Amos Milburn - 13 Unreleased Masters (re-up)

Side A:
01. Shake, Shake
02. I'll Be True
03. After Awhile
04. Without Someone To Call Your Own
05. Sorrowful Heart
06. Stormy Weather

Side B:
01. I'm Gonna Leave You
02. Hard Driving Blues
03. Nickel Plated Baby
04. Rapture In Bloom
05. Don't Tell Her
06. My Tortured Mind
07. It's A Married Woman

Download from here:

http://www21.zippyshare.com/v/BD8KucmC/file.html

Original post (October 10th, 2009) is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/amos-milburn-13-unreleased-masters.html

Please note that this re-up includes new front and back cover scans as well as label scans.

This is the last of my 5 Pathe Marconi Amos Milburn LPs to be re-upped. For unreleased tracks, most of what is on offer on this LP is top class, although the opening track "Shake, Shake" from Amos' 1956 New Orleans session is pretty weak - a formulaic attempt to make a rock 'n' roll record which is nowhere near as good as the re-recording of "Chicken Shack Boogie" which Amos cut at the same session.

The original post has an account of how I found my way to Amos, and also includes a survey of all the tracks on this LP. Hell, it's so good I'm just gonna reproduce it here. So all aboard the time machine and let's get back to 2009:

Back around 1980, when I started getting into the R&B sounds of the 1940s and 1950s, one name I was always on the lookout for in my searches through the record bins was Amos Milburn. For a few years all I could find was a scratched-to-hell copy of a 1978 United Artists LP called “Chicken Shack Boogie”. Then along came a series of reissue LPs of the great man himself on Pathé Marconi: “Let’s Have A Party”, “Vicious Vicious Vodka” and another LP named after one of his biggest hits: “Chicken Shack Boogie”.

Which brings me to the latest offering here on Bebopwino – one of those Amos Milburn LPs from Pathé Marconi – “13 Unreleased Masters”. It’s something of a cliché for reviewers to claim that a collection of unreleased tracks stacks up well against the released output of a performer, but in this case it’s true, bud, it’s true. And listening to these tracks while processing them from vinyl brought back to me the reasons why I became such a big fan of Amos Milburn all those years ago.

He’s one of those rare artists to whom I could happily listen for hour after hour. His piano playing ability combined with his smoky, slightly hoarse voice meant that he was equally at home with boogie woogie, early rock and roll, blues and ballads. You could imagine him performing in a rowdy dance hall or in the more intimate setting of a barroom or late night club.

This small but career-spanning collection shows the various sides of Amos. “Shake, Shake” is from late in his Aladdin career when he was no longer hitting the R&B charts. In December 1956 he recorded a session at Cosimo Matassa’s studio in New Orleans. The best known track from that session is his pounding reworking of “Chicken Shack Boogie”, but “Shake, Shake” can’t hope to equal that masterpiece. It may be rock and roll by-the-numbers, but Lee Allen’s tenor sax solo just about saves it. “I’ll Be True” recorded earlier in the year in Los Angeles is a nice pleading ballad which suits Amos’ voice perfectly. “After Awhile” is a good New Orleans influenced easy rocker recorded in LA in 1954.

“Without Someone To Call Your Own” and “Sorrowful Heart” are from a session recorded in New York in June 1953 with Sam “The Man” Taylor and Mickey “Guitar” Baker included in the backing band. “Without Someone …” is a fine moody blues, with “Sorrowful Heart” being a rather subdued ballad performance. “Stormy Weather”, the final track on side 1 of the LP, is a terrific performance recorded in LA in August 1952.

The seven tracks on side 2 were all recorded in LA in 1947 under the direction of Maxwell Davis. The storming “Nickel Plated Baby” (with nice guitar work by an unnamed player) dates from April while the rest of the tracks are from the November 19th session which produced the first version of “Chicken Shack Boogie.” One possible reason for these sides remaining unreleased is that they were recorded when an AFM strike was looming (to start on January 1st 1948) and record companies were frantically stockpiling masters to enable them to keep issuing material through the recording ban.

“I’m Gonna Leave You” is a rollicking boogie with great sax by Maxwell Davis “Hard Driving Blues” is either an instructional course on how to maintain your automobile at peak performance, or it’s a piece of utter filth. Here at Bebopwino our unofficial motto is “fun for all the family”, so any double entendres are purely in the minds of our listeners. Now go wash your brains out.

The final four tracks are all “slows”. The ballads “Rapture In Bloom” and “Don’t Tell Her” have no accompanying sax and sound uncannily like the King Cole Trio, which is no bad thing. “My Tortured Mind” and “It’s A Married Woman” are slow blues with sax fills by the maestro, Maxwell Davis.

