The Dominoes - These Foolish Things

Side 1

1. No Says My Heart

2. Harbor Lights

3. The Deacon Moves In (Little Esther and The Dominoes)

4. I Can't Escape From You

5. Heart To Heart (Little Esther and The Dominoes)

6. When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano

7. Deep Sea Blues

8. Love Love Love

9. No Room

Side 2

1. I'm Lonely

2. Yours Forever

3. These Foolish Things

4. Rags To Riches

5. Ringing In A Brand New Year

6. Can't Do Sixty No More

7. Over The Rainbow

8. O Holy Night

9. What Are You Doing New Years Eve

Link:

These Foolish Things (Mega)

This little homemade "LP" contains all the remaining Dominoes tracks I have on vinyl, outwith the previously featured album "Have Mercy Baby."

The first 12 tracks are from the Clyde McPhatter era Dominoes, with the added attraction of Federal labelmate Little Esther on a couple of the sides. "Rags To Riches" has McPhatter's replacement, Jackie Wilson, on lead vocal.

"O Holy Night" and "What Are You Doing New Years Eve" were recorded and released on King in 1965, long after the early 1950s R&B heyday of the original Dominoes and long after their pop success in the late 1950s. The only connection this final incarnation of the group had with the successful earlier versions of The Dominoes was manager / vocal coach Billy Ward who was determined to keep the group going long after the demand for their style of music had faded.

Track details:

1. No Says My Heart - B side of Harbor Lights, released January 1951.

2. Harbor Lights - Federal 12010, January 1951.

3. The Deacon Moves In - Little Esther and The Dominoes with the Johnny Otis band. B side of "Other Lips, Other Arms", Federal 12016, released February 1951.

4. I Can't Escape From You - B side of "Sixty Minute Man" (Federal 12022), released April 1951.

5. Heart To Heart - Little Esther with The Dominoes (Federal 12036), released November 1951.

6. When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano - B side of  first release of "That's What You're Doing To Me" (Federal 12059), February 1952.

7. Deep Sea Blues - B side of "Have Mercy Baby" (Federal 12068), released April 1952.

8. Love Love Love - B side of reissue of "That's What You're Doing To Me" (Federal 12072), May 1952.

9. No Room - Federal 12105, October 1952. Released as by "Billy Ward And His Dominoes", as were all subsequent Dominoes releases.

10. I'm Lonely - B side of "Yours Forever".

11. Yours Forever - Federal 12106, released November 1952.

12. These Foolish Things Remind Me Of You - Federal 12129, April 1953. Last release featuring Clyde McPhatter.

13. Rags To Riches - King 1280, released October 1953. The group's biggest success with a Jackie Wilson lead vocal, reached number 2 in the R&B chart.

14. Ringing In A Brand New Year - King 1281, B side of "Christmas In Heaven" released November 1953.

15. Can't Do Sixty No More - Federal 12209, released January 1955.

16. Over The Rainbow - King 1502, released September 1955.

17. O Holy Night - King 6016, released in September 1965.

18. What Are You Doing New Years Eve - B side of "O Holy Night".

Sources: "The Unsung Heroes Of Rock 'n' Roll" by St. Nicholas of Tosches

and of course: http://www.uncamarvy.com/Dominoes/dom01.html

Label shots are crops of original scans by Joan K. "LP" cover was adapted from Joan's scan of a Dominoes record in a Federal sleeve.

More rockin' R&B vocal groups are in the pipeline! Stay tuned to the blog that jumps, jives and wails!

Billy Ward & The Dominoes - 14 Hits

This is the third posting on the blog of Dominoes’ Federal/King material, so there is some duplication of tracks, but enough new stuff to merit the effort of downloading. In addition there is a folder chock full of Joan K’s cover scans and label shots included in the download, so come on and grab it.

This compilation is a quick chronological journey through The Dominoes’ time at Federal/King, though to call all of these 14 tracks “hits” is surely stretching the truth somewhat. The full Dominoes story is over on Unca Marvy’s (Marv Goldberg) R&B pages so there’s no point in me trying to rehash the whole story here. It’s a somewhat bewildering tale of personnel changes and personality clashes (mostly caused by Billy Ward’s inflexible disciplining of group members and failure to reward them financially). The group’s initial stay with Federal/King lasted from 1950 to 1955 and was followed by spells with Jubilee, Decca and Liberty as Ward sought to move away from the world of R&B into the pop sphere. He succeeded at Liberty with the huge hit “Stardust”.

The final two tracks are real oddities. They were recorded in 1965 for King but are almost unrecognisable as Dominoes tracks, especially when you compare them to The Dominoes in their early 1950s pomp when they were led by Clyde McPhatter, or even by his successor Jackie Wilson.

Ripped from vinyl at 320kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download from here:

https://rapidshare.com/files/3388159747/Billy_Ward___The_Dominoes_14_Hits.rar

1. Sixty Minute Man
2. I Am With You
3. That's What You're Doing To Me
4. Have Mercy Baby
5. I'd Be Satisfied
6. The Bells
7. Pedal Pushin' Papa
8. These Foolish Things
9. Can't Do Sixty No More
10. Rags To Riches
11. Ringing In A Brand New Year
12. Over The Rainbow
13. O Holy Night
14. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve

Dominoes EPs (dates unknown) and labelshots - courtesy of Joan K

The Dominoes - Have Mercy Baby

Link:

Have Mercy Baby (Mega) 

Updated version of this post is here:

https://bebopwinorip.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-dominoes-have-mercy-baby.html 

This is a 1985 Charly LP of Dominoes’ King/Federal sides recorded between 1950 and 1955. Billy Ward’s Dominoes were the first vocal group to bring a gospel sound to the R&B charts thanks to the spectacular lead vocals of Clyde McPhatter. In doing so they became progenitors of soul and rock’n’roll. Indeed “That’s What You’re Doing To Me” (May 1951) is a candidate for the first real rock’n’roll record.

“Sixty Minute Man” (lead vocal – Bill Brown) was the first R&B vocal group recording to enter the pop charts (1951). A boastful novelty tribute to physical stamina, it featured the line “I rock ‘em, roll ‘em all night long” and helped to fix the phrase “rock and roll” in the public mind.

In the spring of 1953 Clyde McPhatter left the Dominoes and went on to form the Drifters on Atlantic Records. His replacement was the equally (or even more?) talented Jackie Wilson but his only top ten R&B hit with the group was “Rags To Riches”. Ward changed the style of the Dominoes away from rockers and early soul and more towards sentimental ballads, achieving pop success with “St. Therese Of The Roses” in 1956, and further success after the departure of Jackie Wilson with “Stardust” and “Deep Purple”.

The liner notes by Bill Millar are well worth reading for a history of the Dominoes.

1. Chicken Blues
2. Do Something For Me *
3. Weeping Willow Blues *
4. Sixty Minute Man
5. That's What You're Doing To Me *
6. I Am With You *
7. Don't Leave Me This Way *
8. Have Mercy Baby *
9. Pedal Pushin' Papa
10. I'd Be Satisfied *
11. The Bells *
12. I Ain't Gonna Cry For You
13. You Can't Keep A Good Man Down **
14. My Baby's 3-D
15. I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town **
16. If I Never Get To Heaven

* lead vocal – Clyde McPhatter
** lead vocal – Jackie Wilson