The Coasters - 20 Great Originals

Note: Side 1, Tracks 1 - 3 by The Robins. All other tracks by The Coasters.

Side 1:
01. Riot In Cell Block Number 9
02. Smokey Joe's Cafe
03. Framed
04. Turtle Dovin'
05. Down In Mexico
06. Young Blood
07. Searchin'
08. Idol With The Golden Head
09. Yakety Yak - The Coasters
10. Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart


Side 2:
01. The Shadow Knows
02. Charlie Brown
03. Along Came Jones
04. Poison Ivy
05. What About Us
06. I'm A Hog For You Baby
07. Run Red Run
08. Shoppin' For Clothes
09. Little Egypt
10. Bad Blood

20 Great Originals (Mega)

20 Great Originals (Zippy)

The Coasters were not only a major R&B act but also a best selling pop act. They had 6 entries in the top ten of The Billboard Hot 100, and a further 4 in the top forty. Their record sales helped Atlantic maintain its position as the pre-eminent R&B label of the late 1950s / early 1960s and were an important factor in the breakout of R&B into the pop mainstream. Although some of their hits had an air of teen novelty about them, most of their records were in fact works of sly hipness if not downright sleaze, thanks to the inventiveness of songwriting duo Leiber and Stoller, and also to the sax stylings of Gil Bernal and King Curtis ...

At last, an R&B act I can remember hearing on the radio! Four of the Coasters' records broke into the British charts in the late 1950's but I'm too young to remember that. What I do remember is that during the first half of the 1960's two of their hits, "Charlie Brown" and "Yakety Yak" were still being played frequently on the BBC, probably because they were seen as having appeal to children. That informed my later rather dismissive opinion of The Coasters as being merely a novelty group for the kids and, boy, was I wrong.

To be frank, this LP which I bought in the late 1970's didn't do much to change my opinion as it suffers from the problems of many mass market issues of that era. Twenty sides have been crammed on to the record with subsequent loss of sound quality. In addition some kind of electronically re-processed stereo was used on certain later tracks, rendering them pretty much unlistenable, so I've ripped the LP to mono in an attempt to remedy that. My advice is to treat this collection as a sampler and if you find yourself digging the cool sounds of The Coasters invest in one of the many compilations available to buy. Recommendations can be found towards the end of this post.

The tracks on this LP are arranged in chronological order, so we start with three tracks recorded for Los Angeles label Spark Records by The Robins, the group from which The Coasters split in 1955 when label owners, songwriters and producers Leiber and Stoller signed up with Atlantic, taking their Spark masters with them. The origins of The Robins were detailed in this post of their Savoy sides from 1949 - 1950, while this post of their Modern / RPM / Crown sides in the early 1950's takes their story up to the point of the birth of The Coasters.

The go-to site for the story of The Robins up to and beyond the point when The Coasters broke away from the parent group is of course Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks. His article on The Robins is here:

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Robins/robins.html

Marv's site doesn't have an article on The Coasters but there is a website devoted entirely to the group "The Coasters Web Site - Those Hoodlum Friends" - which you can find here:

http://www.angelfire.com/mn/coasters/

The web site is vast with all kinds of goodies on it. You may lose hours of your life in there. The record session information in the "Fax on the Trax" section below has been gleaned from the hugely detailed recording sessions page of The Coasters Web Site.

The original singles release information is from www.45cat.com. The Coasters singles section is here:

http://www.45cat.com/artist/the-coasters

Here's The Fax on those 20 Trax

As mentioned above, the session information comes from the recordings sessions page on The Coasters Web Site. I haven't attempted to use all the information available on these tracks. In particular I have mentioned only a few of the backing musicians and I have omitted the Coasters' own guitar players. My main motive in mentioning a few of the backing musicians was in order to make sure that Gil Bernal received credit for his tenor sax work on The Robins and early Coasters sides which were recorded in Los Angeles. The contribution of King Curtis to the sides recorded in New York is well known, but that of Gil Bernal doesn't get much attention.

The changing Coasters line ups have been inserted into the chronological sequence.

Riot in Cell Block #9, Smokey Joe's Cafe and Framed were recorded by The Robins in 1954 - 1955 for Spark Records in Los Angeles.

The Robins - Carl Gardner, Bobby Nunn, Grady Chapman, Terrell Leonard, Billy Richard and Roy Richard. Richard Berry on "Riot In Cell Block #9."

Backing musicians include Gil Bernal (tenor sax) and Barney Kessell (guitar).

"Riot In Cell Block #9" was recorded in the spring of 1954. Released on Spark 103 (b/w "Wrap It Up") in May 1954.

"Framed" was recorded in August 1954. Released on Spark 107 (b/w "Loop De Loop Mambo") in September 1954.

"Smokey Joe's Cafe" was recorded in July (or possibly January 1955). Released on Spark 122 in August 1955 (b/w "Just Like A Fool"). Re-released on Atco 6059 in October 1955.

All subsequent titles recorded by The Coasters.

The Coasters (October 1955 - 1957) - Carl Gardner, Billy Guy, Bobby Nunn, Leon Hughes.

Turtle Dovin' and Down In Mexico recorded in Los Angeles on January 11th, 1956. Gil Bernal (tenor sax) and Barney Kessell (guitar) among backing musicians. "Down In Mexico" / "Turtle Dovin'" released on Atco 6064 in February 1957.

Young Blood and Searchin' recorded in Los Angeles in February 1957. Obe "Young" Jessie replaces Billy Hughes on "Searchin'." Backing musicians include Gil Bernal (tenor sax) and Barney Kessell (guitar). "Searchin'" / "Young Blood" released on Atco 6087 in March 1957.

