Sun Records Harmonica Classics

Side A:

01. Easy - Jimmy & Walter
02. West Winds Are Blowing - Walter Horton
03. In The Mood - Walter Horton
04. Jukebox Boogie (Take 1) - Doctor Ross
05. Country Clown - Doctor Ross
06. Jukebox Boogie - Doctor Ross
07. Downtown Boogie - Doctor Ross

Side B:
01. Wolf Call Boogie - Hot Shot Love
02. Harmonica Jam - Hot Shot Love
03. Wolf Call Boogie (Take 3) - Hot Shot Love
04. So Long, Baby Goodbye - Sammy Lewis-Willie Johnson Combo
05. Keep Your Arms Around Me Mama - Joe Hill Louis
06. Got Me A New Woman - Joe Hill Louis
07. She May Be Yours (But She Comes To See Me Sometime) - Joe Hill Louis

Sun Records Harmonica Classics (Mega)

Sun Records Harmonica Classics (Zippy)

And so our Be Bop Wino Blues Tour USA staggers into Memphis, Tennessee, or to be precise Sam Phillips' Memphis Recording Service at 706 Union Avenue. This record contains exactly what it says on the front cover - a load of primo harmonica blues recorded between 1951 and 1955. The very detailed sleevenotes by Colin Escott have it covered, including the session details, so all that remains for me to do is to state that this album is top notch roughhouse blues and to add the release dates of the tracks on this LP which actually made it to the record shops.

Side A:

Track 1 - "Easy" - released on Sun 180 in March 1953. Easy / Before Long - Jimmy & Walter.

Track 6 - "Jukebox Boogie" - released on Sun 212 in November 1954. The Boogie Disease / Jukebox Boogie - Doctor Ross.

Side B:

Tracks 1 and 2 - both released on Sun 196 in February 1954. Wolf Call Boogie / Harmonica Jam - Hot Shot Love.

Track 7 - "She May Be Yours" - released on Sun 178 in January 1953. We All Gotta Go Sometime / She May Be Yours (But She Comes To See Me Sometime) - Joe Hill Louis.

Elsewhere on the blog - more "ragged but right" blues from the Sun Studio can be found in these two posts -

Red Hot & Blue

The Blues Came Down From Memphis

I've added new Mega links to both these posts. "The Blues Came Down ..." is the perfect companion volume to "Sun Records Harmonica Classics" but if you haven't done so already you've just gotta download both these LPs for more of that crazy Memphis blues beat. We'll be sticking around Union Avenue for our next post with more blues sounds from Sam Phillips coming up. There's some crazy kid with the unlikely name of Elvis hanging around the studio ... wants to make a record ...

Jericho Alley Blues Flash Volume 1

Side One:
01. Good Woman Blues - B. Brown And His McVouts
02. Do Right Mind - Haskell Sadler And His Orchestra
03. Gone For Good - Haskell Sadler And His Orchestra
04. Hurry Hurry Baby - Sidney Maiden And His Ramblers
05. Everything Is Wrong - Sidney Maiden And His Ramblers
06. Shake 'Em Up - Slim Green
07. Jericho Alley - Slim Green

Side Two:
01. Are You Alright? - Paul Clifton
02. It Ain't To Play With - Sheryl Crowley
03. Just A Night Girl - Sheryl Crowley
04. Sweet Pea - Sweet Pea Walker
05. Gonna Hold On - Frank Patt And His Orchestra
06. You Gonna Pay For It Baby - Frank Patt And His Orchestra
07. I'm Your Slave - Frank Patt And His Orchestra

Jericho Alley Blues Flash Volume 1 (Mega)

Jericho Alley Blues Flash Volume 1 (Zippy)

The Be Bop Wino blues roadtrip stays in Los Angeles with this rousing comp of sides recorded for Charlie Reynolds' label Flash Records. Parallels have been drawn between Charlie Reynolds and John Dolphin in that both LA entrepreneurs started out as record shop owners and both expanded into recording and running their own record labels out of their respective back shops. Flash Records didn't enjoy anything like the success of the Dolphin labels although they did have two hits - with The Jayhawks original version of "Stranded In The Jungle" in 1956, and with a Gus Jenkins instrumental "Tricky" in 1957.

