Oh, but it does belong in that era that I grew up in. Music brought together people who loved music. No auto tune, pure talent and people didn't get offended, like today. Great reaction❤❤
Black Betty was a Civil War black powder musket. The gun had a child (the Bullet) and the thing went wild. A misfire. There is great history with the song's beginnings.
@@LadyDragonsblood Black betty was a rifle used by the british army , The Brown Bess was a carbine so to speak, cheap shorter and not painted but stained. It killed more men from behind due to the fact it was so SHIT . "black Betty had a child ! Bam Ber Lam ! DAMN THING GONE WILD ! THIS was a Marching song from 1800's The first recording was 1930 from a Texas prison ! & had nothing to do with Black people .
A couple things for ya... the record company gave them about 500 bucks to make the video. They spent 400 on weed and beer and did the video in their neighbors backyard. The first black Betty verse is about a gun the 2nd is about liquor and the last verse is about a woman. One of the greatest one hit wonders ever.
They should have spent $300 on weed and beer and invest the rest in doing the entire song for the video. lol That breakdown is just too bad ass to omit!
Let's see, a lid was about $25 back then & you could get a keg for about $40. Plus, it didn't cost a fortune to go to a concert. Aaah, the good ole days.
No, the whole song is about not one, but two different guns. The british made black betty, and the U.S. made version ( made in Alabama ) called the brown bess, which shot wildly, and was never used in combat. No parts of the song were about any thing but these two guns.
@@johnmerschbach7356 Where are you guys getting all this? The singer from the band himself said it was about Betty Page! There is a phone interview up on youtube. You can hear it straight from the horses mouth. Remember, the internet has a lot of lies on it. People love stories and will embellish anything to make it more interesting.
The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited (BSA) was a major British industrial combine, a group of businesses manufacturing military and sporting firearms. Black Betty was a musket, not a person. Speechless is normal when hit with the raw power of that song and the vicious riffs. Total excellence that never gets old.
This song is actually almost 100 years old...and the singer/lead guitarist used to be in a 60's band called the Lemon Pipers who had a big hit with My Green Tambourine....so he is a double one hit wonder ....
Thatmanstu , I'm not almost 100 years old 👿 I'm only just 74 ish but I remember loving this song . My parents and grandparents were strict and I used to sneak off to a friend's house to watch top of the pops . Your mathematics are a bit off ... I'm not ready to die yet .
Actually it's much older than that. Goes back to slavery. A traditional song with no known author. Some believe Black Betty was a whip used on slaves. Lots of interpretations though.
It’s the kick drum for me. Can we please show some love to the drummer, my god. The guitar and vocals are insane too. Fun song…loved your reaction to it 👏👍
"Black Betty" was Ram Jam's only big hit in 1977. But it is one of the most fun & energetic songs. Just some dudes hanging out in someone's back yard & jamming out. Love it! "Black Betty" is a 20th-century African-American work song often credited to Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter as the author, though the earliest recordings are not by him.
The video is a good introduction to a song that had radio play, but wasn't really a "big" hit. It's more interesting listening to the full album version.
English settlers from Cumbria and Northumbria, who settled the Appalachians called their whisky and stills 'Black Betty' the songs about their stills, Black Betty had a child is the whisky being born, it shakes sends you blind and makes you sing.
This is a great one hit wonder. I enjoy the video more than the song, because it was performed in someone's back yard, so up to par` for this era. Music was so organic and down to earth back then...no tinsels and glamorous costumes just all about the music🎶Nice reaction thanks for sharing🔥🎸👍💖
@@vinceaaron8921 you missed out on the whole instrumental piece in the middle of the song you need to listen to the album original version they cut it out during the video it's awesome
The record company asked how much they needed to make a video, they said $500. Got the $500, and rumor has it that they took the $500 bought some alcohol and weed, invited some friends over to the drummers house and shot this. For your enjoyment, listen to the album version. It has some good guitar work that isn't included on this radio edit version.
Back in the 70's my ex and I had a big party every summer, with a few kegs and a band. We lived in an old farmhouse set way back from the road and we all had a blast. Now I'm 68 and I love seeing young people enjoying our music.
That song belongs in any era, it's always going to be relevant. I absolutely loved your fresh reaction to this song! Thank you as always for letting me sit in with you!
Great songs have that kinda timeless quality. That’s why a song like this can still sound contemporary over 40 years old. I guess that’s the real test of any music is whether it still sounds fresh decades later.
