Be Bop Wino Pages

Joan Selects - the complete Joan Selects Collection

Big Ten Inchers - 78rpm rips by El Enmascarado


Attention Mac Users!

Mac users have been experiencing problems in unpacking the WinRAR archives used on this blog. Two solutions have been suggested.

1. Use The Unarchiver - www.theunarchiver.com - see comments on Little Esther Bad Baad Girl post for details.

2. Use Keka - http://www.kekaosx.com/en/ - see comments on Johnny Otis Presents post.

Monday 24 September 2018

Big Jay McNeely


I've just read the news that Big Jay McNeely passed away on September 16th 2018. This really is the end of an era. It was Big Jay's recording of "The Goof" (on a volume of "Old King Gold") which was my introduction to genuine blasting, honking, screeching sax-driven R&B. Over the years I acquired more Big Jay sounds - the Pathe Marconi release of his Imperial sides on "Deacon Rides Again," his Savoy recordings on the double LP set "Honkers and Screamers," two compilations of tracks from various labels on Saxophonograph, and a 1980s issue of "Big "J" In 3-D" which had 12 of his Federal sides.

Most of these LPs have been posted on Be Bop Wino over the years. Some links have expired, so here it all is again so that you can blast 'em out while raising a glass (while perhaps reflecting on the transcience of everything) to the memory of the King of the Honkers, Big Jay McNeely.



Wild Wig - a homemade compilation of his Savoy sides, taken from the "Honkers And Screamers" Double LP. Big Jay's first solo recordings from 1948.






Deacon Rides Again - Pathe Marconi reissue of sides recorded for Imperial in 1950 - 51.




Big "J" In 3-D - Reissue on Sing of sides recorded for Federal in 1952 - 54.

Road House Boogie - Saxophonograph compilation of sides recorded for Exclusive (1949), Aladdin (1950) and Federal (1952).



The Best Of Big Jay McNeely - career spanning Saxophonograph compilation, from his early recordings with Johnny Otis (1947) to his biggest hit "There Is Something On Your Mind" in 1958.




Matt The Cat's tribute to Big Jay on his "Juke In The Back" show is here - Juke In The Back # 438 

The show includes Matt's interviews with Big Jay as well as a selection of his best tracks.

Ted Carroll's tribute to Big Jay can be read on the Ace Records Website.

Ace Records issued recordings made by Big Jay in the UK in 1983 and therefore helped to revive his career after he had fallen into decades long obscurity.

Cecil J. McNeely, April 29th, 1927 - September 16th, 2018

Saturday 15 September 2018

Rock'n Roll Dance Party Volume One























Side One:
01. Come Back Baby - Harvey Davis
02. They Just Rock 'n' Rolling - V. & B.B.
03. Am I The Man - Bobby Lester
04. Washed Up - George Cromwell
05. You Know Baby - The Meloaires
06. Believe It Or Not - Donnie Elbert
07. Feelin' Alright - Larry Dale
08. If It's The Last Thing I Do - Frankie Marshall

Side Two:
01. Downtown Twist - Bob Carter
02. Rock 'n' Roll Jungle - Joe Benson
03. A Fool In Love - Marie Adams
04. You're The One - Sticks Herman
05. Yeah Baby - Stella Johnson
06. Five, Ten, Fifteen Hours - Chris Tyler
07. Crazy Beat - Dr. Horse
08. I Was A Fool For Leaving - Vicky Nelson






Thanks to Billy K who bought the LP on eBay and then ripped it and scanned the artwork, we can now all enjoy Volume One of the Rock'n Roll Dance Party series. And what a stonkingly great volume it is! As usual I've had a dig around the internet (mainly 45cat.com) to find the original release info on these wild, wild tracks. One track has got me beat - "You're The One" by Sticks Herman. I presume this is the same Sticks Herman who had releases on Goldband and its subsidiary Tic Toc. A few of his tracks can be found on YouTube, but "You're The One" sounds quite different from those efforts. If anyone has any info, please pass it on.

Billy K's rip is of excellent quality and is at a higher volume than I usually use, so be prepared for a loud listening experience. In the info section below I've included a couple of links to 45cat.com where there is additional information on the artists on the recordings. The info section features the titles and artists as billed on the original releases on single, so there is some variation when compared with the LP track list.

