It can be quite a blow when you
summon the courage to profess love, but the other individual does not reciprocate.
They have said as much (“ouch!”) or maybe they have slapped your wrist, taken
up with a rival, and moved to another area code. You have “made yourself
vulnerable” by saying “I love you” and all for what? Crickets. Or worse.
This has likely happened to everyone at some point. So, how can you achieve
comeuppance? Well, with some music, of course.
Jiminy Cricket but you’re good people, are you not? To
boot, you like to have high times. It’s not like you to moon over these unjust
weights. You want some guitar to be laid down. Some saxophone. Some keys. If you’re
gonna be miserable, “ffs,” then you’re gonna do a little jumping, a little
shaking. And lucky for us. Not only do a few musicians understand this selfsame
plight, but they have gone into the studio—and sang about it! Swimminglyso.
Tommy Raye
Thus, we turn to a couple of
nearly-forgotten 45s, both A-sides, both from 1964, both soulful, to help us
navigate these sticky situations. Although each record bears the title “You
Don’t Love Me” they are indeed different songs, with one recorded in Memphis
and one recorded in Los Angeles. We begin with Memphis singer Tommy Raye (above
and above), who cut only one record in his short career. Neither projected
optimism. The title of his B-side? “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know.” (Ouch.)
From the very beginning, Raye knows that he’s
not loved. His baby has left him and he’s got no place to go. If you’re
recognizing “a familiar hand on the wheel” then you would be correct. The
uncredited Elias McDaniel aka Bo Diddley shines through as one of two co-composers.
As such, the guitar and keys drive hard. Meanwhile, Raye offers to get on his
knees and pray, if this would somehow alter the cold treatment by the gal he so
dearly cherishes. “Uh uh uhhh,” he sings. “Mm mm mmmm.” Kind of like “no” and “yes”
simultaneously. Perhaps the outcome hangs in the balance. By kneeling in
reverence, Raye may be closer than he thinks to getting “another shot.” This certainly
represents one possible route forward.
Now play this!
Enter one Z.Z. Hill, who enjoyed
a much longer career in the music industry as a soul and blues singer. His
singles and albums charted preposterously well and according to some, he “resuscitated
the blues” in the 1980s. In his “You Don’t Love Me” song, an original, Hill
just wants to talk things over. As with Raye, he too acknowledges a lack of affection,
but, you will admit, not being loved was never so much fun. The horns blare and
the background vocals form a kind of “Greek chorus” so that Hill can emphasize
his position to the gal he admires. Yet Hill is onto something deeper. “You don’t
love me,” he declares. Then quickly adds, “We can get together. It won’t be
hard to do.” Of course. You don’t need love. For that. It’s an unexpected
suggestion that may well work, by appealing to a more primal instinct, or simply
through its shock value.
Devotees of this blog may recall a post from
some years ago, when we provided a comprehensive guide to “who makes the love” during
an amorous encounter. By “make the love,” we mean “a passionate kiss &
etcetera.” We pointed out then, and we maintain today, that it can be
surprising. One may think that they have made the love when, instead, they were
made love to. Things are not so “clear cut” in the multiple arenas of “love
making” and professing your love. [“btw” Are you a Professor of Love?]
Z.Z. Hill
Okay, so kneel down and pray or raise your eyebrows with an
unexpected proposal. If neither works, then we suggest that you clear some
space, cue up these songs, raise the volume, and press “play.” Once the bodies
start moving, well, we believe that they may happily and tenderly collide.
Discographic Information Tommy Raye. “You Don’t Love Me”
A-side b/w “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know” B-side. Pen Records 45-2PN-351.
Memphis, Tennessee (1964.) Tommy Raye (vocals.) Remainder of musicians unknown.
Compositional credit: Willie Cobbs and unlisted Elias McDaniel (aka Bo
Diddley.)
Z.Z. Hill. “You Don’t Love Me”
A-side b/w “If I Could Do It All Over” B-side. Kent Records K 404x45. Los
Angeles (1964.) Z.Z. Hill (vocals.) Remainder of musicians are unknown but may
have included Maxwell Davis (saxophone). Compositional credit: Z.Z. Hill.
Sometimes we require a good solid round of musical ravaging,
do we not? As in, these five instrumentals from the Shakers Era will ravage you, Dear Reader. By “Shakers Era” we mean the largely
underappreciated early rock ‘n’ roll and R&B that prevailed, roughly speaking,
from the appearance of Elvis to the British Invasion. (Give or take: 1952 to
1954 to 1964 to 1966.) In those 10 to 12 to 14 years can be found some of the
rowdiest strains ever produced in American music, much of it driven by
shrieking saxophone or crunching guitar, or both. Most of the Shakers musicians
would never achieve stardom; a handful who “cut their teeth” in this era would “make
it big” but often enough “making it big” equated to soggy crooning as compared
to the teeth-rattling properties of these formidable records.
