Fiddlin’ Doc Roberts recorded Black Eyed Susie at an August 26, 1927, session in Richmond, Indiana. It was one of six released titles recorded that day, and was paired with Waynesburgh, and released as Gennett #6257. It was also released on a host of affiliated labels, credited to, variously, Fiddlin’ Jim Burke (Silvertone and Champion), and Jim Burke (Supertone), and Fiddlin’ Frank Nelson (Superior).
Black Eyed Susie has remained a standard for old-time and bluegrass musicians. It’s comprised of repeated four-bar strains. Both strains are written without repeats, as guitarist John Booker plays different chords in the first and second repetitions of the B strain.
Black Eyed SusieI recorded a different arrangement of Black Eyed Susie with Tangleweed for our second record, Where You Been So Long?