James had recorded for the Paramount label in the 1930s without success. It was his first album released after his rediscovery in 1964. Greatest of the Delta Blues Singers is the debut album by the American blues singer Skip James, released in 1965. Skip James – Greatest Of The Delta Blues Singers “Motherless and Fatherless Children” 4:09 “I Don’t Want a Woman to Stay Out All Night Long” 4:32ġ1. Listen to Greatest of the Delta Blues Singers by Skip James.Īll tracks written by Skip James No. He has been hailed as “one of the seminal figures of the blues.” His songs have influenced generations of musicians, having been adapted or covered by Kansas Joe McCoy, Robert Johnson, Alan Wilson, Cream, Deep Purple, Chris Thomas King, Alvin Youngblood Hart, the Derek Trucks Band, Beck, Big Sugar, Eric Clapton, John Martyn, Lucinda Williams and Rory Block. During this period, James appeared at folk and blues festivals, gave concerts around the country and recorded several albums for various record labels. After a long absence from the public eye, James was “rediscovered” in 1964 by three blues enthusiasts, helping further the blues and folk music revival of the 1950s and early 1960s. James first recorded for Paramount Records in 1931, but these recordings sold poorly, having been released during the Great Depression, and he drifted into obscurity. His guitar playing is noted for its dark, minor-key sound, played in an open D-minor tuning with an intricate fingerpicking technique. Nehemiah Curtis “Skip” James (J– October 3, 1969) was an American Delta blues singer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter. Skip James: Blues From The Mississippi Delta