In 1936, blues legend Robert Johnson recorded 'I Believe I'll Dust My Broom', which had inspiration from older blues songs such as 'I Believe I'll Go Back Home' by The Sparks Brothers in 1932 and 'Old Original Kokomo Blues' by Kokomo Arnold from 1934. The song is a standard, upbeat blues shuffle:
However, the "definitive" version of this song is by Elmore James, recorded in 1951 in Mississippi. It features the classic and timeless slide guitar riff in open D tuning. The guitar is overdriven and that gave it's driving, rocking sound:
This version has been claimed as one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in history, and that simple triplet run caused a storm among musicians, and was instrumental in the rise of rock and roll.
It has since been selected for the Blues Foundation Blues Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, and the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.
Here are a few of the hundreds who covered the song:
HOWLIN' WOLF
THE YARDBIRDS (of ERIC CLAPTON / JIMMY PAGE fame)
FLEETWOOD MAC
ZZ TOP
BEN HARPER
JOHNNY WINTER
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