Collectively, these
five groups played surf, R&B, rockabilly, and hard rock from the earliest
recording (1958) to the latest (1966). Yes, you will recognize some of the
names. You may have a hard time reconciling a shaker such as “Buzz Saw” with
the mushier output-to-come by its musicians: among them Glen Campbell and Seals
and Crofts. Upon hearing “Hornet’s Nest,” you may remark that you had no idea
there was a Jimi Hendrix before the Jimi Hendrix Experience shocked the world, but
there was, and he played in a wild group known as Curtis Knight & The
Squires. From the Grammy-winning Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee Duane Eddy
to the relatively unknown proto-punk group The Fender IV to the double trumpets
of Frank Motley right here in Washington, D.C., all these records will fulfill
the prophecy: namely, you will be shaken, throttled, ravaged, ravished, and picked
apart until your bare bones rattle together simply while you wear a huge smile
on your face.
Before you queue-up
the music, we suggest that you situate yourself in a semi-dark enclave with
appropriate libations at your fingertips. We doubly suggest that you invite
your Sweetie Pie to join you. You may jump up, you may get down, you
may be scared into each other’s arms. It is always more fun to be ravaged in
the presence of a loved one, is it not?
intro: Behold the rock ‘n’ roll
shaker “Peter Gunn” released by Duane Eddy in 1958 or 1959. 26-word song review:
Twangy guitar will surely rescue us (right?) but no, it’s a ruse, the guitar
crunches us instead, while saxophone drills gaping holes in the earth’s mantle. how to dress for
this song: In layers, that can be shed, as you flee. after hearing this
song you resolve to . . . . . build a funeral pyre for all the “with
strings” albums that you own. sub genre(s): Rockabilly. Hard rock. Tenor excess. notes. Henry Mancini wrote the original “Peter Gunn” and recorded it
with legendary shaker musician Plas Johnson on tenor sax. The Mancini version, of course, provided theme music
for the television show of the same name but the Duane Eddy rendition goes well
beyond Mancini, well beyond raunchy, to reach the upper levels of the registry
known to humankind. Eddy’s 1986 remake of the song won him a Grammy, which we
will not hold against him. discography: Duane Eddy. “Peter
Gunn” A-side b/w “Yep!” B-side. London Records, London American Recordings HLW
8879. United Kingdom, 1958 or 1959. (Also released on the Jamie label in the
USA, in 1959 and1960, under the heading of Duane Eddy “His Twangy Guitar” and
The Rebels). Likely personnel may have included all or some of the following: Duane
Eddy (guitar); Steve Douglas (saxophone); Corkey Casey (rhythm guitar); Buddy
Wheeler (electric bass); Jimmy Simmons (upright bass); Al Casey (piano); and
Mike Bermani (drums). Compositional credit: Henry Mancini. Sources of
information: Discogs;
45cat; Wikipedia pages for Duane Eddy and “Peter Gunn”; Only Solitaire Herald; Jazz Messengers.
intro:
Behold the R&B shaker “Space Age” released by Frank Motley in
1959. 26-word song review:
3 minutes of sheer rocket fuel. 2 trumpets shrieking in the same cat’s mouth. 1
drummer thumping away in the wake of his own echoes. Blastoff. how to dress for
this song: In a helmet! after hearing this
song you resolve to . . . . . jettison your ballast. sub genre(s): R&B. Washington, D.C. R&B. Extraterrestrial
exotica. notes: Part
of the vibrant R&B
scene in Washington, D.C., Frank Motley became one of the few American
musicians adept at playing more than one horn simultaneously, alongside Rahsaan
Roland Kirk and George Braith. Notably, Motley and his band backed transgender singer
Jackie Shane in the Toronto-area hit “Any Other Way” from 1963, a slower piece
that we highly recommend. discography:
Frank “Dual Trumpet” Motley and His Crew. “Space Age” A-side b/w “Everybody
Wants a Flattop” B-side. DC 45-0415. Washington, D.C., 1959. Likely personnel:
Frank Motley (dual trumpets); Curley Bridges or Jimmy Crawford (keyboards); and
Thomas ‘TNT’ Tribble (drums); remaining musicians unknown. Compositional
credit: Frank Motley and Lillian Claiborne. Sources of information: Discogs;
45cat; Wikipedia.
intro:
Behold the rock ‘n’ roll shaker “Buzz Saw” released by The Gee Cees
in 1961. 26-word song review:
As the needle cuts through the disc, as the disc cuts through the turntable, so
do the teeth of the music cut through us unrepentant scoundrels. how to dress for
this song: With safety goggles. after hearing this
song you resolve to . . . . . cut through brick with a butter knife. sub genre(s): Rockabilly. Hard rock. Powertool grind. notes: Apparently,
Glen Campbell, Jim Seals, and Dash Crofts had been bandmates in the widely
beloved shaker group The Champs, before leaving that group to cut this record. “Buzz
Saw” would hardly predict the slower-paced material that would follow from
Campbell and, separately, the duo Seals and Crofts. We wish this brief
intersection had continued. discography:
The Gee Cees. “Buzz Saw” A-side b/w “Annie Had a Party” B-side. Crest 45-1088.
Hollywood, California, 1961. [Also released by the same label as “Buzz Saw Twist.”]