Idol With The Golden Head recorded in Chicago on July 24th, 1957. Released in August 1957 on Atco 6098 as the B-Side of "(When She Wants Good Lovin') My Baby Comes To Me."

The Coasters (1958 - mid-1961) - Carl Gardner, Billy Guy, Cornell Gunter, Will "Dub" Jones.

Yakety Yak and Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart recorded in New York on March 17th, 1958. King Curtis on tenor sax. "Yakety Yak" / "Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart" released on Atco 6116 in April 1958.

The Shadow Knows recorded in New York on August 8th, 1958. Released on Atco 6126 (b/w "Sorry But I'm Gonna Have To Pass") in August 1958.

Charlie Brown recorded in New York on December 11th, 1958. Released on Atco 6132 (b/w "Three Cool Cats") in January 1959.

Along Came Jones recorded in New York on March 26th, 1959. Released on Atco 6141 (b/w "That Is Rock & Roll") in April 1959.

Poison Ivy and What About Us recorded in New York on July 16th, 1959. Backing musicians include Mickey Baker (guitar) and King Curtis (tenor sax). The versions on this LP are alternate takes of the versions originally released on single.

I'm A Hog For You Baby was recorded in New York on August 8th 1958 and re-edited on July 17th, 1959. The version on this LP differs from the single release (titled "I'm A Hog For You") in that it has a different and shorter sax fadeout.

Run Red Run  was recorded in New York on July 23rd, 1959. The version on this LP is a stereo take of the version originally released on single.

The single versions of the above four tracks were released as follows:

Poison Ivy / I'm A Hog For You released on Atco 6146 in August 1959.

Run Red Run / What About Us released on Atco 6153 in November 1959.

Shoppin' For Clothes was recorded in New York on July 29th, 1960. King Curtis on tenor sax. "Shoppin' For Clothes" / "The Snake And The Bookworm" released on Atco 6178 in September 1960. Some pressings retitled "Shoppin' For Clothes" to "Clothes Line (Wrap It Up)" which was the title of the original version of this song which was written by Kent Harris and recorded by him as Boogaloo And His Gallant Crew in 1956 (Crest  45-1030).

Little Egypt was recorded in New York on February 9th, 1961. King Curtis on tenor sax. "Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)" / "Keep On Rolling" released on Atco 6192 in April 1961.

The Coasters (mid-1961 - 1967) - Carl Gardner, Billy Guy, Will "Dub" Jones, Earl "Speedo" Carroll.

Bad Blood was recorded in New York on September 25th, 1961. Backing by The Upsetters. The version on this LP is an alternate take of the version released on single Atco 6210 (b/w "(Ain't That) Just Like Me") in October 1961.

The Coasters on CD

As a top selling pop act as well as a major R&B act, The Coasters' back catalogue has mostly remained in print in some form or another over the years. I have the following two CDs in my collection:

The Very Best Of The Coasters - Rhino / Atlantic. A modest 17 tracks in excellent sound quality. It includes "Sorry But I'm Gonna Have To Pass" which received major attention when it was used in a TV advert for Volkswagen Passat in the 1990s.

What Is The Secret Of Your Success? - Mr R&B RBD 102. A CD version of an LP issued on Jonas Bernholm's Mr R&B label. Published in 1980, this collection has 16 of the lesser known Coasters tracks. Also includes "Sorry But I'm Gonna Have To Pass." I wonder if this is where some advertising exec came across the track and pitched it to Volkswagen?

There's a lot of choice if you want to get a Coasters CD these days. Looks like this one might be the one in which to invest your hard earned cash:

A double CD on the Acrobat label. 56 tracks, including 12 Robins tracks from the Spark label. I've ordered a copy and will report back when I've listened to it.

Edit - The 2CD Coasters set has arrived. It has a 24 page booklet which includes full recording details of the tracks, sourced from the Coasters website I acknowledged earlier in this post. There is also an extensive essay by Paul Watts tracing the history of The Coasters from the foundation of The Robins in 1945. So 10/10 for presentation in this PD collection.

Disc One is especially good with its inclusion of the 12 Robins sides recorded for Spark. I listened to the whole of this disc in one session and it didn't pall at all! I must confess that when I started listening to Disc Two the following day, the going got tougher. There are still plenty of good sides on this disc, but perhaps the Coasters were getting a bit formulaic going into the early 1960s, or perhaps I'd just listened to too many tracks by the same group.

So all in all I can recommend this mid price collection. 56 tracks in all, including two LP only tracks. Presentation is excellent, sound quality is good but perhaps some of the tracks lack a bit of "life" as this is a PD compilation. Overall rating - 7.5/10.
 

The Robins - There's Rain In My Eyes

Side One:
01. If I Didn't Love You So
02. If It's So Baby
03. Our Romance Is Gone
04. There Ain't No Use Beggin'
05. I'm Livin' OK

Side Two:
01. There's Rain In My Eyes
02. I'm Through
03. You're Fine But Not My Kind
04. Turkey Hop Part 2
05. I Found Out My Troubles

The Robins - There's Rain In My Eyes (Mega)

or

The Robins - There's Rain In My Eyes (Zippy)

We bring our short series of Johnny Otis related posts to a conclusion with this homemade comp of sides recorded by The Robins for Savoy in late 1949 / early 1950. We've already met The Robins in the previous post Johnny Otis Presents which included sides they recorded for the Bihari Brothers group of labels - Modern, RPM and Crown. That post includes a brief summary of The Robin's recording career for the Biharis plus the lead up to their split which saw the formation of The Coasters as well as the continued existence of The Robins.

