The journey continues. But first, a divergence.

“Things ‘Bout Coming My Way” soon began to blaze a trail of its own.

On February 10, 1931 – twenty-two days after Sam Hill From Louisville (aka Walter Vinson) cut the inaugural recording – Tampa Red and Georgia Tom (Remember them? If not, turn back to Part Two) laid down their cover of “Things ‘Bout Coming My Way” in Chicago for Vocalion Records.

The record label of Vocalion #1637 lists the performer of “Thing ‘Bout Coming My Way” as “Tampa Red – ‘The Guitar Wizard’,” the performance as featuring “Vocal with Guitar and Piano” and the songwriter as “Hill.”

Here it is!

It then took slightly more than eight months for Walter Vinson to get together with Lonnie Chatmon and record “Things About Comin’ My Way” as the Mississippi Sheiks. (Again: See Part 2)

The deed was done on October 24, 1931 in Atlanta, Georgia for OKeh Records.

The record label on this 78 rpm disc – OKeh #8922 – lists the performer of “Things About Comin’ My Way” as “Mississippi Sheiks,” the performance as featuring “Vocal with Fiddle and Guitar Acc.” and the songwriter as “Jacobs.”

Check it out!

If you have a few minutes, go back to Part Two and listen again to “Sitting On Top of the World.”

Amazing, huh? Nearly identical!

Speaking of “Sitting On Top of the World,” the Mississippi Sheiks recorded a follow-up/remake/sequel to that immensely popular song of theirs. They called it “Sitting On Top of the World No. 2” The recording session took place on December 15, 1930 at the now-legendary King Edward Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi.

Likewise, Tampa Red & Georgia Tom recorded “Things ‘Bout Coming My Way No. 2” in New York City on February 4, 1932.

The record label of Vocalion #1699 lists the performer of “Things ‘Bout Coming My Way No. 2” as just “Tampa Red” (not “The Guitar Wizard” this time!), the performance as featuring “Vocal with Guitar and Piano” and the songwriter as “Williams.”

Give a listen! Tampa Red is just as wizardly as always on this track.

So, I hope you enjoyed this divergence into these three recordings of “Things ‘Bout Coming My Way.” Recordings like this are quite fascinating to me and as my motto says: “Good music doesn’t get old.”

Coming up in Part Four: Four years further down the trail.