Likely personnel: Glen Campbell (guitar); Jerry Kolbrak also known as Jerry
Cole (guitar); Jim Seals (Saxophone); and Dash Crofts (drums); other musicians may
have been drawn from another group, The Champs, but are unknown. Compositional credit:
Glen Campbell. Sources of information: Discogs;
45cat; Wikipedia pages for Glen Campbell and Jerry Cole.
intro: Behold
the rock ‘n’ roll shaker “Mar Gaya” released by The Fender IV in
1964. 26-word song review:
We consider this a punk record ahead of its time, we consider this a great punk
record, for the sheer locomotion and irreverence of the musicians. how to dress for
this song: With a fedora, pince-nez, smoking jacket, and pocket
watch. after hearing this
song you resolve to . . . . . weigh the benefits of the Atkins diet
versus the Keto diet. sub genre(s): Surf. Proto punk. Beach loco. notes: According
to “Google Translate” the phrase “mar gaya” means “died” or “petered (out)” in Hindi;
“strong sea” in Haitian Creole, and “mar gaya” in Esperanto. discography: The Fender IV. “Mar
Gaya” A-side b/w “You Better Tell Me Now” B-side. Imperial 66061. Los Angeles,
California, 1964. Likely personnel: Randy Holden (guitar); Joe Kooken (guitar);
Mike Port (bass); and Bruce Miller (drums). Compositional credit: Randy Holden.
Sources of information: Discogs;
45cat; Wikipedia.
intro:
Behold the R&B shaker “Hornet’s Nest” released by Curtis Knight
and The Squires in 1966. 26-word song review:
Okay, yes, the angry hornets, because their nest was poked, but who set them
off, okay, yes, it was Jimi Hendrix, that would explain a lot. how to dress for
this song: In a beekeeper’s suit. after hearing this
song you resolve to . . . . . swarm! sub genre(s): R&B. Hard rock. Apian blues. notes: There
are lots of disputes involving the Knight / Hendrix recordings that we choose
not to fathom. discography: Curtis Knight &
The Squires. “Hornet’s Nest” A-side b/w “Knock Yourself Out” B-side. RSVP 1124.
New York, 1966. Likely personnel: Curtis Knight (guitar); Jimi Hendrix
(guitar); Marion Booker Jr. (drums); Ace Hall or Napoleon Anderson (bass); and
Nate Edmonds (organ). Compositional credit: Jimi Hendrix and Jerry Simon. Sources
of information: Discogs;
45cat; Wikipedia;
Early Hendrix.
Spanning a seven-year
period from 1957 to 1964, these five shakers (all of which contain a ‘walk’)
will move our bodies in the proper ways of raucous festivity. You will hear R&B.
You will hear rock ‘n’ roll. To wit, you may learn how walketh the camel, how
walketh the Cossak [sic], how walketh the cat. You will hear rockabilly.
You will hear exotica. You will hear “Whooo-ooo-ooo!” Those who sporteth-not
bosoms and those who sporteth bosoms alike will shake their bosoms. Apparently,
“In wildness is the preservation of the World.” This comes from a bloke named Thoreau,
from an essay entitled (aptly enough) “Walking.” Above all else, these five
nearly-forgotten songs will propel us forward in wildness (and jumping) and in
so doing we shall preserve the world.
Intro: Behold “Walking
With Frankie” — an R&B shaker by Frankie Lee Sims from 1957.
26-word review: Here, the
walk is a search (if not a prayer) in the registry of a driving pace with mischievous
sax, insinuating guitar, and the gal? Aloof.
Best time and situation to play:
Ten minutes to midnight, when doubt flickers.
Calories burned during the ‘walk’:
Enough “for us to get together and be as two” (listen to the song).
Notes: A cousin to Lightnin’
Hopkins and noted innovator within the idiom of postwar Texas blues, Sims
released only a handful of 45s during his lifetime although he did record enough
material (circa 1960) for at least one LP. He served three years in the Marine
Corps during World War II. He was, therefore, a soldier & a musician. We
thank him for both.
Discography: Frankie Lee
Sims. “Walking With Frankie” A-side b/w “Hey Little Girl” B-side. Ace Records
527. 1957. Jackson, Mississippi. Likely personnel: Frankie Lee Sims (vocals and
guitar); Jack White (tenor saxophone); Willie Taylor (piano); Ralph Morgan
(bass); Jimmy Mullins aka Mercy Baby (drums). Other musicians, if any, unknown.
Composition credit: Frankie Lee Sims and John Vincent.
Intro: Behold “Camel
Walk” — a rock ‘n’ roll shaker by The Original Starfires from 1959.
26-word review: Each of us
has four limbs, same as the camel, and the sultry instructions may be obvious,
but nevertheless, what do we do with the hump?
Best time and situation to play:
Round about 2am when everyone is blotto.
Calories burned during the ‘walk’:
Enough to cover the 3am pancakes & stout run.
Notes: We detect a little bit
of Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That A Shame” here and there — when the musicians decide to
reassure us (somewhat). The ‘camel walk’ was a dance fad that reached regal heights
with the likes of James Brown performing the moves onstage. There is also a
surprising version (with church bells) by Magic Sam. Lots o’ camels. Lots o’
walks. Yep.
Discography: The Original
Starfires. “Camel Walk” A-side b/w “Fender Bender” B-side. Pace Records P-101. 1959.
