John the Freakin Revelator

[mangina205]

Why is it that John the Revelator is listed in the cover section, instead of whatever else? And also I think there is a mistake maybe. On the opening riff/verse whatever, there is a pull-off on the G-string, on the Live at Boulder DVD it looks pretty much like dave is doing a 5p0 with his pinky, and not the 5p4 like it is listed on the tab. Anyone else notice this?
I like bikes.

[jkanter]

John the Revelator is listed on the covers section becuase it is indeed a cover. The music is original to DMB's version....but the idea of John the Revelator as a song has been around a LONG time. I don't know the whole story behind it but I guarantee you any crazy mother fucker on any other major board will be able to spit it back at you in no time flat.

As for the pull.....he def pulls 5p4 there

[mangina205]

Well if dave matthews band has a song called john the revelator, with their own music, and their own lyrics they wrote etc. Then why is this considered a cover??? There are alot of songs out there with the same title, but its not a cover of the song. Is Creeds songs One a cover of Metallica's One,,,, they both have the same title?

[mangina205]

Forgot one more thing, watch the Boulder DVD,, its gotta be a 5p0,, its gotta be!!
Bikes are awesome,, i like them.

[Speenis]

nope, its 5p4, it def sounds REALLY REALLY weird at first, but if u keep on listening to the L@FF version, it makes sense

[ericwormann]

Well if dave matthews band has a song called john the revelator, with their own music, and their own lyrics they wrote etc. Then why is this considered a cover??? There are alot of songs out there with the same title, but its not a cover of the song. Is Creeds songs One a cover of Metallica's One,,,, they both have the same title?

at the early stages of the song, while it was still known as "John the Revelator" and not "JTR" it contained the lines "Who's that writing, John The Revelator, wrote the book of the seven seas" or something along those lines. These lines were directly taken from the original song, John The Revelator, thus making it at least a partial cover. I would list John The Revelator as a cover, and JTR as an original (but then again, they are virtually the same song, so its really anyone's call).

[KevinGTArch]

Yeah, "John the Revelator" (not to be confused with present-day JTR) has it origins as a cover that was developed by/with Carlos Santana from an old folk/chain-gang song. Though the music is original, several of the lines such as "Who's that writing, John the Revelator/Wrote the book of the seven seas" are all taken from the original chant.

With the re-workings of the song around the LWS in 2000 I think it's fair to say that the song evolved away from its "cover" status. The original "John The Revelator" lyrics and allusions were removed. The only part of the song that really pays tribute to the original version is the change in title to JTR. Also many of the "jam" areas of the song have been re-tooled. Listen to pre-2000 versions and compared them to those most recently played 2000-2001 and you'll hear what I mean.

Funny, I've always played the 5p4 as a slide...but I think I learned it a long time ago from another tab. Old habits die hard...

Peace,

KB

[Dancing Ants]

The very first John the Revelator was written in the 1920s, by a Jazz musician..can't remember his name, though. The music was very similar, but more jazzed up, I believe. Then after that, many people covered it, DMB, Mellencamp...

[Ranting Thespian]

Of course, since I know the details (like always, lol, man why do I remember this stuff? I really have a weird memory, and things like this stick).

During the sessions for Carlos Santana's album, Supernatural, Dave and Carter and Carlos were working on a tune. That tune became John the Revelator. What happened was that they were playing it, and all of a sudden, Carlos starts signing this line over the verse Dave is playing. They all liked it, so they put it in.

The song is actualy from not a jazz, but a blues artist, Blind Eye Willie Johnson. The song is far from John the Revelator. It sounds nothing like it, and the copy I had at one time sounded like an old vinyl recording. The song tends to drag on, in my opinion. It's Johnson's "somewhat" signing voice, his guitar, and a back up female singer.

Now, then they worked on another tune, which became Love Of My Life, which made the album. After that, Dave & Tim started playing it, and I believe a few times Santana stepped in. The song is somewhat a cover, because it was also written by Carlos as well as the lines from Johnson. After they scrapped that part, and didn't include the parts Carlos played, and the band worked it out, it became a DMB song, and that became JTR. Then, when they got back to recording Busted Stuff, they felt tired of the song at the time, and it was shevled again.








phew. There's all the info

[jkanter]

I would list John The Revelator as a cover, and JTR as an original.

which it is, right?

[Ranting Thespian]

Well, I would say this

John the Revelator is a half cover half original. Since it doesn't appear on an album, isn't a dmb song, there isn't a semi covers selection, and the live section is all originals, I say John the Revelator should be under the covers.

JTR was what Dave and Carter wrote for the song, and the rest of the band got in on it, doing the usual collaboration and adjustments, it became a dmb song.


I think that should be good