Joan Selects Volume 26 - What's The Word?

01) Drunk - Jimmy Liggins
02) WPLJ - The Four Deuces
03) Quiet Whiskey - Wynonie Harris
04) Pink Champagne - Joe Liggins And His Honeydrippers
05) Wine Wine Wine - The Nightcaps
06) One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer - Amos Milburn
07) Who Drank My Beer While I Was In The Rear - Dave Bartholomew
08) I Ain't Drunk - Jimmy Liggins
09) Bloodshot Eyes - Wynonie Harris
10) Down It Went - The Four Deuces
11) Mambo Shevitz - Melino with The Crows
12) Tabarin - The Four Flames
13) One Mint Julep - The Clovers
14) Thunderbird - Hal Page and the Whalers
15) The Drunkard - The Thrillers
16) Alcohol And Jake Blues - Tommy Johnson
17) Baptize Me In Wine - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
18) Wine Women Whiskey - Papa Lightfoot
19) I Got Loaded - Peppermint Harris
20) Drinkin' Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee - Stick McGhee
21) Corn Whiskey - The Empires
22) Pour The Corn - Hal Paige and the Whalers
23) Cherry Wine - Little Esther
24) Empty Bottles - The Robins
25) Drunk Again - Champion Jack Dupree
26) Sneaky Pete - Bull Moose Jackson
27) Serve Another Round - The Five Keys
28) Cheap Old Wine And Whiskey - Jack "The Bear" Parker
29) Be Bop Wino - The Lamplighters
30) Bartender Blues - The Chocolateers
31) Wine Woogie - Marvin Phillips
32) Alligator Wine - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
33) Port Wine - Bill Samuels
34) Beer Bottle Boogie - Bobby Plater Orchestra
35) Barfly - Sonny Til and The Orioles
36) Let Me Go Home Whiskey - Amos Milburn
37) Fat Backs And Corn Whiskey - Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five
38) Pass The Juice Miss Lucy - The Joe Morris Orchestra
39) Bar Fly Blues - Jay McShann & Jimmy Witherspoon
40) Let's Go To The Liquor Store - Tuff Green
41) Whiskey Do Your Stuff - Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five
42) Drinkin' Beer - J.B. Summers
43) Beer Bottle Boogie - Marylyn Scott
44) Wine-O-Wine - Willis Jackson
45) No More Alcohol - Jimmy Liggins and His Orchestra
46) Sittin' Here Drinking - Christine Kittrell
47) Bar Room Blues - Roy Brown
48) Drinkin' Blues - Jo Jo Adams & Tom Archia
49) Waiting & Drinking - Calvin Boze
50) Looped - Melvin Smith
51) Juiced - Billy Love (credited to Jackie Brenston)
52) Tequila - The Champs

Joan Selects Volume 26 (Mega)

Joan Selects Volume 26 (Zippy)

What's the word? Thunder Bird! Is this the drunkenest compilation ever? As the world goes to hell in a handcart, Joan returns to remind fans of real R&B that all is not lost for there is always solace to be found in the bottle. Any bottle. Wine, beer, whiskey, paint stripper, whatever. So welcome to the world of rhythm 'n' booze where the joys of all day drinking, nay, all year drinking are celebrated amidst a bevvy of drunken sax solos and occasional incomprehensible gibbering (that's you, Screamin' Jay!).

Amidst the raucous celebration of alcohol fuelled good times there is a leavening of more reflective late night, after closing time regret. Amos Milburn, Peppermint Harris, and Christine Kittrell evoke the atmosphere of the wee small hours when Joe ain't gonna set 'em up any more. Not even "one more for the road."

Boozehounds the wide world over will be familiar with many of these tracks, but the art of the compilation lies in mixing the familiar with the unfamiliar in the shaker and pouring out a cocktail which satisfies. This particular concoction has tickled my taste buds so effectively that it's been getting constant play on my media player for the last several days and like fine wine, it just keeps improving over time.

Included in the plain brown wrapper are not only vintage sounds but also a package of label scans, all provided by Joan who deserves a special toast. So my R&B friends, please stagger to your feet, raise your glasses to our benefactor, and drunkenly bawl "Cheersh!"

