Dave Bartholomew - Shrimp And Gumbo

Side 1:
01) Snatchin' Back
02) No More Black Nights
03) Stardust
04) You Got A Time
05) That'll Get It
06) Love Is So Low Down
07) Texas Hop
08) The Ice Man

Side 2:
01) Cat Music
02) Every Night, Every Day
03) An Old Cow Hand From A Blues Band
04) Shrimp And Gumbo
05) Ivy League
06) Love No More
07) Somebody New
08) Honky Tonk Trumpet

Shrimp And Gumbo (Mega)

Shrimp And Gumbo (Zippy)

The third and final Pathe Marconi collection of Dave Bartholomew's Imperial sides. There may be a couple of weaker tracks but there are some real finger poppers which demand attention, especially "The Ice Man" and "An Old Cow Hand From A Blues Band" which had me bopping round the room yesterday. "Texas Hop" is nothing like the Pee Wee Crayton classic but is nevertheless a fine instrumental outing for a lineup which includes Fats Domino.

There are informative sleeve notes by Jeff Hannusch and a discography by Kurt Mohr and Gilles Petard, so no need for me to add anything!

I found this little insert inside the sleeve (in fact two of them), and how I wish I had bought more of these releases back then -

Keep a knockin' and keep a rockin'!

Dave Bartholomew - The Monkey

Side 1:
01) That's How You Got Killed Before
02) When The Saints Go Marching In Boogie
03) Another Mule
04) Shout, Sister, Shout
05) I Want To Be With Her
06) Would You
07) Turn Your Lamps Down Low

Side 2:
01) Lovin' You
02) Three Time Loser
03) The Monkey
04) In The Evening
05) Barrel House
06) Cinderella
07) Hard Times (The Slop)

The Monkey (Mega)

The Monkey (Zippy)

Second of the three Dave Bartholomew LPs issued by Pathe Marconi in the 1980s. The title track is an absolute classic, while the version of  Noble Watts' "Hard Times(The Slop)" is a a cracker. Full notes by John Broven on the back cover along with a discography by Kurt Mohr. Happy listening, lockdown downloaders.

Dave Bartholomew - Jump Children

Side 1:
01) Country Gal
02) Carnival Day
03) Ain't Gonna Do It
04) Country Boy Goes Home
05) Oh Cubanas
06) Who Drank My Beer While I Was In The Rear
07) Little Girl Sing Ding A Ling

Side 2:
01) Jump Children
02) The Shufflin' Fox
03) How Could You
04) Can't Take It No More
05) Good News
06) Yeah Yeah
07) People Are Talkin'

Jump Children (Mega)

Jump Children (Zippy)

During the 1980s Pathe Marconi issued 3 collections of Imperial sides by Dave Bartholomew. I think they have appeared on other blogs over the years, but heck, here come my rips and scans! Bartholomew was of course a pivotal figure in New Orleans R&B as trumpeter, bandleader, song writer, producer and arranger. His work on Fats Domino's hits (writing many, producing, leading the backing band) overshadows his own recordings, which is  unfortunate to say the least.

In addition to collaborating with Fats he worked with just about anybody who was anybody in New Orleans R&B, Smiley Lewis, Shirley And Lee, The Spiders, Tommy Ridgely, Chris Kenner, Lloyd Price among others. His band was another Who's Who of New Orleans R&B, boasting musicians such as Earl Palmer, Herb Hardesty, Lee Allen, Frank Fields and Charles "Hungry" Williams.

Bartholomew spent most of his recording career with Imperial except for a brief period in the early 1950s when he left following a dispute with owner Lew Chudd. During this period he recorded "My Ding-A-Ling" which was of course later revived by Chuck Berry with worldwide success. An unreleased version recorded for Imperial when Bartholomew returned to the label is included here.

Although none of the sides in this collection were chart breakers, there's plenty of good stuff including the classic "Who Drank My Beer While I Was In The Rear" and "Ain't Gonna Do It" which was recorded by Smiley Lewis in an absolutely storming version.

The biographical sleeve notes by John Broven are a must read and full recording and discographic information is on the back cover.

The Fats Domino Story Volume 2 - Ain't That A Shame

Side 1:
01. Please Don't Leave Me
02. You Said You Love Me
03. Don't Leave Me This Way
04. Fat's Frenzy
05. Goin' Back Home
06. '44'
07. If You Need Me
08. Where Did You Stay?

Side 2:
01. Don't You Hear Me Calling You
02. Love Me
03. Little Mama
04. Don't You Know
05. I Know
06. All By Myself
07. La La
08. Ain't It A Shame

The Fats Domino Story Volume 2 (Mega)

The Fats Domino Story Volume 2 (Zippy)

I bought this one a few years ago in a second hand record shop (now deceased) in Shawlands in the South Side of Glasgow, not far from Be Bop Wino HQ. In fact I picked up three volumes of the Fats Domino story - 2, 3 and 4, covering the years 1953 - 1958. Sorry, folks, no volume 1, so no "Fat Man" and the very early R&B hits.

Volume 2 finds Fats on the cusp of becoming a Rock 'n' Roll superstar. The final track, which was originally titled "Ain't It A Shame" was covered by Pat Boone whose version (titled "Ain't That A Shame") reached number one in the Billboard Hot Hundred. Fats' original version reached number ten in the same chart and number one in the R&B chart, becoming the second biggest R&B seller of 1955, behind "Only You" by The Platters.

As you can see from the cover scan, this LP was probably a record library disc. The record itself was in reasonable shape so it scrubs up fairly well in its digitised form. The tracks are a selection from Fats' output on Imperial from mid-1953 to mid-1955, beginning with one of the great rockers, "Please Don't Leave Me." As usual, you can find full details of the tracks below.