There were around 35 singles released on Flash and its two associated labels, Pull and Canton. Although the releases covered a variety of R&B styles including a generous helping of doo wop, this compilation concentrates on basic blues and fits right in with our recent posts from Charlie B. The first 5 tracks on Side 1 originate from the first Flash recording session in June 1955 which featured B. Brown (vocals, drums), Haskell Sadler (vocal, guitar) and Sidney Maiden (vocal, harmonica). Three singles were issued, one each under the name of each artist and all in a real "back in the alley" blues style. The sides by Slim Green are if anything even more basic but the driving guitar / harp blues vibe is taken up again on Side 2 by Paul Clifton, Sweet Pea Walker and Frank Patt (with Gus Jenkins). The two sides by Sheryl Crowley have slightly more of an R&B feel, but they fit right in with the general blues hollerin' going on here.

There are excellent sleevenotes by Les Cook and the original release numbers are also included on the back cover. The notes are obviously meant for both volumes of this collection as they refer to sides by Gus Jenkins and Guitar Shorty which don't feature on Volume One. Unfortunately I don't have Volume Two, but if you're interested in hearing more from Flash Records, Ace (UK) have a double CD set out - "The Flash Records Story." You can find out more as well as listen to sound samples on the Ace website here:

https://www.acerecords.co.uk/the-flash-records-story-1 

I've got a copy on order, so I'll be able to add a short review to this post next week.

Also of interest is a Flash Records discography on the wirz.de website here:

https://www.wirz.de/music/flash.htm

Note that the discography doesn't include issues on Canton and Pull.

Next stop on the blues tour is Memphis. All aboard!

Stretchin' Out - Blues Obscurities Volume Three

Side1:
01. Gonna Take Time - Gus Jenkins
02. Stretchin' Out - Don & Dewey
03. The Hurt Is On - Kid Thomas (Tommy Louis)
04. Let's Talk It Over - Blues Slim (Neal Johnson)
05. Going Back Home - Sonny Harper
06. Storm Clouds - C.C. Griffin
07. Lou Della - West Texas Slim

Side 2:
01. I Keep On Trying - K.C. Mojo Watson
02. You Told Me - Gus Jenkins
03. Soul Motion - Don & Dewey
04. Hard Life - Guitar Shorty
05. I Do Believe - C.C. Griffin
06. Lonely Stranger - Sonny Harper
07. Little Mae Bell - West Texas Slim

Stretchin' Out (Mega)

Stretchin' Out (Zippy)

The Be Bop Wino Autumn Blues Tour lands in Los Angeles for another collection of sides culled from small labels, and it's thanks once again to Charlie B. who kindly ripped and sent in this L.P.

The sides were recorded between 1953 and 1965, a time when the LA R&B scene was dominated by the "big" independents such as Aladdin, Imperial, Specialty and Modern / RPM. Then came a second tier of indy record companies like Combo, Dootone and John Dolphin's stable of labels such as Cash, Money, Lucky, and Recorded In Hollywood. And then somewhere considerably lower down the foodchain were the labels featured on this collection - Pioneer International, Rush, Muriel, Ball, Flame, Nanc, Flash, Joyce, Pull, and Allegro R&B. Nope, me neither. Well, almost. Our next post will take a look at the Flash Records setup, but most of the other labels here are a mystery to me.

Luckily the LP has good sleevenotes by Neil Slaven and then there is the music which is all hardcore blues. As Neil observes, the influence of B.B. King can be heard on some of these sides. The biggest name act here is probably Don & Dewey whose sides feature the electric blues violin of Don "Sugarcane" Harris. A personal favourite of mine is Sonny Harper who kind of reminds me of Lil' Son Jackson. Anyway that's enough from me. Download, listen and peruse the sleevenotes on the back cover. You'll find the usual origiinal release details below.