Close. Its about a rifle made long ago, that was called black betty. They tried to improve on it and ended up with a dangerous rifle that was hard to aim correctly
Not necessarily. I don't believe it was ever officially confirmed what the true topic was. 1st off it's not an entirely original song. Also many people have speculated what "Black Betty" referred to specifically and there are dozens of theories; most pertain to alchohol and have refrences that date back centuries; Ben Franklin mentions it even. I'm quite sure you're just reiterating speculation. Not to mention Ram Jam is most likely using it's original meaning as a metaphor anyway; a metaphor that dosn't align with what you said. 2nd, and this is key, there was a very popular drug during that specific time period that were pills knows as "black bettys". They keep you awake and wired, which fits with the song and the drug culture in songs during the period.
Don't know where people get the idea that Black Betty was a gun ( I'm a 74yr old Anglo Irish grandma ) ?? It is about a sexy black lady from Birmingham Alabama and anyone with half a brain who listens to the lyrics will get it right . Literature , Poetry , Music and Art are subjective and mean different things to different people .🍀🤔 Love your reaction .
That next song (Carry on Wayward Son) is fantastic!! That Red-Headed Sasquatch can freaking sing!! Kansas has another great song also, "Dust in the Wind". Very soulful.
Look up the name "Sershen & Zaritskaya" with "Dust in the wind" after the names above, one of the best covers of that song I'd ever heard. You'll like it, if you'd never heard that cover before. Always disliked the version by Kansas, made it even worse (for myself) that it was voted as my high school class song of 1979. lol Needless to say, to myself, that's just one of those songs that a female voice is just so much more fitting for the song. Much like I like the cover of Peter Frapton's song "Baby I love your way" by Will to power, just much better with the female vocalists. Irony of this one, it's the only Will to power song I even like..
As noted, the song is actually an old folk song that the band learned from Leadbelly's version. Guitarist Bill Bartlett actually recorded it with his previous band, Starstruck, in 1973, and when he was subsequently signed after they broke up, the producers asked him to bring them the master for remixing. Ram Jam was organized around that remixed record.
Yeah this is just a gem. I never liked it as a kid back in the late 70s early 80s. But looking back it's just rock beyond genius level... the guitar playing, the song construct, the breaks... the pumping drive...
"Black Betty" was actually one of the first ever songs recorded. It was an old work song and I believe there is a 1939 recording of it on the internet somewhere by Huddy Ledbetter. Back in the mid 1800's Black Betty was another name for whiskey.
I'm so glad to see today's generation appreciating great music from the 60 70 and 80s back then no such thing as auto tune . You either had the voice or the God given talent to play an instrument
That song was done many years ago sung by a blues singing black man called "Leadbelly" he had that deep southern soulful voice. Check him out. Loved your reaction.
That's what you call a friday night Rockin out tune Greg! I enjoyed listening to it with you, even though I first heard it when I was 7 or 8 quite a few years ago:)
1 hit wonder is about the best representative R 'n R from the Classic late 60's and 70's. LOVE IT. LOVE IT. LOVE IT🎸🎸 Excellent and appropriate reaction. I've seen well over 100.
Black Betty from everything I could find is a song originally written and performed by lead belly. It's an old blues song about a shot gun. You can find a Smithsonian recording of it on youtube. I think it's dated to 1939.
My husband restores old cars and builds engines...ground up stuff. And he always names them. Black Betty was this gorgeous early 50's Ford P/U with a lot of curves, painted the glossiest black. After he built Black Betty he built Penny Lane. Copper painted 80's era Ford Bronco. Every hotrod has it's song 💗
You have to go a long way back to hear the real-original Black Betty. I believe there is a 1933 recording, but the song is an old work song from before then. They still may not even know who wrote it or came up with it. As is typical with old American folk songs. Try finding the 1933 vid of a recording to hear what it sounded like 90 or so years ago, and check it out.
It may actually have been a British soldiers song, referencing a musket used in the 18th Century and beyond, possibly made in Birmingham, England out of a black colored wood.. The Brown Bess, made in Birmingham, Alabama might have been a copy of this musket. So, it is much older than Leadbelly's song, and the meaning of Black Betty was changed over the succeeding decades. All three verses reference the musket.
1st verse is about a gun, 2nd verse about whiskey, 3rd verse a woman. Old, old, old song, gone through many renditions. It can be shocking when you're not familiar with it's history. Love your channel, keep up the great work.
This is a from a old slave song. That is the reason it sounded so out of its era the 1860's meet the 1970's hits us still in 2022. Check out the old slave recordings it will send chills.
