Etta James - Good Rockin' Mama

Side 1
01. Dance With Me Henry - Etta James and "The Peaches"
02. Crazy Feeling - Etta James
03. W-O-M-A-N - Etta James
04. I Hope You're Satisfied - Betty And Dupree
05. Strange Things Happening - Etta James

Side 2
01. Good Rockin' Daddy - Etta James
02. Number One - Etta "Miss Peaches"  James
03. Hey! Henry - Etta James
04. I'm A Fool - Etta "Miss Peaches" James
05. That's All - Etta James

Good Rockin' Mama (Mega)

Good Rockin' Mama (Zippy)

Real rockin' 1950s Los Angeles rhythm 'n' blues from precocious chantoozy Jamesetta Hawkins, better known as Etta James. Recorded for the Bihari stable of labels, in this case Modern and Kent, these sides mostly backed by bands led by Maxwell Davis are a whole rompin' and stompin' world away from Etta's Chess sides of the 1960s. The future soul diva is a teenage rocker on this Ace UK ten incher and every track is a gem. Only "The Wallflower" (aka "Dance With Me Henry") and "Good Rockin' Daddy" were big R&B hits but quality shines through the whole album.

"I Hope You're Satisfied" was credited to "Betty And Dupree" who were Etta plus then boyfriend Harvey Fuqua.

The story of how Etta's career started is told on this post of El Enmascarado's shellac rips of her first record which was conceived as an answer record to The Midnighters' "Work With Me Annie" - "The Wallflower" -

The Wallflower / Hold Me, Squeeze Me

 The Tracks

Dance With Me Henry (aka The Wallflower, aka Roll With Me Henry) recorded in Los Angeles, 25th November 1954. Personnel: Etta James and "The Peaches" - Etta James (vocal) with Richard Berry (vocal);  Abbye Mitchell, Jean Mitchell (vocals); Don Johnson (trumpet); Maxwell Davis (tenor sax); Jim Wynn (baritone sax); Devonia Williams (piano); Chuck Norris (guitar); Chuck Hamilton (bass); Leard Bell (drums).

The Wallflower / Hold Me, Squeeze Me by Etta James and "The Peaches" released on Modern 947 in January 1955.

Hey! Henry, Good Rockin' Daddy, Crazy Feeling (aka Do Something Crazy), That's All, W-O-M-A-N were recorded in Los Angeles in 1955. Dates unknown. Personnel: Etta James (vocal) with the Maxwell Davis Orchestra - Maxwell Davis (tenor sax); + 2 other unknown saxes; Devonia Williams (piano); unknown guitar and bass; Leard Bell (drums). Backing vocals - Richard Berry on Hey! Henry; The Dreamers (including Richard Berry and Jesse Belvin) on other tracks except That's All.

Hey! Henry / Be Mine by Etta James released on Modern 957 in May 1955.

Good Rockin' Daddy / Crazy Feeling by Etta James released on Modern 962 in August 1955.

That's All / W-O-M-A-N by Etta James released on Modern 972 in November 1955.

Number One (aka My One And Only), I'm A Fool recorded in Los Angeles, date unknown, personnel (Maxwell Davis Orchestra) perhaps similar to above.

Number One / I'm A Fool by Etta "Miss Peaches" James released on Modern 984 in March 1956.

I Hope You're Satisfied, recorded in Los Angeles in 1958, date unknown. Betty And Dupree (Etta James and Harvey Fuqua) vocals, with unknown band and vocal group.

I Hope You're Satisfied / If It Ain't One Thing by Betty And Dupree released on Kent 318 in February 1959.

Strange Things Happening (aka Strange Things) recording date and personnel unknown. Released on Crown LP 5250 "Twist With Etta James" in 1962.

There's more Etta coming soon on Be Bop Wino - the rockin' station for the hepcat nation!

The Wallflower / Hold Me, Squeeze Me - Etta James and "The Peaches" (Modern 947)

Recorded on November 25th 1954, Culver City. Personnel: Etta James, Abbye Mitchell, Jean Mitchell (The Peaches), Richard Berry (vocals); Don Johnson (trumpet); Maxwell Davis (tenor sax); Big Jim Wynn (baritone sax); Devonia Williams (piano); Chuck Norris (guitar); Chuck Hamilton (bass); Leard Bell (drums); Johnny Otis (vibraphone).

Listen to "The Wallflower"

Listen to "Hold Me, Squeeze Me"

With thanks to El Enmascarado for this 78 rpm disc which marked the recording debut of Etta James. In 1954 the 15 year old Jamesetta Hawkins  formed a female vocal trio (originally called The Creolettes) with two older sisters - Abbye (short for Abyssinia) and Jean Mitchell. The Mitchells in particular were big fans of The Midnighters who had a number one R&B hit that year with "Work With Me Annie", an irresistible piece of double entendre dancefloor stomp composed by lead singer Hank Ballard.

The Peaches wrote an answer song, "Roll With Me Henry" which they pitched to The Midnighters who weren't too enthusiastic. Abbye arranged a meeting with Johnny Otis who was sufficiently impressed by the group and their song to drive them out to the Modern studios at Culver City and a recording session with his band plus Maxwell Davis and Richard Berry. The Otis band remained uncredited on the record as he was under contract to Peacock Records at the time.

Richard Berry contributed  new introductory lines and a vocal which turned the opening and closing verses into a call and response duet with Etta. Maxwell Davis took a customarily classy tenor sax break, and in the background The Peaches wailed and the Otis outfit swung along merrily which all made for one classy piece of rhythm 'n' blues. A less suggestive title "The Wallflower" was chosen for the disc which climbed to the number one R&B spot in early 1955. The pop chart action was grabbed by a cover version (entitled "Dance With Me Henry") by Georgia Gibbs which spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard pop chart in the spring of 1955.

Thanks once more to El Enmascarado for the opportunity to focus on this piece of R&B and rock 'n' roll history, particularly as Etta James and Johnny Otis have now sadly left us.

Source: "Let The Good Times Rock! A fan's notes on post-war American roots music" by Bill Millar, Music Mentor Books, York, England, 2004. Another Boogiewoody recommended read!