This video of Jim’s signature song, “Down In
Mississippi,” features a cut that was recorded for his album, Free Beer
Tomorrow, but never released except on an Oxford American
magazine compilation. The video was conceived, directed and produced
by Mike McCarthy, Memphis’ own Film Cult King. Director of such
underground classics as TEENAGE TUPELO and CIGARETTE GIRL, Mike is
known to be “passionate about the region he lives in, and the history,
and how to honor and preserve that history…,” as director Craig Brewer
described him.
This work of Mike's honoring and preserving
Jim’s uniquely Southern artistry began one chilly afternoon when Jim
answered the phone and Mike said, “Jim, I’ve noticed you don’t have a
video of you and your music, so I’m going to make one for you.” What
an adventure filming it was, horses, barefoot girls dancing around Jim
in the icy mud, Jimmy Crosthwait's sinister. menacing presence cradling a
Civil War era rifle, the half naked girl wearing the Confederate bra,
the flaming cross.... This you've got to see.
Thank you,
Mike. Jim’s legacy thanks you. This video is a labor of love and a
gift to us all. Jim’s song and Mike’s vision take us deep into a world
that never was.
As Jim wrote in his last words, "As long as the music lingers, I'll be there."
(With thanks to Greg Akers and the MEMPHIS FLYER)
Visit the Jim Dickinson's Legacy Facebook page to vote for your favorite video! One entry for each Like and one entry for each Share!
No comments:
Post a Comment