 Thanks once more to Charlie B.

 

Release details:

01. Gonna Take Time - Gus Jenkins: Spanky / Gonna Take Time - Pioneer International 101 - released 1959.

02. Stretchin' Out - Don & Dewey: Soul Motion / Stretchin' Out - Rush 1002 - released December 1962.

03. The Hurt Is On - Kid Thomas (Tommy Louis): Tommy Louis & The Rhythm Rockers - The Hurt Is On / I Love You So - Muriel M-1001 - released 1965.

04. Let's Talk It Over - Blues Slim (Neal Johnson): Blues Slim and his Band - Let's Talk It Over / Tell The Truth Baby - Pioneer International PI-1007 - released November 1961.

05. Going Back Home - Sonny Harper: Going Back Home / Lonely Stranger - Ball 1011 - released 1962.

06. Storm Clouds - C.C. Griffin: Storm Clouds / I Want To Be With You - Joyce 1001 - released June 1961.

07. Lou Della - West Texas Slim: Little Mae Bell / Lou Della - Flame 1007 - released 1953.

08. I Keep On Trying - K.C. Mojo Watson: Love Blood Hound / I Keep On Trying - Nanc 003 - released October 1961.

09. You Told Me - Gus Jenkins: You Told Me / Tricky - Flash 115 - released November 1956.

10. Soul Motion - Don & Dewey: Soul Motion / Stretchin' Out - Rush 1002 - released December 1962.

11. Hard Life - Guitar Shorty: Hard Life / Ways Of A Man - Pull 301 - released December 1951.

12. I Do Believe - C.C. Griffin: I Do Believe / Sitting And Waiting - Allegro R&B-2001 - released circa 1965.

13. Lonely Stranger - Sonny Harper: Going Back Home / Lonely Stranger - Ball 1011 - released 1962.

14. Little Mae Bell - West Texas Slim: Little Mae Bell / Lou Della - Flame 1007 - released 1953.

3 Shades Of The Blues

 
Side A:
01. Train Done Gone - Eddie Kirkland
02. You Know I Love You - Eddie Kirkland
03. Blood On Your Hands - Eddie Kirkland
04. Love You Til The Day I Die - Eddie Kirkland
05. So Pretty Baby - Eddie Kirkland & The Falcons
06. I Tried - Eddie Kirkland & The Falcons
07. I Am So Tired (Oh Baby Please) - Eddie Kirkland & The Falcons
08. Backbone - Eddie Kirkland
 
Side B:
01. Live My Life All Over - Mr. Bo
02. Until The Day I Die - Mr. Bo
03. Hard Times Once More - Mr. Bo
04. The Train - Mr. Bo
05. Your Love Is Real - Ohio Untouchables
06. I'm Tired - Ohio Untouchables
07. Forgive Me Darling - Ohio Untouchables
08. Hot Stuff - Ohio Untouchables

3 Shades Of The Blues (Mega)

3 Shades Of The Blues (Zippy)

Many thanks to Charlie B. for contributing this LP. You can't beat that Detroit clanging, banging blues racket and this LP is a prime example. It really is all killer, no filler and constitutes one of the best blues / R&B LPs I've ever heard.

Originally recorded for the small Lu Pine label, these sides were compiled by Relic in the 1970s for issue on this LP using the original "Lu Pine" label logo. The Eddie Kirkland sides were recorded between 1959 and 1961 but the whole session remained unissued until this album plus one tie-in single. Prior to this session Eddie had recorded a single for Detroit label Fortune and had previously had a few sides issued on RPM, Cobra and King. In 1962 Eddie recorded for Tru-Sound, a subsidiary of Prestige. You can find out more about that session in this post:

Eddie Kirkland - The Way It Was

Mr Bo (Louis Bo Collins) sounds awfully like B.B. King which is hardly surprising as both musicians hailed from Indianola, Mississippi. His four tracks on this compilation were recorded in 1959 / 1960, with only "I'm Leaving This Town" being issued on a single on another small Detroit label, Northern (see below).

