Our Song of the Day comes from Phil King with a gorgeous cover of Jackson C. Frank‘s Blues Run The Game. It featured on Frank’s self-titled debut album.
As we said in our review of his Wreckage album, King certainly has an ear for melody so it comes as no surprise that he should be drawn to this song. Blues Run The Game has drawn many to cover it over the years including Bert Jansch, Simon and Garfunkel, Sandy Denny, Nick Drake, John Renbourn, Eddi Reader, Bert Jansch, Colin Meloy, Robin Pecknold, Laura Marling, Martin Simpson, Wizz Jones and more.
Jackson C. Frank was an enigmatic yet tormented character, he influenced and touched many with his music although his own personal life was wracked by a series of tragedies which led to him cutting himself off from the world. The song is also the title of the forthcoming documentary Blues Run the Game – The Strange Tale of Jackson C. Frank which is currently in post-prodcution and features contributuions from Jim Abbott, Richard Stanley, Katherine Wright, John Kay, John Renbourn, Wizz Jones, John Boylan, Al Stewart, Mark Anderson, Julian Dawson, DJ Boggs, Marianne Collins and Peter Graphton. Watch two extracts here.
Phil King – Upcoming Dates
Fri 26th Nov
Music in the Hall, Bewdley (w/Elles Bailey)
Sat 4th Dec
Chapel Arts Centre, Bath (w/Elles Bailey)
Sun 12th Dec
Electric Bar, Komedia, Bath (2 – 4pm)
Photo Credit: Paul Blakemore