a country waltz about beatboxing and about the trials-- ( chuckles ) Trying to make it happen. ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm done with your letters ♪ ♪ I'm done with your jokes ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm done ♪ ♪ With your album covers ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm done with your hoax ♪ ♪ You had me believin' ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ That you'd be my bride ♪ ♪ But it's gettin' harder ♪ ♪ And harder and harder ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ To beatbox ♪ ♪ And smile at the same time ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ We had a show ♪ ♪ At the town county hall ♪ ♪ I kept the tempo ♪ ♪ And Rivermen called ♪ ♪ But every time ♪ ♪ I looked down at the line ♪ ♪ You were entangled ♪ ♪ In arms that weren't mine ♪ ♪ And if it hadn't ♪ ♪ Been over and over again ♪ ♪ The same partner ♪ ♪ I'd probably be fine ♪ ♪ But it's getting harder ♪ ♪ And harder and harder ♪ ♪ To beatbox ♪ ♪ And smile at the same time ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ( beatboxing) ♪ You told me ♪ ♪ We were meant to be ♪ ♪ And all of a sudden ♪ ♪ I had to agree ♪ ♪ And I would ♪ ♪ Just keep beatboxing ♪ ♪ As long as I can ♪ ♪ As long as ♪ ♪ You were next to me ♪ ♪ Holdin' my hand ♪ ♪ And now ♪ ♪ I'd have to write you ♪ ♪ A thousand little words ♪ ♪ Or draw you a picture ♪ ♪ 'Cause you hadn't heard ♪ ♪ I'm done with your letters ♪ ♪ I'm done ♪ ♪ With your lies today ♪ ♪ I'm done ♪ ♪ With your album covers ♪ ♪ I'm givin' 'em all away ♪ ♪ And I'll keep telling myself ♪ ♪ I could stop on a dime ♪ ♪ But it's getting harder ♪ ♪ And harder and harder ♪ ♪ To beatbox ♪ ♪ And smile at the same time ♪ ♪ It's getting harder ♪ ♪ And harder and-- ♪ ( beatboxing ) ♪ To beatbox ♪ ♪ And smile at the same-- ♪ It's getting-- ( beatboxing ) ♪ ♪ ( imitating scrubbing, and slowing way down ) ♪...time ♪ ♪ ♪ ( applause ) It's real hard out here for a beatboxer, you know. ( chuckles ) This next tune we'll do here, this is one called Po' Black Sheep.
This is a piece that a fellow recorded of a duo named Nathan Frazier and Frank Patterson. All right. Here we go. ♪ ♪ ♪ Whoa, Lammy ♪ ♪ Po' black sheep ♪ ♪ Ain't got no mammy ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Sheep and the goat ♪ ♪ They went to the pasture ♪ ♪ Sheep said goat, you'd ♪ ♪ Better get a little faster ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I got a gal ♪ ♪ Lives in this town ♪ ♪ I know my gal fool around ♪ ♪ Oh, my gal ♪ ♪ She's pretty and fine ♪ ♪ Oh, I wish my gal was mine ♪ ♪ ♪ Yep!
♪ ♪ ♪ Eight hands up ♪ ♪ Circle to the right ♪ ♪ Promenade all the way around ♪ ♪ Grab the gal ♪ ♪ You love the best ♪ ♪ Leave my gal alone ♪ ♪ ♪ Yep! ♪ ♪ ♪ Yeah, Lammy ♪ ♪ Yeah, Lammy ♪ ♪ Po' Black Sheep ♪ ♪ Ain't Got no Mammy ♪ ♪ ♪ ( applause ) Thank you so much folks. Now this last tune we're going to do for you, this is a little spiritual number that we learned from that fiddler that I was mentioning earlier, Joe Thompson. This is one called, "Lights in the Valley," so all you folks at home you can sing along, if you'd like, as well.
A little bit of this one, "Lights in the valley." It's also known as "Do Lord Remember Me." Lots of people have done it, and hopefully it will keep on for a long time. ♪ ♪ ♪ Lights in the valley ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Lights in the valley ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Lights in the valley ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Way beyond the blue ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Singing in the valley ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Singing in the valley ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Singing in the valley ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Way beyond the blue ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm gonna see my mother ♪ ♪ Down in the valley ♪ ♪ Gonna see my mother ♪ ♪ Down in the valley ♪ ♪ I'm gonna see my mother ♪ ♪ Down in the valley ♪ ♪ Way beyond the blue ♪ ♪ I'm gonna meet my father ♪ ♪ Down in the valley ♪ ♪ I'm gonna meet my father ♪ ♪ Down in the valley ♪ ♪ I'm gonna meet my father ♪ ♪ Down in the valley ♪ ♪ Way beyond the blue ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I got a home in Beulah Land ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ I got a home in Beulah Land ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ I got a home in Beulah Land ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Way beyond the blue ♪ ♪ Now, do Lord ♪ ♪ Oh, do Lord ♪ ♪ Lord remember me ♪ ♪ Do Lord ♪ ♪ Oh, do Lord ♪ ♪ Lord remember me ♪ ♪ Do Lord ♪ ♪ Oh, do Lord ♪ ♪ Lord remember me ♪ ♪ I Said ♪ ♪ Do Lord remember me ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Lights in the valley ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Lights in the valley ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Lights in the valley ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Way Beyond the blue ♪ One more time now! ♪ Lights in the valley ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Lights in the valley ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Lights in the valley ♪ ♪ Outshine the sun ♪ ♪ Way beyond the blue ♪ Take it home boys! ♪ ♪ ( applause )
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