The Ohio Untouchables were an instrumental group started by and led by guitarist Robert Ward. They backed vocal group The Falcons and blues singer Benny McCain on singles on Lu Pine and had a couple of releases of their own on the label with Robert Ward taking the vocals. See below for details. Their tracks on this LP are good roughhouse late R&B / early soul, making for a strong ending to an outstanding album.

Some original issue information:

Lu Pine L110 also L-1010 - Ohio Untouchables - Forgive Me Darling / Love Is Amazing - released in 1962.

Lu Pine L-116/7 - Ohio Untouchables - I'm Tired / Up Town - released in 1964.

Northern 3731 - Mr. Bo - I'm Leaving This Town  / Times Hard (aka Hard Times Once More) - issued in January 1960. Northern was a small Detroit label owned by Johnnie Mae Matthews, one of the first black women to own a record label. She also owned the Audrey, Bon, and Reel labels. Mr. Bo had a single (Heartaches And Troubles / Calipso Blues) issued on the Reel label in 1962.

Lu Pine 801 - Eddie Kirkland - Train Done Gone / I Tried - issued by Relic as a tie-in with this LP in the 1970s.


https://soulfuldetroit.com/archives/3838/3557.html?1054857956

http://detroitsoulsingles.blogspot.com/search/label/Northern 

https://www.buckeyebeat.com/ohiountouchables.html 

Stick around as the Be Bop Wino Autumn Blues Tour USA continues!

Thank you once more to Charlie B for this great album.

New York Rhythm'N Blues

Side A:
01. Let's Have A Ball - The Wheels
02. Your Evil Thoughts - Lee Roy Little
03. Rip And Run - Bob Gaddy
04. Got To Go Back Again - The Four Barons
05. I Don't Want No Other Woman - Billy Hoke
06. Hurry Baby, Please Come Home - Lee Roy Little
07. It Ain't Right - Charles Walker

Side B:
01. Aw Shucks Baby - Little Red Walter
02. Possum Belly Overalls - June Bateman
03. I'm A Good Man But A Poor Man - Lee Roy Little
04. Standing On The Corner - Danny Brown
05. Please Forgive Me - Wilbert Harrison
06. Lemon Squeezer - The Four Barons
07. Cryin' And Wonderin' - Billy Hoke

New York Rhythm'N Blues (Mega)

New York Rhythm'N Blues (Zippy)

I took a chance on this one the other month in a second hand record shop over in Glasgow's West End and boy was I well rewarded. It's a mix of R&B sides recorded for mostly small New York labels between 1950 and 1965. A sort of R&B version of "Desperate Rock and Roll" if you will. Subtle it ain't, but if your R&B tastes run to bawlin' and squallin', farting saxophones and clanking guitar, then this is the collection for you. Crack open a few beers, turn up the volume to eleven, and let 'er rip, booze, I mean blues, fans.