Loved the 70s, back yard BBQ jams were the best. The guys when deciding to do a video decided on beers, bikes, back yard, Jam. and were pais the same, in beers, smoke and BBQ..Black betty is a few things here; a flint-lock musket with a black painted stock and in that regard, the phrase “bam-ba-lam, a bottle of whiskey in particular dating as far back as 17th century London, African-American labor chant to add rhythm to the work, and lastly a beautiful black woman. He is smitten by her to the point where he can’t hold it in. Thanx so much, Peace
If you haven't seen the group Lynyrd Skynyrd I recommend you do they were good old boys from the south they were really was a Great popular band but had a tragic ending. This band was famous for the song Free Bird and Sweet home Alabama and many others you would love them.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Freebird live at Oakland 1977 Will blow you away. Yes even 50 years ago we had fantastic music. I was at the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert at Oakland....hard to realize everyone in crowd are Grandparents Lol We did have Great Music, and had Fun
The singer/lead guitar player in Ram Jam was Bill Bartlett. He was just stinking KILLER on guitar and vocals. The rest of the band wasn't TOO shabby, either......
Black Betty was first recorded by a black artist named Ledbelly in 1933. It was recorded in the Texas penitentiary while Ledbelly was serving out a prison sentence. Back then Black Betty was slang for whiskey and in some parts of the country it is what they called prison transfer wagons. Ram Jam changed some words and tempo for their version.
"Black Betty" has one of the best guitar riffs and vocals in rock. If this song doesn't make your head bob or your foot tap, there's something wrong with you! 😂
BRO, Like a commenter says, This lead singer used to be in a band called The Lemon Pipers. The hit that was referring to, is"My Green Tambourine". Please consider reacting to that...Classic Rock Radio still plays it. It has that psychedelic sound so popular in the '60s. THANK YOU!
Great reaction!! Yo, normally I don't like reactors passing around the same music or movies.. but this is one I truly will never get tired of. The song is so damn good, and the reactions to it are always genuine and priceless, and you did not disappoint my brother! 😎💯🔥👍👍👍
New sub. One of my all-time fave songs. And love it when watching the video just makes someone essentially giggle the whole time. Thanks for the reaction! 🙂❤
The Black Betty history says the song may refer to a black powder gun. The most reliable, or should I say believable source says the Black Betty refers to a blacksnake oxwhip used as a persuader in Southern USA prison farms. It's a great song. RamJam give this performance such energy. ❤❤❤
This was an old chain gang and soldier marching tune. Updated slightly by Leadbelly on the 40's. Black Betty was a notoriously inaccurate muskets made for the Confederacy. Painted black, of course.
This song as a call and response was first sang by prison chain-gangs, it was commercially sang by Leadbelly, Hilbirt Ledbetter, an OG blues singer in the late1920's. It had its origins as a description of a black powder musket from the Civil War, and the line "Black Betty had a child...damn gone blind..." could have been a description of Gonorrhea infection, which if passed from the male to the female, can settle in the birth canal, infecting the child causing blindness.
Lead Belly did the original recordings of Black Betty and is credited with writing it... Supposedly he took the idea from old folk music which adapted into the song we know as Black Betty...
Seriously G...there are SO MANY kick-azz southern rock and hard rock songs from the 70's. You should do a series of 70's reactions....I think you will enjoy it.
The original was from way back in the day . Sang by mudbone or muddy water and it was a cadence beat for lining up the rail road ties and the rails . Very slow compared to this . Also some say black Betty is the name of the musket . Sometimes it would misfire causing blindness . Peace out .
Glad you liked it. They were big time 1 hit wonders, this tune got played everywhere. A band called Spider Bait covered it around the turn of the last century. But it's much older than that. There is a recording of a version on YT that was recorded in the 50-60's I think.
I remember exactly where I was when I first heard this song--at high school in 1977, while waiting for something during acting class. Someone had a pocket radio. It's one of the very, very few songs I've paid for as a download. Blew me away that first time, and I still turn the volume up to 11. It's such a shame these guys never had another hit. It's been attributed to Leadbelly, but he may have adapted it from a folk song, and he wasn't the first to record it. Why haven't I gotten a collection of Leadbelly yet? I very much want a copy of him singing Goodnight Irene.
Everyone thinks this was written by Ram Jam, but it was actually written by James "Iron Head" Baker, performed a cappella by the convict James "Iron Head" Baker and a group at Central State Farm, Sugar Land, Texas (a State prison farm).[12] Baker was 63 years old at the time of the recording which was 1933.
