Cold Cold Feeling by Jessie Mae Robinson

When Jessie Mae Robinson wrote "Cold, Cold Feeling" back somewhere in the 1940/50’s she probably would never have imagined that 66 odd years later, a version of Nicky Bramble, would emerge from such a surprising place. Sure, T Bone Walker’s cover in 1952 did it justice, bet hey you gotta call it how it is…. T-Bone Walker recorded it in Los Angeles, CA, December 1951; Originally released by Imperial in 1952 on the single 'T-Bone Walker: Cold Cold Feeling'; Also released by Imperial in 1959 on the album 'T-Bone Walker Sings the Blues'.

Cold Cold Feeling

Jessie Mae Robinson becoming perhaps the first African American female songwriter to break the colour barrier. Born Jessie Mae Booker (1 October 1919) in Call, Texas, just outside Beaumont, her family moved to Watts, neighborhood in southern Los Angeles, where she started writing songs in her teens (and met and married Leonard Robinson a few years later.) Drawn to show business Robinson she began pitching her songs to performers and music publishers.

Jessie Mae Robinson

Throughout her career, Robinson composed her songs while sitting at her kitchen table with paper and pen, humming the melodies to herself.

Nicky Bramble - Cold Cold Feeling

The first artist to record one of her compositions was Dinah Washington ("Mellow Man Blues", 1945). She then wrote "Cleanhead Blues" for Eddie Vinson (1946; authorship of the song is disputed and is sometimes credited to Vinson.) Among her top blues hits were "Roomin' House Boogie" (recorded by Amos Milburn, 1949), "Blue Light Boogie" (Louis Jordan, 1950) and Charles Brown's number one hit in 1951, "Black Night". Other notable compositions include "Sneakin' Around" (B.B. King, 1955) and "Let's Have a Party", first recorded by Elvis Presley in 1957 and later by Wanda Jackson, 1960.

T-Bone Walker - Cold Cold Feeling, single 1952

Robinson’s most successful song, "I Went To Your Wedding" (1952), launched her career in the pop market. The song was first recorded by Damita Jo, and then Patti Page made it a number 1 pop hit. The song's success allowed Robinson to become the first female African-American member of ASCAP. Other pop success came with Jo Stafford ("Keep It A Secret", 1952) and Frankie Laine ("I’m Just A Poor Bachelor", 1953). One of her last successes was "The Other Woman", a chart hit for Sarah Vaughan in 1958 and later recorded by Nina Simone and (on her 2014 album 'Ultraviolence') Lana Del Rey.

Albert Collins plays Cold Cold Feeling

Jessie Mae Robinson wrote "Cold, Cold Feeling" in 1950. Besides T-Bone Walker, the song recorded among others: Otis Spann (1968), Dave Alexander (1972), Albert Collins (1978), Jimmy Witherspoon (1980), Melvin Taylor (1982), Phil Guy (1983), Valerie Wellington (1983), Jimmy Johnson (1983), Walter Trout (1989), Zuzu Bollin (1989), U. P. Wilson (1992), Aron Burton (1996), Michael Coleman (2000), Oscar Benton (2003), Lurrie Bell (2005), and Nicky Bramble (2016).

T-Bone Walker - Cold Cold Feeling

Jessie Mae changed the musical landscape with her songs and she'd achieved extraordinary success as a composer with a significant number of songs on the Billboard hit parade of the 50s. By the early 1960s her hits had dried up, but she still received a modest income from royalties. Robinson attempted to start small record labels in the 1960s, but with notable lack of success. She died suddenly in October 1966 after a short illness, aged 47.

Jessie Mae Robinson

Cold Cold Feeling, lyrics

I've got a cold, cold feelin; It's just like ice around my heart.
I've got a cold, cold feelin; It's just like ice around my heart.
I know I'm gonna' quit somebody, every time that, feelin'starts.

You treat my like a prisoner, because my hands are tied.
Everything you do to me, is stackin' up inside.
It's a cold, cold feelin' Yea, You're just like ice around my heart.
I know I'm gonna' quit somebody, every time that, feelin'starts.

There's a change in me baby, once I was blind but now I can see.
There's a change in me baby, once I was blind but now I can see.
I'm gonna' put everybody down baby,
That ever made a fool outta me.

Jimmy Johnson plays Cold Cold Feeling

Albert Collins & Gary Moore - Cold Cold Feeling