Original Release Details

01. Let's Have A Ball - The Wheels - Premium 405 (B Side of "My Heart's Desire") - April 1956.

02. Your Evil Thoughts - Lee Roy Little - Cee-Jay 578 (b/w "I'm A Good Man But A Poor Man) - May 1960.

03. Rip And Run - Bob Gaddy - Old Town 1050 (B Side of "Woe, Woe Is Me" - April 1958.

04. Got To Go Back Again - The Four Barons - Regent 1026 (b/w "Lemon Squeezer") - December 1950.

05. I Don't Want No Other Woman - Billy Hoke - D. W. 101 (b/w "I Wonder") - 1965.

06. Hurry Baby, Please Come Home - Lee Roy Little - Cee-Jay 579 (b/w "Let Me Go Home, Whiskey") - November 1960.

07. It Ain't Right - Charles Walker - Vest 829 (B Side of "Charles Walker Slop") - 1959.

08. Aw Shucks Baby - Little Red Walter - Le Sage AB 711 (b/w "I'm Mad") - 1960.

09. Possum Belly Overalls - June Bateman with Noble Watts and His Band - Shaw 101 (b/w "Go Away Mr. Blues") - 1965. The release of the same song on Everlast 5033 credited to "Noble Watts and the Possum Bellys featuring June Bateman" is a different recording.

10. I'm A Good Man But A Poor Man - Lee Roy Little - Cee-Jay 578 (b/w "Your Evil Thoughts") - April 1958.

11. Standing On The Corner - Danny Brown - Earth E702 (B Side of "Chewing Gum") - March 1962. See the post T-Bird Party! for the A Side.

12. Please Forgive Me - Wilbert Harrison - Vest 8006 (B Side of "Poison Ivy") - June 1965.

13. Lemon Squeezer - The Four Barons - Regent 1026 (b/w "Got To Go Back Again") - December 1950.

14. Cryin' And Wonderin' - Billy Hoke - D. W. 103 (B Side of "In My Own Special Way") - 1965.

Etta James Argo LP 4013

Side1:
01. Waiting For Charlie (To Come Home)
02. Guess Again
03. A Lover's Mourn
04. You Can Count On Me
05. If I Can't Have You

Side 2:
01. Something's Got A Hold On Me
02. My Dear
03. Nobody But You
04. Let Me Know
05. Spoonful

Etta James Argo LP 4013 (Mega)

 Etta James Argo LP 4013 (Zippy)

Once more it's thanks to Marv for sending in a reconstruction of this March 1962 Etta James LP on Argo. This was the third Etta James LP issued on the Argo label, the first 2 being "At Last!" (Argo LP 4003) issued in November 1960, and "The Second Time Around" (Argo LP 4011) issued in August 1961.

All artwork from Discogs.com

The orchestrated productions of Hampton Hawes predominate on this LP, but there's some raunchy stuff too, especially "Something's Got A Hold On Me" and the two duets with Harvey Fuqua which were originally released on single as by "Etta and Harvey" - "If I Can't Have You" and "Spoonful."

This download is in a lower bitrate than usual (128 kbps) but Etta James' Chess / Argo / Cadet material has remained in print in some form or another, either through the successor companies to Chess or through public domain issue companies, so there is no lack of opportunity to purchase better quality versions of this LP. There are even public domain Etta James vinyl reissues by labels such as Not Now and DOL, but I can't comment on their quality as I have never purchased them.

So all in all a very good album and as usual here's some background info on the tracks. Thanks, Marvin.

Fax On The Trax

LP released in March, 1962 in mono and stereo versions (LP 4013 / LPS 4013).

01. Waiting For Charlie (To Come Home) - Recorded in Chicago on July 14th, 1961. First released on Argo 5409 in January 1962.

02. Guess Again - Recorded in Chicago on July 14th, 1961. First released on this LP.

03. A Lover's Mourn - Recorded in Chicago, March 1961. First released on this LP.

04. You Can Count On Me - Recorded in Chicago in September 1960. First released on this LP.

05. If I Can't Have You - Recorded in Chicago, May 1960. First released on Chess 1760 by Etta & Harvey in July 1960.

06. Something's Got A Hold On Me - Recorded in Chicago in December 1961. First released on Argo 5409 in January 1962.

07. My Dear - Recorded in Chicago, March 1961. First released on this LP.

08. Nobody But You - Recorded in Chicago, September 1960. First released on this LP.

09. Let Me Know - Recorded in Chicago, May 1960. First released on this LP.

10. Spoonful - Recorded in Chicago, September 1960. First released on Chess 1771 by Etta & Harvey in December 1960.