John A. and Alan Lomax's 1934 book, American Ballads and Folk Songs describes the origins of "Black Betty": "Black Betty is not another Frankie, nor yet a two-timing woman that a man can moan his blues about. She is the whip that was and is used in some Southern prisons. A convict on the Darrington State Farm in Texas, where, by the way, whipping has been practically discontinued, laughed at Black Betty and mimicked her conversation in the following song." (In the text, the music notation and lyrics follow.) - Lomax, John A. and Alan Lomax, American Ballads and Folk Songs. (1934; reprint, New York: Dover, 1994), 60-1
some more classic southern rock you may or may not be interested in: a band called "Molly Hatchet"-song name "Flirtin' with Disaster".....band name-"Lynyrd Skynyrd"-song name "The Ballad of Curtis Loew"
Not a racist song!!! Black Betty was a musket rifle and the "child" was a remake of that rifle, but it didn't shoot straight (blind)!!!!🤘🤘🎵🎼🎶🎸🥁🎹🎙🎧🎤 Originally written as a Civil War cadence!!!
Just loved this song and still do. Was a bit of a wild child. No one seems to be able to dance to this in my tiny country town. Had the whole floor to myself, danced my heart out in my over sized maxi peasant dress and the only shoes I had.....my steel caps. Later I researched the songs history ... blew my mind....as you can see in the comments, thanx folks. Peace, love and happiness. CrankyGranny Western Australia.
Your reaction is priceless. I'm a old woman and this song still makes me get up an move. Love it.
Oh, but it does belong in that era that I grew up in.
Music brought together people who loved music. No auto tune, pure talent and people didn't get offended, like today.
Great reaction❤❤
Black Betty was a Civil War black powder musket. The gun had a child (the Bullet) and the thing went wild. A misfire. There is great history with the song's beginnings.
You mean Brown Bess
@@biggrumpysbbqalley3695 crazy how random things people hear become legend even when they are wrong as shit lol.
that she was a rifle has been debated, most information points to it being a slave whip , wouldve been nicer as a rifle or musket but thay was Bessie
Sort of right. Black Betty was an old English Rifle.... she was the "grandmother" of the Brown Bess.
@@LadyDragonsblood Black betty was a rifle used by the british army , The Brown Bess was a carbine so to speak, cheap shorter and not painted but stained. It killed more men from behind
due to the fact it was so SHIT . "black Betty had a child ! Bam Ber Lam ! DAMN THING GONE WILD ! THIS was a Marching song from 1800's The first recording was 1930 from a Texas prison ! & had nothing to do with Black people .
A couple things for ya... the record company gave them about 500 bucks to make the video. They spent 400 on weed and beer and did the video in their neighbors backyard. The first black Betty verse is about a gun the 2nd is about liquor and the last verse is about a woman. One of the greatest one hit wonders ever.
They should have spent $300 on weed and beer and invest the rest in doing the entire song for the video. lol That breakdown is just too bad ass to omit!
Let's see, a lid was about $25 back then & you could get a keg for about $40. Plus, it didn't cost a fortune to go to a concert. Aaah, the good ole days.
No, the whole song is about not one, but two different guns. The british made black betty, and the U.S. made version ( made in Alabama ) called the brown bess, which shot wildly, and was never used in combat. No parts of the song were about any thing but these two guns.
@@johnmerschbach7356 Where are you guys getting all this? The singer from the band himself said it was about Betty Page! There is a phone interview up on youtube. You can hear it straight from the horses mouth. Remember, the internet has a lot of lies on it. People love stories and will embellish anything to make it more interesting.
@@flamerollerx01 liar
The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited (BSA) was a major British industrial combine, a group of businesses manufacturing military and sporting firearms. Black Betty was a musket, not a person. Speechless is normal when hit with the raw power of that song and the vicious riffs. Total excellence that never gets old.
This song is actually almost 100 years old...and the singer/lead guitarist used to be in a 60's band called the Lemon Pipers who had a big hit with My Green Tambourine....so he is a double one hit wonder ....
Thatmanstu , I'm not almost 100 years old 👿 I'm only just 74 ish but I remember loving this song . My parents and grandparents were strict and I used to sneak off to a friend's house to watch top of the pops . Your mathematics are a bit off ... I'm not ready to die yet .
100 years?
Actually it's much older than that. Goes back to slavery. A traditional song with no known author.
Some believe Black Betty was a whip used on slaves. Lots of interpretations though.
Green tambourine! OMG. I have not heard that song in YEARS! LOVE that song.
Thanks for the reminder.
@@gregoryenste8459 Yes. The song, not the recording. Words matter.
I remember when that song first came out. It is as TIMELESS today as it was then.
So much talent, hard to believe they only had this single hit. And what a hit it was.