New York. Musicians unknown [“Starfires” was a popular band name; some online
speculation indicates that this band hailed from Florida.] Instrumentation
likely includes lead and rhythm guitar, bass, drums, and saxophone. Composition
credit: Jim Ford. [Also released on APT Records, a subsidiary of ABC
Paramount.]
Intro: Behold “Cossak Walk”
[sic]— an R&B shaker by Al Duncan from 1962.
26-word review: Cultures
collide when an African American groove-drummer reimagines “The Twist” as a
Cossack dance with an absolute MONSTER baritone sax prevailing. Wtf? as the kids
say.
Best time and situation to play:
To shock a party back into its fundamental mission, as when Sha Na Na or Billy
Joel needs to be decisively cleansed from the air.
Calories burned during the ‘walk’:
Enough to scale a peak in the Caucasus region.
Notes: Not to get too deep
into the weeds, but Eugene Chadbourne writing in All Music Guide to the
Blues calls this recording the work of an “obscure rockabilly dude” and not
the legendary drummer Al Duncan, but we think Mr. Chadbourne is mistaken. This does
appear to be the work of “one of the forefathers of groove” (and his
collaborator Johnny Pate). We agree with Mr. Chadbourne on everything else,
including how Duncan helped to develop the fundamental timekeeping or “metric
feeling” of R&B.
Discography: Al Duncan.
“Cossak Walk (Twisting in Moscow)” A-side b/w “Bawana Jinde” B-side. Stacy
Records 933 XM. 1962. Chicago. Likely personnel: Al Duncan (drums) and Johnny
Pate (bass); other musicians unknown. Composition credit: Johnny Pate.
Intro: Behold “Cat Walk”—
a rock ‘n’ roll shaker by Tiny Fuller from 1963.
26-word review: Played
ostensibly to drown-out the racketing sound of the freight train, the song startlingly
projects the same locomotion that it’s meant to obscure. Which is which?
Best time and situation to play:
10pm when nothing has been broken (yet).
Calories burned during the ‘walk’:
Enough to wrassle that swordfish on the record.
Notes: This rockabilly
guitarist is nearly a complete mystery. What else can we say? The sound is not “tiny.”
The harmonicaist cooperates. Perhaps the snippets of voice echo the yelps,
etc., of western swing bandleader Bob Wills.
Discography: Tiny Fuller
and His Combo. “Cat Walk” A-side b/w “Shock” B-side. Marlin Records 6301. 1963.
Memphis, Tennessee. Personnel: Tiny Fuller (guitar); other musicians unknown. Composition
credit: Tiny Fuller
Intro: Behold “I’ll Walk
A Mile”— an R&B shaker by Bob Marriott and the Continentals from 1964.
26-word review: A pleading,
howling, grooving piece that situates despair and triumph nearby as the singer
confronts the dynamics of uncertainty: “take me in your arms” + “Whooo-ooo-oooo!”
Best time and situation to play:
Anytime you’re in trouble with your sweetie pie. (Usually late at night after an
understandable miscue.)
Calories burned during the ‘walk’:
Enough to “walk a mile” at which point your sweetie pie will (usually) relent.
Notes: This was an
integrated group, with an African American singer fronting a quartet of white
musicians. The leader and his bandmates were inducted into the Kansas City
Music Hall of Fame in 2021. Very deservedly so.
Discography: Bob Marriott and The Continentals. “I’ll Walk
A Mile” B-side b/w “Night Train” A-side. Jayco Records 45-260701/02. 1964.
Kansas City, Missouri. Likely personnel: Bob Marriott (guitar); Chuck Vallent
aka Aubrey Washington (vocals); Larry Hensiek (drums), Cliff Manning (bass), and
Ricky Lee (keyboards); maybe Butch Kelly (instrument unknown); other musicians,
if any, unknown. Composition credit: Chuck Vallent.
Bob Marriott and the (fabulous!) Continentals
sources of
information Eugene Chadbourne. “Al Duncan.” AllMusic Guide to the
Blues. Backbeat Books, 2003 45cat page
for Al Duncan release on Stacy Billboard May 19, 1962 Discogs page
for Bob Marriott release on Jayco Discogs page
for The Original Starfires release on Pace Discogs page
for Tiny Fuller release on Marlin Discogs page
for Frankie Lee Sims release on Ace Edward M. Komara, editor. Encyclopedia of the Blues.
Routledge, 2006 Jazz Discography page
for Eddie Higgins (includes information on Al Duncan and Johnny Pate) Kansas City Music Hall of Fame page for 2021 inductees, including
Marriott and his band Krazy Kat liner notes for
Walkin’ With Frankie LP Wikipedia page
for Al Duncan Wikipedia page for Frankie Lee
Sims Wirz discography page for Barrelhouse Records
(establishes Tiny Fuller as a guitarist) Wirz discography page
for Frankie Lee Sims
This “Walking” post is
part of a double issue, Dear Reader. Do you need to RUN instead? If so, please
see “Run Like Femke Bol.”
Behold “Pleadin’” (above) and “Don’t Lie to Me” (below). A singer
& drummer named Mercy Baby aka Julius W. “Jimmy” Mullins recorded these wild
R&B numbers in the late 1950s on the now-defunct New Orleans label Ric
Records. We suggest you medicate yourself appropriately and then consider the
following 10 observations as you listen to these rollicking tracks.
