The Golden Groups Volume 47 - The Best Of Apollo Records Part 1

Side One:
01. One More Time - The Mel-O-Dots
02. Just How Long - The Mel-O-Dots
03. Rock My Baby - The Mel-O-Dots
04. Baby Won't You Please Come Home - The Mel-O-Dots
05. Angel Baby - Billy Austin and His Hearts
06. Night Has Come - Billy Austin and His Hearts
07. Oh But She Did - The Opals
08. My Heart's Desire - The Opals

Side Two:
01. Do Let That Dream Come True - The Jumping Jacks
02. Long Haired Raggedy Rascal - The Jumping Jacks
03. Why Oh Why - The Jumping Jacks
04. Julocka Jolly - The Jumping Jacks
05. I Just Love You So - Lydia Larson & The River Rovers
06. Bald Headed Daddy - Lydia Larson & The River Rovers
07. Little Side Car - The Larks
08. Tippin' In - The Larks

The Golden Groups Volume 47 (Mega)

The Golden Groups Volume 47 (Zippy)

I came across this LP in a local second hand shop a couple of months ago and just couldn't resist. When Relic were issuing these Golden Groups LPs way back in nineteen canteen I didn't buy a single one. Now I'm the proud possessor of two, thanks to recent second hand purchases. See here for Volume 6 - The Best Of Ember Records.

I've been on an Apollo kick in my own recent listening so this collection fits in nicely with that. It's definitely a mixed bag, though. Here's a quick run through -

The Mel-O-Dots release on the Apollo popular series has a good rockin' A-Side in "One More Time" which features a rather strange fairground organ break. What were they thinking of? B-Side "Just How Long" is an effective ballad in the Ink Spots style. The unreleased "Rock My Baby" does indeed rock along in fine style until that ghastly organ blasts in. "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" is a slow harmony pleader which thankfully remains organ free. Again there are echos of the Ink Spots and early 1940s harmony groups.

The releases by Billy Austin and His Hearts and The Opals are both excellent R&B vocal group discs. The uptempo "Angel Baby" has a tenor sax break by Charlie "Little Jazz" Ferguson."Night Has Come" is a fine weepy. Both Opals' sides are very good indeed. "Oh But She Did" - uptempo effort featuring a hoarse voiced lead with good guitar licks. "My Heart's Desire" - soft and romantic. Classic vocal group sound.

The Jumping Jacks. Good golly almighty what fresh hell is this? How could anyone believe that this sort of thing would sell in 1953? Overwrought cloying bollocks with kitsch organ backing. The unreleased sides are better by virtue of the fact that they fairly rattle along. It's hard to believe that The Jumping Jacks originated from the same neighbourhood as The "5" Royales. It's even harder to believe that after recording this dross they transmogrified into The Romeos and recorded some excellent R&B in a much more contemporary style, especially their two knowingly suggestive sides "Somebody's Been Plowing My Mule" and "Oh Baby Oh." Another good'un by The Romeos is "I Beg You Please" which is a world away from what's on offer by The Jumping Jacks. These Romeos sides were featured on Relic's second part of the Apollo Records story.

Lydia Larson's unreleased "I Just Love You So" borders on chaos and doesn't quite cut it but she gets us bumpin' and grindin' with "Bald Headed Daddy" which drips with sleaze. Girl group The River Rovers chant away in the background in an el primitivo style.

This LP ends with two contrasting sides from one of the great vocal groups.The Larks weigh in with the bluesy double entendre "Little Side Car" and a jazzy vocal version of "Tippin' In" which was originally composed as an instrumental by Bobby Smith for the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra and was subsequently re-recorded by Bobby and his own small group on Apollo. Here he is again backing The Larks on their sophisticated version to take us out swingin'. Solid, man!

Original Release Details

The Mel-O-Dots: One More Time / Just How Long (Apollo 1192) released May 1952, in Apollo's 1000 "Popular" series. Jazz and R&B releases were in the 350-500 series. Rock My Baby; Baby Won't You Please Come Home - unreleased.

Billy Austin and His Hearts: Angel Baby / Night Has Come (Apollo 444) released December 1952. With Charlie Ferguson, His Tenor and Orchestra.

The Opals: Oh But She Did / My Heart's Desire (Apollo 462) released October 1954.

The Jumping Jacks: Do Let That Dream Come True / Why Oh Why (Lloyds 101) released June 1953. Long Haired Raggedy Rascal; Julocka Jolly (?) - unreleased.