The go-to place for in depth information on The Robins (and just about every other R&B vocal group) is of course Marv Goldberg's site, so for the full story go to:

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Robins/robins.html

The Robins had their origins in a vocal trio called the A-Sharp Trio which consisted of tenor Ty Terrell (real name Terrell Leonard), and the brothers Billy and Roy Richard (tenor and baritone). They made their way from their home turf near Oakland to the Watts area of Los Angeles where they took part in the Thursday night amateur hour competition at the Johnny Otis / Bardu Ali owned Barrelhouse Club.

A good performance earned them a regular spot at the club and the trio became a foursome when Otis had the idea of teaming them up with another Barrelhouse regular, baritone / bass singer Ulysses "Bobby" Nunn. The group made their recording debut on an April 1949 release on Excelsior, the Johnny Otis Orchestra disc "My Baby Done Told Me," billed as "The Four Bluebirds." The group preferred the name "Robins" as this was more in line with the bird names of the two currently most successful vocal groups, The Ravens and The Orioles.

In May 1949 The Robins cut four sides for Aladdin which were quickly issued on two singles which sold poorly. In the autumn of 1949 the Johnny Otis band was signed to Savoy Records with their first recording session for the label being held on November 10th. For the second Savoy session on December 1st, the Otis band was accompanied by The Robins. The biggest success of the session however wasn't one of the four Robins tracks recorded, it was "Double Crossin' Blues" which was a duet between Little Esther and Bobby Nunn. "If It's So Baby" was the best selling of the Robins tracks, but was a minor hit compared to the massive success of the duet.

The Robins were involved in the Otis session of January 11th 1950, cutting sides with Mel Walker and Little Esther (as The Bluenotes), as well as providing vocals on one side of the two-parter "Turkey Hop." A Robins track remained unreleased on single, "I Found Out My Troubles," being eventually released on LP in 1978.

The final Robins / Johnny Otis band session for Savoy took place on February 13th 1950 at which four more tracks were cut. Session and original release details can be read below.

The Robins had a fall out with Johnny Otis over their fee for the recording session and thus never did get to tour with the successful Johnny Otis Rhythm and Blues Caravan show which featured the band, Little Esther and Mel Walker. By June 1950 The Robins had quit Savoy and signed with John Dolphin's Recorded In Hollywood label. The story continues - on Marv Goldberg's website! For a shortened version see the Be Bop Wino post Johnny Otis Presents.

Original release info:

Savoy 726 - If I Didn't Love You So / If It's So Baby - The Robins - January 1950. B-Side, "If It's So Baby" # 14 in Billboard best selling R&B records chart, 4th February 1950.

Savoy 732 - The Turkey Hop Part 1 / The Turkey Hop Part 2 - February 1950. One side was an instrumental by the Johnny Otis Orchestra, the other side had a vocal by The Robins.

Savoy 738 - There Ain't No Use Beggin' / Our Romance Is Gone - The Robins With The Johnny Otis Quintette - April 1950.

Savoy 752 - I'm Living O.K. / There's Rain In My Eyes - The Robins with The Johnny Otis Quintette - June 1950.

Savoy 762 - I'm Through / You're Fine But Not My Kind - The Robins - September 1950.

Unreleased on single - I Found Out My Troubles. First released on Savoy 2LP set "The Original Johnny Otis Show" (SJL 2230) in 1978.

Session Info:

"If It's So Baby," "If I Didn't Love You So," "Our Romance Is Gone" and "There's Rain In My Eyes" were recorded on December 1st, 1949 in Los Angeles. Personnel: Johnny Otis (vibes); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums); The Robins (vocal group).

"The Turkey Hop Part 2" was recorded on January 11th, 1950 in Lose Angeles. Personnel: John Anderson (trumpet); Floyd Turnham (alto sax); Big Jay McNeely (tenor sax); Bob McNeely (baritone sax); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Johnny Otis or Leard Bell (drums); The Robins (vocal group).

"I Found Out My Troubles" was also recorded on January 11th, 1950 in Los Angeles. Personnel: possibly Big Jay McNeely (tenor sax); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums); The Robins (vocal group).

"I'm Through," "I'm Living O.K.," "There Ain't No Use Beggin'," and "You're Fine But Not My Kind" were recorded  on February 13th, 1950 in Los Angeles. Personnel: Johnny Otis (vibes); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums); The Robins (vocal group).

Little Esther - Lost Dream Blues

Side One:
01. Double Crossing Blues - Little Esther with The Robins
02. Lover's Lane Boogie - Little Esther with The Blue Notes
03. Mistrustin' Blues - Little Esther with Mel Walker
04. Misery - Little Esther
05. Cupid's Boogie - Little Esther with Mel Walker

Side Two:
01. Deceivin' Blues - Little Esther with Mel Walker
02. Lost Dream Blues - Little Esther
03. Wedding Boogie - Johnny Otis' Congregation with Little Esther, Mel Walker & Lee Graves
04. Far Away Blues (Xmas Blues) - Little Esther with Mel Walker
05. Love Will Break Your Heart - Johnny Otis Orchestra with Little Esther & Mel Walker

Little Esther - Lost Dream Blues (Mega)

or

Little Esther - Lost Dream Blues (Zippy)

1950 was the year when Johnny Otis was the top selling R&B artist, or perhaps more accurately Johnny Otis with Little Esther, Mel Walker and The Robins. "Double Crossing Blues," "Mistrustin' Blues" / "Misery," "Cupid's Boogie," "Deceivin' Blues," "Wedding Boogie" / "Far Away Blues," "Cry Baby," "Dreamin' Blues" and "If It's So Baby" / "If I Didn't Love You So"  were all R&B chart hits for Otis and his associated vocal acts.