10 Things to Consider
About This Release
1. Mercy Baby is a pretty good stage name. 2. The drumming (by Mercy) and the hollering (by Mercy) are quite
propulsive. 3. Notably, the guitar is played by one Frankie Lee Sims, a cousin
of Lightnin’ Hopkins. 4. Never underestimate the B-side! Especially for the horns. 5. The topics – pleading and lying – seem to go
hand-in-hand. 6. Apparently, pleading and lying can be great reasons to
jump around! 7. Neither of these records prospered. Mr. Mullins himself
died of a gunshot wound. 8. Once again great American music associates with tragedy
and a paucity of commercial success. 9. These tunes appear in the very formidable Shakers
Era. 10. Grab yr Sweetie Pie. Turn up the sound. & Shake
everything on yr body!
Discographic Information Mercy Baby. “Pleadin’” (A-side) b/w “Don’t Lie to Me” (B-side). Ric Records
955. Recorded in 1957 or 1958 in Jackson, Mississippi or in New Orleans. (Probably
released in 1958; potentially released late as 1960). Likely personnel: Mercy
Baby aka Julius W. “Jimmy” Mullins (drums and vocals); Jacquette Brooks
(saxophone); Jack White (saxophone); Willie Taylor (piano); Frankie Lee Sims
(guitar); Ralph Morgan (bass); other musicians, if any, unknown. Songwriting
credit: Jimmy Mullins and Joe Ruffino.
Sources of Information Discogs page
for the release on Ric Records 45cat page
for the release on Ric Records Wikipedia page
for Ric Records Wikipedia page
for Mercy Baby Wikipedia page for Frankie Lee
Sims Cosimo Code page
for Ric and Ron Records Jeff Hannusch. I Hear You Knockin’:
The Sound of New Orleans Rhythm and Blues. Swallow Publications, 1989 Jeff Hannusch. The Soul of New Orleans: A Legacy of Rhythm
and Blues. Swallow Publications, 2001 Stefan Wirz discography page for Frankie Lee Sims
Top, left to right: Barbara Lynn, Ella Mae Morse Bottom, left to right: Big Maybelle, Jackie Shane
It’s hard to imagine the evolution of American music without
the contributions made by these singers, whose work brashly inhabits at least ten
genres: swing, jazz, blues, jump blues, rhythm & blues, electric blues, rock
‘n’ roll, gospel, soul, and pop. Some of the songs contributed formatively to
the nascent states of their genres. These ladies built a formidable idiom
during the Jump Blues and “Shakers” periods, which roughly accounted for the
twenty-five year stretch from World War II up until the British Invasion. Their
voices howl and holler, they croon and brood, they scat and bounce.
The singers didn’t bring their voices alone to the stage. Nellie
Lutcher, Martha Davis, Camille Howard, Cleo Brown, and Aretha Franklin played
the piano; surely you remember Aretha Franklin in The Blues Brothers. She wasn’t the only actress from this group.
Ruth Brown, LaVern Baker, Sylvia Sims, and Mabel King (What’s Happening!) were actresses, too. Marylyn
Scott and Sister Rosetta Tharpe played guitar. Little Sylvia played guitar; later,
as Sylvia Robinson, she went on to found Sugar Hill Records and played an
irreplaceable role in formation of hiphop music. Barbara Lynn appeared in the
2015 documentary I Am The Blues and
continues to play guitar. Irma Thomas is still active. Sugar Pie DeSanto was,
and still is, a dancer. Big Mama Thornton played drums and harmonica. Jackie
Shane identified as female; she passed away this year after her work,
long-neglected, came back into focus with a Grammy nomination. Shane first performed
her hit single, “Any Other Way,” in Toronto, backed by Frank Motley, who often
played two trumpets simultaneously.
To say that many of these tunes simply concern “love
relationships” would grossly underestimate their contents. When Nancy Adams
narrates all the activity in her “orchard,” she does so from a gangster
standpoint, threatening to take “[her] gun and rat-a-tat-tat” that cat who’s “picking
at [her] plum tree.” Irma Thomas and Sugar Pie DeSanto sing about the need (as
jilted lovers) to leave town altogether while Rose Mitchell and Jo Ann
Henderson both plead for a “baby” to stay, as they perform two different
versions of the same song. Dolly Cooper doesn’t mince lyrics in establishing a
certain ferocity of passion in “Wild Love,” and similarly, Nellie Lutcher urges
her partner to “Hurry on down” since there “ain’t nobody home but [the singer].”
Left: Dolly Cooper, right: LaVern Baker
Some songs describe earthy forms of celebration. Camille
Howard’s “Fiesta In Old Mexico,” Marylyn Scott’s “Beer Bottle Boogie,” LaVern
Baker’s “Dix-A-Billy,” and the voice of Helen Lancaster in “The Monkey Swing”
call to mind jumping juke joints and house rent parties. Big Maybelle and Ann
Cole recorded the first versions of iconic songs that later came to be
standards for Bill Haley and Muddy Waters, respectively. A dark horse candidate
for the best among these songs is the Martha Davis tune, “Sarah Sarah,” which
conjures the earnest life of a seamstress in a shoeshine shop. Of course, male
characters abound. From a “little boy” to a “baby” to a “hound dog” to “Henry”
to “Johnny Lee” to the singer Percy Mayfield (of “Mercy Mister Percy”), these
ladies sure do address the fellas. Cleo Brown predicted—“Here’s the news / And
it’s the newest”—that Jim Braddock would meet Joe Louis, two years after her
song appeared. And they did meet, and Louis knocked out Braddock in what would
become a comeuppance that reinforced the message in Brown’s song.
