The Coasters - 20 Great Originals

Note: Side 1, Tracks 1 - 3 by The Robins. All other tracks by The Coasters.

Side 1:
01. Riot In Cell Block Number 9
02. Smokey Joe's Cafe
03. Framed
04. Turtle Dovin'
05. Down In Mexico
06. Young Blood
07. Searchin'
08. Idol With The Golden Head
09. Yakety Yak - The Coasters
10. Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart


Side 2:
01. The Shadow Knows
02. Charlie Brown
03. Along Came Jones
04. Poison Ivy
05. What About Us
06. I'm A Hog For You Baby
07. Run Red Run
08. Shoppin' For Clothes
09. Little Egypt
10. Bad Blood

20 Great Originals (Mega)

20 Great Originals (Zippy)

The Coasters were not only a major R&B act but also a best selling pop act. They had 6 entries in the top ten of The Billboard Hot 100, and a further 4 in the top forty. Their record sales helped Atlantic maintain its position as the pre-eminent R&B label of the late 1950s / early 1960s and were an important factor in the breakout of R&B into the pop mainstream. Although some of their hits had an air of teen novelty about them, most of their records were in fact works of sly hipness if not downright sleaze, thanks to the inventiveness of songwriting duo Leiber and Stoller, and also to the sax stylings of Gil Bernal and King Curtis ...

At last, an R&B act I can remember hearing on the radio! Four of the Coasters' records broke into the British charts in the late 1950's but I'm too young to remember that. What I do remember is that during the first half of the 1960's two of their hits, "Charlie Brown" and "Yakety Yak" were still being played frequently on the BBC, probably because they were seen as having appeal to children. That informed my later rather dismissive opinion of The Coasters as being merely a novelty group for the kids and, boy, was I wrong.

To be frank, this LP which I bought in the late 1970's didn't do much to change my opinion as it suffers from the problems of many mass market issues of that era. Twenty sides have been crammed on to the record with subsequent loss of sound quality. In addition some kind of electronically re-processed stereo was used on certain later tracks, rendering them pretty much unlistenable, so I've ripped the LP to mono in an attempt to remedy that. My advice is to treat this collection as a sampler and if you find yourself digging the cool sounds of The Coasters invest in one of the many compilations available to buy. Recommendations can be found towards the end of this post.

The tracks on this LP are arranged in chronological order, so we start with three tracks recorded for Los Angeles label Spark Records by The Robins, the group from which The Coasters split in 1955 when label owners, songwriters and producers Leiber and Stoller signed up with Atlantic, taking their Spark masters with them. The origins of The Robins were detailed in this post of their Savoy sides from 1949 - 1950, while this post of their Modern / RPM / Crown sides in the early 1950's takes their story up to the point of the birth of The Coasters.

The go-to site for the story of The Robins up to and beyond the point when The Coasters broke away from the parent group is of course Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks. His article on The Robins is here:

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Robins/robins.html

Marv's site doesn't have an article on The Coasters but there is a website devoted entirely to the group "The Coasters Web Site - Those Hoodlum Friends" - which you can find here:

http://www.angelfire.com/mn/coasters/

The web site is vast with all kinds of goodies on it. You may lose hours of your life in there. The record session information in the "Fax on the Trax" section below has been gleaned from the hugely detailed recording sessions page of The Coasters Web Site.

The original singles release information is from www.45cat.com. The Coasters singles section is here:

http://www.45cat.com/artist/the-coasters

Here's The Fax on those 20 Trax

As mentioned above, the session information comes from the recordings sessions page on The Coasters Web Site. I haven't attempted to use all the information available on these tracks. In particular I have mentioned only a few of the backing musicians and I have omitted the Coasters' own guitar players. My main motive in mentioning a few of the backing musicians was in order to make sure that Gil Bernal received credit for his tenor sax work on The Robins and early Coasters sides which were recorded in Los Angeles. The contribution of King Curtis to the sides recorded in New York is well known, but that of Gil Bernal doesn't get much attention.

The changing Coasters line ups have been inserted into the chronological sequence.

Riot in Cell Block #9, Smokey Joe's Cafe and Framed were recorded by The Robins in 1954 - 1955 for Spark Records in Los Angeles.

The Robins - Carl Gardner, Bobby Nunn, Grady Chapman, Terrell Leonard, Billy Richard and Roy Richard. Richard Berry on "Riot In Cell Block #9."

Backing musicians include Gil Bernal (tenor sax) and Barney Kessell (guitar).

"Riot In Cell Block #9" was recorded in the spring of 1954. Released on Spark 103 (b/w "Wrap It Up") in May 1954.

"Framed" was recorded in August 1954. Released on Spark 107 (b/w "Loop De Loop Mambo") in September 1954.

"Smokey Joe's Cafe" was recorded in July (or possibly January 1955). Released on Spark 122 in August 1955 (b/w "Just Like A Fool"). Re-released on Atco 6059 in October 1955.

All subsequent titles recorded by The Coasters.

The Coasters (October 1955 - 1957) - Carl Gardner, Billy Guy, Bobby Nunn, Leon Hughes.

Turtle Dovin' and Down In Mexico recorded in Los Angeles on January 11th, 1956. Gil Bernal (tenor sax) and Barney Kessell (guitar) among backing musicians. "Down In Mexico" / "Turtle Dovin'" released on Atco 6064 in February 1957.

Young Blood and Searchin' recorded in Los Angeles in February 1957. Obe "Young" Jessie replaces Billy Hughes on "Searchin'." Backing musicians include Gil Bernal (tenor sax) and Barney Kessell (guitar). "Searchin'" / "Young Blood" released on Atco 6087 in March 1957.

Idol With The Golden Head recorded in Chicago on July 24th, 1957. Released in August 1957 on Atco 6098 as the B-Side of "(When She Wants Good Lovin') My Baby Comes To Me."

The Coasters (1958 - mid-1961) - Carl Gardner, Billy Guy, Cornell Gunter, Will "Dub" Jones.

Yakety Yak and Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart recorded in New York on March 17th, 1958. King Curtis on tenor sax. "Yakety Yak" / "Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart" released on Atco 6116 in April 1958.

The Shadow Knows recorded in New York on August 8th, 1958. Released on Atco 6126 (b/w "Sorry But I'm Gonna Have To Pass") in August 1958.

Charlie Brown recorded in New York on December 11th, 1958. Released on Atco 6132 (b/w "Three Cool Cats") in January 1959.