Apparently the lead singer just kinda faded away and doesn't even talk to his band mates.
@@johnrife7134 How sad!
What's kind of cool is as a boy you can see him play guitar on Lemon Pipers - Green Tambourine
And they did not make a penny from it either.
@@glenchapman3899 And that's just really sad.
I haven't heard this song in like forever!!! I was up dancing like nobody was looking and I'm 65!!! Thanks for sharing. Great reaction!!!
It’s the kick drum for me. Can we please show some love to the drummer, my god. The guitar and vocals are insane too.
Fun song…loved your reaction to it 👏👍
One of my favorite things about this song (aside from it being AWESOME) is his mastery of that guitar strings.
"Black Betty" was Ram Jam's only big hit in 1977. But it is one of the most fun & energetic songs. Just some dudes hanging out in someone's back yard & jamming out. Love it! "Black Betty" is a 20th-century African-American work song often credited to Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter as the author, though the earliest recordings are not by him.
The video is a good introduction to a song that had radio play, but wasn't really a "big" hit. It's more interesting listening to the full album version.
"We gave you $10,000 to make the video. You have receipts for $300. Where did the rest of the money go?
"Beer and weed."
@@keithdean9149 You can get receipts for beer…. Oh, right, that’s where the 300$ of receipts came from 🤪
English settlers from Cumbria and Northumbria, who settled the Appalachians called their whisky and stills 'Black Betty' the songs about their stills, Black Betty had a child is the whisky being born, it shakes sends you blind and makes you sing.
@@chrisjamieson3452 don’t know where you live but this song was definitely huge when it came out
This is a great one hit wonder. I enjoy the video more than the song, because it was performed in someone's back yard, so up to par` for this era. Music was so organic and down to earth back then...no tinsels and glamorous costumes just all about the music🎶Nice reaction thanks for sharing🔥🎸👍💖
that was a result of using the video budget for weed.
@@vinceaaron8921
And a good choice they made.
@@vinceaaron8921 you missed out on the whole instrumental piece in the middle of the song you need to listen to the album original version they cut it out during the video it's awesome
The record company asked how much they needed to make a video, they said $500. Got the $500, and rumor has it that they took the $500 bought some alcohol and weed, invited some friends over to the drummers house and shot this.
For your enjoyment, listen to the album version. It has some good guitar work that isn't included on this radio edit version.
Back in the 70's my ex and I had a big party every summer, with a few kegs and a band. We lived in an old farmhouse set way back from the road and we all had a blast. Now I'm 68 and I love seeing young people enjoying our music.
That song belongs in any era, it's always going to be relevant. I absolutely loved your fresh reaction to this song! Thank you as always for letting me sit in with you!
Great songs have that kinda timeless quality. That’s why a song like this can still sound contemporary over 40 years old. I guess that’s the real test of any music is whether it still sounds fresh decades later.
@@thelastperfectman4139 It is timeless, it is a great song from long, long ago! Thank you for your reply! It might even be older than you think it is!
It is not a racist song, it’s about the ol black powder gun an the round it shoots
Close. Its about a rifle made long ago, that was called black betty. They tried to improve on it and ended up with a dangerous rifle that was hard to aim correctly
This song is really, really old.
Huh. I always thought it was the old style black carriage used to haul prisoners.
Not necessarily. I don't believe it was ever officially confirmed what the true topic was. 1st off it's not an entirely original song. Also many people have speculated what "Black Betty" referred to specifically and there are dozens of theories; most pertain to alchohol and have refrences that date back centuries; Ben Franklin mentions it even. I'm quite sure you're just reiterating speculation. Not to mention Ram Jam is most likely using it's original meaning as a metaphor anyway; a metaphor that dosn't align with what you said. 2nd, and this is key, there was a very popular drug during that specific time period that were pills knows as "black bettys". They keep you awake and wired, which fits with the song and the drug culture in songs during the period.
Don't know where people get the idea that Black Betty was a gun ( I'm a 74yr old Anglo Irish grandma ) ?? It is about a sexy black lady from Birmingham Alabama and anyone with half a brain who listens to the lyrics will get it right . Literature , Poetry , Music and Art are subjective and mean different things to different people .🍀🤔 Love your reaction .
I grew up with this band. One of my favorite
The studio version has a much longer guitar and music appreciation section. (they freaking ROCK for minutes!!)
I remember when this version came out in the 70's, I was blown away at how catchy the tune was!
A guitar solo at the very beginning of a song is unique and very rare! Very cool music 😎
Totally loving your mindblown reaction!! This is such a fun and surprising song and it really is upbeat.