The artist who dominated this series of hits was Little Esther, a 13 year old Dinah Washington influenced prodigy whom Otis discovered when he happened to drop in on a talent show at the Largo Theater in Watts, LA, situated a few blocks from his own Barrelhouse Club. Esther Mae Jones didn't win but she impressed Otis enough for him to offer her a spot at the Barrelhouse. Still going under her full name, Esther Mae made her recording debut with Johnny Otis in August 1949 at a one off session for Modern Records. However it wasn't until the Otis group started recording for Savoy in November 1949 that Little Esther as she was now billed started making waves in the R&B world.

With backing from the Otis band, Little Esther was paired with fellow Barrelhouse act The Robins (lead - Bobby Nunn) for "Double Crossing Blues." Issued in January 1950, the disc shot to the number one spot in the R&B charts. For her follow up Esther was paired with another Barrelhouse regular, Mel Walker. Their moody "Mistrustin' Blues" was another smash when it was released in March of 1950. It was paired with a Little Esther solo torch song "Misery" which garnered big sales on its own account. Another Little Esther / Mel Walker record, the more uptempo "Cupid's Boogie," was the third hit in a row when it was released in June 1950.

Above: Cash Box Ad, June 17th 1950

Cash Box, July 29th 1950

In August a third Little Esther / Mel Walker performance, "Deceivin' Blues" kept the run of hits going. This was paired with an intense bluesy side from Little Esther singing solo, "Lost Dream Blues." Pete Lewis on guitar, Johnny Otis on vibes and Devonia Williams on piano turned in fine moody backing to make this an outstanding track.

Above: Cash Box, September 23rd 1950

"Wedding Boogie," released in October, was based on a comedy skit performed in the Barrelhouse with Little Esther as the bride, Mel Walker as the groom and Lee Graves as the preacher. The B-Side was a Christmas weepie, "Far Away Blues (Xmas Blues)," and of course the release was another hit.

A Little Esther / Mel Walker romantic duet, "Love Will Break Your Heart" came out in January 1951 but sales were comparatively poor, perhaps because it was too similar to Ivory Joe Hunter's hit "I Almost Lost My Mind." However by this time the spell was over, for Little Esther had already left Savoy when the disc was released. In December 1950 Savoy's man on the West Coast, Ralph Bass had quit the label following a dispute with owner Herman Lubinsky. Syd Nathan, honcho of rival label King, moved immediately to sign Bass and gave him a new West Coast based subsidiary label to run, Federal Records.

Bass made his first signing in January 1951 - Little Esther. Johnny Otis was supposed to follow Esther to the new label once his contract with Savoy ran out, but that wasn't to happen. On January 26th 1951 Little Esther started recording for Federal, backed by a band which sounded awfully like the Otis group. But that is a story for our next post! Stick around for more Little Esther and Johnny Otis sounds ...

Here 'tis - the complete lowdown on this homemade comp of Little Esther on Savoy:

"Double Crossing Blues" was issued on Savoy 731 in January 1950. Credited to the Johnny Otis Quintette with vocals by The Robins and Little Esther. The B-Side was "Ain't Nothin' Shakin'" by Leon Sims with the Johnny Otis Orchestra. An April 1950 re-issue had a different B-Side - "Back Alley Blues" by The Beale St. Gang.

"Lover's Lane Boogie" was not issued as a single. The Blue Notes were The Robins.

"Mistrustin' Blues" / "Misery" issued as Savoy 735 in March 1950. A-Side credited to Little Esther with Mel Walker Accomp. by The Johnny Otis Orch. B-Side credit: Little Esther with the Johnny Otis Orch.

"Cupid's Boogie" was issued on Savoy 750 in May or June 1950. Credit: Little Esther and Mel Walker with Johnny Otis Orchestra. This was the B-Side of the original release. The A-Side was "Just Can't Get Free" - Little Esther with Johnny Otis Orchestra and The Beltones.

"Deceivin' Blues" / "Lost Dream Blues" issued as Savoy 759 in August 1950. A-Side credit: Little Esther and Mel Walker with Johnny Otis Orch. B-Side credit: Little Esther with Johnny Otis Orch.

"Wedding Boogie" / "Far Away Blues (Xmas Blues)" issued as Savoy 764 in October 1950. A-Side credit: Johnny Otis' Congregation, Bride: Little Esther, Groom: Mel Walker, Preacher: Lee Graves. B-Side credit: Johnny Otis Orchestra with Little Esther and Mel Walker.

"Love Will Break Your Heart" was issued on Savoy 775 in January 1951. Credited to Johnny Otis Orch. with Little Esther and Mel Walker. B-Side was "I Don't Care" - Johnny Otis Orch. with Little Esther.

Above: Little Esther with (L to R): Pete "Guitar" Lewis, Lorenzo Holden, Mel Walker, and Mario Delagarde.

Musicians on the tracks

"Double Crossing Blues" - recorded in Los Angeles, December 1st, 1949. Johnny Otis Quintette: Johnny Otis (vibes); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums); Little Esther, Bobby Nunn (vocals) The Robins (background vocals)

"Lover's Lane Boogie" - recorded in Los Angeles, January 11th, 1950. Johnny Otis Septet: John Anderson (trumpet); Big Jay McNeely (tenor sax); Johnny Otis (vibes, drums); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums); Little Esther (vocals); Bobby Nunn (vocals); The Blue Notes (The Robins) (vocals).