Lydia Larson & The River Rovers: Delta Drag / Bald Headed Daddy (Apollo 432) released November 1951. "Delta Drag" was credited to The River Rovers. Both sides backed by the Bill Harvey Orchestra. "I Just Love You So" - unreleased.

The Larks: Little Side Car / Hey, Little Girl (Apollo 429) released August 1951. With Bobby Smith's Orchestra. If It's A Crime / Tippin' In (Lloyds 110) released June 1954. With Bobby Smith's Orchestra.

The Rockin' 5 Royales (Apollo LP 488)

Side A:

01. Baby Don't Do It

02. Too Much Lovin'

03. Baby Take All Of Me

04. Courage To Love

05. You Know I Know

06. Help Me Somebody

Side B:
01. What's That
02. Laundromat Blues
03. All Righty

04. I Wanna Thank You

05. Put Something In It

06. I Like It Like That

The Rockin' 5 Royales (Mega)

The Rockin' 5 Royales (Zippy)

Thanks to Marv for this "reconstruction" of an LP originally released by Apollo in 1959. Before Marv sent this collection in, I had no idea that Apollo actually issued LPs. On closer investigation on the Both Sides Now website I discovered that Apollo had released LPs intermittently during the 1950s and on into the early 1960s but there was little to interest fans of R&B except this compilation of sides by The "5" Royales. Joan drew my attention to a short series of 10-inch LPs released by Apollo in 1951-52 which compiled some tremendous jazz tracks from the 1940s, so stand by for Be Bop Wino reconstructions of some of these albums.

It is possible that Apollo released this LP to compete with the King LP "The "5" Royales Sing For You" which was also released in 1959. The "5" Royales had been the subject of an acrimonious lawsuit between Apollo and King in 1954 when the latter company lured the group to its roster and for a period of months both companies were issuing "5" Royales records.

Now normally on a vocal group post I refer readers to Marv Goldberg's site which is the go-to place for info on R&B vocal groups. Unfortunately there isn't a "5" Royales article on Marv's site, but I can refer you to this excellent article on the group by Steve Walker which is on the Blackcat Rockabilly website from the Netherlands.

As for this LP - it's one of the great R&B compilations, for you can hardly go wrong with the material recorded by The "5" Royales on Apollo during their stay on the label which lasted little more than two years. No vocal group of the time wore their gospel roots more on their sharp-suited sleeves than The "5" Royales, who had started out as far back as 1942 as The Royal Sons Quintet, a gospel group which included sandpaper voiced lead tenor Johnny Tanner and bass vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Lowman Pauling, both of whom were still in the group when it was picked up by Apollo Records in 1951.

It was Apollo which somehow persuaded the Royal Sons to record secular material, firstly as The Royals and then as The "5" Royales. Success came quickly with their second release, "Baby Don't Do It" racing up the R&B chart to the number one spot in February 1953. Their next record "Help Me Somebody" / "Crazy, Crazy, Crazy" was a double sided hit, both sides charting with "Help Me Somebody" reaching number one in June 1953. Their next record, "Too Much Lovin'" reached the number four spot in the R&B chart in August 1953, but the double entendre "Laundromat Blues" on the other side of the disc was banned by some radio stations.

The "5" Royales finished 1953 as the top selling R&B act of that year but 1954 brought far less success and considerable upheaval as the group left Apollo for King in April. Their last chart entry for Apollo was "I Do" (Apollo 452) which reached number 6 in the R&B chart in February 1954. Their last recording session for Apollo was on the 1st April 1954. On the 10th June 1954 the group had their first recording session for King. Apollo continued to release "5" Royales singles until February 1955 when the backlog of recordings ran out with "Six O'Clock In The Morning" /  "With All Your Heart" (Apollo 467).

Decades later many people would come to think of the "5" Royales as primarily a King act, thanks mainly to three classic songs they recorded for the label - "Think", "Tell The Truth" and "Dedicated To The One I Love" which achieved fame through cover versions by, respectively, James Brown, Ray Charles and The Shirelles, but it was with Apollo that the "5" Royales enjoyed their greatest commercial success, back in that annus mirabilis, 1953.

This reconstituted LP allows us to enjoy one of the greatest of the R&B vocal groups at their peak. Johnny Tanner's pleading, soulful vocals, Lowman Pauling's songwriting (he didn't become a guitar hero until 1957) and last but very much not least, Charlie "Little Jazz" Ferguson's dynamite backing make these recordings stone classics.