Groovetastic Track Info:

01. Come Back Baby - Harvey Davis - Cindy C-3011 - October 1958

02. They Just Rocking and Rolling - V. & B.B. - J & S Records - August 1958

03. Am I The Man - Bobby Lester - Checker 921 - April 1959

04. Washed Up - George Cromwell - Brunswick 9-55131 - May 1959

05. You Know Baby - The Meloaires - Nasco 45-6019 - September 1958

06. Believe It Or Not - Donnie Elbert - DeLuxe 45-6143 - July 1957

07. Feelin' All Right - Larry Dale - Herald H-463 - October 1955

08. If It's The Last Thing I Do - Frankie Marshall - Atco 45-6061 - January 1956

09. Downtown Twist - Bob Carter - Den Records 45-11229 - May 1962

10. Rock And Roll Jungle - Joe Benson - DeLuxe 45-6146 - ? 1957

11. A Fool In Love - Marie Adams (Johnny Otis and His Orchestra) - Capitol F4108 - December 1958

12. You're The One - Sticks Herman - nope, got me beat

13. Yeah Baby - Stella Johnson - KRC 304-45 - 1958

14. Five, Ten, Fifteen Hours - Chris Tyler - Kim 101 - March 1960

15. Crazy Beat - Al (Dr. Horse) Pittman w The Musical Jockeys - Clown 3008 - September 1962

16. I Was A Fool For Leaving - Vicky Nelson featuring Sam Taylor on saxophone - Vik 4X-0273 - April 1957

With many thanks to Billy K.

Tuesday 4 September 2018

Rock'n Roll Dance Party Volume 3
































































Side One:
01. You Know Baby - The Fabulous Swingtones
02. Bernadine - Tiny Morrie
03. Daddy Please Come Home - Eunice & Eddie
04. Josephine - Rudy Ray Moore
05. Scorched - Varetta Dillard
06. Just To Hold My Hand - Paul Perryman
07. Walkin' On My Thin Sole Shoes - Choker Campbell
08. Shake! Shout! & Soul! - Lil' Ray and the Premiers

Side Two:
01. I'm A Man - Mort Shuman
02. Crazy Little Baby - Shirley Gunter
03. Someday, Somewhere - Tommy Brown
04. No Way Out - Joyce Harris
05. (Yeah Baby) It's Because Of You - Nolan Strong
06. Wilhemina - Frankie Ervin
07. Woncha Gone - Tommy Ridgley
08. Soul & Stomp - Lil' Ray and the Premiers






Another missive from the rock 'n' roll demi-monde. This volume of Rock'n Roll Dance Party is heavy on the R&B side although rockabilly bawler Joyce Harris fits right in. We last encountered her going under the name of Sinner Strong on the T-Bird Party comp.

There are quite a few clicks and even some jumps on this LP. I can't make up my mind on the cause - scratched LP or were the original 45s pretty trashed? However the sound quality is quite good in general, although the final track, the frantic "Soul & Stomp", jumps a few times. It gets there in the end, though!

As usual I've nosed around the internet to bring you the original release details on these rockin' platters.

Fax on the Rockin' Trax:

01. You Know Baby - The Fabulous Swingtones - ABC-Paramount 45-9902 - March 1958

02. Bernadine - Tiny Morrie - Hurricane 45-6966 and Dot 45-16847 - both in 1966

03. Daddy Please Come Home - Eunice & Eddie - Star-A-Fire 45-101X - May 1962

04. Josephine - Rudy Ray Moore - Cash 1058 - 1958

05. Scorched - Varetta Dillard - Triumph (NYC) 45-608 - June 1959

06. Just To Hold My Hand - Paul Perryman - Duke 158 - September 1956

07. Walkin' On My Thin Sole Shoes - Choker Campbell - Apt 45-25011 - August 1958, also Everlast 5007 in 1958

08. Shake! Shout! & Soul! - Lil' Ray and the Premiers - Impact 26 - February 1964

09. I'm A Man - Mort Shuman - Decca (UK) 45-F 11184 - November 1959

10. Crazy Little Baby - Shirley Gunter - Tender 511-T-503 - June 1958

11. Someday, Somewhere - Tommy Brown - Imperial X5476 - November 1957

12. No Way Out - Joyce Harris - Domino R-905 - January 1961 and Infinity INX-005 - March 1961

13. (Yeah Baby) It's Because Of You - Nolan Strong - Fortune 556 - February 1964

14. Wilhemina - Frankie Ervin - Contender 1316 - April 1959

15. Woncha Gone - Tommy Ridgley - Herald H-513 - February 1958

16. Soul & Stomp - Lil' Ray and the Premiers - Impact 26 - February 1964

Information from 45cat.com, Discogs.com and WangDangDula.com.

I'm off on a short break to Vienna in a couple of days, so there will be no further posts on Be Bop Wino until the middle of next week at least. There is some good news - my turntable is back in action so more vinyl shall be ripped. And there's a humungous treat from Joan on the way! Keep rockin' kats 'n' kittens.

Update - If you dig Varetta Dillard's "Scorched" on this comp then you may like her "Double Crossing Daddy" compilation on Mr R&B. I've re-upped the album and added a new Mega link to the original post from December 2011.