The front cover of this LP is adapted from the cover of the 1952 Aladdin LP “Rockin’ The Boogie.” Thanks to Joan for a copy of that cover.

Amos Milburn - Vicious Vicious Vodka (re-up)

Side A:
01. Vicious Vicious Vodka
02. Long Long Day
03. Juice, Juice, Juice
04. Anybody's Blues
05. Tears, Tears, Tears
06. Money Hustlin' Woman
07. Birmingham Bounce

Side B:
01. Rum And Coca-Cola
02. Soft Pillow
03. Thinking Of You Baby
04. My Luck Is Bound To Change
05. Blue And Lonesome
06. Walkin' Blues
07. In The Middle Of The Night

Download from:

http://www102.zippyshare.com/v/0sBuSZYK/file.html

Original post (December 11th, 2010) is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/amos-milburn-vicious-vicious-vodka.html

The original post in which I reminisce about hearing The Big Town Playboys  perform "In The Middle Of The Night" in Edinburgh about 25 years ago. Tempus fugit ... and it certainly did for Amos Milburn, a giant of 1940s and early 1950s Rhythm and Blues, whose star faded so rapidly in the wake of the rise of rock and roll.

If you want an insight into the various stages of Amos' career with Aladdin, then "Vicious Vicious Vodka" is the collection for you. There's superb 1940s blues tracks with Amos on piano and husky vocals accompanied by the tasteful sax of Maxwell Davis, there's the early-to-mid 50s booze anthems, and there's a few late 1950s attempts to come to terms with the changing musical tastes of the record buying public. There's even a rare example of a live R&B cut in "Birmingham Bounce."

The back cover has interesting in-depth notes by Hank Davis and Colin Escott. Definitely one for the virtual record shelves of blues 'n' booze hounds the wide world over.

Amos Milburn - Chicken Shack Boogie (re-up)

Side A:
01. My Baby's Boogying
02. Amos Boogie
03. Bye Bye Boogie
04. It Took A Long Long Time
05. Chicken Shack Boogie
06. Pot Luck Boogie
07. Jitterbug Fashion Parade

Side B:
01. Roomin' House Boogie
02. Johnson Rag
03. Boogie Woogie
04. Sax Shack Boogie
05. Roll Mr Jelly
06. Grey Hound
07. House Party

Download from:

http://www10.zippyshare.com/v/XbNi61uX/file.html

Original post (April 9th, 2011), which contains recording info, career summary and recommended listening is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/amos-milburn-chicken-shack-boogie.html

As I wrote back in 2011 (five and a half years ago - help!), this is probably the best of the Pathe Marconi Amos Milburn collections. Apart from "It Took A Long Long Time", it's non-stop boogie, stomp, sway and rock from Amos, including the original 1948 hit version of "Chicken Shack Boogie." This is another much played LP, so there's quite a few clicks and pops along the way but that's what happens when you use your records the way the Good Lord intended them to be used. This stuff ain't for cataloging and filing away. This is the soundtrack for boozing, dancing and generally raisin' a ruckus. Go for it!

Amos Milburn - Let's Have a Party (re-up)

Side A:

01. Chicken Shack Boogie

02. Trouble In Mind

03. I Know You Love Me

04. Good Good Whiskey

05. Rocky Mountain

06. Let's Rock Awhile

07. Down The Road Apiece

Side B:

01. Bewildered

02. One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer

03. Let's Have A Party

04. I'm Still A Fool For You

05. Bad Bad Whiskey

06. My Happiness Depends On You

07. All Is Well

Download from:

http://www86.zippyshare.com/v/tVbavymT/file.html

Original post (May 19th, 2010) is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/amos-milburn-lets-have-party.html

This is the first of the Pathe Marconi Amos Milburn collections which I bought way back in the 1980s. I think I fell in love with the LP as soon as I spotted it in the record shop. That front cover was originally used on the 1957 LP of the same title on Score, a subsidiary label of Aladdin and is pure 1950s "glam", an approach to sleeve design which probably reached its peak on a series of blues albums on the Crown label.

This is the LP which got me hooked on Amos Milburn. It wasn't the first Amos LP I bought, that was a beat up copy of the UA "Chicken Shack Boogie" compilation from the late 1970s. But "Let's Have A Party" had it all - great artwork and crystal clear sound reproduction. With one strange exception - "Let's Rock A While" is curiously muffled. I have the same track with the same sound problem on the 3CD collection "Blues, Barrelhouse & Boogie Woogie." I wonder if the original record was like that?