Along Came Jones recorded in New York on March 26th, 1959. Released on Atco 6141 (b/w "That Is Rock & Roll") in April 1959.

Poison Ivy and What About Us recorded in New York on July 16th, 1959. Backing musicians include Mickey Baker (guitar) and King Curtis (tenor sax). The versions on this LP are alternate takes of the versions originally released on single.

I'm A Hog For You Baby was recorded in New York on August 8th 1958 and re-edited on July 17th, 1959. The version on this LP differs from the single release (titled "I'm A Hog For You") in that it has a different and shorter sax fadeout.

Run Red Run  was recorded in New York on July 23rd, 1959. The version on this LP is a stereo take of the version originally released on single.

The single versions of the above four tracks were released as follows:

Poison Ivy / I'm A Hog For You released on Atco 6146 in August 1959.

Run Red Run / What About Us released on Atco 6153 in November 1959.

Shoppin' For Clothes was recorded in New York on July 29th, 1960. King Curtis on tenor sax. "Shoppin' For Clothes" / "The Snake And The Bookworm" released on Atco 6178 in September 1960. Some pressings retitled "Shoppin' For Clothes" to "Clothes Line (Wrap It Up)" which was the title of the original version of this song which was written by Kent Harris and recorded by him as Boogaloo And His Gallant Crew in 1956 (Crest  45-1030).

Little Egypt was recorded in New York on February 9th, 1961. King Curtis on tenor sax. "Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)" / "Keep On Rolling" released on Atco 6192 in April 1961.

The Coasters (mid-1961 - 1967) - Carl Gardner, Billy Guy, Will "Dub" Jones, Earl "Speedo" Carroll.

Bad Blood was recorded in New York on September 25th, 1961. Backing by The Upsetters. The version on this LP is an alternate take of the version released on single Atco 6210 (b/w "(Ain't That) Just Like Me") in October 1961.

The Coasters on CD

As a top selling pop act as well as a major R&B act, The Coasters' back catalogue has mostly remained in print in some form or another over the years. I have the following two CDs in my collection:

The Very Best Of The Coasters - Rhino / Atlantic. A modest 17 tracks in excellent sound quality. It includes "Sorry But I'm Gonna Have To Pass" which received major attention when it was used in a TV advert for Volkswagen Passat in the 1990s.

What Is The Secret Of Your Success? - Mr R&B RBD 102. A CD version of an LP issued on Jonas Bernholm's Mr R&B label. Published in 1980, this collection has 16 of the lesser known Coasters tracks. Also includes "Sorry But I'm Gonna Have To Pass." I wonder if this is where some advertising exec came across the track and pitched it to Volkswagen?

There's a lot of choice if you want to get a Coasters CD these days. Looks like this one might be the one in which to invest your hard earned cash:

A double CD on the Acrobat label. 56 tracks, including 12 Robins tracks from the Spark label. I've ordered a copy and will report back when I've listened to it.

Edit - The 2CD Coasters set has arrived. It has a 24 page booklet which includes full recording details of the tracks, sourced from the Coasters website I acknowledged earlier in this post. There is also an extensive essay by Paul Watts tracing the history of The Coasters from the foundation of The Robins in 1945. So 10/10 for presentation in this PD collection.

Disc One is especially good with its inclusion of the 12 Robins sides recorded for Spark. I listened to the whole of this disc in one session and it didn't pall at all! I must confess that when I started listening to Disc Two the following day, the going got tougher. There are still plenty of good sides on this disc, but perhaps the Coasters were getting a bit formulaic going into the early 1960s, or perhaps I'd just listened to too many tracks by the same group.

So all in all I can recommend this mid price collection. 56 tracks in all, including two LP only tracks. Presentation is excellent, sound quality is good but perhaps some of the tracks lack a bit of "life" as this is a PD compilation. Overall rating - 7.5/10.
 

Ruth Brown - Rockin' With Ruth (re-up)

Side 1:
01. Teardrops From My Eyes
02. 5-10-15 Hours
03. Daddy Daddy
04. Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean
05. Wild Wild Young Men
06. Love Contest
07. Hello Little Boy
08. Oh, What A Dream

Side 2:
01. Somebody Touched Me
02. Bye Bye Young Men
03. I Can See Everybody's Baby
04. As Long As I'm Moving
05. This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'
06. I Can't Hear A Word You Say
07. Papa Daddy
08. Don't Deceive Me

Rockin' With Ruth (Mega)

Rockin' With Ruth (Zippy)

Note: download includes bonus folder of label scans from Joan. "Rockin' With Ruth" was originally posted on this blog on the 9th March 2010. This re-up has new cover and label scans. The archive is a Zip file generated by PeaZip. Some downloaders have been unable to open the RAR archive files since WinRAR was updated, so I thought I would try an alternative archiver. Please let me know if there are any problems.

This post started as a response to a re-up request but just kinda grew and grew. Here we go -

Ruth Brown - The Atlantic Years

Ruth Brown's massive record sales helped establish Atlantic as the top R&B label of the 1950s, so much so, that Atlantic was sometimes referred to as "The House That Ruth Built." Her best selling years were from 1951 - 1954, although she continued to have R&B chart entries (and some pop hits too) until 1960.

She was born Ruth Weston in Portsmouth, Virginia, on January 12th 1928. "Brown" was the surname of her first husband, trumpet player Jimmy Brown, whom she married early in her career. Like many R&B artists, Ruth's earliest exposure to music came through the church, in Ruth's case through the different styles of music in two churches - the organ / piano accompanied music of the African Methodist Episcopal church of which her father was a member, and the acapella singing of the North Carolina Baptist church to which her mother's family belonged.

Her father sang in the church choir and played the piano at home where family singsongs would consist mainly of sacred songs and old fashioned sentimental (and 100% "clean") pop songs. When a teenage Ruth started to get gigs singing blues songs at local clubs and USO venues, she had to "sneak out" to perform. Her most spectacular feat of fooling her parents came in 1944 when she took a bus to New York under the pretext of visiting her uncle but in reality with the intention of entering the amateur night at the Apollo, which she won.

Once she had graduated from high school Ruth was in a position to be more open about her musical ambitions and took gigs from bigger and more distant venues. It was while performing at a club in Detroit that she was spotted by bandleader Lucky Millinder and it seemed that her big break had arrived when he signed her as a vocalist for his band. The big break proved to be illusory as he already had a strong female vocalist in Anisteen Allen, and Ruth was fired on the flimsiest of pretexts after singing at just one gig in Washington D.C.

