Parallel Anthology Track 54

Track 54: Ernest Phipps and his Holiness Singers - Shine On Me  Bluebird 5540-A; Recorded in Bristol, Tennessee, 29.11.1928

No image of record label available. Harry Smith's Anthology Booklet assigns authorship to "E Phipps", although www.78discography.com does not assign authorship.

The "about" section of this YouTube clip of a recording of a different song by Phipps and his singers quotes from the "Encyclopedia of Appalachia" that Ernest Phipps died in 1963.

This would imply that this composition is in copyright until 1st January 2034.

However, according to the Old Weird America blog:

''Some verses of “Shine on me”, sung on the Anthology by Ernest Phipps & His Holiness Singers come from of a 19th century hymn called “Maitland” by George N. Allen which was sung with the words of “Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone”, a text by Thomas Sheperd. But the chorus (“Shine on me” ) comes from a popular african-american spiritual “Let the light from the lighthouse shine on me” that was recorded many times during the last century.''

According to cyberhymnal.org, “Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone” has word written by Thomas Shepherd (died 1739: ) and music written by George N Allen (died 1877: ). This hymn is therefore public domain.

Parallel anthology main index page

Alternative Versions
Let Your Light Shine on Me by Blind Willie Johnson   recorded in 1929: Streamable from the Old Weird America blog.   ''The liner notes for a Folkways album containing the same version of this song make no claim to arrangement credit for this version.

Must Jesus Bear This Cross Alone by Sam Cooke   recorded in 1956 (according to this site): Spotify   ''According to this site, Sam Cooke has an arrangement credit for this version. According to wikipedia, Cooke died in 1964, so this version is in copyright until '1st January 2015.

The Old Weird America blog provides streams of several other versions whose copyright status is not yet determined, except for the Lead Belly version, which according to the liner notes for a Folkways album containing the same version of the song has an arrangement credit for "Huddie Ledbetter/TRO-Folkways Music, Inc., BMI".

Blog tracks are:

Shine on Me by the Wiseman Sextette    recorded in 1923 according to Old Weird America, which is confirmed by 78discography.com   ''Record label calls this a "Negro Spiritual". No arrangement credit.''            

Shine on Me by Bryant’s Jubilee Quartet (Conqueror 8358)   recorded in 1931 according to 78discography.com   No record label found

Shine on Me by the Fisk Jubilee Singers   recorded in the 1930s according to Old Weird America   No information found

Let Your Light Shine on Me by Blind Willie Johnson (Columbia 14490D)   recorded in 1929 according to 78discography.com   No writing or arrangement credit on record label            

Shine on Me by Lead Belly   recorded in 1947 according to Old Weird America   No information found

Shine on Me by the Cliff Carlisle Quintet (Bluebird 6855)   recorded in 1936 according to 78discography.com   No record label found

Shine on Me by the Swan Silverstones   recorded in the 1950s according to Old Weird America   No information found

Shine on Me by the Kings of Harmony   recorded in the 1950s according to Old Weird America   No information found

Shine on Me by the Soul Stirrers   recorded in the 1950s according to Old Weird America   No information found

Shine on Me by the Reverend Gary Davis   recorded in 1954 according to Old Weird America   No information found