Original Release Information for the tracks on Apollo LP 488

You Know I Know / Courage To Love - Apollo 441 - August 1952

Baby Don't Do It / Take All Of Me - Apollo 443 - December 1952

Crazy, Crazy, Crazy / Help Me Somebody - Apollo 446 - April 1953

Too Much Lovin' (Much Too Much) / Laundromat Blues - Apollo 448 - July 1953

All Righty / I Want To Thank You - Apollo 449 - October 1953

Cry Some More / I Like It Like That - Apollo 454 - April 1954

Let Me Come Back Home / What's That - Apollo 458 - June 1954

Six O' Clock In The Morning / With All Your Heart* - Apollo 467 - February 1955

* retitled "Put Something In It" on Apollo LP 488

Apollo LP 488 released in late 1959.

Recommended listening:

All Righty! - The complete Apollo recordings including gospel releases as The Royal Sons Quintet. Westside CD WESM 591. 29 tracks. Released in 1999.

Bobby Smith & Orchestra - Jazz At The Apollo

Side 1:
01. Tippin' In
02. Station Break
03. After Hours
04. Bess Boogie
05. Dash Hound Boogie
06. Blue Keys
07. Flip A Coin
08. Cinder Bottom

Side 2:
01. Buffalo Nickel (part 1)
02. Desert Night
03. Danny Boy
04. Skippin' And Hoppin'
05. Night Watch
06. Tread Lightly
07. Lightfoot
08. Don't Shake Those Hips At Me

Download from here:

Jazz At The Apollo (Mega)

Good collection of small group jazz / boogie / jump by alto sax man, composer and arranger Bobby Smith. This was a spin-off project from the Erskine Hawkins big band, the Smith group consisting entirely of Hawkins band members. It wasn't a breakaway group as the musicians continued to play with and record with the parent big band while the small group acted as house band for Apollo Records of New York.

Bobby Smith was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1907. Born into a musical family, he learned piano, drums and saxophone. While on tour with Banjo Bernie's band he found himself stranded in
Florida. This turned out to be a career defining stroke of fortune, for he then joined the Original Sunset Royal Serenaders with whom he stayed for nearly ten years. When trombonist and singer Doc Wheeler took over as band leader the outfit was renamed Doc Wheeler and his Sunset Orchestra under which name the band recorded for the Victor subsidiary label Bluebird in late 1941 / early 1942.

Among the sides recorded were a Bobby Smith / Cat Anderson composition, "How 'Bout That Mess" and a Bobby Smith arrangement of Jesse Stone's "Sorghum Switch", a number which would be revived in the R&B years as "Cole Slaw" by Frank Culley, Louis Jordan and Jesse Stone himself. Also noteworthy is the version of "Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well" recorded by the band in March 1942, more than two years before the Lucky Millinder / Wynonie Harris version.

Somewhere around 1943 or 1944 Bobby moved over to the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra, a much better established band which had enjoyed long residencies at the Savoy Ballroom (often side by side with the Chick Webb Orchestra) and a long series of hit recordings, including the original version of "Tuxedo Junction", "Whispering Grass" and "Don't Cry Baby." The Sunset Orchestra seems to have been a source of musicians for the Hawkins band, for among the musicians who made the transition were Ace Harris, who replaced Avery Parrish (composer of "After Hours") on piano, guitarist Leroy Kirkland, trumpeter Jimmy Harris and drummer Joe Murphy.

Bobby composed one of Erskine Hawkins' biggest hits, "Tippin' In" which was an R&B number one in 1945 and which was revived twice more by Bobby and the small group on Apollo - in the 1950 instrumental version on this LP and in a vocal version by The Larks in 1954 with the Smith band providing accompaniment.

The Bobby Smith Orchestra recorded under their own name for Apollo between 1949 and 1954, as well as accompanying acts like blues shouter Eddie Mack and the top notch bluesy vocal group The Larks. The latter recorded the superb B Side of "Little Side Car" with Bobby - "Hey Little Girl" which is one of my favourite R&B records

This LP features sides from the 1949 - 1950 Apollo sessions, plus both sides of two singles for Apollo subsidiary Ruby which Bobby recorded with Sam "The Man" Taylor in 1951. This was something in the way of a reunion, for Sam was a fellow graduate of The School Of Cool aka The Sunset Orchestra.

