In honor of the 2011 Robert Johnson Centennial celebrations, “Love in Vain” joins several Johnson classics that have already been enshrined in the Blues Hall of Fame. Johnson’s poignant original was cut in 1937 in Dallas and, though not a big seller upon its release, it has since become a widespread favorite through the Rolling Stones’ version in 1969 and the many Robert Johnson reissue albums. Johnson’s melody is modeled on the 1935 Leroy Carr recording “When the Sun Goes Down.”