Left stranded by Millinder, Ruth had the good luck to get an audition for former bandleader Blanche Calloway, the older sister of Cab, who was running a Washington club called the Crystal Caverns. Blanche was impressed enough to offer young Ruth a temporary spot at the club to help her get back on her feet and back home. This was the real career break for Ruth, because her performances went down so well that word got to Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson at Atlantic Records. The two diskery honchos made the trek to Washington and were impressed enough to offer Ruth the chance to sign up to what was still a pretty small recording company without a hit record to its name.

Blanche Calloway who had become Ruth's manager phoned the Apollo Theater in New York and arranged an appearance for her new client with the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra, and so in October 1948 Ruth set out by car for NYC to appear at the premier black entertainment venue and to record for Atlantic. She made it as far as Chester, Pennsylvania, when the car crashed and Ruth wound up in hospital for months. She was still in crutches when she made her delayed recording debut in April 1949 at a session credited to Texas Johnny Brown, who was backed by Amos Milburn and his band. Ruth sang one track, "Rain Is a Bringdown" which was unreleased until it appeared many years later on a Route 66 LP.

Ruth's recording debut proper came on May 25th, 1949 when she cut "So Long," a tear-jerking ballad previously popularized by Little Miss Cornshucks. Coupled with "It's Raining," it was a hit, reaching number six in the Billboard R&B chart. This was the second hit that Atlantic had produced as earlier in the month Stick McGhee and His Buddies had stormed to number 3 in the charts with "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee O-Dee."

The follow up, another sentimental ballad, "I'll Get Along Somehow," was another success in late 1949, but in October 1950 Ruth recorded the side which really propelled Atlantic to its position as number 1 R&B label, the rocking Rudy Toombs composition, "Teardrops From My Eyes"  which was her first number 1 R&B hit. It was the second highest selling single of 1951 (behind "Sixty Minute Man" by The Dominoes). The following release, "I'll Wait For You," reached number 8 in the R&B chart in March 1951, while "Teardrops From My Eyes" was still high in the same chart at number 5.

Her next release, "I Know," reached number 7 in August 1951, then in the spring of 1952 came another massive hit, the Rudy Toombs stomper "5 - 10 - 15 Hours." Backed by the sinuous sax of her second husband, Willis Jackson, Ruth's raunchy performance was a mile and more away from her early ballad successes.

The follow-up, "Daddy Daddy" another Rudy Toombs composition, which was much more explicit in its expression of lustful longing, also featured sax by Willis Jackson but somehow lacked the appeal of  "5 - 10 - 15 Hours" and stalled at number 5 in the charts in October 1952. Thanks to the sales of records by The Clovers, Ruth Brown and Joe Turner, Atlantic was the top selling R&B label again in 1952.

In early 1953 Ruth was back at the top of the R&B chart with "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean," a disc which sparked a slew of answer discs by other artists. Ruth's next disc, the hard rocking "Wild, Wild Young Men" kept up the chart momentum, reaching number 3 at the end of June.

Ruth's autumn 1953 release, "The Tears Keep Tumbling Down" failed to chart nationally although it sold strongly in a few locations. This trend continued with Ruth's early 1954 releases - "Love Contest" sold well regionally but failed to crack the national charts, a reissue of a 1950 recording of "Sentimental Journey" with The Delta Rhythm Boys didn't do much while "Hello Little Boy" picked up some regional action in Chicago.

The second half of 1954 saw a revival in Ruth Brown's record sales, beginning with the Chuck Willis composition "Oh What A Dream" which reached number 1 in September. The follow up, "Mambo Baby" / "Somebody Touched Me" was released in October and reached number 1 in the R&B charts on November 20th, to give Ruth a successful close out to the year.

At this point, it's worth looking back over the years 1951 - 1954. In each of these years Ruth had finished in the top ten best selling R&B artist list. In 1951, '52 and '53 she was the top selling female R&B vocalist and in 1954 she came second to Faye Adams. In each of these years Atlantic was the top selling R&B label. In '51, '52 and '53 the top selling Atlantic act was The Clovers, and in '54 it was Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters, an indication that vocal groups were emerging as the most popular form of R&B. From the point of view of consistent record sales, these years were the most successful that Ruth would enjoy as the second half of the 1950's would prove to be much more uneven.

Above - Atlantic ad from January 1955. The old order changeth, giving way to the new. 1955 would bring great success to Ray Charles, LaVern Baker and Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters. Joe Turner continued to sell reasonably well, but it wasn't such a good year for Ruth Brown or for The Clovers. Ruth's January 1955 release of "Bye Bye Young Men" didn't chart but in April she had a double sided hit with "I Can See Everybody's Baby" reaching number 7 while the reverse side "As Long As I'm Moving" did even better, climbing to number 4 in the R&B chart.

She recorded some duets with Clyde McPhatter but only one of their collaborations was a good seller - "Love Has Joined Us Together" which was released in November 1955, made it to number 8 on the R&B chart. In 1956 Ruth could only scrape into the top fifty list of best selling R&B artists but 1957 brought an improvement with her recording of a jaunty Leiber - Stoller pop song, "Lucky Lips" which reached number 6 in the R&B chart and climbed to number 25 in the pop chart in March.

In 1958 a Leiber - Stoller production of the Bobby Darin penned "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'" brought more pop success for Ruth, as it reached number 24 in the Billboard Hot 100 in October, and number 7 in the R&B chart. Ruth was now 30 years old so there was definitely something incongruous about her performance as a teenybopper telling her mama about the completion of her household chores before going out to sample the delights of rock and roll.

A Leiber - Stoller composition "Jack O'Diamonds" earned Ruth a number 23 R&B chart place in July 1959. It was essentially a pop production, with the superior (and very cynical) "I Can't Hear A Word You Say," which was reminiscent of Leiber - Stoller's material for The Coasters, relegated to the B-Side. Later in the year a fine bluesy production of "I Don't Know" reached number 5 in the R&B chart and number 64 in the Hot 100. A very convincing performance indeed

In April 1960 Ruth's recording of a Chuck Willis song "Don't Deceive Me," complete with string section and choir, made it to number 10 in the R&B chart and number 62 in the Hot 100 for Ruth's last chart hit on Atlantic.