"Misery" recorded in Los Angeles, February 13th, 1950. Possibly Lorenzo Holden or James Von Streeter (tenor sax); Johnny Otis (vibes); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums); Little Esther (vocals).

"Mistrustin' Blues" and "Cupid's Boogie" recorded in Los Angeles, February 27th, 1950. Johnny Otis Orchestra: Don Johnson, Lee Graves (trumpets); George Washington (trombone); Lorenzo Holden, James Von Streeter (tenor saxes); Walter Henry (alto,baritone sax); Johnny Otis (vibes); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums); Little Esther, Mel Walker (vocals).

"Deceivin' Blues" and "Lost Dream Blues" recorded in Chicago on June 20th, 1950. Johnny Otis Orchestra: probable personnel: Don Johnson, Lee Graves, Hosea Sapp (trumpets;) George Washington (trombone); Lorenzo Holden, James Von Streeter (tenor saxes); Walter Henry (alto and baritone saxes); Johnny Otis (vibes); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums); Little Esther, Mel Walker (vocals).

"Wedding Boogie," "Faraway Blues (Xmas Blues)" and "Love Will Break Your Heart" recorded in New York on August 12th 1950. Personnel as for Chicago session above, with the addition of Lee Graves on vocals on "Wedding Boogie."

Johnny Otis Presents ... The Robins, Little Esther, The Nic Nacs

Side One:

01. Good Ole Blues - Johnny Otis & His Orchestra

02. Mean Ole Gal - Little Esther

03. I'm Telling You Baby - The Nic Nacs

04. Gonna Have A Merry Christmas - The Nic Nacs

05. You Didn't Want My Love - The Nic Nacs

06. I Found Me A Sugar Daddy - The Nic Nacs

07. I Gotta Guy - Little Esther

Side Two:

01. That's What The Good Book Says - Bobby Nunn & The Robins

02. Rockin' - Bobby Nunn & The Robins

03. Thursday Night Blues - Johnny Otis & His Orchestra

04. Double Crossin' Baby - The Robins

05. I Made A Vow - The Robins

06. All I Do Is Rock - The Robins

07. Key To My Heart - The Robins

Johnny Otis Presents (Mega)

or

Johnny Otis Presents (Zippy)

Mega Link To New Archive File Of Johnny Otis Presents

This LP was originally posted on Be Bop Wino back in 2007 and now makes a reappearance with new cover scans and a volume boost on the mp3s.

The tracks credited to Johnny Otis and His Orchestra and to Little Esther are a "prequel" to the previous post "All Nite Long" which was a collection of mainly instrumental band tracks recorded by Johnny Otis for Savoy from November 1949 to March 1951. Before signing for Savoy, Johnny recorded a session for the Bihari brothers' Modern label in LA in August 1949. Only four tracks were recorded, two band instrumentals and two vocal tracks which marked the recording debut of Esther Mae Jones (still a few months shy of her 14th birthday), soon to become Little Esther, the R&B sensation of 1950.

Johnny had spotted Little Esther at a talent show at a theatre in Watts and had recruited her to sing in his own club The Barrelhouse. Two other acts featured on this collection, Pete "Guitar" Lewis and The Robins were also featured acts and talent show winners at the club, indeed it is Otis who is credited with being behind the formation of  The Robins when he combined a vocal trio, the A-Sharp Trio (Ty Terrell, Billy Richard, Roy Richard) with bass singer Bobby Nunn.

The lineup of the Johnny Otis Orchestra on these four sides is probably similar to that on the November 1949 session for Savoy. Pete Lewis's guitar is prominent on both the instrumentals. The four sides were released on two singles. The first (Modern 20-715) had "Thursday Night Blues" on the A-Side and "I Gotta Gal" on the B-Side which was credited to Johnny Otis and His Orchestra, vocal Esther Jones. The disc was reviewed in Billboard on the 3rd December 1949 as follows -

"Thursday Night Blues - Deep blues mood is achieved in this instrumental which spots a mess of guitar work and some orking which reminds of the Basie band."

"I Gotta Gal - Thrush Esther Jones leaves hardly a note unbent as she weaves her way appealingly thru a bluesy ballad."

In January 1950 "Double Crossing Blues" was released on Savoy 731, credited to "Johnny Otis Quintette, vocals by The Robins and Little Esther." By February the disc was racing up the R&B charts and Little Esther was a big name in the music business. Modern reissued 20-715, still with "Thursday Night Blues" as the A-Side, but with the B-Side now given the correct title "I Gotta Guy" and credited to "Little" Esther with Johnny Otis and His Orchestra.

In April 1950 Modern 20-748 was released with "Mean Ole Gal" on the A Side, credited to "Little" Esther with Johnny Otis and His Orchestra while the Otis instrumental "Good Old Blues" was on the B-Side. The A-Side was reviewed in the April 29th issue of Billboard  as follows - "The talented young thrush registers with salty blues job that builds in mood all the way." The B-Side review was brief, to say the least - "Jump instrumental on a jazz kick."

The Modern releases didn't sell much. The Billboard annual survey of top selling R&B artists in July 1950 had Johnny Otis in top spot, Little Esther in second top spot and The Robins in fourth spot. This was almost solely due to sales of Savoy discs with "Mean Ole Gal" way, way behind the big hits like "Double Crossing Blues" and "Mistrusting Blues" (vocals- Little Esther and Mel Walker.) In fact the Robins' high placing was almost entirely due to "Double Crossing Blues." Other artists in the survey included Ivory Joe Hunter in third place ("I Almost Lost My Mind"), Larry Darnell ("For You My Love"), Joe Liggins ("Pink Champagne") and Louis Jordan ("Saturday Night Fish Fry".)

