I bought an old record from about 1925 or 1926 a while back called "Harry Wills The Champion" which intrigued me. I finally got around to listening to it and its pretty interesting. Its kind of an early blues song: Harry Wills The Champion Theres a man in New York town He is big and he is brown With his left hand and his right He is mighty in a fight To the Jacks and to the Jills He is known as Harry Wills Fighters all and friends that meet him Know darn well they cannot beat him Harry though they draw the color line Youre the champion just the same The way they all fuss and stall Is a doggone measely shame Everybody knows what you would do Would be too bad when you got through Harry though they draw the color line Youre champion just the same Now when he lived in new orleans Just a lad folks out of his jeans Harry Wills then took a test Beat down black folks at his best Since that day no black or white Has he been afraid to fight For a title bout they all avoid him Managers all refused to start him Harry though they draw the color line Your a champion just the same The way the all fuss and stall Is a doggone measley shame sure is Everybody Harry Wills knocks folks out to pay his bills Harry though they draw the color line Your the champion just the same Now Harry though they draw the color line Your a champion just the same The way the all fuss and stall Is a doggone measley shame Now folks I dont know Just what he got But what that man got is an awful lot Harry though they draw the color line Your the champion just the same
Not bad, not bad at all, but it doesn't quite have the panache of that song about Boston Tom McMustache.
You could certainly make a case for the Coloured Heavyweight Title that Wills held, being worth more than one of the contemporary alphabet straps. Not at many stages, but certainly when wills held it.
Which artist made the recording about Harry Wills? If a record containing the recording was released commercially, which record company released it? Of course, the American race record business did quite well during the 1920s before taking a big hit due to the advent of the Great Depression. - Chuck Johnston
Bradford, Horsley, and Howell. 1926. Columbia 14168-D. This gives you a rough idea but is watermarked by a voiceover through most of it: http://soundbeat.org/mobile/?episode=6780
Thanks, it appears that the record was released during the same year as Harry Wills' loss on a foul to Jack Sharkey, which resulted in Wills being removed from the top contender ranks. That must've put a damper on the potential sales of the record. I had wondered if the Harry Wills record was made for Paramount or Vocalion, two companies which were noted for their race records during the 1920s. However, the recording conditions and the quality of the record pressings generally were terrible at both companies, especially at Paramount. On the other hand, Columbia, which released the Harry Wills record, was much better when it came to recording conditions and the quality of record pressings. - Chuck Johnston
Thats my point with Les Darcy EXACTLY he even had a belt just like the WBC, WBA or IBF yet the author of the thread dares to say he ain't a champ.... PFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTT... not only that but the so called "real" title was held by a guy who lost fight after fight after fight after fight even in so called defences but there can only be one champion ???? fact is it was rarely ever the case that there was just one champ, not in the 30's, 40's, 60's hell multiple champs has ALWAYS BEEN THE NORM.
Being a bluesman myself (I play and sing the old blues, I am a fingerpicker) I would love to hear the song. Not many blues were recorded about fighter, Joe Louis had two recorded by the Great Memphis Minnie.
You are right about Paramount which is a damn shame as I believe Paramount had maybe the greatest lineup of musicians in music history, even a glance at the lineup leaves me speechless and in awe. Blind Blake, Charlie Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Son House and King Solomon Hill to name just 5, you gotta go far to find better guitarists then those guys anywhere at any time.
