Whispering Smith (Born 25th January, 1932)

[john poole]

Moses Smith - born 25th January, 1932(Brookhaven, Mississippi) [died 28th April, 1984] - one of the lesser known artists recording for Excello Records, introduced to the label by Lightnin' Slim. An extract from the sleeve-notes to his only LP (1970) for the company reads -

"Whispering" Smith is a blues artist with a long background in the art. But don't let that name fool you about his style of singing. It's strictly a joke. Moses Smith shouts the blues in a hoarse, earthy voice. And he plays harmonica for which he is best known with the same power. Today, he still plays and sings the blues in the same way. With the same reasons. Back to being a poor laborer, he is considered by many to be more of a "wine-head" than artist. But whatever his failures, "Whispering" Smith puts them into his music. And there he succeeds. Because that's what blues is all about." - Pierre Gonneau, KGFJ, Los Angeles.

'Mean Woman Blues' (1963) - his first record. It's a different mean woman to the one that Elvis, Jerry Lee, and "The Big O" sang about
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7q70UBjum4
issued in the UK on the EMI / Stateside LP "Authentic R&B"

He later toured with Lightnin' Slim appearing in Europe on the 1972 American Folk Blues Festival - this clip from Paris is the only one available on YouTube, although it seems that they were also filmed for the Old Grey Whistle Test (not sure if this still exists)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwY2D0IgVhA

http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/576417?view=synopsis
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/whispering-smith-p20604

[Alan Balfour]

It's a different mean woman to the one that Elvis, Jerry Lee, and "The Big O" sang about
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7q70UBjum4
issued in the UK on the EMI / Stateside LP "Authentic R&B"

Blimey, only last night I supplied Stefan Wirz with scans of that, its 'sister' compilation and a Lightnin' Slim/Slim Harpo for his Slim Harpo discography http://www.wirz.de/music/harpofrm.htm scroll down to 1963.