Recommended further listening is the Delmark CD "That's For Sure!" which has 22 sides recorded by The Bobby Smith Orchestra between 1949 and 1954. From the mastertapes!

Information sources - Dave Penny: notes to "Jazz At The Apollo" and to the CD "Erskine Hawkins Jukebox Hits 1940-1950" (Acrobat). Stanley Dance: notes to the Delmark CD "That's For Sure!"

Morris Lane - Tenor Saxsation (Re-up)

Side1:

01. Bobby's Boogie

02. Ghost Town

03. Luke The Spook

04. Down The Lane

05. Blue Jeans

06. BO Plenty's Return

07. Midnight Sun

08. Pale Moon (An Indian Love Song)

Side 2:

01. Moon Ray

02. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire

03. It Ain't Necessarily So

04. Stairway To The Stars

05. Poinciana

06. Blues In The Night

07. Twilight Time

08. Everything I Have Is Yours

Download from:

Tenor Saxsation (Mega)

Original post (1st March, 2009) is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/morris-lane-tenor-saxsation.html

Good compilation of sides by ex-Lionel Hampton tenor sax player Morris Lane. Sides recorded 1947 - 1952. The first six tracks (recorded for Savoy, Apollo and Robin) are good rousing jump blues. In 1952 Lane changed style, recording a series of swing standards for Coral with a band featuring Bill Doggett on organ and Leroy Kirkland.  He recorded another four sides in the same vein for the small Scooter label. The Coral and Scooter sides are comparable to the sax stylings of Earl Bostic and Lynn Hope and obviously aimed at the same audience.

Not covered in this comp are sides Lane recorded in 1946 for Savoy with, inter alia, Sonny Stitt, Fats Navarro, Bud Powell and Kenny Clarke as part of a group billed as the "Be-Bop Boys." They may well be coming up in a future post.

Wynonie Harris Re-Ups

Side 1:

01. Around The Clock parts 1 & 2

02. Cock-A-Doodle-Doo

03. Yonder Goes My Baby

04. Time To Change Your Town

05. Hard Ridin' Mama

06. You Got To Get Yourself A Job, Girl

07. My Baby's Barrel House

Side 2:

01. Oh Babe!

02. Luscious Woman

03. Bad News Baby (There'll Be No Rockin' Tonight)

04. Stormy Night Blues

05. Down Boy Down

06. Git To Gittin' Baby

07. Don't Take My Whiskey Away From Me

08. I Get A Thrill

Download from:

http://www105.zippyshare.com/v/vGzv8XNO/file.html

Original post (2nd November 2009) with extensive biography, original release information, and recommended purchases is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/wynonie-harris-oh-babe.html

Side 1:

01. I Gotta Lyin' Woman - Wynonie Harris

02. Playful Baby - Wynonie Harris

03. Rebecca's Blues - Wynonie Harris

04. Take Me Out Of The Rain - Wynonie Harris

05. Everybody's Boogie - Wynonie Harris

06. Papa Tree Top - Wynonie Harris

07. Lollipop Mama - Wynonie Harris

08. Ghost Of A Chance - Wynonie Harris

Side 2:

01. Married Women - Stay Married - Wynonie Harris

02. Do It Again, Please - Wynonie Harris

03. Triflin' Woman - Wynonie Harris

04. Night Train - Wynonie Harris

05. Bring It Back - Wynonie Harris

06. Nearer My Love To Thee - Wynonie Harris

07. Git With The Grits - Wynonie Harris

08. Good Mambo Tonight - Wynonie Harris

Download from:

Playful Baby (Mega)

Original post (4th November 2009) with original release information is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/wynonie-harris-playful-baby.html

Note that for these re-ups label scans have been added and sound volume boosted. The "Playful Baby" download includes the full gatefold sleeve. The "Oh Babe!" download includes the inner sleeve which contains notes and song lyrics. The original "Oh Babe!" post includes an outline of the career of Wynonie "Mr. Blues" Harris who was simply one of the most important artists in the history of R&B.

Jack McVea Special!

