Outside Woman Blues
song performed by Blind Joe Reynolds
"Outside Woman Blues" is a blues song originally recorded by Blind Joe Reynolds in 1929. It is one of the few known recordings made by Reynolds, who used "Woman Blues" in several song titles, including "Cold Woman Blues", "Goose Hill Woman Blues", and "Third Street Woman Blues".
In 1967, the song was popularized by the British rock group Cream, who recorded a blues rock adaptation in 1967 for the album Disraeli Gears, with vocals by Eric Clapton.
Live recordings appear on BBC Sessions and Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6, 2005. Their original recording is included on the compilation album Those Were the Days. Cream's versions are usually credited to "Reynolds, arranged by Eric Clapton". Clapton has also performed the song live as a solo artist.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Outside Woman Blues” is song performed by Blind Joe Reynolds. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Outside, Woman and Blues, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “song performed by Blind Joe Reynolds” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7112968. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1929, 1967 and 2005.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Outside Woman Blues”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Outside Woman Blues primary sources, Outside Woman Blues archive and Outside research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Outside Woman Blues”?
- How did later circulation or interpretation alter the work’s reception?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Outside Woman Blues” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.