Ruth's bluesy soulful vocals on "I Don't Know" and "Taking Care Of Business" (from September 1960) show a performer of great maturity and technique yet her career with Atlantic had stalled as far as chart action was concerned. In December 1959 Atlantic issued an LP of Ruth performing standards - "Late Date With Ruth Brown." With tasteful big band and string accompaniment, some tracks work well, while others don't. If more material like "I Don't Know" or "Taking Care Of Business" had been made available to Ruth then perhaps her Atlantic recording career wouldn't have petered out the way it did in the early '60's.

Cover shot from Discogs.com

In 1962 she left Atlantic and signed with Philips where she recorded "Along Came Ruth" - an album of cover versions of R&B hits such as "Sea Of Love" and "Cry Cry Cry." She also recorded an album of gospel songs but left the label sometime in 1963.

Ruth's career continued to decline and for some years was virtually dead as she took up jobs outside the music business in order to raise her sons and put them through university. However her fortunes began to revive in the 1980's with parts in stage shows "The Amen Corner," "Staggerlee" and the original Paris production of "Black and Blue." She was Motormouth Maybelle in John Waters' 1988 movie "Hairspray" and when "Black and Blue" opened on Broadway in January 1989 her comeback was complete - a Tony and a Grammy (for the original cast recording) followed.

When a lawyer fan learned that she was receiving no royalty payments from Atlantic (they claimed SHE owed them money) he took on her case and won substantial compensation not only for Ruth but for other surviving R&B veterans. This led to the setting up of The Rhythm and Blues Foundation, an organisation dedicated to the interests and welfare of a generation of forgotten (and often cheated) R&B performers.

Ruth Brown passed away in Las Vegas in November 2006 having suffered a heart attack and stroke.

The Facts On The Tracks on "Rockin' With Ruth"

"Teardrops From My Eyes" recorded in NYC in September 1950. Personnel: Ruth Brown (vocals) with: 2 unknown, trumpet; unknown, alto sax; Willis Jackson (tenor sax); probably Haywood Henry (baritone sax); unknown, piano, guitar, bass, drums; Budd Johnson (arranger).

Released in October 1950, b/w "Am I Making The Same Mistake Again" on Atlantic 919. Number 1 in the Billboard R&B chart for 11 weeks.

"5 - 10 - 15 Hours" recorded in NYC on February 13th, 1952. Personnel: Ruth Brown (vocals) with: unknown, trumpet; Willis Jackson (tenor sax); 2 unknown, saxes; Harry Van Walls (piano); unknown, guitar; unknown, bass; Connie Kay (drums).

Released in March 1952, b/w "Be Anything (But Be Mine)" on Atlantic 962. Number 1 in the Billboard R&B chart for 7 weeks.

"Daddy Daddy" was recorded in NYC on July 2nd, 1952. Personnel: Ruth Brown (vocals) with: Willis Jackson (tenor sax); unknown, cello; Harry Van Walls (piano); unknown, guitar; unknown, bass; unknown, drums; The James Quintet (vocal group).

Released in August 1952, b/w "Have A Good Time" on Atlantic 973. Number 5 in the Billboard R&B chart in October 1952.

"(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" was recorded in NYC on 19th December, 1952. Personnel: Ruth Brown (vocal) with: Taft Jordan (trumpet); Paul Williams (alto sax); Sam "The Man" Taylor (tenor sax); Jesse Stone (piano); Mickey Baker (guitar); Lloyd Trotman (bass); Connie Kay (drums); Hal Jackson (tambourine).

Released in January 1953, b/w "R.B. Blues" on Atlantic 986.  Number 1 on the Billboard R&B charts for 5 weeks. 6th best selling R&B record of 1953.

"Wild Wild Young Men" was recorded in NYC on 10th April 1953. Personnel: Ruth Brown (vocals) with: Taft Jordan (trumpet); Freddie Mitchell (tenor sax); Haywood Henry (baritone sax); Harry Van Walls (piano); Rector Bailey (guitar); George Duvivier (bass); Connie Kay (drums); Jesse Stone (arranger).

Released in April 1953, b/w "Mend Your Ways" on Atlantic 993. Number 3 in Billboard R&B chart, 27th June 1953.

"Love Contest" was recorded in NYC on 16th December 1953. Personnel: Ruth Brown (vocals) with: Sam "The Man" Taylor (tenor sax); Paul Williams (baritone sax); Kelly Owens (piano); Mickey Baker (guitar); Lloyd Trotman (bass); Joe Marshall (drums); Jesse Stone (arranger).

Released in January 1954, b/w "You Don't Want Me" on Atlantic 1018.

"Hello Little Boy" was recorded at the same session as "Love Contest." Personnel as above except John Lewis replaces Kelly Owens on piano.

Released in April 1954, b/w "If I Had Any Sense" on Atlantic 1027.

"Oh What A Dream" was recorded in NYC on 7th May 1954. Personnel: Ruth Brown (vocals) with: Ed "Tiger" Lewis (trumpet); Richard Harris (trombone); Arnett Cobb (tenor sax); Sylvester Thomas (baritone sax); Bu Pleasant (piano); Mickey Baker (guitar); Benny Moten (bass); Noruddin Zafer (drums); The Rhythmakers (vocal group).

Released in July 1954, b/w "Please Don't Freeze" on Atlantic 1036. Number 1 in Billboard R&B chart, first two weeks of September 1954, 16 weeks in chart in total.

"Somebody Touched Me" was recorded at the same session as "Oh What A Dream." Personnel as above (the Arnett Cobb band plus The Rhythmakers vocal group).

Released in October 1954, B-Side of "Mambo Baby" on Atlantic 1044. "Mambo Baby" reached number 1 in the Billboard best selling R&B chart on 20th November 1954.

"Bye Bye Young Men" was recorded in NYC on 11th August, 1954. Personnel: Ruth Brown (vocals) with: unknown trumpet, tenor and baritone saxes, piano, bass and drums. The Rhythmakers (vocal group).

Released in January 1955 b/w "Ever Since My Baby's Been Gone" on Atlantic 1051.

"I Can See Everybody's Baby" and "As Long As I'm Moving" were recorded in NYC on 1st March 1955. Personnel: Ruth Brown (vocals) with: Sam "The Man" Taylor (tenor sax); The Rhythmakers (vocal group); rest unknown.