Tracklist:

Side 1:

01. Bartender Boogie

02. Tarrant Blues

03. O-Kay For Baby

04. We're Together Again

05. Ooh Mop

06. Don't Blame Me

07. Frisco Blues

08. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying

Side 2:

01. Open The Door Richard!

02. Wine-O

03. Inflation Blues

04. Groovin' Boogie

05. No, No, You Can't Do Dot Mon

06. Jack Frost

07. Mumblin' Blues

08. The Key's In The Mailbox

Download "Open The Door Richard!" from here:

http://www20.zippyshare.com/v/zWoIoeVl/file.html

Tracklist:

Side A:
01. My Business Is C.O.D.
02. Play It Over
03. Rainy Day Blues
04. F Minor Boogie
05. It Never Should Have Been This Way
06. Jack's Boogie
07. Baby Make Up Your Mind
08. Butch

Side B:
01. Two Timin' Baby Boogie
02. Evening
03. Fish For Supper
04. New Deal
05. Naggin' Woman Blues
06. You Can Come Back Home
07. Tatoe Pie
08. Carlos

Download "New Deal" from here:

New Deal (Mega)

Original issue of "Open The Door Richard!" tracks, which were recorded in Los Angeles between August 1945 and December 1947:

01. Bartender Boogie aka B.B. Boogie - Black & White 750
02. Tarrant Blues - Apollo 370*
03. O-Kay For Baby - Apollo 761
04. We're Together Again - Apollo 366*
05. Ooh Mop - Black & White 750
06. Don't Blame Me - Apollo 761
07. Frisco Blues - Black & White 751
08. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying - Black & White 793
09. Open The Door Richard! - Black & White 792
10. Wine-O - Black & White 751
11. Inflation Blues - Exclusive 260
12. Groovin' Boogie - Black & White 810
13. No, No, You Can't Do Dot Mon - Exclusive 266
14. Jack Frost  - Exclusive 266
15. Mumblin' Blues - Exclusive 270
16. The Key's In The Mailbox - Black & White 828

* = credited to "Rabon Tarrant with Jack McVea's All Stars"

Original issue of "New Deal" tracks, which were recorded in Los Angeles between August 1945 and late 1948, except for "Rainy Day Blues" which was recorded in San Francisco in 1944.

01. My Business Is C.O.D. - Black & White 762
02. Play It Over - Black & White 762
03. Rainy Day Blues - Rhythm 502/509
04. F Minor Boogie - Black & White 767
05. It Never Should Have Been This Way - Apollo 370*
06. Jack's Boogie - Black & White 767
07. Baby Make Up Your Mind - Black & White 763
08. Butch - Black & White 842
09. Two Timin' Baby Boogie - Black & White 842
10. Evening - Exclusive 70X
11. Fish For Supper - Exclusive 70X
12. New Deal - Melodisc 110
13. Naggin' Woman Blues - Apollo 365*
14. You Can Come Back Home - Modern 20-756**
15. Tatoe Pie - Exclusive 270
16. Carlos - Exclusive 48X

* = credited to "Rabon Tarrant with Jack McVea's All Stars."
** = credited to "Gene Phillips with Jack McVea & His Orchestra." The song title was "You Can't Come Back Home."

As requested by a cool cat (by your re-up requests shall ye be judged), here's Jack McVea on a couple of Jukebox Lil LPs. We know what that means - occasional dodgy sound quality as the tracks were mastered from original 78 rpm records coupled with superb background research and notes. Jonas Bernholm's reissue labels really set the standard back in the 1980s.

The excellent "Blues And Rhythm" magazine has recently completed a 3 part series on Jonas and his work entitled "The Mr R&B Interviews." There is also a Label Listing of every release on every Jonas Bernholm label. These labels were: Route 66, Mr R&B, Stockholm, Blues Boy, Crown Prince, Saxophonograph, Jukebox Lil, Whiskey, Women, And ... , Dr. Horse, Earth Angel, Gospel Jubilee, Jazz Information, and Clanka Lanka. Scream and shout, check it out!

LPS from the Mr R&B group of labels can still be purchased at North American distributor www.cityhallrecords.com and also at Norton Records. In Europe they can be purchased at Bear Family Records, Germany.

And so to Jack McVea. My original post on "Open The Door Richard!" had a summary of his career. Here's the link:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/jack-mcvea-his-all-stars-open-door.html

The original "New Deal" post is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/jack-mcvea-his-all-stars-new-deal_06.html

He was an important figure in the development of West Coast R&B. After quitting the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, he formed a small jump group in 1943 which was very much modeled on the successful Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five. Mid to late 1940s Los Angeles hosted a thriving jump 'n' jive small group scene with bands led by McVea, Roy Milton, Joe Liggins, Luke Jones, Buddy Banks, Joe Lutcher, Jimmy Liggins, Johnny Otis, King Perry, Calvin Boze and others all playing in the jump blues style which dominated the nascent rhythm 'n' blues scene.