The version of "Chicken Shack Boogie" on this LP is not the original 1947 hit recording, despite what the sleeve notes say. It is in fact the 1956 re-recording featuring searing sax work from Lee Allen and Red Tyler. Surely one of the greatest rock'n'roll records ever committed to wax. Naturally it sold zilch.

This has been a much-played LP, so of course there are some clicks, pops and rumbles, but it's still "as fine as wine, and really on the ball!"

Amos Milburn - Rare Masters (re-up)

Side A:
01. Let Me Go Home, Whiskey
02. Three Times A Fool
03. Boo Hoo
04. Empty Arms Blues
05. Operation Blues
06. Every Day Of The Week

Side B:
01. Put Something In My Hand
02. Darling How Long
03. What Can I Do
04. I Need Someone
05. I Love You Anyway
06. Baby, Baby All The Time

Download from here:

http://www78.zippyshare.com/v/VAFUg3mP/file.html

Original post (30th November 2010) is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/amos-milburn-rare-masters.html

The original post contains a commentary on the 12 tracks on this LP. "Rare Masters" is one of five Amos Milburn LPs released by Pathe Marconi during the 1980s. At one time we had all five on the blog but while the posts remain, the download links have been dead since the demise of Rapidshare. At the request of "Marineband" I have re-upped "Rare Masters" and I will re-up the rest of the albums in the near future.

The re-up includes new cover and label scans, though the original scans are also included in the download. I have also added scans of the inserts which came in the record sleeve. That should spark off a few reminiscences among those of you who were buying the Pathe Marconi reissues back in the 1980s. The sound files are the same as in the 2010 download, although with a volume boost via mp3 Gain. I bought this LP second hand and there are a few clicks and pops along the way. Sorry about that.

Stay tuned for more Amos!

A World Of Blues (Imperial LP 9210)

Side 1:

01. Cold, Cold Feeling - T-Bone Walker

02. I Get So Weary - T-Bone Walker

03. Travelin' Blues - T-Bone Walker

04. The Sun Went Down - T-Bone Walker

05. Drifting Blues - Charles Brown

06. Black Night - Charles Brown

Side 2:

01. Trouble In Mind - Amos Milburn

02. Baby, Baby - Amos Milburn

03. Tired, Broke & Busted - Floyd Dixon

04. Call Operator #210 - Floyd Dixon

05. Rockin' & Rollin' - Lil' Son Jackson

06. Tend To Your Business - James Wayne

Download from:

http://www117.zippyshare.com/v/vkfVBouI/file.html

This is a 1982 Pathe Marconi re-release of Imperial LP 9210 which was originally released in May 1963. Billboard Magazine rated it as a 4 star album in its 4th May 1963 issue. The Beach Boys "Diamond Head" LP only rated 3 stars, along with "Frank Kouba and His Gay Bohemians" and "The Best Of The Bossa Nova" by The Tides. The mind boggles. However that's all very much bye the bye, and a propos de rien. Read on and learn that this is a glorious LP, a great collection of 1940s / early 1950s blues gems from the vaults of Philo / Aladdin and Imperial.

We have four giants of West Coast R&B: T-Bone Walker, Charles Brown, Amos Milburn and Floyd Dixon, all of whom were particularly adept at evoking a late night, after hours atmosphere. The music brings to mind one of my favourite quotes from "Unsung Heroes Of Rock 'n' Roll" by Nick Tosches, to be specific, from the chapter on Amos Milburn: "...the ceaseless saxophones of salvation, the crossing and uncrossing of restless nylon knees, the eightfold path of the unfiltered Kool and the miracle of Our Lady of the After-Hours Joint." Words which sum up this LP better than anything I could possibly write.

The sides by Lil' Son Jackson and James Wayne stand apart from the sophisticated West Coast R&B stylings of the four "big hitters." Lil' Son's "Rockin' And Rollin'" has just one man and his guitar. While looking back to earlier hits by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, this disc also presages the "swamp blues" style of Slim Harpo. You can hear both sides of the original Imperial 78 on this post featuring rips by El Enmascarado - Rockin' And Rollin' / Peace Breaking People.

James Wayne's "Tend To Your Business" is a 1961 Imperial re-recording of his big 1951 hit for the Sittin' In With label. It was in the R&B top ten from May through to August 1951, reaching as high as number two in May. In the middle of June it was at number three, tucked in behind Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88" and "60 Minute Man" by The Dominoes, and ahead of Nat "King" Cole's "Too Young" and Billy Eckstine's "I Apologize." The 1961 version is much slicker than the original. Unlike the Lil' Son Jackson track, it really breaks with the overall late night bluesy mood of the album.