That next song (Carry on Wayward Son) is fantastic!! That Red-Headed Sasquatch can freaking sing!! Kansas has another great song also, "Dust in the Wind". Very soulful.
Look up the name "Sershen & Zaritskaya" with "Dust in the wind" after the names above, one of the best covers of that song I'd ever heard. You'll like it, if you'd never heard that cover before.
Always disliked the version by Kansas, made it even worse (for myself) that it was voted as my high school class song of 1979. lol
Needless to say, to myself, that's just one of those songs that a female voice is just so much more fitting for the song.
Much like I like the cover of Peter Frapton's song "Baby I love your way" by Will to power, just much better with the female vocalists.
Irony of this one, it's the only Will to power song I even like..
I looked up the oldest recording I could find. This was a great homage to Leadbelly. The song is amazing.
I've watched so many of these reaction videos with this song. EVERYONE LOVED IT, EVERYONE!♡♡♡
As noted, the song is actually an old folk song that the band learned from Leadbelly's version. Guitarist Bill Bartlett actually recorded it with his previous band, Starstruck, in 1973, and when he was subsequently signed after they broke up, the producers asked him to bring them the master for remixing. Ram Jam was organized around that remixed record.
Bill Bartlett
@@janinecarson8380 I keep getting that wrong. Oops.
Yeah this is just a gem. I never liked it as a kid back in the late 70s early 80s. But looking back it's just rock beyond genius level... the guitar playing, the song construct, the breaks... the pumping drive...
"Black Betty" was actually one of the first ever songs recorded. It was an old work song and I believe there is a 1939 recording of it on the internet somewhere by Huddy Ledbetter. Back in the mid 1800's Black Betty was another name for whiskey.
1933 a chain gang are singing it, earliest known recording. Yes it is on RUclips.
I'm so glad to see today's generation appreciating great music from the 60 70 and 80s back then no such thing as auto tune . You either had the voice or the God given talent to play an instrument
That song was done many years ago sung by a blues singing black man called "Leadbelly" he had that deep southern soulful voice. Check him out. Loved your reaction.
That's what you call a friday night Rockin out tune Greg! I enjoyed listening to it with you, even though I first heard it when I was 7 or 8 quite a few years ago:)
Always wished Ram Jam had kept bringing it. They were awesome with that hit. Great review of an old fav. ✌🏼💞
The music i grew up with. Thank God for the music over 30 years ago. It's still all i listen to
1 hit wonder is about the best representative R 'n R from the Classic late 60's and 70's.
LOVE IT. LOVE IT. LOVE IT🎸🎸
Excellent and appropriate reaction. I've seen well over 100.
i love how people an rediscover all them lovely classics these days enjoy my friend its a large vast magical rabbit hole full of gold.
Black Betty from everything I could find is a song originally written and performed by lead belly. It's an old blues song about a shot gun. You can find a Smithsonian recording of it on youtube. I think it's dated to 1939.
This is one of the greatest songs of all time
We used to rock this out in my neighbor's garage playing it loud on the radio in the 70's
My husband restores old cars and builds engines...ground up stuff. And he always names them. Black Betty was this gorgeous early 50's Ford P/U with a lot of curves, painted the glossiest black. After he built Black Betty he built Penny Lane.
Copper painted 80's era Ford Bronco. Every hotrod has it's song 💗
You have to go a long way back to hear the real-original Black Betty. I believe there is a 1933 recording, but the song is an old work song from before then. They still may not even know who wrote it or came up with it. As is typical with old American folk songs. Try finding the 1933 vid of a recording to hear what it sounded like 90 or so years ago, and check it out.
Agreed. Leadbelly has a recording of this, but some have said it comes from the civil war era
HUDDY LEDBETTER
It may actually have been a British soldiers song, referencing a musket used in the 18th Century and beyond, possibly made in Birmingham, England out of a black colored wood.. The Brown Bess, made in Birmingham, Alabama might have been a copy of this musket. So, it is much older than Leadbelly's song, and the meaning of Black Betty was changed over the succeeding decades. All three verses reference the musket.
1st verse is about a gun, 2nd verse about whiskey, 3rd verse a woman. Old, old, old song, gone through many renditions. It can be shocking when you're not familiar with it's history. Love your channel, keep up the great work.
We had some speed in the 70's called Black Betty's. But I never inhaled.
This is a from a old slave song. That is the reason it sounded so out of its era the 1860's meet the 1970's hits us still in 2022. Check out the old slave recordings it will send chills.