Jack McVea's first recordings were made for the small Rhythm label of San Francisco in 1944  (see "Rainy Day Blues"). His first LA records were made for Melodisc in August 1945 (see "New Deal"). In the same month he recorded for Apollo, not only having discs issued in his own name, but also accompanying artists like Wynonie Harris and Big Duke Henderson. These sessions are covered in a Delmark CD, "McVoutie's Central Avenue Blues." A recommended purchase!

In October 1945 Jack signed up with Black & White Records, with whom he recorded until March 1947 when the company went bankrupt. It was Black & White which issued Jack's massive hit "Open The Door Richard!" but unfortunately almost all the royalties were diverted from the artist while coincidentally the label owner was suddenly able to indulge in a lavish lifestyle. Continuing creative accountancy practices drove Black & White to inevitable bankruptcy. In late 1947 Jack recorded sides for Exclusive but did not record again as a leader until he signed for Combo in 1953. By now Jack's band was totally different from the band which had enjoyed success in the 1940's. He continued to record for Combo until 1957 after which his recording career quickly faded.

The full story can be read on the sleevenotes to both the Jukebox Lil LPs. The period covered by these albums, 1944 - 47, is also comprehensively covered on a 4CD set issued on JSP.

More accurately, Jack's 1944 - 1947 recordings are contained on the first 3 CDs of this set while CD number 4 contains tracks by George Vann and Alton Redd, both of whom were drummer / vocalists with 1940s LA jump bands. George Vann is featured on tracks by The Sepia Tones, Joe Alexander's Highlanders, The Spirits of Rhythm, Four Joes And a Jane, Johnny Alston and Sylvester Scott. Early Jump Heaven!

The Combo masters are owned and reissued by UK Ace Records. There's some good Combo McVea tracks on the excellent compilation of Combo and Dootone sides "Honk! Honk! Honk!"

Also on Ace is a CD dedicated solely to Jack McVea on Combo, "Fortissimo!"

This CD includes quite a few alternate takes and even some rehearsal tracks. Worth investigating, but "Honk! Honk! Honk!" is a far better collection.

Jack McVea & His All Stars - Open The Door Richard!

Tenor saxman Jack McVea was always there or thereabouts in the Los Angeles jazz / rhythm & blues scene of the 1940s. He was in the Lionel Hampton big band line-up which recorded “Flying Home”, the number which first brought Illinois Jacquet to the attention of sax fans. He took the first sax solo on “Blues” at the first ever Jazz At The Philharmonic concert, but Illinois took the second sax solo and in a few moments of blasting, screeching, crowd-pleasing madness, Jacquet had defined the future of jazz and R&B tenor sax styling. McVea was on “Slim’s Jam”, along with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Slim Gaillard, and managed to slip in a reference to “Open The Door, Richard!” about a year before he recorded his own hit version of the comedy stage routine.



In 1943 he left Hampton to form one of the first small jump bands in LA and not only released records under his own name, but also provided backing for Wynonie Harris on Apollo Records and T-Bone Walker on Black & White. It was for the latter record company that McVea made the record that was to become one of the biggest selling and most covered records of 1947 – “Open The Door Richard!” While working for the Lionel Hampton outfit a few years before, McVea had toured with a comic called Dusty Fletcher, part of whose stage routine consisted of playing a drunken reveller trying to gain entry to his appartment by rousing his slumbering roommate who happens to have the only key to the front door.

McVea worked up a little spoken musical number for his band’s live act based on the Fletcher routine and recorded it for Black & White in September 1946. The record was released at the end of the year and became a monster seller in 1947, inspiring covers by Louis Jordan, Count Basie and Dusty Fletcher himself. Of course Jack saw very little of the royalties, most of which vanished thanks to some creative accountancy by the record company. McVea’s last recording session for Black & White took place in March of 1947. In November and December of 1947 he recorded several sessions for Exclusive and then took to club work in locations as far apart as Honolulu, Alaska, Las Vegas, and even LA.