01 Jimmy Liggins - "Drunk" - Released on: Specialty SP-470-45 in August 1953

02 The Four Deuces - "WPLJ" (White Port Lemon Juice) Released On Music City 45-790 in September(?) 1955

03 Wynonie Harris - "Quiet Whiskey" - Released on King 45-4685 in December 1953

04 Joe Liggins and his Honeydrippers - "Pink Champagne" - Released on Specialty SP 355-A in April 1950

05 The Nightcaps - "Wine Wine Wine" - Released on Vandan VR 7491 in October 1960

06 Amos Milburn - "One Scotch, One Bourbon One Beer" Released on Aladdin 45-3197 in August 1953

07 Dave Bartholomew - "Who Drank My Beer While I Was In The Rear?" - Released on Imperial 45-5210 in December 1952

08 Jimmy Liggins - "I Ain't Drunk" - Released On Aladdin 45-3250 in July 1954

09 Wynonie Harris - "Bloodshot Eyes" Released on King 4461-AA in July 1951

10 The Four Deuces - "Down It Went" - Released On Music City 45-794 in September(?) 1955

11 Melino with The Crows - "Mambo Shevitz (Man O Man)" - Released On Tico 45-108 in April 1954

12 The Four Flames - "Tabarin" - Released On Fidelity 3001 / Unique 005A in November 1951

13 The Clovers - "One Mint Julep" - Released on Atlantic 45-963 in March 1952

14 Hal Page and The Whalers - "Thunder Bird" - Released on J&S J-1601A in October 1957

15 The Thrillers - "The Drunkard" - Released on Big Town 45-109 in October 1953

16 Tommy Johnson - "Alcohol and Jake Blues" - Released on Paramount 12950-A in July 1930

17 Screamin' Jay Hawkins - "Baptize Me In Wine" - Released on Apollo 528-45 in December 1958

18 Papa Lightfoot - "Wine, Women and Whiskey" - Released on Imperial 5289 in June 1954

19 Peppermint Harris - "I Got Loaded" - Released on Aladdin 45-3097 in September 1951

20 Stick McGhee - "Drinking Wine Spo-De-Odee" - Released on Atlantic 873 in March 1949

21 The Empires - "Corn Whiskey" - Released on Harlem 45-2325 in late 1954

22 Hal Paige and the Whalers - "Pour The Corn" Released on Fury 1002 and Checker 873 in September 1957

23 Little Esther - "Cherry Wine" - Released on Federal 45-12142 in August 1953

24 The Robins - "Empty Bottles" - Released on RCA 47-5489 in December 1953

25 Champion Jack Dupree - "Drunk Again" - Released On Red Robin 130-X45 in 1954

26 Bull Moose Jackson and His Buffalo Bearcats - "Sneaky Pete" - Released on King 4181-B in October 1947

27 The Five Keys - "Serve Another Round" - Released on Aladdin 3158 in October 1952, rereleased on Aladdin 45-3312 in January 1956

28 Jack (The Bear) Parker - "Cheap Old Wine Whiskey" - Released on 7-11 45-2100 in March 1953

29 The Lamplighters - "Be Bop Wino" - Released on Federal 45-12152 in November 1953

30 The Chocolateers - "Bartender Blues" Released on Parrot 781 in July 1953

31 Marvin Phillips and His Men From Mars - "Wine Woogie" - Released on Specialty XSP-445-45 in November 1952

32 Screamin' Jay Hawkins - "Alligator Wine" Released on Okeh 4-7101 in April 1958

33 Bill Samuels and the Cats 'N' Jammer Three - "Port Wine" Released on Mercury 8012 in April 1946

34 Bobby Plater Orchestra With Mr. Swing - "Beer Bottle Boogie" Released on Bullet 327 in 1950. "Mr Swing" was Rufus Thomas

35 The Orioles with Buddy Lucas and his Band of Tomorrow - "Barfly" Released on Jubilee 45-5084 in July 1952

36 Amos Milburn - "Let Me Go Home Whiskey" Released on Aladdin 45-3164 in January 1953

37 Louis Jordan and the Tympanny Five - "Fat Backs and Corn Whiskey" Released on Aladdin 45-3270 in December 1954

38 Joe Morris Orch. W/ Mr. Stringbean - "Pass The Juice Miss Lucy" Released on Herald H-418 in September 1953

39 Jay McShann and Jimmy Witherspoon - "Barfly Blues" Mercury 8049 Released in August 1947

40 Tuff Green Orchestra with J.P. Louper - "Lets Go To The Liquor Store" Released on Bullet 312-A in September 1949

41 Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five - "Whiskey Do Your Stuff" Released On Aladdin 3223 in February 1954

42 J.B. Summers - "Drinkin' Beer" - Released On Gotham 203-A in November 1949

43 Marylyn Scott (The Carolina Blues Girl) With Johnny Otis Orch. - "Beer Bottle Boogie" - Released On Regent 1025-A in November 1950

44 Willis "Gator Tail" Jackson - "Wine-O-Wine" - Released On Atlantic 957 in February 1952

45 Jimmy Liggins and His Orchestra - "No More Alcohol" - Released on Aladdin 45-3251 in October 1954

46 Christine Kittrell - "Sittin' Here Drinking" Released on Tennessee 128 in August 1952

47 Roy Brown - "Bar Room Blues" - Released on DeLuxe 3319 (DeLuxe 310 in Canada) in November 1951

48 Tom Archia And His All Stars Vocal by Doctor Jo Jo Adams - "Drinkin' Blues" - Released On Aristocrat 801-B in November 1948

49 Calvin Boze - "Waiting and Drinking" - Released on Aladdin 3045A in February 1950

50 Melvin Smith - "Looped" - Released on RCA 47-4735 in June 1952

51 Billy Love (credited to Jackie Brenston) - "Juiced" - Released On Chess 1472 in July 1951

52 The Champs - "Tequila" - Released on Challenge 1016 in January 1958

"... one for my baby, one more for the road"