Above: Mel Walker, Johnny Otis and Little Esther. For two out of three it will end in tragedy.

The four tracks credited to The Nic Nacs are in fact by The Robins. They were recorded for the Bihari's RPM label in November 1950. The reason for the subterfuge? The guys were actually under contract to John Dolphin's Recorded In Hollywood label at the time of recording. On "Found Me A Sugar Daddy," "Gonna Have A Merry Christmas" and "I'm Telling You Baby" the group were accompanied by Mickey Champion who sounded remarkably like Little Esther. Indeed "Found Me a Sugar Daddy" was written as an answer record to "Double Crossing Blues."

RPM 313 - "Gonna Have A Merry Xmas" / "Found Me A Sugar Daddy" was released in December 1950. A second RPM disc, RPM 316 - "You Didn't Want My Love" / "Found Me A Sugar Daddy" (again!) was issued in January 1951. The fourth RPM side, "I'm Telling You Baby," remained unissued.

In March 1951 a disc was issued on RPM's parent label, Modern, credited to Bobby Nunn (with the "Robbins") in what appears to have been an attempt to forestall legal action by Recorded In Hollywood while at the same time signalling to fans that here indeed was a big time act! The A-Side of Modern 807 was "Rockin'" while the B-Side, "That's What The Good Book Says," was the first commercial composition by songwriting team Leiber and Stoller. The backing band sounds suspiciously like the Johnny Otis band.

During a large part of 1951/52 The Robins were inactive, although Bobby Nunn had releases on Dootone and Recorded In Hollywood and also recorded several duets with Little Esther for Federal. In late 1952 the group reformed with the addition of new member Grady Chapman. The quintet started recording for RCA in January 1953.

Their last RCA session was in September 1953, with their next session being another for the Biharis in December 1953. Four of the six tracks recorded are featured on this LP. They were originally issued as singles on the Crown subsidiary of Modern - "I Made A Vow" / "Double Crossin Baby (Crown 106) came out in February 1954, while "Key To My Heart" / "All I Do Is Rock" (Crown 120) appeared in August 1954. The session was produced and arranged by Maxwell Davis.

By the time "Key To My Heart" appeared the group, which now had Carl Gardner as a replacement for the temporarily indisposed Grady Chapman, had signed up to Leiber & Stoller's new Spark label and had recorded and released "Riot In Cell Block #9." This was the beginning of the process which would see the group split in September 1955 when Leiber & Stoller joined Atlantic taking their Spark masters with them, along with Bobby Nunn and Carl Gardner who became one half of a new group, The Coasters, while Ty Terrell, Grady Chapman and the Richard brothers continued as The Robins.

But that may well be the subject of a future post!

Above: The Robins in 1953. Back row (L to R): Bobby Nunn and Billy Richard; Middle Row (L to R): Grady Chapman and Roy Richard; Front: Ty Terrell.

For the full lowdown on The Robins (aka The Robbins, aka The Nic Nacs) see this article by Marv Goldberg and Todd Baptista:

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Robins/robins.html

Plenty of pics! Who sued who! How many labels can you record for at the same time! The danger of signing any contract! The draft or prison - you decide!

Johnny Otis & His Orchestra - All Nite Long

Side 1:
01. Midnight In The Barrelhouse
02. Boogie Guitar
03. Hangover Blues
04. Head Hunter
05. New Orleans Shuffle
06. Turkey Hop Part 1

Side 2:
01. Turkey Hop Part 2
02. Blues Nocturne
03. Freight Train Boogie
04. Mambo Boogie
05. All Nite Long
06. Honky Tonk Boogie

Johnny Otis & His Orchestra - All Nite Long (Mega)

Johnny Otis & His Orchestra - All Nite Long (Zippy)

Another in the Savoy series of home made "LPs" and this time the quintessential New York indie record company goes way out west to the Land Where Dreams Come True as label prexy Herman Lubinsky recruits producer Ralph Bass (who had previously been with Black & White Records) to be Savoy's man on the Coast. And then Bass recruits Johnny Otis, his dynamite band (as you can hear on this collection) and his star vocal acts Little Esther, Mel Walker and The Robins. The result was a staggering series of R&B hits by the Otis organisation in 1950, including "Double Crossing Blues," "Mistrustin' Blues," "Cupid's Boogie" "Deceivin' Blues," "Wedding Boogie" and "Cry Baby."

These vocal hits will feature in future compilations but in this post I've concentrated on the mainly instrumental sides recorded by the band itself. Johnny Otis, drummer, vibes player, pianist, occasional vocalist, bandleader, impresario, nightclub owner, producer and arranger, talent spotter, song writer, disc jockey, label owner, political activist, minister of religion, artist, writer and chicken farmer was what you might call a Renaissance man. He simply did it all.

He was born John Veliotes in 1921 in Vallejo, California into a Greek immigrant family.  He was raised in Berkeley where his parents owned a grocery store which served the local Black community, a community with which Johnny would identify for the rest of his life. He was a fan of big band swing, especially of the band of Count Basie. As the 1930's turned to the '40's, Johnny took up playing the drums and gained his first band experience with a local small group, Count Otis Matthews & His West Oakland House Rockers.