I hope that many of these musicians will be new to you, as
they were to me. Seek-out the songs. Play them loud. Jump about. Shake your
entire body, then shake individual body parts, one by one. Most importantly,
figure out some way to compensate me for bringing this music into your life. I’d
like you to know that I accept most—but not all—forms of stout, and
stout-porter, and porter. Inquire via modern inquiry techniques, if you will,
and you will. Oh yes. Amen. Also, please refer to our Jump
Blues post, our Shakers
post, and our Unassailable
Vocalists post, even as there may be some minor differences between the
opinions and lists published therein. Hoy hoy!
Irma Thomas “Break-A-Way” (1964)
Discography information appears below
Top 30 Records
Nellie Lutcher: “Hurry On Down” (1947) [Capitol, A-side b/w “The Lady’s In Love With You”]
Martha Davis: “Sarah
Sarah” (1948) [Jewel B-side b/w “When I Say Goodbye”]
Camille Howard: “Fiesta In Old Mexico” (1949) [Specialty
A-side b/w “Miraculous Boogie” ]
Ella Mae Morse with Freddie Slack And His Orchestra: “Get On
Board Little Chillun” (1942) [Capitol A-side b/w “Old Rob Roy”]
Helen Humes: “Be-Baba-Leba” (1945) [Philo Recordings B-side
b/w “Every Now And Then”]
Top, left to right: Annie Laurie, Dolly Lyon
Bottom, left to right: Wynona Carr, Inez Foxx
+ Also Considered:
Annisteen Allen: “Oo-Ee-Bab-A-Lee-Bob” (1945). Marion
Abernathy aka The Blues Woman: “Voo-it! Voo-it!” (1946). Blue Lu Barker: “A
Little Bird Told Me” (1948). Paula Watson: “Hidin’ In The Sticks” (1948). Albennie
Jones: “Hole In The Wall” (1949). Erline Harris: “Jump And Shout” (1950). Julia
Lee & Her Boyfriends: “Mama Don’t Allow It” (1951). Mabel Scott: “Catch ‘Em
Young, Treat ‘Em Rough, Never Tell ‘Em Nothing” (1951). Margie Day: “Snatchin’
It Back” (1953). Pearl Reaves: “You Can’t Stay Here (Step It Up And Go)” (1955).
Lula Reed: “Rock Love” (1955). Wynona Carr: “Jump, Jack, Jump” (1956). Annie
Laurie: “Rockin’ And Rollin’ Again” (1956). Anita Tucker: “Hop Skip And Jump”
(1956). Dolly Lyon: “Palm Of Your Hand” (1957). Lillian Offit: “Miss You So”
(1957). Fay Simmons: “Hangin’ Around” (1957). Carol Fran: “I Quit My Knockin’”
(1958). Sharon Smith: “I’m Waiting” (1958?). Baby Jean: “Oh Johnny” (1962). Jessie
Mae: “Don’t Freeze On Me” (1962). Inez and Charlie Foxx: “Mockingbird” (1963). Cookie
Jackson: “Do You Still Love Me” (1963). Patti LaBelle and the Blue Bells:
“Academy Award” (1963). Pearl Woods “Stickum Up Baby” (1963).
In addition to Irma Thomas
(vocals), personnel may have included: Jessie Willard Carr (guitar), Paul
Hornsby (keyboards), Pops Powell (bass), Squirm (drums), Swamp Dogg (piano), and the Blossoms (backup vocals).
All other instruments, if any, and additional vocals, if any, unknown. Recorded in 1964 as
a B-side b/w “Wish Someone Would Care” on Imperial Records No. 66013.
Welcome to Cozy Cole’s blistering R&B shaker, “Cozy’s Mambo.” This
music will make you dance, jump, and sing. Let’s get on with it, then.
Twenty-five Word Song
Review
Were there two drummers? Did Cozy have four arms? He owned a
trick drum kit, right? No, No, No. Was he tap-dancing? Oh, yeah!
We Know a Bit about
This Song
“Cozy’s Mambo” is an original.
The likely personnel include George Kelly (tenor sax); Gene
Redd (vibes); John Thomas (piano); John Faire, Fred Jordan (guitar); Edwyn
Conley (bass); and Cozy Cole (drums). Cozy recorded it in Cincinnati, Oh.
(1959) as “Cozy And Bossa” also known as “Cozy’s Mambo.” It was released as
Bethlehem 3067 and King 5303 in 1960.
We Know a Bit about
Cozy Cole
Born William Randolph Cole, and given the nicknames “Colesy”
and “Cozy” by schoolmates, the young drummer first envied Duke Ellington
drummer Sonny Greer. As a kid, Cozy learned to tap dance, and incorporated that
style into his drumming. He would eventually bridge the worlds between swing,
bebop, and rock ‘n’ roll as a drummer. According to critics, he also pioneered “hand
and foot independence” (perhaps also termed “coordinated independence”) which may
form the basis of much modern drumming.