Released in April 1955, "I Can See Everybody's Baby" / "As Long As I'm Moving" on Atlantic 1059. "I Can See Everybody's Baby" reached number 7 on the Billboard R&B chart and "As Long As I'm Moving" reached number 4.

Above: 1955 Atlantic EP "Ruth Brown Sings."

"This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'" was recorded in NYC on 30th July 1958. Personnel: Ruth Brown (vocal) with: Joe Wilder, Steve Lipkin (trumpets); King Curtis (tenor sax); Mike Stoller (piano); Charles Macey, Everett Barksdale (guitars); Lloyd Trotman (bass); Joe Marshall (drums) Bradley Spirmer (percussion); unknown vocal group; Howard Biggs (arranger).

Released in August 1958, b/w "Why Me" on Atlantic 1197. Number 24 in the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, October 1958 and number 7 in the R&B chart. "Why Me" reached number 17 in the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart in November 1958.

"I Can't Hear A Word You Say" was recorded in NYC on 7th March 1959. Personnel: Ruth Brown (vocals) with: Jimmy Cleveland (trombone); King Curtis, Budd Johnson (tenor saxes); Ernie Hayes (piano); Bill Suyker, Wally Richardson (guitars); Earl Mays (bass); Sticks Evans (drums); Howard Biggs (arranger).

Released in May 1959, B-Side of "Jack O'Diamonds" on Atlantic 2026. "Jack O'Diamonds" was number 23 in the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart in July 1959.

"Papa Daddy" was recorded at the same session as "I Can't Hear A Word You Say" with the same personnel.

Released in August 1959, B-Side of "I Don't Know" on Atlantic 2035. "I Don't Know" was number 5 in the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart and number 64 in the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1959.

May 1959 compilation LP

"Don't Deceive Me" was recorded in NYC on 30th September 1959. Personnel: Ruth Brown (vocals) with: Sol Gubin (vibes); Mickey Baker, Mundell Lowe, Carl Lynch (guitars); Abie Baker (bass); Sticks Evans (drums); Elise Bretton, Jerome Graff, Bill Marine, Merrill Ostrus, Marcia Patterson, Nelson Starr, choir; 8 violins, 2 violas, 2 celli, Reggie Obrecht, Richard Wess, conductor.

Released in February 1960, b/w "I Burned Your Letter" on Atlantic 2052. Number 10 in the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart and number 62 in the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1960.

Thanks to Joan K for label scans and cover scans used throughout this post. Information sources include Billboard, The Cash Box, www.45worlds.com, www.discogs.com, www.jazzdisco.org, YouTube, Spotify, Bruyninckx discography, and most of all "Blue Rhythms: Six Lives In Rhythm And Blues" by Chip Deffaa, Da Capo Press, 2000 edition.

LaVern Baker - Real Gone Gal

Side 1:

01. How Can You Leave A Man Like This?

02. Jim Dandy

03. My Happiness Forever

04. Fee Fi Fo Fum

05. Jim Dandy Got Married

06. Substitute

07. Whipper Snapper

08. Voodoo Voodoo

Side 2:

01. I Cried A Tear

02. He's A Real Gone Guy

03. I Waited Too Long

04. Tiny Tim

05. Shake A Hand

06. Bumble Bee

07. Hey Memphis

08. See See Rider

Real Gone Gal (Mega)

Real Gone Gal (Zippy)

Born in Chicago in 1929, Dolores Baker did not have to look beyond her family for musical inspiration. Her aunt was Merline Johnson (The Yas Yas Girl) who recorded many blues sides in Chicago in the late 1930's and early '40's for labels such as Bluebird, Vocalion and the original OKeh. A more distant relative was major blues singer Memphis Minnie. 

Dolores' first musical experience was singing in her Baptist church choir but as early as the age of ten she was appearing in amateur nights in Chicago clubs. Upon reaching the age of seventeen she was able to sign a professional contract at one of the major clubs, the Club DeLisa where she appeared regularly in reviews.

Back in the early 1940's one of the most popular acts to appear at the DeLisa had been Little Miss Cornshucks (real name Mildred Jorman) who would take to the stage dressed as a little bitty country gal straight off the farm, barefooted, in braids and ribbons and carrying a basket. She would then wow audiences with ballads like "So Long," "Try A Little Tenderness" and "For Old Time's Sake." When Dolores arrived at the DeLisa, Little Miss Cornshucks had already left the Chicago scene and was touring nationally. The future Lavern Baker was seen as a suitable replacement and thus she became "Little Miss Sharecropper," a Cornshucks look alike.

Dolores was saddled with the "Sharecropper" image for a number of years, not only at the DeLisa, but around other Chicago venues like the Miramont Ballroom, Ralph's Place and the Crown Propeller Lounge. Her earliest recordings were made under the name of "Little Miss Sharecropper" - a couple of sides with the Eddie Penigar Orchestra for RCA in early 1949, and a session for National in late 1950 or early 1951.

In March and April 1951 she recorded some sides with Maurice King & His Wolverines, the first of which "Good Daddy" appeared on Columbia while the next two, "I Want A Lavender Cadillac" and "Make It Good" came out on the Columbia R&B subsidiary OKeh. Dolores was billed as Bea Baker on these records. The Wolverines were the house band at the Flame Show Bar in Detroit which became Dolores' base. Another regular act at the Flame was Johnnie Ray whom she befriended.

In the spring of 1952 she joined another Detroit band, that of Todd Rhodes, as vocalist and in July and October of that year she and the Rhodes band recorded sides for King - "Trying," "Pig Latin Blues," "Lost Child" and "Must I Cry Again" which were issued between September 1952 and February 1953. Dolores was now "LaVern Baker" and was billed thus on the King discs, none of which made any noise on the national charts although there was some success on the regional charts. "Trying" was number seven in the Cash Box New Orleans chart on 18th October 1952, number six in Savannah, number seven in Dallas and number ten in San Francisco. At the end of November "Trying" was number one in San Francisco.

When LaVern started recording for Atlantic in June 1953, her career entered a new phase with not only hits on the national R&B charts, but also appearances in the national pop charts. I like to think of LaVern Baker as being part of the "Third Wave" of Atlantic artists. The first wave, if you like, would be Tiny Grimes, Joe Morris and Frank Culley, whose jazzy jump helped give the label a solid start in the late 1940's. In the first half of the 1950's a "second wave" including Ruth Brown, The Clovers, Joe Turner and The Drifters established Atlantic as the top selling R&B label in the USA. The third wave of artists including Ray Charles, The Coasters, LaVern Baker, Chuck Willis and Clyde McPhatter, not only kept Atlantic as the pre-eminent R&B label in the second half of the 1950's they also made serious inroads into the much more lucrative pop market.

