Deep Elm Blues

The Deep Elm Blues is an American traditional song. The title of the tune refers to the "Colored Red Light District" in Dallas, Texas, known as "Elm Street". Sometimes the song's title is also spelled "Deep Elem".^[1] The first known recording was made by the Cofer Brothers under the name of The Georgia Black Bottom on OKeh Records. The Shelton Brothers recorded various versions of this song, the first being cut in 1933 with Leon Chappelear under the pseudonym of Lone Star Rangers for Bluebird Records. They recorded it again in 1935 for Decca Records followed by Deep Elm No.2 and Deep Elm No.3. The Sheltons also recorded it in the 1940s as Deep Elm Boogie for King Records. Other versions of the song were made between 1957 and 1958 by Jerry Lee Lewis for Sun Records, by Mary McCoy & the Cyclones for Jin Records and, later, by Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.

References

1. ^ Pask, Kevin. "Deep Ellum Blues" Southern Spaces, 30 October 2007.