James Wayne was an interesting character, to say the least. This article (Not Tending To His Business) by writer Graham Reid is a good overview of  the trials (literally) and tribulations of a true eccentric. There is a link in the article to a lengthy account by public defender Mort Borenstein of his efforts to keep Wayne out of a mental institution and also get him some of his royalties. "The People versus James Douglas Wayne" is worth setting aside twenty minutes or so for what develops into a rollercoaster ride through, well, just read it for yourselves. I intended to merely "dip in" to the article and was quickly hooked. 

This Pathe Marconi reissue had a slight problem. Two of the T-Bone tracks were not those listed on the sleeve and record label. Tracks 3 and 4 on Side 1 were not "Travelin' Blues" and "The Sun Went Down", but were in fact "The Hustle Is On" and "Evil Hearted Woman." Bizarre - especially as "The Hustle Is On" is an up tempo shuffle which just doesn't fit the "blues" atmosphere of most of the other tracks. For this post I've removed the two intruders and restored the original track list, so you get the album as it was originally conceived.

"A World Of Blues" did appear on the blog way back in 2007 and it falls into the category of "rips which I thought I lost in the great PC crash of 2009". As I mentioned in a recent post, I came across a box of CDs burned from these old rips and so here is the LP once more, re-ripped from what turned out to be a CD of mp3s and not an audio CD. There was a lot of surface noise on the original rip, so I've re-edited the files on Magix Audio Cleaning Lab MX to improve your listening experience. I've also included new scans of the front and back covers and the record labels.

And here are the facts on the tracks, Jack:

1. Cold, Cold Feeling - T-Bone Walker

Recorded in Los Angeles, December 1951. Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Edward Hale (alto sax); Maxwell Davis (tenor sax); Willard McDaniel (piano); Billy Hadnott (bass); Oscar Lee Bradley (drums).

Issued on Imperial single 5171, February 1952.

2. I Get So Weary - T-Bone Walker

Recorded in Los Angeles, August 20th, 1951. Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Edward Hale (alto sax); Maxwell Davis (tenor sax); Willard McDaniel (piano); Billy Hadnott (bass); Oscar Lee Bradley (drums). Also with unknown trumpet player.

Issued on Imperial single 5161, December 1951.

3. Travelin' Blues - T-Bone Walker

Recorded in Los Angeles, April 6th, 1950. Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Eddie Hutcherson (trumpet); Edward Hale (alto sax); Eddie Davis (tenor sax); Big Jim Wynn (baritone and alto saxes); Zell Kindred (piano); Buddy Woodson (bass); Robert "Snake" Sims (drums).

Released on Imperial single 5094, August 1950.

4. The Sun Went Down - T-Bone Walker

Recorded in Los Angeles, April 5th, 1950. Personnel: T-Bone Walker (vocal, guitar); Eddie Hutcherson (trumpet); Edward Hale (alto sax); Eddie Davis (tenor sax); Big Jim Wynn (baritone and alto saxes); Zell Kindred (piano); Buddy Woodson (bass); Robert "Snake" Sims (drums).

Released on Imperial single 5086, May 1950.

5. Drifting Blues - Johnny Moore's Three Blazers

Recorded in Los Angeles, September 11th, 1945. Personnel: Charles Brown (vocal, piano); Johnny Moore (guitar); Eddie Williams (bass); Johnny Otis (drums).

Released on Philo single 111, November 1945.

6. Black Night - Charles Brown

Recorded in Los Angeles, December 21st, 1950. Personnel: Charles Brown (vocal, piano); Maxwell Davis (tenor sax); Jesse Ervin (guitar); Wesley Prince (bass); unknown (drums).

Released on Aladdin single 3076, February 1951.

7. Trouble In Mind - Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chickenshackers

Recorded in Los Angeles, January 29th, 1952. Personnel: Amos Milburn (vocal, piano); probably Maxwell Davis (tenor sax); unknown alto sax, tenor sax, baritone sax; possibly Wayne Bennett (guitar); unknown bass and drums.

Released on Aladdin single 3124, February 1952.

8. Baby, Baby - Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chickenshackers

Recorded in Los Angeles, March 26th, 1954. Personnel: Amos Milburn (vocal, piano) with unknown tenor sax, baritone sax, guitar, bass and drums.

Released on Aladdin single 3248, July 1954.

9. Tired, Broke And Busted - Floyd Dixon

Recorded in Los Angeles, May 12th, 1952. Personnel: Floyd Dixon (vocal, piano); Roy Hayes (guitar); Eddie Williams (bass); Nat "Monk" McFadden (drums).

Released on Aladdin single 3151, October 1952.

10. Call Operator 210 - Floyd Dixon

Recorded in Los Angeles, May 12th, 1952. Personnel: Floyd Dixon (vocal, piano); Roy Hayes (guitar); Eddie Williams (bass); Nat "Monk" McFadden (drums).