Jack signed up with Jake Porter’s Combo Records in 1953. His band was very much the house band at Combo, recording not only under Jack’s name, but also under various guises such as Jonesy’s Combo. They were on Combo’s biggest selling disc, the original version of “Ko Ko Mo” by Gene & Eunice, but once again saw little in the way of royalty payments. As the 1950s wound to a close, so did Jack’s recording career and by the early 1960s he was making a living as a junkman. In 1966 he took up an engagement as clarinet player in a small Dixieland jazz group at Disneyland. It was a gig that lasted until 1992 when Jack finally retired from the music scene. He died in December 2000.

This is a re-up of an LP originally posted on the old Be Bop Wino blog, but with all new cover scans, including the complete gatefold sleeve.

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps. I made extensive use of clicking and crackling elimination, which may or may not be a good thing.

Download from here:

http://www20.zippyshare.com/v/zWoIoeVl/file.html

1. Bartender Boogie (Black & White 750)
2. Tarrant Blues (Apollo 370)*
3. O-Kay For Baby (Apollo 761)
4. We're Together Again (Apollo 366)*
5. Ooh Mop (Black & White 750)
6. Don't Blame Me (Apollo 761)
7. Frisco Blues (Black & White 751)
8. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying (Black & White 793)
9. Open The Door Richard! (Black & White 792)
10. Wine-O (Black & White 751)
11. Inflation Blues (Exclusive 260)
12. Groovin' Boogie (Black & White 810)
13. No, No, You Can't Do Dot Mon (Exclusive 266)
14. Jack Frost (Exclusive 266)
15. Mumblin' Blues (Exclusive 270)
16. The Key's In The Mailbox (Black & White 828)

* credited to Rabon Tarrant



More platters that matter -

On the blog: “New Deal” (Jukebox Lil 625) which has more early Jack McVea sides.



Recommended purchases:

“McVoutie’s Central Avenue Blues” (Delmark DE-756)



Compilation of Apollo sides. Includes sides credited to Wynonie Harris, Cee Pee Johnson, Wild Bill Moore and Duke Henderson.

“Fortissimo! The Combo Recordings 1954 -57” (Ace CDCHD 1246)

Wynonie Harris - Playful Baby

Released in 1986, this was the third Wynonie Harris LP to be issued on Route 66. It follows the pattern of “Oh Babe!” with the first half devoted to mid 1940s sides released on Apollo and Aladdin, and the second half given over to King sides from the late 1940s and early 1950s.

This LP was released in a gatefold sleeve which had the complete text and photos from a Wynonie Harris interview for TAN magazine in 1954. There is also a memoir by Velda Shannon who knew Wynonie from the late 1920s in Omaha until his final years in 1960s Los Angeles.

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps.

Download from here:

Playful Baby (Mega)

The Tracks:

with Oscar Pettiford and his All Stars, Los Angeles, September 1945:

1. I Gotta Lyin' Woman (Apollo 387)

with Johnnie Alston and his All Stars, Los Angeles, December 1945:

2. Playful Baby (Apollo 372)

with Oscar Pettiford and his All Stars, Los Angeles, September 1945:

3. Rebecca's Blues (Apollo 387)

with Johnnie Alston and his All Stars, Los Angeles, December 1945:

4. Take Me Out Of The Rain (Apollo 381)

with Oscar Pettiford and his All Stars, Los Angeles, September 1945:

5. Everybody's Boogie (Apollo 378)

with Johnnie Alston and his All Stars, Los Angeles, December 1945:

6. Papa Tree Top (Apollo 372)

with the Hot Lips Page Band, Cincinnati, December 1947:

7. Lollipop Mama (King 4226)

Wynonie “Mr. Blues” Harris and his All-Stars, New York City, July 1947:

8. Ghost Of A Chance (Aladdin, 196)

with the Todd Rhodes Orchestra, Cincinnati, January 1952:

9. Married Women - Stay Married (King 4526)

with the Lucky Millinder Orchestra, New York City, June 1952:

10. Do It Again, Please (King 4555)

with the Sonny Thompson band, New York City, October 1950:

11. Triflin' Woman (King 4415)

with the Lucky Millinder Orchestra, New York City, June 1952:

12. Night Train (King 4555)

with the Sonny Thompson band, Cincinnati, November 1952:

13. Bring It Back (King 4593)

Wynonie Harris, New York City, September 1953:

14. Nearer My Love To Thee (King 4668)

with the Sonny Thompson band, Cincinnati, November 1954:

15. Git With The Grits (King 4814)
16. Good Mambo Tonight (King 4774)