Noble “Thin Man” Watts - Blast Off!

This is an “upgraded” post from the old Be Bop Wino blog. I've added a new front cover scan plus back cover and label scans, sorted a mistake in the tagging, and equalized the volume across the sound files.

Like fellow Rock ’n’ Roll / R&B honkers Sil Austin and Red Prysock, Noble Watts was a veteran of the Tiny Bradshaw band. Sol Rabinowitz’s NYC based Baton label had enjoyed minor chart success with Buddy Tate’s “Fatback and Greens” in 1955 and a couple of years later Watts was signed in the hope of producing another instrumental hit. Among the tracks recorded by Watts at his second Baton session in October 1957 was a greasy grinding dance instro with the vaguely suggestive title “The Slop”. After some heavy airplay it was renamed “Hard Times” and became a good seller on the pop charts as well as an r&b hit.

This 1979 Flyright LP compiles some great late 50s R&B / Rock ‘n’ Roll instrumentals. It was one of the first such albums I bought and tracks like “Blast Off!” and “Hot Tamales” remain firm favourites on my turntable. The original LP didn’t include “Hard Times” but I’ve added it in as a bonus.

Ripped from vinyl at 256 kbps. (Hard Times = 320 kbps). No password.

Download from here:

Blast Off (Mega)

1. Blast Off
2. Easy Going Pt. 1
3. Flap Jack
4. The Slide
5. Mashed Potatoes
6. Original Boogie Woogie
7. The Creep
8. Shakin'
9. Easy Going Pt. 2
10. The Beaver
11. Great Times
12. The Frog Hop
13. Hot Tamales
14. Walking The Floor Over You
15. Hard Times (The Slop) *

* = bebopwino bonus track

All together now: “Hot Tamales and Cha-Cha!”