Released on Aladdin single 3135, June 1952.

11. Rockin' And Rollin' - Lil' Son Jackson

Recorded in Houston, Texas, December 16th, 1950. Personnel: Melvin Jackson aka "Lil' Son Jackson" (vocal, guitar).

Released on Imperial single 5113, February 1951.

12. Tend To Your Business - James Wayne

Recorded in New Orleans, February 22nd, 1961. Personnel: James "Wee Willie" Wayne (vocal); unknown tenor sax, piano, guitars, bass and drums.

Released on Imperial LP 9210 "A World Of Blues" in May 1963.

Amos Milburn - Chicken Shack Boogie

Side A
1. My Baby's Boogying
2. Amos’ Boogie
3. Bye Bye Boogie
4. It Took A Long Long Time
5. Chicken Shack Boogie
6. Pot Luck Boogie
7. Jitterbug Fashion Parade

Side B
1. Roomin' House Boogie
2. Johnson Rag
3. Boogie Woogie
4. Sax Shack Boogie
5. Roll Mr Jelly
6. Grey Hound
7. House Party

This is the fifth of the Pathe Marconi Amos Milburn LPs to be posted on the blog and I believe that the set is now complete. I can say that I’ve saved the best till the last, for this collection of classic tracks rocks, rolls, pounds and boogies in a merciless onslaught of the finest rhythm and blues you’ll hear anywhere.

The only break is provided by the slower “It Took A Long Long Time” at track 4. From track 5, which is the original hit version of “Chicken Shack Boogie,” there is simply no letup as Amos shouts the blues and pounds that piano to the blasting tenor sax accompaniment of studio bands led by the great Maxwell Davis or else his road band, The Aladdin Chicken-Shackers.

This is a collection which spans Amos’ successful years with Aladdin, beginning with his first session for the label in September 1946 and ending in 1955, by which time the hits had dried up. He was born in Houston, Texas, in 1927, into a family of twelve children. After war service in the Pacific, he became the main breadwinner for the family and took up music professionally, forming a small combo which played the clubs around the Houston area. While playing at the Keyhole Club in San Antonio he was spotted by Lola Anne Cullum (the wife of a Houston doctor) who was something of a promoter on the local music scene. Taking the young Amos under her wing, Mrs Cullum soon had him relocated to Los Angeles and signed up with Aladdin Records.

From that first session under the supervision of Maxwell Davis, “My Baby’s Boogying” achieved good sales locally. In the next year or so Amos laid down a mix of boogies, salacious double entendre blues and the occasional ballad which sold well enough but it wasn’t until November 1948 that real success came along when “Chicken Shack Boogie,” which he’d recorded in late 1947 just prior to the AFM recording ban, stormed to the top of the R&B charts. This kicked off a remarkable series of hits for Amos which lasted from 1949 through to 1954 when “Good Good Whiskey,” the last in a series of drink related hits, (“Bad Bad Whiskey,” “One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer,” etc.) charted.

Like many of his contemporaries, Amos was left behind by changing fashions in R&B and the advent of rock and roll. In 1956 he recorded in New Orleans with top musicians such as Lee Allen and Earl Palmer in an attempt to reboot his flagging career. This session produced one of the greatest rock and roll records of all time – a searing remake of “Chicken Shack Boogie” but it didn’t sell. The Aladdin contract was not renewed in 1957.

Towards the end of the 1950s Amos hooked up with his old buddy Charles Brown for live appearances and a single on Ace, “I Wanna Go Home,” / “Educated Fool.” Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me” was heavily based on “I Wanna Go Home,” but for Brown and Milburn there was to be not a hint of the success that Cooke would have with his version.

Amos recorded for King and Motown between 1960 and 1967, but nothing sold. As the 60s became the 70s, increasing ill health including two strokes and a leg amputation blighted the remaining years of his life which came to a close on January 3rd, 1980.

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps.

Download from here:

http://www10.zippyshare.com/v/XbNi61uX/file.html

Amos Milburn (piano and vocal) on all tracks.