As  you can hear on this collection Atlantic started using more pop oriented material and arrangements on many of their records in a conscious attempt to break into the top forty. LaVern's first big pop hit was "Tweedlee Dee" which reached number 14 in early 1955 but which was outsold by a cover version by Georgia Gibbs which reached number two.

In October 1956 "I Can't Love You Enough" made it to number 22 in the Billboard pop chart. Two months later LaVern was back in the top twenty with a rock and roll / R&B classic - "Jim Dandy" which was originally the B Side of "Tra La La," a trite pop confection in the vein of "Tweedlee Dee." In December 1958 LaVern had her biggest hit with a big beat ballad (in waltz time!) - "I Cried A Tear" which reached number six. Another big production weepie "I Waited Too Long" reached number thirty-three in January 1959. LaVern had two more records which scraped into the top forty in the early sixties - "Saved" (number thirty-seven in January 1961) and "See See Rider" (number thirty-four in May 1963.)

Above: LaVern in the Alan Freed film "Rock, Rock, Rock!"

This collection is not a "greatest hits" or even "best of" collection. Missing are "Tweedlee Dee," "Bop-Ting-A-Ling," "Play It Fair" and the classic R&B torch song "Soul On Fire." As I've indicated already there are lots of pop type numbers, from the juvenile "Tweedlee Dee" type (as in "Fee Fee Fi Fo Fum") to big beat ballads such as "My Happiness Forever" and "I Cried a Tear" with a few hard rockers thrown in with the two "Jim Dandy" numbers and the raucous-in-the-extreme "Voodoo Voodoo." The revivals of "Shake A Hand" and "See See Rider" are also very listenable, so all in all this is an LP that has grown on me over the years despite my initial disappointment at the "poppiness" of many of the tracks.

Many years after these recordings were made Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler wrote to author Charlie Gillett on the subject of the use of vocal group choruses on records by Chuck Willis, Clyde McPhatter and LaVern Baker - "I could kick my ass every time I hear those tunes; attribute it to insecurity and fright, trying to survive in the land of the Hilltoppers and Pat Boone." (Making Tracks: The Story of Atlantic Records by Charlie Gillett). 

Way, way back Joan K sent in some cover scans and label shots of LaVern Baker records. Here are some of the big records that aren't on this collection!

There are more of Joan's scans in the "The Story Behind The Tracks" section below.

LaVern's last Atlantic session was in April 1964. From 1965 through to 1969 she recorded for Brunswick. In 1970 LaVern toured US bases in Vietnam where she contracted a heart and lung condition which required medication for the rest of her life. The condition reached critical point while LaVern was performing in Hong Kong where she was hospitalised. Taking the advice of one of the doctors, she went to the warmer climate of the Philippines to recuperate and take up performing again. She stayed for 20 years, performing in US forces clubs and becoming entertainment director at the Marine Staff NCO Club for the Seventh Fleet. Visits to the US were rare but in 1990 she returned to take over from Ruth Brown in the hit musical "Black And Blue" in New York.

Once back in the USA she started recording again, bringing out a live album titled "Live In Hollywood" and a studio album "Woke Up This Morning." However, her health problems became worse, necessitating the amputation of both legs in 1994 (she kept on performing) and in 1997 she succumbed to the effects of her long standing cardiovascular disease, passing away on March 10th.

The story behind the tracks on "Real Gone Gal"

How Can You Leave A Man Like This? - recorded in New York on June 19th 1953. Personnel: Lavern Baker (vocal) with Freddie Mitchell (tenor sax); Ernest "Pinky" Williams (baritone sax); Hank Jones (piano); Jimmy Lewis (guitar); Lloyd Trotman (bass;) Sylvester Payne (drums); Gene Redd (arranger).

Released on Atlantic 1004, B-Side of "Soul On Fire" in August 1953.

Jim Dandy, My Happiness Forever, Fee Fee Fi Fo Fum, were recorded in New York on December 21st 1955. Personnel: LaVern Baker (vocals) with unknown band and The Gliders (vocal group).

My Happiness Forever released on Atlantic 1087, B-Side of "Get Up Get Up (You Sleepy Head)" in February 1956.

Fee Fee Fi Fo Fum released on Atlantic 1093, b/w "I'll Do The Same For You" in May 1956.

Jim Dandy released on Atlantic 1116, b/w "Tra La La" in November 1956.

Jim Dandy Got Married - recorded in Los Angeles (?) on March 15th 1957. Personnel: LaVern Baker (vocals) with Ernie Freeman's Orchestra - Harry "Sweets" Edison, John Anderson (trumpets); Billy Johnson (alto sax); Plas Johnson (tenor sax); Ernie Freeman (piano); Irving Ashby (guitar); Joe Comfort (bass); Ray Martinez (drums); unknown vocal group.

Released on Atlantic 1136, b/w "The Game Of Love (A-One and A-Two)" in April 1957.

Substitute and Whipper Snapper recorded in New York on December 18th 1957. Personnel: LaVern Baker (vocals) with Howard Biggs' Orchestra - Taft Jordan, Melvin "Red" Solomon (trumpets); Sam "The Man" Taylor (tenor sax); Harry Breuer (xylophone); Mike Stoller, Moe Wechsler (piano); Allen Hanlon (guitar); Wendell Marshall (bass); Joe Marshall (drums); The Cookies (vocal group); Howard Biggs (arranger, director).

Substitute released on Atlantic 1176, b/w "Learning To Love" in February 1958.

Whipper Snapper released on Atlantic 1189, B-Side of "Harbor Lights" in June 1958.

Voodoo Voodoo and I Cried A Tear recorded in New York on September 11th 1958. Personnel: LaVern Baker (vocals) with Reggie Obrecht's Orchestra -Urbie Green (trombone); Leon Cohen (alto sax); King Curtis (tenor sax); unknown (vibes); Ernie Hayes (piano); Everett Barksdale, Al Caiola (guitars); Milt Hinton (bass); Panama Francis (drums); Bill Marine, Marcia Neil, Jerry Parker, Mike Stewart (choir); Reggie Obrecht (arranger, director).

I Cried A Tear released on Atlantic 2007, b/w "Dix-A-Billy" in November 1958.

