A previously unreleased recording of Woody Guthrie performing “Hoodoo Voodoo” is available after being discovered at the Shel Silverstein Archive, Variety reports.
“Hoodoo Voodoo” was thought to be one of the myriad unfinished songs Guthrie wrote lyrics for but never put to music or recorded. The authenticity of the recording was verified by the Woody Guthrie Archive.
The lost version of “Hoodoo Voodoo” features Guthrie alongside his frequent collaborators, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Sonny Terry, who likely taped the song as part of a 1954 session for Folkways Records’ Moses Asch. It’s believed that the trio recorded the tune after a bit of drinking, which likely explains the delightfully slapdash performance as Guthrie’s goofy lyrics tumble alongside a plucky guitar.
“Hoodoo Voodoo” was notably among the various unrecorded Guthrie songs that Wilco and Billy Bragg put to music on their 1998 album, Mermaid Avenue.