Fax On The Trax

Some sources list Cosimo Matassa's J & M Studio in New Orleans as the recording location of all the sides on this compilation, but Rick Coleman, author of "Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock 'n' Roll" and annotator of the Ace 5 CD collection of Fats Domino's Imperial singles 1950 - 1965, is certain that the "Please Don't Leave Me" and "Ain't It A Shame" sessions were recorded in Los Angeles while Fats and his band were on tour, "Please Don't Leave Me" being recorded at Radio Recorders and "Ain't It A Shame" being recorded at Master Recorders. There is also uncertainty regarding who exactly played on some of the sessions, so what follows below should be regarded as an approximation.

Please Don't Leave Me and You Said You Love Me recorded on the 18th April, 1953. Personnel: Fats Domino (vocal, piano) with - Wendell Duconge, Robert "Buddy" Hagans, Herb Hardesty (saxes); Walter Nelson (guitar); Frank Fields (bass); Cornelius Coleman (drums).

Please Don't Leave Me / The Girl I Love - released on Imperial 5240 in June 1953. Number 3 R&B.

Rose Mary / You Said You Love Me - released on Imperial 5251 in September 1953. Number 10 R&B.

Don't Leave Me This Way and Fat's Frenzy recorded on the 2nd September, 1953. Personnel as for 18th April 1953 session.

Something's Wrong / Don't Leave Me This Way - released on Imperial 5262 in November 1953. Number 6 R&B.

Fat's Frenzy - released on EP IMP-143 "Fats Domino Rock And Rollin' Vol. 3" in August 1956. Also on Imperial LP 9009 "Fats Domino Rock And Rollin'" in August 1956.

Goin' Back Home and "44" recorded on September 19th, 1953. Personnel as for 2nd September session, although Lee Allen possibly replaces Herb Hardesty.

"44" - released on Imperial LP 9055 "The Fabulous Mr D" in 1958.

Goin' Back Home - released on Imperial LP 9227 "Walking To New Orleans" in January 1963.

If You Need Me recorded on the 27th October, 1953. Personnel - same as previous session.

If You Need Me - released on EP IMP-143 "Fats Domino Rock And Rollin' Vol. 3" in August 1956. Also on Imperial LP 9009 "Fats Domino Rock And Rollin'" in August 1956.

Where Did You Stay recorded on the 14th March, 1954. Personnel - Fats Domino (vocal, piano) with Dave Bartholomew (trumpet); Lee Allen and Herb Hardesty (saxes); Walter Nelson (guitar); Frank Fields (bass); Cornelius Coleman (drums).

Where Did You Stay / Baby Please - released on Imperial 5283 in May 1954.

Little Mama and I Know recorded on the 10th July, 1954. Personnel - similar to previous session but Wendel Duconge and Buddy Hagans replace Lee Allen and Herb Hardesty on saxes.

Thinking Of You / I Know - released on Imperial 5323 in December 1954, Number 14 R&B.

Little Mama - released on Imperial LP 9227 "Walking To New Orleans" in January 1963.

Love Me and Don't You Hear Me Calling You recorded on the 13th August 1954. Personnel as in previous session but Lee Allen and Herb Hardesty replace Wendel Duconge and Buddy Hagans on saxes.

Love Me / Don't You Hear Me Calling You - released on Imperial 5313 in October 1954.

Don't You Know recorded on the 27th January, 1955. Personnel as on 13th August session.

Don't You Know /Helping Hand - released on Imperial 5340 in February 1955. Number 7 R&B.


All By Myself and Ain't It A Shame recorded on the 15th March, 1955. Personnel: similar to above.

La-La recorded on the 30th March, 1955. Personnel probably similar to above.

Ain't It A Shame / La-La - released on Imperial 5348 in April 1955. Number 1 R&B. Number 10 in Billboard Hot 100.

All By Myself / Troubles Of My Own - released on Imperial 5357 in August 1955. Number 1 R&B.

Further Listening

As with Little Richard, the back catalogue of Fats Domino has remained in print in one form or another over the decades. In the UK you can buy public domain CD collections of both the Imperial singles and LPs at what sometimes seems to be almost giveaway prices. For example Not Now Music has a 3CD set "The Imperial Singles Collection" which has 75 tracks and which you may be able to pick up for £5.

Fats fans who hanker after every single he released on Imperial will want the 5 CD series released on Ace Uk. I've got the first 3 volumes and can recommend them most highly.

And that still wouldn't be the complete Fats output on Imperial as some tracks were only released on LP.

Recommended reading - "Blue Monday: Fats Domino and the Lost Dawn of Rock 'n' Roll" by Rick Coleman. Da Capo Press, 2007.

More Fats to be digitised soon ...

Imperial R&B All-Stars re-upped

Side 1
01. The Fat Man - Fats Domino
02. Rootin' And Tootin' - Smiley Lewis
03. All That Wine Is Gone - Big Jay McNeely
04. Fats' Frenzy - Fats Domino
05. An Old Cow Hand From A Blues Band - Dave Bartholomew
06. Don't Cry Baby - Big Jay McNeely

Side 2
01. Ain't Gonna Do It - The Pelicans
02. '44' - Fats Domino
03. Shame, Shame, Shame - Smiley Lewis
04. Good News - Dave Bartholomew
05. I Don't Need You - James "Sugar Boy" Crawford
06. Don't Leave Me This Way - Fats Domino

New download link:

http://www22.zippyshare.com/v/QblBgxzw/file.html

Original post (19th September 2011) is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/imperial-r-all-stars.html

A re-up for this short (but fine as wine) homemade comp of Imperial sides. The R&B All-Stars series only ever ran to two comps! I think this is the only post on Be Bop Wino which features some Fats Domino tracks. I must do something about that ...