Voodoo Voodoo released on Atlantic 2119, B-Side of Hey Memphis in September 1961.

He's A Real Gone Guy recorded in New York on December 18th 1958. Personnel: LaVern Baker (vocals) with King Curtis (tenor sax); Ernie Hayes (piano); Everett Barksdale, Billy Mure (guitars); Wendell Marshall (bass); Belton Evans (drums); unknown (vocal group); Phil Moore (arranger, director).

Released on Atlantic LP 8071 "See See Rider" in March 1963.

I Waited Too Long recorded in New York on March 12th 1959. Personnel: LaVern Baker (vocals) with Budd Johnson (alto sax); King Curtis (tenor sax); Phil Kraus (xylophone); Howard Biggs (piano); Mickey Baker, Wally Richardson, Neil Sedaka (guitars); Wendell Marshall (bass); Sticks Evans (drums); Elise Bretton, Gene Cowell, Leon Hurst, Marylin Palmer, Maria-Neil Patterson, Gene Steck, Dick Williams (chorus); Chuck Sagle (arranger, director).

Released on Atlantic 2021, b/w "You're Teasing Me" in March 1959.

Tiny Tim recorded in New York on May 14th 1959. Personnel: LaVern Baker (vocals) with 2 unknown (trumpets); Budd Johnson (tenor, baritone sax); unknown (piano); Mickey Baker, Bill Suyker (guitars); Milt Hinton (bass); Sticks Evans (drums); unknown (vocal group); Chuck Sagle (arranger, director).

Released on Atlantic 2041, b/w "For Love Of You"  in October 1959.

Shake a Hand recorded in New York, December 11th, 1959. Personnel: LaVern Baker (vocals) with Doc Severinsen (trumpet); Phil Bodner, Romeo Penque (reeds); Moe Wechsler (piano); Mundell Lowe, Bucky Pizzarelli (guitars); Abie Baker (bass); Sticks Evans (drums); Jose Martinez (congas); Stephen Berrios (percussion); Elise Bretton, Jerome Graff, Don McLeod, Gretchen Rhodes, Alan Sokoloff, David Vogel (choir); Richard Wess (arranger, director).

Released on Atlantic 2048, b/w "Manana" in January 1960.

Bumble Bee recorded in New York on August 17th 1960. Personnel: LaVern Baker (vocals) with Haywood Henry (baritone sax); Al Sears (tenor sax); Bert Keyes (piano); Ernie Hayes (organ); Mickey Baker, Carl Lynch (guitars); Abie Baker (bass); Shep Shepherd (drums); Ed Barnes, Malcolm Dodds, Winfield Scott, Nat Smith (vocal group); Jesse Stone (arranger, director).

Released on Atlantic 2077, b/w "My Time Will Come" in October 1960.

Hey Memphis recorded in New York on September 1st 1961. Personnel: LaVern Baker (vocals) with Joe Venuto (vibes); Mike Spencer (piano); Mickey Baker, Bucky Pizzarelli, Richard Ziegler (guitars); Leonard Gaskin (bass); Gary Chester (drums); unknown (vocal chorus); Fred Norman (arranger, director).

Released on Atlantic 2119, b/w Voodoo Voodoo in September 1961.

See See Rider recorded in New York on September 26th 1962. Personnel: LaVern Baker (vocals) with Buddy Lucas (tenor sax); Paul Griffin (piano); Ernie Hayes (organ); Everett Barksdale, Carl Lynch, Joe Richardson (guitars); Russ Saunders (bass); Sticks Evans (drums); unknown (washboard); unknown (vocal group); Ray Ellis (arranger, director).

Released on Atlantic 2167, b/w "The Story Of My Love (I Had A Dream)" in November 1962.

Above: Atlantic LP 8007 from July 1957

Sources

Online sources: Billboard (via Google Books) and Cash Box provide original release information, reviews and chart data. More issue information can be found on www.45worlds.com and www.discogs.com - these two websites have thousands of original label shots and LP cover scans. Session information for certain artists and labels (including Savoy and Atlantic) is available on www.jazzdisco.org.

Marv Goldberg has a short article on LaVern Baker which includes an excellent discography here:

http://www.uncamarvy.com/LavernBaker/lavernbaker.html

Printed scources; session and release information is on the Bruyninckx discography.

R&B sales information can be found in "Big Al Pavlow's The R & B Book." My copy is disintegrating through repeated use.

Pop chart information is from "The Billboard Book of USA Top 40 Hits" by Joel Whitburn.

I also consulted "Making Tracks: The Story Of Atlantic Records" by Charlie Gillett (Souvenir Press 1988).

The best account I found of LaVern Baker's life was in "Blue Rhythms: Six Lives In Rhythm And Blues" by Chip Deffa (Da Capo Press, 2000).

"Blue Rhythms" has profiles of six R&B artists interviewed by Chip Deffaa in the late 1980's and 1990's - Ruth Brown, LaVern Baker, Little Jimmy Scott, Charles Brown, Floyd Dixon and Jimmy Witherspoon. At the time of publication 5 out of the 6 were still performing. Sadly all are now deceased. A highly recommended book, R&B fans.

As for recommended listening, well, there's a multiplicity of compilations of LaVern Baker's work. A quick look at a certain website named after a South American river and you're spoiled for choice. I must confess to being intrigued by the Avid R&B issue "LaVern Baker - Four Classic Albums" which contains her four 1950's Atlantic LP's on 2 CD's.: "La Vern," "Rock & Roll," "Sings Bessie Smith" and "Blues Ballads." It's available at a budget price and looks like one to watch out for. Jasmine Records have one of their usual "Complete Singles A's & B's" issues - "It's So Fine" covers 1953 - 1959, so not quite the complete Atlantic oeuvre. There are plenty of other compilations of her Atlantic tracks around, so happy hunting!

Chuck Willis - Be Good Or Be Gone

Side One:
01. Keep A Knockin' *
02. Be Good Or Be Gone * (?)
03. I Tried
04. It's Too Late Baby
05. Let's Jump Tonight
06. Change My Mind
07. Loud Mouth Lucy
08. Wrong Lake To Catch A Fish

Side Two:
01. Lawdy Miss Mary
02. Baby's On My Mind *
03. You Know You Don't Love Me *
04. Search My Heart
05. I Can Tell
06. I Need One More Chance
07. I Don't Mind If I Do *
08. Break My Rule *

* = previously unreleased

Chuck Willis - Be Good Or Be Gone (Mega)

Chuck Willis - Be Good Or Be Gone (Zippy)

Last post of 2017 and it's a revival of a collection of Chuck Willis OKeh sides which was originally posted in October 2008.

