DOUG MACLEOD:
Albert Collins did a song o' mine, called 'Cash Talkin'(The Workin' Man Blues)' on the 'Cold Snap' record. And I remember when he did it I could hear it in the background when Bruce Iglauer called me. And they were gonna change the title of it. I called it 'Workin' Man Blues.' And Bruce said to me, he said, "Doug," he says, "we can't call it 'Workin' Man Blues'." I said, "Why?" He said, "Well, because Merle Haggard got a song called 'Workin' Man Blues'. And they might get it confused." And I don't know how on earth you could confuse Albert Collins with Merle Haggard but that's what Bruce wanted to do. So I asked Bruce, I said, "Bruce. Does this mean you gonna get part o' the publishin'?" He says, "No." I said, "Does this mean you gonna get part of the writer's rights?" He said, "No." I said, "Bruce, call it whatever you want to. Just get it on the record." So, about---oh, maybe two, three months before Albert passed away I saw 'im---well, I was in the back room with 'im---and he said to me, he said, "MacLeod, I'm 'onna do another record. You got another song for me?" I said, "How many songs you want, Albert? I'll give you any song you want." You know what I mean? And I had a lot for him. But he died. And I told 'im, that when he did 'Cash Talkin' (The Workin' Man Blues)', my wife'n I were goin' through a hell of a hard time with money. And that check came in from BMI for dat, and the check from Alligator for dat song. It got us through. And I'll always be thankful that Albert Collins did a song o' mine.
That's my most fond remembrance of 'im. I mean, I worked with 'im, too, in a backup band, with Coco Montoya. Together---we in the band together! And with Albert, man, what a great time that was! That's when Albert had that long cord---that he went all the way out the theater---had a guy like a fishin' line, behind 'im, movin' people t'the side, sayin' "Git outa the way! Git outa the way!"---n' the band, we just kept playin'. And he went out, came around, and came back...
Y'know, he played in that open F minor tunin'---and he mighta been the last o' the most distinct guitar players...I'm thinkin' about that now. What's comin' to my mind is this: is that so many guitar players now, you listen to 'em, you don't know who it is. But when you listened to Albert Collins you knew exactly it was Albert Collins...You know what I'm sayin'? He's one of the unique guys. I miss 'im. I miss 'im. I miss his energy and his joy and his laughter---and 'is bus. I miss 'is bus. (7/14/01 AE)
Albert Collins did a song o' mine, called 'Cash Talkin'(The Workin' Man Blues)' on the 'Cold Snap' record. And I remember when he did it I could hear it in the background when Bruce Iglauer called me. And they were gonna change the title of it. I called it 'Workin' Man Blues.' And Bruce said to me, he said, "Doug," he says, "we can't call it 'Workin' Man Blues'." I said, "Why?" He said, "Well, because Merle Haggard got a song called 'Workin' Man Blues'. And they might get it confused." And I don't know how on earth you could confuse Albert Collins with Merle Haggard but that's what Bruce wanted to do. So I asked Bruce, I said, "Bruce. Does this mean you gonna get part o' the publishin'?" He says, "No." I said, "Does this mean you gonna get part of the writer's rights?" He said, "No." I said, "Bruce, call it whatever you want to. Just get it on the record." So, about---oh, maybe two, three months before Albert passed away I saw 'im---well, I was in the back room with 'im---and he said to me, he said, "MacLeod, I'm 'onna do another record. You got another song for me?" I said, "How many songs you want, Albert? I'll give you any song you want." You know what I mean? And I had a lot for him. But he died. And I told 'im, that when he did 'Cash Talkin' (The Workin' Man Blues)', my wife'n I were goin' through a hell of a hard time with money. And that check came in from BMI for dat, and the check from Alligator for dat song. It got us through. And I'll always be thankful that Albert Collins did a song o' mine.
That's my most fond remembrance of 'im. I mean, I worked with 'im, too, in a backup band, with Coco Montoya. Together---we in the band together! And with Albert, man, what a great time that was! That's when Albert had that long cord---that he went all the way out the theater---had a guy like a fishin' line, behind 'im, movin' people t'the side, sayin' "Git outa the way! Git outa the way!"---n' the band, we just kept playin'. And he went out, came around, and came back...
Y'know, he played in that open F minor tunin'---and he mighta been the last o' the most distinct guitar players...I'm thinkin' about that now. What's comin' to my mind is this: is that so many guitar players now, you listen to 'em, you don't know who it is. But when you listened to Albert Collins you knew exactly it was Albert Collins...You know what I'm sayin'? He's one of the unique guys. I miss 'im. I miss 'im. I miss his energy and his joy and his laughter---and 'is bus. I miss 'is bus. (7/14/01 AE)