Aladdin 14 Magic Lamps

Face A:
01) I Ain't Drunk - Jimmy Liggins
02) Doo Dob Sha Bam - The Spence Sisters
03) New Orleans Hop - Monte Easter
04) Shtiggy Boom - Patti Anne
05) Way Down Boogie - Harold Burrage
06) Smack Smack - Marvin & Johnny
07) Yak A Dak - Chuck Higgins

Face B:
01) Maggie's Boogie - Peppermint Harris
02) Doodle Doodle Doo - Gene & Eunice
03) Chuck A Buck - Chuck Higgins
04) John, John - Aggie Dukes
05) No One Can Love You Like I Do - Skinny Dinamo
06) Go Ahead - Joe Liggins
07) If I Were A Itty Bitty Girl - Velma Nelson

Aladdin 14 Magic Lamps (Mega)

Aladdin 14 Magic Lamps (Zippy)

Here's the second early 1980s Pathe Marconi compilation of Aladdin sides, the follow up to "Aladdin's Rock'n Roll Sock Hop." Like its predecessor, this LP was originally posted on Be Bop Wino in 2008 with incomplete cover scans and now makes its comeback with all-new, complete scans of front and back covers plus disc label scans. There is also a folder with some single label scans provided by Joan.

And what makes this post a delight is that I don't have to do any trawling through Billboard, The Cash Box, 45worlds.com or Discogs.com to dig out the fax on these tracks, jack, because the sleeve notes by Colin Escott not only detail recording dates and original issue numbers, they also give the issue dates of these platters that once mattered. And so download and dig this selection of Aladdin jump, R&B and rock 'n' roll tracks and peruse the arcane knowledge imparted on the back cover.

There are no big hits here but there are memorable tracks by Jimmy Liggins, Velma Nelson and the unique Aggie Dukes whom we met a couple of posts ago where she warbled through "Swing Low Sweet Cadillac" accompanied by Buddy Collette on flute. Both are back on the similarly eccentric "John John." Solid!

Of note - a number of nonsense titles such as "Yak A Dak" and "Doo Dob Sha Bam." Post literate titles for a post literate age. Hubba hubba.

Thanks to Joan for the scans of singles featured in this short series of Aladdin posts and to Marv for kicking this short Aladdin season off with his Score LP contribution.

Jimmy Liggins Re-upped

Side 1:

01. I Can't Stop It

02. Don't Put Me Down

03. Troubles Good-Bye

04. Misery Blues

05. Move Out Baby

06. Answer To Teardrop Blues

07. That Song Is Gone

08. I Want My Baby For Christmas

Side 2:

09. Down And Out Blues

10. That's What's Knockin' Me Out

11. Lonely Nights Blues

12. Goin' Down With The Sun

13. Brown Skin Baby

14. Lover's Prayer

15. Dark Hour Blues

16. I'll Never Let You Go

Download from:

http://www42.zippyshare.com/v/9x3zKVxM/file.html

Original post (25th September 2009):

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/jimmy-liggins-i-cant-stop-it.html

Re-up includes new front and back cover scans plus label scans. Original inner sleeve scans plus original front cover scan also included.

The hard rocking variety of jump blues which comprised Jimmy Liggins' musical output stood in great contrast to the swing based music of his older brother Joe. The original post has an outline of his career and is worth reading. More West Coast Jump Blues will be re-uploaded soon.

Jimmy Liggins - I Can't Stop It

Born seven years after his bandleader brother Joe, Jimmy Liggins embarked on his own musical career in 1947. After a brief try at a career in boxing, Jimmy became driver for Joe’s band as they toured the country in the wake of their smash hit “The Honeydripper”. Jimmy couldn’t help but be impressed by the large amounts of money that Joe was earning and at the end of 1946 he left The Honeydrippers to start up his own band, which he named The Drops of Joy.

In September 1947 the band started recording for Art Rupe’s Specialty Records, with “I Can’t Stop It” being their first release. This record demonstrated that Jimmy’s sound was going to be very different from Joe’s. Jimmy’s up-tempo recordings all featured pounding rhythms, shouted, half-spoken vocals and heavy riffing from twin tenor saxes. When the band played slower blues it was with a real gutsy down-in-the-alley feel as you can hear on this 1981 Mr R&B compilation.

The first incarnation of The Drops of Joy had the hard blowing tenors of Harold Land and Charles “Little Jazz” Ferguson backing up Jimmy’s guitar and vocals on his self-penned songs. Chart success came in 1948 with “Teardrop Blues” (Billboard no. 7) and in 1949 with “Careful Love” (no. 15), both songs having been recorded in December 1947.

The first line-up of The Drops of Joy broke up after a violent incident during a performance on the 1st April 1948 in a Jackson, Mississippi skating rink. Little Jazz was slashed with a razor and Jimmy was shot through the mouth. Full details can be read in the sleeve notes of this LP.

In November1948 the new line-up, augmented by Maxwell Davis, recorded four tracks and returned to the charts with “Don’t Put Me Down” (no. 9). In 1951 Jimmy formed a third version of the band which included Herman “Rockhouse” Manzy on drums. In late 1952 or early 1953 The Drops of Joy recorded their last session for Specialty which yielded their biggest hit “Drunk”. Jimmy then left Specialty, possibly because of a money dispute, a course of action for which he later expressed regret. He had only one more recording session, in June 1954 for Aladdin. Four terrific hard-rocking sides were recorded; “I Ain’t Drunk”, “No More Alcohol”, “Boogie Woogie King” and “Talking That Talk”, but none saw chart action.

Jimmy’s music represented a step away from the swing influenced jump bands, and was a move towards the harder rocking variety of rhythm and blues and ultimately rock and roll. Download and enjoy some real righteous riffs!

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps.

Download from here:

http://www42.zippyshare.com/v/9x3zKVxM/file.html


1. I Can't Stop It
2. Don't Put Me Down
3. Troubles Good-Bye
4. Misery Blues
5. Move Out Baby
6. Answer To Teardrop Blues
7. That Song Is Gone
8. I Want My Baby For Christmas
9. Down And Out Blues
10. That's What's Knockin' Me Out
11. Lonely Nights Blues
12. Goin' Down With The Sun
13. Brown Skin Baby
14. Lover's Prayer
15. Dark Hour Blues
16. I'll Never Let You Go