As is usual with these "revival" posts I've added new cover and label scans, plus I've also boosted the volume slightly. Included in the download is a selection of original 45 label scans sent in by Joan K.

I was never  a big fan of Chuck Willis and as I stated back in the original post this LP remained unplayed and lost on my shelves for many years, and I must confess that since that post I've scarcely listened to the tracks again. However, I've been listening to it repeatedly over the last week or so in the build up to this post, and once more I've realized that this really is a cracking collection of prime R&B.

The sleevenotes by Clive Anderson are excellent, giving insight into the background behind these tracks recorded for OKeh between 1951 and 1956. They are also highly evocative of the music milieu of Atlanta, Chuck's home town, and the place where he started out on his music career. It was thanks to local DJ Zenas "Daddy" Sears that he was spotted and steered towards Columbia records man Danny Kessler.

Chuck Willis was not only a talented singer, he was also a gifted songwriter and most of his records both for OKeh and later Atlantic were self penned. His first session for Columbia took place in January 1951 with his first release (" It Ain't Right To Treat Me Wrong" / "Can't You See") coming out in May 1951 on Columbia 30238. In the meantime Columbia had decided to revive the old OKeh label as its outlet for R&B recordings under the management of Kessler and Chuck's releases were thereafter issued on the subsidiary label.

OKeh started issuing records in July 1951 but the first scheduled record by Chuck ("Let's Jump Tonight" / "Be Good Or Be Gone") which was due to be the sixth issue on the label, seems to have been  cancelled and his first OKeh disc was "I Tried" / "I Rule My Home" which was issued in August 1951. His five year spell at OKeh was reasonably successful with five R&B chart entries being achieved: "My Story," "Going To The River" (a cover of a Fats Domino hit), "Don't Deceive Me," "You're Still My Baby" and "I Feel So Bad."

None of these hits are on this collection which nevertheless is an enjoyable listening experience. But thanks to Joan K let's take a brief look at some smash hit R&B labels:

When Chuck Willis signed up with Atlantic in early 1956, his career moved up a gear, for his records not only featured on the R&B charts, they also started to appear in the pop charts. His version of the old blues "C. C. Rider" reached number 12 in the Billboard pop chart in May 1957 and "Betty And Dupree" reached number thirty three in April 1958. Both of these songs were suited to a new dance craze called The Stroll and Chuck became known as The King Of The Stroll. His biggest pop hit came in May of 1958 - "What Am I Living For" and "Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes," a pairing which proved to be ominously titled for by the time they were entering the charts Chuck was deceased, having died in hospital on April 10th during an operation on stomach ulcers.

Recording and Release Details

"Be Good Or Be Gone" and "Let's Jump Tonight" were recorded on January 26th 1951. Both sides were scheduled to be released on OKeh 6805, i.e. the sixth release on the label. Apparently this record remained unreleased. "Let's Jump Tonight" b/w "It's Too Late Baby" was  released as OKeh 6841 in December 1951.

"I Tried," "It's Too Late Baby" and "Baby's On My Mind" were recorded on 27th June 1951. "I Tried" b/w "I Rule My House" was released on OKeh 6810 in August 1951. "It's Too Late Baby" was B side of "Let's Jump Tonight" OKeh 6841, December 1951. "Baby's On My Mind" was not released on single.

"Loud Mouth Lucy" was recorded on February 27th 1952. Released on OKeh 6873 (b/w "Here I Come") in May 1952.

"Wrong Lake To Catch a Fish" was recorded on 26th June 1952. Released on OKeh 6930 as B-side of "Salty Tears" in December 1952.

"You Don't Love Me (You Broke My Heart)" was recorded on 19th November 1952. Unreleased.

"Keep A Knockin'" and "Need One More Chance" were recorded on February 5th 1954. "Need One More Chance" was released on OKeh 7029 (B-Side of "I Feel So Bad") in May 1954. "Keep a Knockin'" was not released.

"Change My Mind" and "I Don't Mind If I Do" were recorded on June 24th 1954. "Change My Mind" b/w "My Heart's Been Broke Again" was released on OKeh 7041 in August 1954. "I Don't Mind If I Do" was not released.

"Lawdy Miss Mary" was recorded on December 17th 1954. Released on OKeh 7051 (b/w "Love-Struck") in February 1955.

"Search My Heart" and "I Can Tell" were recorded on April 15th 1955. "I Can Tell" was released on OKeh 7055 (b/w "One More Break") in May 1955. "Search My Heart" was released on OKeh 7062 (b/w "Ring-Ding-Doo") in October 1955.

"Break My Rule" was recorded on January 26th 1956 but not released as a single.

Elsewhere on the blog:

Following the original posting of "Be Good Or Be Gone" in October 2008, an anonymous donor contributed an Atlantic LP "I Remember Chuck Willis" (Atlantic 8079).

Side One:

01. What Am I Living For

02. Hang Up My Rock & Roll Shoes

03. Stop And Think

04. From The Bottom Of My Heart

05. Just One Kiss

06. You'll Be My Love

07. Keep A Drivin'

Side Two:

01. C. C. Rider

02. Betty & Dupree

03. I'll Be So Glad When Your Heart Is Mine

04. Big Drops Of Rain

05. Sugar Sugar

06. Love Of Loves

07. My Baby

I Remember Chuck Willis (Mega)

I Remember Chuck Willis (Zippy)

Recommended purchase:

There are a number of Chuck Willis compilations available and they are easy to find on well known sellers' websites. A few years ago I bought the JSP 3CD set "The Complete Chuck Willis 1951 - 1957." I hardly listened to it until I started preparing this blog post and I must say that I found it tons o' fun.

There is no doubt that Chuck Willis was a major talent. He was probably at his best performing what I like to call "Big Beat Ballads" - which mixed pop and blues influences. Some of his OKeh sides have tremendous blues feeling, especially where guitarist Roy Gaines is given prominence. You can buy this set with confidence. By the way, the title is slightly misleading as the set includes his 1958 Atlantic sides. I think every OKeh and every Atlantic side is included.

Thanks to Joan K for label scans and the Epic cover above. Happy New Year Everyone!