Los Angeles, September 12th, 1946. Unknown g, b, dm. Maxwell Davis (ts) present at session:

1. My Baby's Boogying (Aladdin 160)
2. Amos’ Boogie (Aladdin 173)

Los Angeles, October 27th, 1947. Maxwell Davis (ts), possibly Gene Phillips (g), unknown b and dm:

3. Bye Bye Boogie (Aladdin 206)
6. Pot Luck Boogie (Aladdin 3026)

Los Angeles, November 19th, 1947. Maxwell Davis (ts), unknown g, b and dm:

5. Chicken Shack Boogie (Aladdin, 3014)

Los Angeles, December 18th, 1947. Maxwell Davis (ts), probably Frank Heywood (g), unknown b and dm:

4. It Took A Long Long Time (Aladdin 3014)

Los Angeles, February 28th, 1949. Maxwell Davis (ts), Gene Phillips (g), Ralph Hamilton (b), Jesse Sailes (dm):

7. Jitterbug Fashion Parade (Aladdin 3023)

Los Angeles, July 13th, 1949. Maxwell Davis (ts), Chuck Norris (g), Ralph Hamilton (b), Lee Young (dm):

8. Roomin' House Boogie (Aladdin 3032)

Los Angeles, December 19th, 1949. Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chicken-Shackers – Don Wilkerson (ts), Billy Smith (ts), Willie Simpson (bs), Johnny Brown (g), Harper Cosby (b), Calvin Vaughan (dm):

9. Johnson Rag (Aladdin 3049)
10. Boogie Woogie (Aladdin 3105)

Los Angeles, January 4th, 1950. Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chicken-Shackers – Don Wilkerson (ts), Billy Smith (ts), Willie Simpson (bs), Johnny Brown (g), Harper Cosby (b), Calvin Vaughan (dm):

11. Sax Shack Boogie (Aladdin 3064)

Los Angeles, January 30th, 1952. Willie Smith (ts), Bill Hill (ts), Leroy Robinson (as and bs), Wayne Bennett (g), Leonard Sonny Williams (b), Eldeen McIntosh (dm):

12. Roll Mr Jelly (Aladdin 3133)

Los Angeles, August 21st, 1952. Maxwell Davis (ts), unknown bs, g, b and dm:

13. Grey Hound (Aladdin 3150)

Los Angeles, July 25th, 1955. Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chickenshackers – Arnett Sparrow (tb), Eddie Chamblee (ts), Joe Evans (bs), Irving Ashby (g), possibly Red Callender (b), possibly Rufus Jones (dm):

14. House Party (Aladdin 3306)

Mo’ Amos –

On the blog – the other 4 Amos Milburn Pathe Marconi LPs are shown below:


That gives you quite a helping of Amos but there is much more to explore. Try to hunt down and purchase the following CDs:

"Amos Milburn Rocks!" (Bear Family) is probably the current best single CD overview of his career:

The Revola CD "Let's Have A Party" is a compilation of 1950s sides recorded for Aladdin:

If you wish to explore the career of Amos Milburn in depth (and who wouldn't?), then the Chronological Classics series covers 1946 - 1953 in 5 CDs. The first CD, 1946 - 1947, may be hard to obtain. The succeeding four are available at Amazon.co.uk, some as mp3 downloads.

Now sadly out of print, but still one of my all time favourite R&B CDs, is the Capitol Blues Collection 3CD set ""Blues, Barrelhouse & Boogie Woogie." 66 tracks and superb liner notes by Mark Humphrey. Still available as a surprisingly cheap mp3 download from Amazon, but if you find a second hand copy at a reasonable price, buy it.

Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby / Bow Wow! - Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chicken-Shackers (Aladdin 3037)

Listen to "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby"

Listen to "Bow Wow!"

There's good news for shellac fans: El Enmascarado has ripped more 78 rpm discs and among the latest offerings is this classic from Amos Milburn and his Aladdin Chicken-Shackers. Recorded in Los Angeles on the 1st of October, 1949, "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby" reached number 3 in the R&B chart in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

1949 was a peak year in the career of Amos Milburn. He had a string of big R&B hits and according to Billboard he was the top selling rhythm and blues artist of the year. He was also voted "Best Blues and Jazz Star of 1949" in Downbeat magazine. In the wake of his biggest hit "Chicken Shack Boogie," his road band was named the Aladdin Chicken-Shackers. Up until July 1949 Amos recorded with small studio groups led by Maxwell Davis. At the recording session of July 13th, a Davis-led studio combo was billed as the Aladdin Chicken-Shackers on "Roomin' House Boogie" and "Walkin' Blues."

At the next recording session on October 1st, 1949, Amos was backed by the real Chicken-Shackers, his road band, which featured a much heavier sax sound thanks to two tenor saxes and a baritone sax. Five sides were recorded: "Bow Wow," and "Let's Make Christmas Merry Baby," both released on Aladdin 3037, "Drifting Blues," and "Real Pretty Mama," both released on Aladdin 3038 and "Untitled Boogie," which remained unreleased until Capitol issued the 3 CD set "Blues, Barrelhouse and Boogie Woogie" in 1996.

