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!

I Remember Chuck Willis (Atlantic 8079)

Thanks to an anonymous donor, we can extend our interest in Chuck Willis a little further with this 1962 Atlantic LP. Around 1962 -1963 Atlantic released a sequence of retrospective LPs on their 1950’s R&B big hitters such as Ruth Brown, Lavern Baker, Big Joe Turner, Clyde McPhatter and of course Chuck Willis who had unfortunately hung up his rock and roll shoes in 1958. Hence the morbid front cover.

So this is what rock ‘n’ roll blogging is all about – music fans from all around the world combining to raise interest in long gone artists and maybe, just maybe, someone who reads this and downloads these ancient vinyl rips will be inspired to investigate further and, despite the credit crunch, scrape enough folding green notes together to buy a Chuck Willis CD. Maybe the one that combines this LP with "King of the Stroll".

Ripped from vinyl at 192 kbps. Password = greaseyspoon. Thank you Anonymous.

Download from here:

http://www75.zippyshare.com/v/73588449/file.html

1. What Am I Living For
2. Hang Up My Rock & Roll Shoes
3. Stop And Think
4. From The Bottom Of My Heart
5. Just One Kiss
6. You'll Be My Love
7. Keep A Drivin'
8. C. C. Rider
9. Betty & Dupree
10. I'll Be So Glad When Your Heart Is Mine
11. Big Drops Of Rain
12. Sugar Sugar
13. Love Of Loves
14. My Baby

"Rockin' with Chuck Willis" - The Atlantic Years

I should really have called this “Strollin’ With Chuck Willis”, but it’s too late now! Thanks to Joan for providing these rips from 1950s 45 rpm singles and EPs. There are 15 tracks here from Chuck’s all too short (two years, 1956 – 1958) tenure at Atlantic Records. There was one track lacking to reconstitute Chuck’s 1958 Atlantic LP “King of the Stroll”, so I’ve used Joan’s rips to make up a Bebopwino comp of the “Sheik of Shake”.

Chuck’s time at Atlantic saw him reach the national pop charts with 3 discs: “C.C. Rider” reached number 12 in May 1957, “Betty and Dupree” reached number 33 in March 1958, and the ominously titled “What Am I Living For”/ “Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes” reached number 2 in May 1958, by which time Chuck was dead following surgery for a perforated ulcer and the disc was a posthumous hit.

In the second half of the 1950s Atlantic were adding girly choruses and sometimes strings to their R&B productions and many sides cut at this time haven’t worn well with the passing of the years, sounding rather corny to modern ears. However Willis’ performances and songwriting are strong enough to overcome this kind of backing, although I can’t help but wish that he’d been allowed to cut more discs like “What’cha Gonna Do When Your Baby Leaves You” where there are no unnecessary embellishments.

Thanks to Joan for the rips and scans. And of course you’ll find some crackling and hissing on these 50 year old discs.

Ripped at 192 kbps (from m4a files which are included). Password = greaseyspoon

Download from here:

http://rapidshare.com/files/158130898/Rockin__With_Chuck_Willis.rar

Or here:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WCMCJQTL

1. Betty And Dupree
2. That Train Has Gone
3. Love Me Cherry
4. Juanita
5. It's Too Late
6. C.C. Rider
7. My Life
8. What'cha Gonna Do When Your Baby Leaves You
9. Kansas City Woman
10. You'll Be My Love
11. Ease the Pain
12. Thunder And Lightning
13. My Crying Eyes
14. Keep A-Driving
15. What Am I Living For

Chuck Willis - Be Good Or Be Gone

This 1985 Chuck Willis compilation LP on Edsel is another album that has lain neglected and unplayed in my cupboard for a decade or two. I remember feeling not too impressed by Chuck Willis when I bought the album, but thanks to the fact that I’m converting vinyl to CD and mp3 and then blogging most of the results, I have had the chance to listen to these tracks again, and I’ve concluded that this is a gem of an album.

Singer and songwriter Chuck Willis (1928 – 1958) was a native of Atlanta, Georgia. He was born and raised a stone’s throw from Decatur Street, the city’s main entertainment drag and home of the 81 Theater. After the Second World War the city’s black entertainment scene centred on Auburn Avenue and it was in the hotels and clubs around this area that the young Chuck Willis could be found fronting bands led by Roy Mays and Red McAllister.

He also took part in talent shows hosted by local radio jock Zenas “Daddy” Sears, who took the young singer under his wing and introduced him to Columbia Records honcho Danny Kessler. Willis’ first record “It Ain’t Right To Treat Me Wrong” was released on Columbia, but in early 1951 Kessler was made A&R man for the revived OKeh label which was the vehicle for Columbia’s attempts to break into the R&B market which was becoming increasingly dominated by independent labels.

Willis’ first release on OKeh was “Be Good Or Be Gone” (recorded in January 1951). He went on to have five R&B chart hits on the label between October 1952, and June 1954. Although none of those hits feature on this collection, this is still an excellent album featuring pounding jump blues, early rock ‘n’ roll, and heartfelt bluesy ballads. Many of the numbers are enlivened by the searing tenor sax of bandleader Freddie Jackson.

Clive Anderson’s excellent liner notes provide an in-depth account of this stage of Willis’ career. In early 1956 Willis signed for Atlantic Records and a subsequent post will look at his tragically brief time there.

Many thanks to Joan for a great selection of label shots, plus a scan of the cover of the 1958 Epic (another Columbia subsidiary) LP “Chuck Willis Wails The Blues”. Apologies for the variation in picture size tonight, but the Blogger picture sizing facility ain't working. They're probably too busy closing down blogs to notice. Stop Press: I sorted it by producing resized copies myself.

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download from here:

http://rapidshare.com/files/157331487/Be_Good_Or_Be_Gone.rar

Or here:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RAN807G3

1. Keep A Knockin'
2. Be Good Or Be Gone
3. I Tried
4. It's Too Late Baby
5. Let's Jump Tonight
6. Change My Mind
7. Loud Mouth Lucy
8. Wrong Lake To Catch A Fish
9. Lawdy Miss Mary
10. Baby's On My Mind *
11. You Know You Don't Love Me
12. Search My Heart
13. I Can Tell
14. I Need One More Chance
15. I Don't Mind If I Do *
16. Break My Rule

* = previously unreleased