The basic blues 'n' boogie of the group would stand Johnny in good stead in the future when the big band era came to end and rhythm 'n' blues took its place. But before that, back in 1941, Johnny got his chance to play in a big swing band when he joined the long established Omaha based outfit of Lloyd Hunter. Also in the band were alto sax man Preston Love, tenor sax players Paul Quinichette and James Von Streeter and bass player Curtis Counce, all of whom would spend spells in Johnny Otis led bands in the future.

Above: Omaha, 1941 - Preston Love and Johnny Otis in front of the Lloyd Hunter band bus

After two years with Lloyd Hunter, Johnny Otis and Preston Love quit to form their own band, but it was short lived as Count Basie came in for Love. Hearing that former Kansas City bandleader Harlan Leonard (now established at the Club Alabam in Los Angeles) was looking for a drummer, Johnny headed to LA where he got the spot, staying with Leonard until 1944 when he transferred to a band led by former Chick Webb front man Bardu Ali. Johnny and Bardu would later become business partners when they opened The Barrel House Club in Watts in late 1947.

In 1945 Johnny formed his own big band as the new house band at the Club Alabam and signed with Excelsior Records in the autumn of that year. His second disc for the label, "Jimmy's Round The Clock Blues," featuring Basie blues shouter Jimmy Rushing on vocals, backed with the classic bump 'n' grind instrumental "Harlem Nocturne" was a big seller and the band embarked on a national tour on the back of it. The Johnny Otis Orchestra recorded for Excelsior as a big band until December 1946 but by the next and final Excelsior session in December 1947 the band had slimmed down to an eight piece. The first track on this compilation "Midnight In The Barrelhouse" dates from that session although it was re-released on Savoy in 1951, thus justifying its inclusion here.

The final Excelsior line up included several musicians who would be mainstays of the Johnny Otis band during its most successful years - George Washington on trombone, Pete "Guitar" Lewis, and Mario Delagarde on bass. The band's next recording session was for Modern in August 1949 which was the first session to feature Little Esther on vocals. In November 1949 the band started recording for Savoy with Don Johnson on trumpet, Lorenzo Holden and James Von Streeter on tenor saxes, Walter Henry on baritone sax, Devonia Williams on piano and Leard Bell on drums. Along with Lewis, Washington and Delagarde this would be the core of the Johnny Otis band on Savoy and subsequently on Federal (unofficially) and Mercury.

Fax on the trax, Jack:

"Midnight In The Barrelhouse" recorded in Los Angeles, December 1947. Johnny Otis Orchestra : John Anderson (trumpet); George Washington (trombone); Cecil "Big Jay" McNeely (tenor sax); Lem Tally (baritone sax); "Darby Hicks" (piano); Pete "Guitar" Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Johnny Otis (drums).

Released on Excelsior JR 536 in February 1949. There were two virtually simultaneous Johnny Otis releases numbered Excelsior JR 536. "Happy New Year Baby" / "Barrel House Stomp" was listed in advance release notices in Billboard, 29th January 1949. This record was reviewed in Billboard on 12th February 1949. A second disc with the number 536, "Midnight In The Barrel House" / "Barrel House Stomp" was probably released shortly afterwards as it was rather late for a "New Year" release. 

"Midnight In The Barrelhouse" (note change in spelling) was re-released on Savoy 815 in September 1951 as the B-Side of an alternate take of "Harlem Nocturne" which was originally released on Excelsior JR 142.

Above: Billboard 30th April 1949

"Boogie Guitar" and "Hangover Blues" recorded in Los Angeles on November 10th, 1949. Johnny Otis and his Orchestra : Don Johnson and Lee Graves (trumpets); George Washington (trombone); Lorenzo Holden, James Von Streeter (tenor saxes); Walter Henry (baritone sax); Johnny Otis (vibraphone, drums); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Gene Phillips ( Hawaiian guitar on "Hangover Blues"); unknown 2nd guitar on "Boogie Guitar"; Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums).

This was the first Johnny Otis Orchestra session for Savoy.

"Boogie Guitar" first released on Savoy LP SJL 2230 "The Original Johnny Otis Show" in 1978.

"Hangover Blues" first released on Regent 1036 (also listed under Savoy 787), April 1951 as B-Side of "I Dream" (vocals by Mel Walker and Little Esther.)

"Head Hunter" and "New Orleans Shuffle" recorded in Los Angeles on December 23rd 1949. Probable personnel - Johnny Otis Orchestra: Lee Graves, Don Johnson (trumpets); George Washington (trombone); Big Jay McNeely, Lorenzo Holden (tenor saxes); Walter Henry (baritone sax); Johnny Otis (vibes); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums). It's possible that James Von Streeter is present in place of Big Jay McNeely.

"New Orleans Shuffle" / "Blues Nocturne" released on Savoy 743 in May 1950.

"Head Hunter" / "Cool And Easy" (vocal by Redd Lyte) released on Regent 1028 in January 1951. Also listed under Savoy 774.

"The Turkey Hop Parts 1 & 2" and "Blues Nocturne" recorded in Los Angeles on January 11th 1950. Personnel: John Anderson (trumpet); Floyd Turnham (alto sax); Big Jay McNeely (tenor sax); Bob McNeely (baritone sax); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Johnny Otis (drums); The Robins - vocals on "The Turkey Hop Part 2."

"The Turkey Hop Part 1" / "The Turkey Hop Part 2" released on Savoy 732 in February 1950.

Above: The Cash Box, 18th February 1950

"Blues Nocturne" released on Savoy 743 in May 1950, B-Side of "New Orleans Shuffle."