The Aladdin Chicken-Shackers on this session were: Don Wilkerson and Willie Smith (tenor saxes), Willie Simpson, Jr. (baritone sax), Amos Milburn (piano, vocal), Johnny Brown (guitar), Harper Cosby (bass) and Calvin Vaughan (drums).

Amos recorded with this line-up until April 1951, occasionally alternating with Maxwell Davis led studio groups. "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby" is a fine piece of festive filth or seasonal sleaze which is rooted in "Merry Christmas Baby" - a 1947 hit for Charles Brown with Johnny Moore's Three Blazers. "Bow Wow" is a good instrumental workout, although one cannot help but feel that it is a bit of "filler" for the B Side of the intended Christmas hit.

Billboard ad

With thanks to El Enmascarado for his heroic efforts in creating a listenable rip from "Let's Make Christmas Merry, Baby" which was in very poor condition with scratches, a crack and a chewed up spindle hole.

Sources: liner notes by Mark Humphrey from the Capitol 3CD set "Blues, Barrelhouse and Boogie Woogie: The Best Of Amos Milburn, 1946-1955", and Billboard Magazine which is available free via Google Books.

Amos Milburn - Vicious Vicious Vodka

Side A:
1. Vicious Vicious Vodka
2. Long Long Day
3. Juice, Juice, Juice
4. Anybody's Blues
5. Tears, Tears, Tears
6. Money Hustlin' Woman
7. Birmingham Bounce

Side B:
1. Rum And Coca-Cola
2. Soft Pillow
3. Thinking Of You Baby
4. My Luck Is Bound To Change
5. Blue And Lonesome
6. Walkin' Blues
7. In The Middle Of The Night

This is the fourth of the Pathe Marconi series of Amos Milburn LPs to be posted on the blog. The fourteen sides were recorded for Aladdin between 1947 and 1957 and cover the various styles of music recorded by Amos – booze anthems, rockers, ballads, blues, they’re all here. There’s no boogie woogie, though, but if you’ve been following the series so far you’ll know that boogie fans have already been well catered for. If you’ve downloaded the other LPs you certainly won’t need any persuading from me to grab this collection by one of the greatest performers of the golden age of rhythm and blues.

The back cover of the LP lists recording details and a track by track breakdown of the contents of this fine album, so there’s no need for me to add much more. I would just like to say that “In the Middle of the Night” is one of my favourite R&B ballads. I seem to remember nearly twenty years ago watching the UK’s finest R&B revivalist band, The Big Town Playboys, perform at the Edinburgh Blues Festival in the Caledonian Brewery. Mike Sanchez shouldered his way through the crowd (there was no proper stage) sat down at the piano and started singing “In the Middle of the Night.” That was me captivated before the set had even begun properly. Needless to say the band went on to deliver a sensational performance of real rockin’ rhythm and blues.

First posted on the original Be Bop Wino blog. Reposted here with new scans and new links.

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps.

Download from here:

http://www102.zippyshare.com/v/0sBuSZYK/file.html

1. Vicious Vicious Vodka
2. Long Long Day
3. Juice, Juice, Juice
4. Anybody's Blues
5. Tears, Tears, Tears
6. Money Hustlin' Woman
7. Birmingham Bounce
8. Rum And Coca-Cola
9. Soft Pillow
10. Thinking Of You Baby
11. My Luck Is Bound To Change
12. Blue And Lonesome
13. Walkin' Blues
14. In The Middle Of The Night

Amos Milburn - Rare Masters

Side A:

1. Let Me Go Home, Whiskey
2. Three Times A Fool
3. Boo Hoo
4. Empty Arms Blues
5. Operation Blues
6. Every Day Of The Week

Side B:
1. Put Something In My Hand
2. Darling How Long
3. What Can I Do
4. I Need Someone
5. I Love You Anyway
6. Baby, Baby All The Time

Be Bop Wino proudly presents the third instalment of “Operation Amos” – the revival of those Pathe Marconi LPs from the 1980s which introduced so many of us to one of the greatest of all R&B stars – Amos Milburn.

You can check out two more LPs from the series on this blog – “Let’s Have A Party” and “13 Unreleased Masters.” And there are two more to come, so have patience all you fans of real rockin’ R&B, boogie woogie, sleazy early rock n’ roll, blues and smoky nightclub ballads. Which sentence nicely describes the repertoire of the peerless Mr. Milburn and saves me having to write an outline of his career. I’ll get round to it someday. Honest.

In the meantime as I said on an earlier Amos post, just get a hold of “The Unsung Heroes of Rock and Roll” by Nick Tosches and read the relevant chapter which contains invaluable advice on avoiding playing dice in chicken shacks, and the foolishness of drinking and smoking your way to a stroke and having to get your leg amputated, and then finding God when it’s too late. Verily, words of wisdom which are especially relevant to the hedonistic younger generation of today.