Loved the 70s, back yard BBQ jams were the best. The guys when deciding to do a video decided on beers, bikes, back yard, Jam. and were pais the same, in beers, smoke and BBQ..Black betty is a few things here; a flint-lock musket with a black painted stock and in that regard, the phrase “bam-ba-lam, a bottle of whiskey in particular dating as far back as 17th century London, African-American labor chant to add rhythm to the work, and lastly a beautiful black woman. He is smitten by her to the point where he can’t hold it in. Thanx so much, Peace
If you haven't seen the group Lynyrd Skynyrd I recommend you do they were good old boys from the south they were really was a Great popular band but had a tragic ending. This band was famous for the song Free Bird and Sweet home Alabama and many others you would love them.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Freebird live at Oakland 1977
Will blow you away.
Yes even 50 years ago we had fantastic music.
I was at the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert at Oakland....hard to realize everyone in crowd are Grandparents Lol
We did have Great Music, and had Fun
Nothing can beat that 70s sound wit da Gibson Les Paul & a Marshall stack ❤🤍💙
The singer/lead guitar player in Ram Jam was Bill Bartlett. He was just stinking KILLER on guitar and vocals. The rest of the band wasn't TOO shabby, either......
My childhood right there - used to play this on my dads tape deck in his car before I went into race dirtbikes,,,,funtimes,,,,
He wasn’t allowed to Love!
He gave the finger to Everyone and sang his Heart Out!!
This song was recorded by Ledbelly in the 1930's although it's believed to be a chain gang song!
man you are going to love this happy memories of my youth
Black Betty was first recorded by a black artist named Ledbelly in 1933. It was recorded in the Texas penitentiary while Ledbelly was serving out a prison sentence. Back then Black Betty was slang for whiskey and in some parts of the country it is what they called prison transfer wagons. Ram Jam changed some words and tempo for their version.
"Black Betty" has one of the best guitar riffs and vocals in rock. If this song doesn't make your head bob or your foot tap, there's something wrong with you! 😂
BRO, Like a commenter says, This lead singer used to be in a band called The Lemon Pipers. The hit that was referring to, is"My Green Tambourine". Please consider reacting to that...Classic Rock Radio still plays it. It has that psychedelic sound so popular in the '60s. THANK YOU!
Black Betty was the name of a Rifle
SO many good memories with this song as the soundtrack... LOVE IT!!
Great reaction!! Yo, normally I don't like reactors passing around the same music or movies.. but this is one I truly will never get tired of. The song is so damn good, and the reactions to it are always genuine and priceless, and you did not disappoint my brother! 😎💯🔥👍👍👍
This is a cover from an original blues artist " Leadbelly ".
What I luv about these reaction videos is when it dawns on them that they luv it!; Watch their eyes!!♡♡♡♡♡
love this !! i was a teen in the 70's stuff like that happened a lot in our area
That’s what makes this song a CLASSIC !!
It’s awesome! I think he was in A band named Green tambourine before this. He’s been around a long time. It’s an original banger.
This song, outfits, and band is so 70s. I remember this on the radio then. First time here. Enjoyed your reaction.
New sub. One of my all-time fave songs. And love it when watching the video just makes someone essentially giggle the whole time. Thanks for the reaction! 🙂❤
My kinda backyard BBQ!!! Total Classic!
The Black Betty history says the song may refer to a black powder gun. The most reliable, or should I say believable source says the Black Betty refers to a blacksnake oxwhip used as a persuader in Southern USA prison farms. It's a great song. RamJam give this performance such energy. ❤❤❤
LOVE, Love, seein' folks react to this song for the first time - always Amazed😁😎
Yep, I remember the 70s; loved Rock, hated Disco. Looking back now, it's all a smokey haze if you get my meaning. Glad you like it.
This was an old chain gang and soldier marching tune. Updated slightly by Leadbelly on the 40's. Black Betty was a notoriously inaccurate muskets made for the Confederacy. Painted black, of course.
i grew up with this music, now i am 54 greetings from the Netherlands
This song as a call and response was first sang by prison chain-gangs, it was commercially sang by Leadbelly, Hilbirt Ledbetter, an OG blues singer in the late1920's. It had its origins as a description of a black powder musket from the Civil War, and the line "Black Betty had a child...damn gone blind..." could have been a description of Gonorrhea infection, which if passed from the male to the female, can settle in the birth canal, infecting the child causing blindness.
Lead Belly sang Black Betty in 1939 on the album he released called Black Sinful Songs. The song was originally sung by workers in the field.
Your reaction is priceless. One of the best songs from that era. Most bars still have it on the jukebox.
