Good Morning, School Girl

Sonny Boy Williamson I recorded "Good Morning, School Girl" in 1937 during his first recording session for Bluebird Records. Although identified with Chicago blues, a write-up in the Blues Hall of Fame notes "it was a product of Sonny Boy’s west Tennessee roots and his pre-Chicago ensemble work". The melody has been traced to “Back and Side Blues”, a 1934 blues song recorded by Son Bonds. "Good Morning, School Girl" features Williamson's vocal and harmonica with accompaniment by Big Joe Williams and Robert Lee McCoy (also known as Robert Nighthawk) on guitars. ==Blues renditions==

In October 1948, Leroy Dallas recorded a version of the song, titled "Good Morning Blues". Texas bluesman Smokey Hogg recorded his version, calling it "Little School Girl". In 1950, the song reached number nine on the Billboard Best-Selling Retail Rhythm & Blues Records chart and number five on the magazine's Most Played Juke Box R&B chart. Memphis one-man-band Joe Hill Louis recorded an electric version titled "Good Morning Little Angel" in February or March 1953. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, several versions of "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" were recorded as acoustic country-style blues, including versions by John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Muddy Waters, and Doctor Ross. In 1965, Junior Wells with Buddy Guy recorded it as a Chicago blues, with a distinctive guitar and bass line, for their influential Hoodoo Man Blues album. McDowell included a 1971 performance on Live in New York and in 1978, Muddy Waters recorded an updated rendition for ''I'm Ready''. ==Rock and R&B adaptations==

Larry Williams version Early rock and roll singer and pianist Larry Williams recorded "Little School Girl" on January 6, 1958 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. Although it uses some of Williamson's lyrics and melody, music writer Gene Sculatti notes the more dance-inspired version. Although they use the phrase "good morning little schoolgirl", the song has different chord changes and lyrics, including references to popular dance styles of the time. When the Yardbirds were looking for a song to follow up to their first single, "I Wish You Would", they chose the Don and Bob tune. Epic Records, the Yardbirds' American label, did not issue the single in the US, but in 1965 included the song on their first U.S. album, For Your Love. Later, in his autobiography, Clapton described the early recordings: The group recorded a live version at the Marquee Club in London, which was released on the British debut album, Five Live Yardbirds, in December 1964. The Yardbirds single version was credited to "Demarais" or "H.G. Demarais" (Dee Marais, a Shreveport, Louisiana, record label owner/distributor and business associate of Leonard Chess), although some later reissues list Sonny Boy Williamson as the songwriter. Album credits for live version are either listed as Demarais or "Level–Love". Other versions Numerous artists have recorded or performed the song through the years, usually with the title "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl". The song was a staple of their early live performances. English group Ten Years After updated the song with a blues-rock arrangement for their 1969 album Ssssh. In an album review, Jim Newsom noted the seven-minute version included "reworked lyrics leaving little doubt as to what the singer had in mind for the title character". ==Recognition and legacy==

In 1990, Sonny Boy Williamson's "Good Morning, School Girl" was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in the "Classics of Blues Recordings – Single or Album Track" category. ==References==