Now let’s take a whirlwind chronological tour through the tracks on this crackly as hell slab of vinyl.

First off it’s “Darling How Long” which is from Amos’ first ever session for Aladdin in September 1946. A hissy, crackly track with a nice ballad performance from the recording debutant. There may be a bass and drums in there, but they are almost inaudible.

“Operation Blues” dates from December 1946 and is a nice example of the kind of double entendre blues that Amos liked to record. Something about injecting a woman with medicine. It’s nice to see Mr. Milburn so concerned about the lady’s health. I don't know why he tells her to put her big legs up on the wall. Whatever he’s doing she wants him to do it faster. I’m sure it’s all perfectly innocent.

We jump forward to 1947. In October Amos recorded “What Can I Do,” a nice ballad with simple piano, bass and electric guitar accompaniment. This is very reminiscent of the King Cole Trio. “Empty Arms Blues” is from December 1947 when record labels were frantically stockpiling sides with the AFM strike looming. See “13 Unreleased Masters” for more tracks recorded at this time. This one was released. It’s a fairly standard blues with some nice sax fills by Maxwell Davis and a glorious piano workout from Amos.



78 rpm label scan courtesy El Enmascadero Del Platter



And here's the B side from El Enmascadero Del Platter

“I Love You Anyway” is from April 1951 and features full band backing with good electric guitar weaving out and in the arrangement. It’s Amos’ piano playing which provides the big instrumental break while the saxes riff unobtrusively in the background. The song itself ain’t all that hot though. “Put Something In My Hand” from January 1952 is a good smoky nightclub style blues with Amos lamenting his woman’s generosity towards the local tradesmen while not putting any money into Amos’ hand. At least I think it’s about money. The sleazy sax interjections may be hinting that it ain’t all about cash.

The Aladdin Chicken-Shackers - did they have the X Factor?

Onwards, ever onwards through the long blues night and we reach August 1952 and “Boo Hoo.” There’s a noticeable improvement in sound quality compared to the earlier recordings. This is a superb moody blues – I love it.

We skip forward to December 1952 and both sides of Aladdin 3164. “Three Times A Fool” is another blues set against an insistent sax / piano riff with nice guitar featured. It’s rock and roll for adults before Pat Boone invented rock and roll and the kids took over. The other side of the disc “Let Me Go Home, Whiskey” is a classic. One of a series of booze anthems recorded by Amos in the early 1950s, it’s in the same vein as “Bad, Bad Whiskey,” “Good, Good Whiskey” and “One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer” which you can hear on “Let’s Have A Party.” Unfortunately Amos was living the life depicted in these hymns to alcohol with consequences that would prove pretty catastrophic.

Three to go. “Baby, Baby All The Time,” recorded in March 1954, is another classic blues ballad. It’s a fantastic vocal performance from the man. As the mid 1950s approached the hits began to dry up for Amos, which is a damned shame as he was recording some great stuff. From April 1956, “I Need Someone” is a real soulful performance with a female vocal chorus which acquits itself very well with an almost gospel style accompaniment. At this stage of the game Amos’ career was stalling but if he had persevered with this kind of material who knows what may have happened.

And so to “Every Day Of The Week” recorded in New Orleans in September 1956. Amos is in fine voice and there’s great backing especially from the tenor sax of Lee Allen, but it’s a pretty unmemorable song. Basically it’s formulaic rock and roll and it was hardly the kind of thing that was going to revive the career of the one time R&B superstar.

I bought this LP second hand and there’s a fair bit of crackle and pop on it. But what care we, the fans of real rhythm and blues?

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps.

Download from here:

http://www78.zippyshare.com/v/VAFUg3mP/file.html


1. Let Me Go Home, Whiskey (December 18, 1952. Aladdin 3164)
2. Three Times A Fool (December 18, 1952. Aladdin 3164)
3. Boo Hoo (August 21, 1952. Aladdin 3159)
4. Empty Arms Blues (December 18, 1947. Aladdin 3032)
5. Operation Blues (December 13, 1946. Aladdin 174)
6. Every Day Of The Week (September, 1956. Aladdin 3340)
7. Put Something In My Hand (January 29, 1952. Aladdin 3125)
8. Darling How Long (September 12, 1946. Aladdin 160)
9. What Can I Do (October 27, 1947. Aladdin 3197)
10. I Need Someone (April 9, 1956. Aladdin 3320)
11. I Love You Anyway (April 18, 1951. Aladdin 3281)
12. Baby, Baby All The Time (March 26, 1954. Aladdin, 3248)