I 💕💕💕. The way that drummer is beating the hell outta those drums 🥁🎶🎶🎶🎶
Lead Belly did the original recordings of Black Betty and is credited with writing it... Supposedly he took the idea from old folk music which adapted into the song we know as Black Betty...
Seriously G...there are SO MANY kick-azz southern rock and hard rock songs from the 70's. You should do a series of 70's reactions....I think you will enjoy it.
The original was from way back in the day . Sang by mudbone or muddy water and it was a cadence beat for lining up the rail road ties and the rails . Very slow compared to this . Also some say black Betty is the name of the musket . Sometimes it would misfire causing blindness . Peace out .
Glad you liked it. They were big time 1 hit wonders, this tune got played everywhere. A band called Spider Bait covered it around the turn of the last century. But it's much older than that. There is a recording of a version on YT that was recorded in the 50-60's I think.
I remember exactly where I was when I first heard this song--at high school in 1977, while waiting for something during acting class. Someone had a pocket radio. It's one of the very, very few songs I've paid for as a download. Blew me away that first time, and I still turn the volume up to 11. It's such a shame these guys never had another hit.
It's been attributed to Leadbelly, but he may have adapted it from a folk song, and he wasn't the first to record it. Why haven't I gotten a collection of Leadbelly yet? I very much want a copy of him singing Goodnight Irene.
Loved this video and appreciate how you don't stop it a lot like so many others do in their reviews.
Everyone thinks this was written by Ram Jam, but it was actually written by James "Iron Head" Baker, performed a cappella by the convict James "Iron Head" Baker and a group at Central State Farm, Sugar Land, Texas (a State prison farm).[12] Baker was 63 years old at the time of the recording which was 1933.
Young Man, ya'll just scratched the surface of Southern Rock-n-Roll!!! If this make ya'll speechless, stand-by for mind being blown!!!
Always fun to see reactions to this song I have watched so many of them, another song that will take you by surprise is Hocus Pocus by Focus.
Loved the music of the 70's ..... Had a ball during this decade listening to great music ....,..
John A. and Alan Lomax's 1934 book, American Ballads and Folk Songs describes the origins of "Black Betty":
"Black Betty is not another Frankie, nor yet a two-timing woman that a man can moan his blues about. She is the whip that was and is used in some Southern prisons. A convict on the Darrington State Farm in Texas, where, by the way, whipping has been practically discontinued, laughed at Black Betty and mimicked her conversation in the following song." (In the text, the music notation and lyrics follow.)
- Lomax, John A. and Alan Lomax, American Ballads and Folk Songs. (1934; reprint, New York: Dover, 1994), 60-1
The way your smile dropped when you first heard his voice was classic.
The lyrics, with some alterations, to Ram Jam's cover of "Black Betty" came from Leadbelly's 1939 "Black Betty."
some more classic southern rock you may or may not be interested in: a band called "Molly Hatchet"-song name "Flirtin' with Disaster".....band name-"Lynyrd Skynyrd"-song name "The Ballad of Curtis Loew"
It was one hot wonder! I don't know about guns , but as child we did a song similar like,Miss Mary Mack! This song is a jam, had it as a 45 as a kid!!
Great to see similar videos from youtubers discovering songs I grew up with.
This song was originally recorded in a Texas penitentiary it was sung on the chain gang and later picked up and recorded by Leadbelly.
A two minute twenty-five second jam that once you hear it, you will never forget it.
As a Canadian may I suggest a Canadian band named The Stampeders the best of and for an American band Grand Funk Railroad .
Wow! What a song!
Not a racist song!!! Black Betty was a musket rifle and the "child" was a remake of that rifle, but it didn't shoot straight (blind)!!!!🤘🤘🎵🎼🎶🎸🥁🎹🎙🎧🎤 Originally written as a Civil War cadence!!!
Just loved this song and still do. Was a bit of a wild child. No one seems to be able to dance to this in my tiny country town. Had the whole floor to myself, danced my heart out in my over sized maxi peasant dress and the only shoes I had.....my steel caps. Later I researched the songs history ... blew my mind....as you can see in the comments, thanx folks. Peace, love and happiness. CrankyGranny Western Australia.
Timeless and sublime.
Those guys look like everyone I grew up with in the 80s in Southern Illinois. They probably drive a 71 Nova with Cragar wheels.
the 70s were a wild time for rock music
We had fantastic music back then. (1960 - 1980)
Great thing about great music is that u can never think music is about colour or race man, it's about the soul of whomever is performing man.
Love your reaction! Looks like any Sat night in the South......after a few drinks