Cozy played on “Load of Coal” aka “Load of Cole” which Jelly
Roll Morton recorded in 1930. His subsequent recordings with Cab Calloway—including
“Paradiddle” and “Ratamacue”—emphasized drums, some of the earliest recordings to do so.
In addition to his activities with Jelly Roll Morton and Cab
Calloway, he toured, appeared, or recorded with Blanche Calloway, Benny Carter,
Willie Bryant [the unofficial mayor of Harlem], Stuff Smith, Louis Armstrong,
Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lionel Hampton.
He was one of the first African American musicians to play in a network band,
for CBS, in the early 1940s.
Cozy recorded as leader on Love, King, Coral, Columbia, Bethlehem,
Verve, and many other labels. He appeared in several movies, including I’m in the Revue (Italian), Don’t Knock the Rock, and The Glenn Miller Story. He also featured
in Broadway musicals: Carmen Jones
and SevenLivelyArts.
Together with Gene Krupa, he co-founded a drum school that
lasted 20 years until Krupa’s death in 1973. Well after he’d established
himself professionally, Cozy enrolled at Juilliard School of Music, where he
continued to study drumming. He toured Europe with Jack Teagarden and Earth “Fatha”
Hines. He toured Africa.
Cozy Is Best Known
for “Topsy I” and “Topsy II”
In 1944, Cozy scored a minor hit with “Just One More Chance,”
which he recorded on Keynote [1300] as the leader of the Cozy Cole All Stars. The
song rose to #10 on Billboard’s Harlem Hit Parade.
Yet the drummer enjoyed national prominence when he released
“Topsy I” and “Topsy II”—a drum-inspired jazz piece spread out over two sides
of a 45—in 1958. Cozy was 49 at the time. “Topsy I” charted at #27 on Billboard’s
pop charts, but “Topsy II” reached #3 on Billboard’s pop charts and #1 on the
R&B charts. (It also reached #1 on Cash Box.) The same side also charted in
the U.K. (#29 on the pop charts.) The tiny Love Records label released “Topsy I”
and “Topsy II”; the record would sell one million copies and receive a gold disc.
In the same year, Cozy released “Turvy I” and “Turvy II.” The former didn’t
chart, but the latter would make the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #36.
The title, “Topsy”, derived from a few different sources.
Ultimately, it may refer to Topsy herself, a character in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, but it also refers
to a piece that appeared in Mr. Tom, a
folk opera written by jazz musicians Edgar Battle and Eddie Durham, also with
Peter Doraine. As Cozy recorded both “Topsy” and “Turvy”, obviously he punned
on the informal phrase, topsy-turvy. Battle and Durham composed the song “Topsy”
presumably in the 1930s, when Count Basie (1937) and Benny Goodman (1938)
recorded it.
Cozy’s Legacy
Preston Epps and Sandy Nelson both inherited from Cozy,
taking drum-themed rock ‘n’ roll recordings onto the charts. The English rock ‘n’
roll drummer Colin Powell changed his name to Cozy Powell, in tribute to his
idol. In older age, Cozy Cole earned a bachelor’s degree at Capital University
when he was awarded (as a junior) an honorary doctorate from the same school. He
passed away in 1981.
When the featured saxophone player for the Duke Ellington
orchestra introduced his solo for “Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue” at the 1956
Newport Jazz Festival, a ‘platinum blonde’ concertgoer provoked the crowd to dance
in the aisles. The raucous scene inspired
the soloist Paul Gonsalves to blow through twenty-seven rollicking choruses, a
famous and heroic effort that singlehandedly revitalized the orchestra’s
slumping fortunes. In an interview with the New
York Times many years later, the dancer, Elaine Anderson, also credited Count
Basie drummer, Jo Jones, for emboldening her and the Ellington musicians, by
rapping a rolled-up newspaper near the bandstand. “I went mad,” Anderson said,
referring to the uninhibited wildness of her dancing. “And the madder I went,
the madder Paul Gonsalves went.”
Many great studio and live jazz performances had yet to be
recorded, and many great bandleaders would realize (one or more) signature
moments in the ten years following Ellington’s triumph at Newport: Miles Davis’
Kind of Blue and John Coltrane’s
Village Vanguard material are but two examples. If jazz had coined a soaring
new idiom—bepop—that would fuel post-war exhilaration, it would arguably become
a more abundant form in the 1950s and 1960s, one that would ultimately interrogate
convention with such discordant effects, it might’ve extinguished itself with
furious abandon. Eventually, listeners would charge toward rock ‘n’ roll. (Have
you heard of this phenomenon?) They charged, did these listeners, toward Elvis Presley
of the U.S.A. and The Beatles of Great Britain. The Rolling Stones would
emerge. Bob Dylan, too. These titans prospered. But surely, this wasn’t the
only racket in town.
