Bill Doggett - Doggett Beat For Dancing Feet

Side 1:

01. Soft

02. And The Angels Sing

03. Ding Dong

04. Honey

05. Easy

06. Hammer Head

Side 2:

01. Ram-Bunk-Shush

02. Chloe

03. Hot Ginger

04. King Bee

05. What A Difference A Day Made

06. Shindig

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1988 reissue of King LP 557 which was originally released in December 1957. The album was highly rated in the Billboard review section, scoring 83.

"This is Doggett's seventh package for the label. It has the striding rhythm and beat for which he's noted, and will sell to his fans. Tunes are a combination of standards and material derived from the jazz-rock and roll fields. Included are "And the Angels Sing," "Honey," "Hammer Head" and "Chloe." (Billboard 9th December 1957)

A 1959 reissue of the LP on King had the title "The Doggett Beat For Happy Feet" on the disc labels, which perhaps explains the discrepancy between the album cover and the disc labels on this Sing issue!

Details of recording dates and personnel are on the back cover of the LP, so I'll add original release dates to the information:

"And The Angels Sing" released on King 4690 (b/w "Eventide") in January 1954.

"Easy" released on King 4711 (b/w "There's No You") in May 1954.

"Honey" released on King 4738 (b/w "The Nearness Of You") in August 1954.

"King Bee" released on King 4769 (b/w "My Reverie") in February 1955.

"What A Difference A Day Made" released on King 4936 (b/w "Stella By Starlight") in June 1956.

"Ram-Bunk-Shush" released on King 5020 (b/w "Blue Largo") in January 1957.

"Chloe" released on King 5044 (b/w "Number Three") in April 1957.

"Ding Dong" released on King 5058 (b/w "Cling To Me") in May 1957.

"Shindig" / "Hammer Head" released on King 5070 in July 1957.

"Soft" / "Hot Ginger" released on King 5080 in September 1957.

Bill Doggett was a piano player, bandleader and arranger who took up the Hammond Organ while playing with Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five in the late 1940s. Doggett's predecessor in the Jordan band, Wild Bill Davis, had made the same change. Other pianists who made the change from piano to organ in the early 1950s included Milt Buckner and Doc Bagby. In 1951 Bill Doggett left the Tympany Five. In the same year his organ playing was featured prominently on the Ella Fitzgerald version of "Smooth Sailing." In 1952 he was on a small group session for Royal Roost with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis on tenor sax, Oscar Pettiford on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums. A further Lockjaw Davis session for Royal Roost in the same year saw Doggett replaced by Billy Taylor on organ.

His first session for King was with a trio in January 1952, accompanied by Jimmy Candy on guitar and an unknown drummer. At the end of October 1952 Bill was back at King with a group which set the pattern for the combo recordings he would make for the company until May 1960. The band was now a five piece which included Percy France on tenor sax and Shep Shepherd on drums. In August 1955 the guitar spot was filled by Billy Butler and in January 1956 Clifford Scott took over on tenor sax from Percy France.

The Doggett - Scott - Butler - Shepherd quartet was the basis of the combo for the the following years when they were a big R&B act, thanks to the huge 1956 hit "Honky Tonk" which became the top selling R&B instrumental record of all time. The bass spot was usually occupied by either Edwyn Conley or Carl Pruitt. Other hits in the wake of "Honky Tonk" were "Slow Walk," "Ram Bunk Shush," "Soft," "Smokie Part 2," "Rainbow Riot" and "Hold It." The King years were productive, to say the least, with a slew of regular single releases, EPs and LPs.

This LP was posted on the blog back around 2008. For this post I have added new cover and label scans, boosted the volume levels and replaced the original noisy rip of "Soft" with a much cleaner rip. Enjoy groovin' to the cool sounds of Bill Doggett, R&B fans!