"Freight Train Boogie" was recorded in Chicago on June 20th 1950. Personnel: Johnny Otis Orchestra: probably - Don Johnson, Lee Graves, Hosea Sapp (trumpets); George Washington (trombone); Lorenzo Holden, James Von Streeter (tenor saxes) Walter Henry (alto, baritone saxes); Johnny Otis (vibraphone); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums).

"Freight Train Boogie" released on Regent 1021 (b/w "Good Time Blues" vocal Redd Lyte) in August 1950.

"Mambo Boogie" was recorded in Los Angeles on January 10th 1951. Personnel - Johnny Otis Orchestra: Don Johnson (trumpet); George Washington (trombone); Walter Henry (alto sax); Lorenzo Holden, James Von Streeter (tenor saxes); Johnny Otis (vibes); Devonia Williams (piano); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums).

"Mambo Boogie" was released on Savoy 777 as the B-Side of "Gee Baby" (vocal - Mel Walker) in February 1951.

"All Nite Long" and "Honky Tonk Boogie" were recorded in New York City on March 19th and March 21st respectively, 1951. Personnel - Johnny Otis Orchestra: probably - Don Johnson (trumpet); George Washington (trombone); Earl Warren (alto sax); Lorenzo Holden (tenor sax); Walter Henry (alto and baritone sax); Devonia Williams (piano); Johnny Otis (vibes, percussion); Pete Lewis (guitar); Mario Delagarde (bass); Leard Bell (drums); vocal: Johnny Otis, George Washington and the band.

The March 21st session was the last Johnny Otis Orchestra session for Savoy.

"All Nite Long" was released on Savoy 788 b/w "New Love" (vocal - Mel Walker) in July 1951.

"Honky Tonk Boogie" was first released on Savoy LP SJL 2230 "The Original Johnny Otis Show" in 1978.

Elsewhere on the blog:

Head Hunter / Cool And Easy

El Enmascarado's rips from a 78 rpm Johnny Otis disc. Includes added James Von Streeter and Big Jay McNeely tracks plus plenty of background info / speculation. Check it out.

More Johnny Otis coming soon!

Safronia B – Calvin Boze and his All-Stars

Scan courtesy Joan K

Recorded on January 13th, 1950, in Los Angeles. Personnel include Calvin Boze (trumpet and vocal), Maxwell Davis (tenor sax), and possibly Marshall Royal (alto sax), Don Wilkerson (tenor sax) and Willard McDaniel (piano).

Listen to “Safronia B” here:



Released on Aladdin 3055, b/w “Angel City Blues” in May, 1950. In Billboard, 10th June 1950, the record reached number nine in the most played juke box rhythm & blues records chart. It failed to appear in the record sales chart. By the following week “Safronia B” had dropped out of the juke box chart. This was in fact the only chart appearance by any Calvin Boze recording.

Scan courtesy Joan K

Nevertheless, it’s a fine catchy jump blues which has stood the test of time. It was included in two of the best CD compilations of Aladdin material: “The Aladdin Records Story” and “Jumpin’ Like Mad – Cool Cats & Hip Chicks.” It also appeared on the two vinyl Calvin Boze collections – “Havin’ A Ball” and “Choo Choo’s Bringing My Baby Home.”

2 CD comp presented as a mini-78 rpm album

Well worn copy of classic 2CD set compiled by Billy Vera

However, this wasn’t the first version of “Safronia B” recorded by Calvin. In 1946 he sang on “Saffronia Bee” with the Marvin Johnson Orchestra on the small G&G label. He was billed as “Calvin Boaz” on the disc. The song itself is in some ways a throwback to the swing era with phrases like “I’se a muggin’” and “Shoot the liquor to me John boy,” both of which refer to 1930’s hits. The 1950 Aladdin version is very much a Louis Jordan style jump blues with a romping backing arranged by Maxwell Davis who manages to get a sly quote from “Buttons and Bows” into his sax break.



Aladdin's big seller - Amos Milburn gets promotion in Billboard, June 1950

For decades Calvin Boze remained a somewhat mysterious figure to fans of jump blues, with the date and place of his birth being unknown and his musical career suddenly stopping in 1952. A lot more is now known about his background and you’ll be able to catch up on more about Calvin in a soon-to-appear post. Stay tuned!

So what else was happening in the R&B charts in June, 1950? “Safronia B” may have had only the most fleeting appearance amongst the platters that mattered back then, but I’ve compiled a little playlist based on the real “stayers” in the R&B charts that month.

First up is the top selling R&B record of 1950 – “Pink Champagne” by Joe Liggins on Specialty Records. Easily the top selling R&B act of the year was the Johnny Otis Revue on Savoy, thanks to his sensational female vocalist Little Esther. Three of her smashes are in the June playlist – “Double Crossing Blues,” on which she was accompanied by The Robins, and “Cupid’s Boogie” and “Mistrustin’ Blues,” both of which were duets with Mel Walker.

Scan courtesy Joan K

There was more hot jump action from Tiny Bradshaw on King with “Well Oh Well” and two classic blues tracks also sold very well at this time – Lowell Fulson (with the Lloyd Glenn band) on Swing Time with “Every Day I Have The Blues” and Roy Brown’s “Hard Luck Blues” on De Luxe which crashed straight into the charts at number six towards the end of the month. Of interest to those of us who like jazz flavoured R&B is an advert in Billboard from June 1950 in which Prestige Records attempt to market jazz sides as rhythm and blues. Among the discs billed as “America’s newest - hottest rhythm - blues records” are sides by James Moody, Stan Getz, Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons and Wardell Gray.

Anyway whether you’re an R&B fan or a jazzer, or preferably both at the same time, here’s the playlist for June 1950. Keep checking back for more on Calvin Boze!