Once the jump blues compilation neared completion, I experienced
the melancholy of discovering no new (old) music. Noting my mopey disposition,
a friend encouraged me to double back. Thinking that I might modestly compile
two hours of these “Shakers”, I embarked, instead, upon another voyage rife
with eventful discovery. I would often admit “I can’t believe what I’m hearing”
in response to a string of obscure recordings, many of which don’t exist in
digital platforms such as iTunes or Pandora. I commenced to acquire these songs,
twenty-five at a time, until I’d amassed 600 of them, produced by 500 different
leaders or bands. They fit, broadly, into two categories—Shakers and R&B
Shakers—yet most of the songs share traits, virtually none of the music offers
any suggestion of burlesque, more than half the songs don’t employ lyrics. Most
of the tunes were recorded between 1958 and 1964, an important little period that
would give way to the British Invasion.
Before we continue, please understand that I have no idea
what I’m talking about. The many genres (or subgenres) represented in my Shakers
compilation—early rock, instrumental rock, instrumental rockabilly, early
R&B, garage, surf, Latin, reggae, soul, northern soul, early punk, and so
forth—each require a substantial volley of scholarly activity, in order to
comprehend various dynamics. Some of the leaders and bands—Link Wray, Duane
Eddy, Sandy Nelson, Johnny and the Hurricanes, Bill Black’s Combo, King Curtis,
Gary “U.S.” Bonds, Huey “Piano” Smith, Barry White, Little Willie John, and a
few others—would deservedly garner broader attention for their vibrancy, but
the vast majority of the Shakers compilation features nearly-forgotten fast-cookers.
I’ve listened to a lot of records, but I’m undoubtedly missing a lot of records. And if I’ve learned one thing, it’s never
to overlook the B Side.
I’ve previously posted songs by J.C. Davis (“The Splib, Part 1”), Frank de Rosa (“Irish Rock”), Willene Barton (“Rice Pudding”), The
Royaltones (“Royal Whirl”), and the luminous Plas Johnson (“Downstairs”). Some
of my other favorites include The Yum Yums (“Gonna Be a Big Thing”), The
Monitors (“Mama Linda”), Piano Slim (“Squeezing”), Cozy Cole (“Cozy’s Mambo”), Big
Bo Thomas and the Arrows (“Big Bo’s Iron Horse”), the Nomads (“Icky Poo”), The Saxons
(“Camel Walk, Part 1”), The Revelairs (“Ridin’ High”), Al Duncan (“Cossak Walk”),
and The Ricco-Shays (“Damascus”). These are but a few of the outrageous
dancers, stompers, rockers, grinders, head-bouncers, groovers, crawlers,
swingers, walkers, and shakers. I deejay off this music just about every
Thursday night at the Black Squirrel in Adams Morgan. “Come on down”, as they
say.
Today, I’ve posted a Shaker from 1962 or 1963, “The Sinner”, by the Terri-Tones,
and an R&B Shaker from 1960, “A Night with Daddy G, Part 1”, by the Church
Street Five.
“The Sinner” by the Terri-Tones
(1962 or 1963).
A Canadian group, the
Terri-Tones were named for leader Terry Kelly, who described the band’s chief
output as “R&B-sourced instrumentals.” Wives and girlfriends of the
musicians can be heard whispering “Sinner” just before the band launches into a
piece that defies category, but includes unequal parts of frantic horn charging
off a cliff, guitar boogie shuffle, early chime of surf constellation, western (movie) motif, and
the gnawing bells of incisive realization. It occasionally slows for the band’s
benefit as well as ours. The A-side, “Go”, appears in the Shakers compilation
as well. (Wives and girlfriends holler “Everybody go!” just before the band rockets
forward.) The Terri-Tones played in Canada and the States, and backed Dick
Clark’s Caravan when it toured through their burgh. To this blogger’s knowledge,
they recorded only two songs, even as they demonstrate a greater knowledge of “the
sinner” than everybody else.
“A Night with Daddy G,
Part 1” by the Church Street Five (1960).
Gene “Daddy G” Barge founded The Church Street Five, which
recorded for Legrand Records in Norfolk, Va. A saxophonist who admired Lester
Young and played on Chuck Willis’ hit, “C.C. Rider” and Jimmy Soul’s hit, “If
You Wanna Be Happy”, among others, Barge also played with heavyweights Bo
Diddley, Jackie Wilson, and Muddy Waters, among others, and knew everybody. (Even as he is Gene Barge,
with a G, his nickname derives from a Norfolk pastor.) Barge never prospered
off his recordings, and taught high school in Norfolk before working for Chess
Records in Chicago. “A Night With Daddy G” was divided into two parts, an A-side
and a B-side, (both are R&B Shakers), before Gary “U.S.” Bonds recorded
lyrics to the song, by then repurposed as “Quarter to Three”, an eventual
number one hit. Barge honks wildly on “Quarter to Three”, “A Night with Daddy G”,
and everywhere else. There is no finer
party. Amen.
Likely personnel for “The Sinner”: Terry Kelly (bass), Wayne
Malton (keyboards), Kerry Cornelius (saxophone), Tony Langlaan (drums), and Gary
Delaney (guitar).
Likely personnel for “A Night with Daddy G”: Gene Barge
(saxophone), Nabs Shields (drums), Junior Fairley (bass), Willie Burnell
(piano), Leonard Barks (trombone), and voices.
