Junco Partner
{{more citations needed|date=October 2013}}
"Junco Partner", also known as "Junco Partner (Worthless Man)", is a blues song first recorded by James Wayne in 1951.[http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/james_wayne.htm Profile of James "Wee Willie" Wayne at Black Cat Rockabilly]. Rockabilly.nl, Retrieved 4 April 2013 It has been recorded and revised by many other artists over several decades, including Louis Jordan, Michael Bloomfield, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, James Booker, Hugh Laurie, and the Clash.{{cite web|title=A List of Junco Partner Covers|url=http://www.secondhandsongs.com/work/31946|publisher=Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 30 December 2013}} It has been covered in various genres of music including blues, folk, rock, reggae, and dub.
Early recordings
Singer James Wayne made the first recording of "Junco Partner" in 1951, for Bob Shad's record label "Sittin' in with...". The song is credited to Shad and "Robert Ellen" (a pseudonym Shad used on some recordings),[http://www.deaddisc.com/songs/Junco_Partner.htm List of recordings of "Junco Partner" at The Grateful Dead Family Discography]. Retrieved 21 November 2013 though it was directly inspired by the Willie Hall song "Junker's Blues".{{cite book|last=Williamson|first=Nigel|title=The Rough Guide to Blues 1 (Rough Guide Reference)|date=April 30, 2007|publisher=Rough Guides; 1 edition|isbn=978-1-84353-519-5|pages=27}} According to musician Mac Rebennack ("Dr. John"), James Waynes' recording made the song popular, although it was already widely known among musicians in New Orleans and elsewhere as "the anthem of the dopers, the whores, the pimps, the cons. It was a song they sang in Angola, the state prison farm, and the rhythm was even known as the 'jailbird beat'."[http://www.lastfm.es/user/barewires/journal/2006/03/19/3reb_about_%22junco_partner%22 Liner notes] to Dr. John's Gumbo, reprinted at barewires blog. Retrieved 4 April 2013
In 1952, several artists covered the song, including Richard Hayes with the Eddie Sauter Orchestra,{{cite web|last=Strother|first=Rex|title=Richard Hayes|url=http://www.saxonyrecordcompany.com/richard-hayes.html|publisher=Saxony Records}} and Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five for Decca.{{cite web|last=Jurek|first=Thom|title=A Review of Louis Jordan: Complete Decca Recordings, 1950–1952|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/complete-1950-1952-decca-recordings-mw0000018802|publisher=Allmusic.com|accessdate=11 December 2013}}
Fully credited to himself, Chuck Berry's 1961 "The Man and the Donkey" is based on the "Junco Partner" melody {{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|title=A Review of Chuck Berry's You Never Can Tell: The Complete Chess Recordings 1960–1966|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/you-never-can-tell-the-complete-chess-recordings-1960-1966-mw0000813057|publisher=Allmusic.com}} with a story based on a traditional West African tale heard on other songs such as Willie Dixon's Signifying Monkey (1947) or Oscar Brown, Jr.'s Signifying Monkey (1960).
Later versions
Roland Stone, an R&B singer from New Orleans, recorded two versions with rewritten lyrics, the first in 1959 as "Preacher's Daughter",{{cite web|title=Roland Stone|url=http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/roland_stone.htm|work=Article based on an Obituary}} and the second in 1961 as "Down the Road". The Holy Modal Rounders recorded the song as "Junko Partner" in 1965.{{cite web|last=Mason|first=Stewart|title=A Review of The Holy Modal Rounders 2|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-holy-modal-rounders-2-mw0000865004|publisher=Allmusic.com|accessdate=11 December 2013}}
The 1970s produced several widely known covers. In 1972, Dr. John covered the song for his Dr. John's Gumbo album.{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|title=A Review of Dr. John's Gumbo|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/dr-johns-gumbo-mw0000202957|publisher=Allmusic.com|accessdate=11 December 2013}} In 1976, Professor Longhair covered it for his Rock 'n' Roll Gumbo album,{{cite web|last=Iyengar|first=Vik|title=A Review of Rock 'n' Roll Gumbo|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/rock-n-roll-gumbo-mw0000195386|publisher=Allmusic.com|accessdate=11 December 2013}} and James Booker did the same for his homonymous album, "Junco Partner".{{cite web|last=Gottlieb|first=Bob|title=A Review of James Booker's Junco Partner|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/junco-partner-mw0000096429|publisher=Allmusic.com|accessdate=11 December 2013}}
Bob Dylan's 1986 album Knocked Out Loaded took its title from a "Junco Partner" lyric.{{cite book|last=Heylin|first=Clinton|title=Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades Revisited|date=April 29, 2003|publisher=Harper Entertainment|isbn=978-0-06-052569-9|pages=594}} The Hindu Love Gods, with Warren Zevon as lead singer and three members of R.E.M., released their recording of this song on their self-titled 1990 album, under the title "Junko Pardner."{{cite web|last=Fetherston|first=Daniel|title=A Review of The Hindu Love Gods|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/hindu-love-gods-mw0000309577|publisher=Allmusic.com|accessdate=11 December 2013}}
Carlos del Junco covered the song for his Big Boy album, released in 1999.{{cite web|title=Carlos Del Junco's Big Boy Track Listing|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/big-boy-mw0000667227|publisher=Allmusic.com|accessdate=11 December 2013}} In 2002, New Orleans' Dirty Dozen Brass Band covered the song on their album Medicated Magic. John Scofield included the song in his 2022 solo album.{{cite web |last1=Jurek |first1=Thom |title=John Scofield: John Scofield |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/john-scofield-mw0003696148 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=6 July 2022 |date=2022}}
The Clash version
{{Infobox song
| name = Junco Partner
| cover =
| alt =
| type =
| artist = the Clash
| album = Sandinista!
| released = 12 December 1980
| format =
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Reggae
| length = 4:53
| writer = Bob Shad aka Robert Ellen
| producer = Mikey Dread, the Clash
}}
It was Richard Hayes' version that caught the ear of Joe Strummer, who recorded it with the London-based band The 101'ers.{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|title=A Review of Elgin Avenue Breakdown|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/elgin-avenue-breakdown-mw0000713107|publisher=Allmusic.com|accessdate=11 December 2013}} He later recorded it again, this time in Kingston, Jamaica, with The Clash for their triple hit album Sandinista!, released in 1980, which included two versions: a reggae version, "Junco Partner", and a dub version, "Version Pardner".{{cite book|last=Gray|first=Marcus|title=The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town – 2nd Edition|date=November 1, 2004|publisher=Hal Leonard November 1, 2004|isbn=978-0-634-08240-5|pages=113, 342, 350}}