Joan Selects, Volume 19 - Joan Gets Silly

And now the end is near … Joan regales us with 31 tracks of rock and roll weirdness ranging from our rousingly raucous blog theme tune, “Bebop Wino," to an incredible demolition of “Unchained Melody.” Food, nonsense lyrics, cod exotica, clothes, and the good lord alone knows what else are thrown into the mix in the frantic quest for that potential motherlode, the novelty hit. Pin back your ears and switch your brains into neutral as Joan takes us on a tour of trash. Over to you, Joanie!

As the Joan Selects series nears the grand finale, Volume 19 takes a light and frivolous look at the world of music in the1950's with some of the fun songs that were issued. Leading off is “Purple Stew”, a record credited in bold type to Thurston Harris, but in actuality, Rufus Hunter and the Masters, released on Los Angeles's Aladdin label. “Unchained Melody” by Vito and the Salutations, is an up-tempo doowop send up of one of those recurring syrupy 1950's ballads. It truthfully never sounded better. It was featured in the film "Goodfellas".

Mr. Rhythm, Andre Williams, from Detroit Michigan, contributes to Joan Selects Volume 19, with a nonsensical monologue, "Pass The Biscuits, Please" for the Fortune label. The Chips "Rubber Biscuit" often imitated, was one of those vocal workout songs that groups could show off in sing-offs. There's another later in this volume "Shombalor" by Sherrif and the Revels. An interesting aspect of the Marquees’ "Hey Little Schoolgirl" is that the session (both sides) was directed by one Ellas McDaniels, better known as Bo Diddley.

Some say that “Silly Dilly” by the Pentagons, is the worst doowop record ever recorded. I like it and therefore am including it here for your judgment. Little Anthony and the Imperials "Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop" is very typical of the amazing vocal range of lead singer "Little Anthony" Gourdine. Richard Berry's original version of “Louie Louie” is the fountainhead from which all versions of this song derive. I still like his the best. Berry recorded this for Los Angeles's Flip Label.

A couple of songs here in Joan Selects, Volume 19 feature the song within a song device: “Dedicated (To the Songs I Love)” by the Three Friends and Nino and the Ebbtides: "Jukebox Saturday Night" - I have also included the Belmonts’ fabulous tribute to doowop music called "Street Corner Symphony".

The Spaniels sort of combined adages into a doowop song, in their "Play It Cool", using advertising of wines/cigarettes, etc. to make a funny medley. Other nonsensical subject matters are dealt with on this compilation: myth and lore in both “Rip Van Winkle” by The Devotions and in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by the Monotones, “Western Movies” - the Olympics, and of course the Cello's “Be Bop Mouse”. Joan hasn't totally lost it in this set of selections, just having some fun with some light and meaningless 1950's nonsense. What's your favorite?
Thanks again Joan for this unforgettable mix!

Ripped from vinyl except for one very scratched record which had to be replaced quickly from a bootleg CD. Can you spot which track? And thanks to Joan not only for these sounds but also for the folder of 27 label shots.

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Joan Selects Volume 19

01 Rufus Hunter and the Masters - Purple Stew - Aladdin 45-3440
02 The Halos - Nag - 7 Arts S 709
03 Vito and the Salutations - Unchained Melody - Herald H-583
04 Andre Williams - Pass The Biscuits Please - Fortune 839X
05 The Lamplighters - Be Bop Wino - Federal 45-12152
06 The Chips - Rubber Biscuit - Josie 45-803
07 The Marcels - Friendly Loans - Colpix CP 651
08 The Marquees - Hey Little School Girl - Okeh 4-7096
09 The Pentagons - Silly Dilly - Specialty 644
10 The Imperials - Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop - End 1060
11 Richard Berry and the Pharoes - Louie, Louie - Flip 45-321
12 The Chalets - Fat - Fat - Fat! Mom - Mi - O - True-Lite 1001
13 The Chandeliers - Dancing In The Congo - Angle Tone 529-3
14 The Monotones - The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow - Argo 5321
15 The Spaniels - Play It Cool - Vee Jay VJ-1116
16 The Stereos - I Really Love You - Cub K9095
17 The Fascinators - Fried Chicken & Macaroni - Capitol 45-CL-15062
18 The Three Friends - Dedicated (To The Songs I Love) - Imperial X5763
19 The Cellos - The Be-Bop Mouse - Apollo 516-45
20 The Belmonts – Street Corner Symphony
21 Sheriff and the Revels - Shomblor - Vee Jay VJ 306
22 Rick and The Keens - Peanuts - Le Cam 721
23 12 Year Old Richard Lanham - On Your Radio - Acme 45-A-712
24 The Devotions - Rip Van Winkle - Roulette R-4541
25 Nino and The Ebb Tides - Jukebox Saturday Night - Madison M166
26 The Olympics - Western Movies - Demon FF-1508
27 The Delroys - Bermuda Shorts - Apollo 514
28 The Dandeliers - Chop Chop Boom - States 147
29 The Savoys - Yacka Hoom Boom - Combo 75
30 The Capris - Morse Code Of Love - Ambient Sound 02697
31 The Visuals - The Submarine Race - Popular #115

Joan Selects, Volume 18 – Joan’s New Orleans Jazz Fest Special

(This post originally appeared on the old Bebopwino on April 3rd 2009.) The best yet! I’m not going to say anything except that this selection had me bouncing around the house and almost weeping with pleasure as rhythmic delight after rhythmic delight boomed out of my hi-fi. Over to Joan:

It is one of those unintended confluences that Joan Selects, Volume 18 - Joan's Jazz Fest Special appears just several weeks from the start of the 40th annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival www.nojazzfest.com/. You can thank your blog host for the great timing for this post.

All the music in Joan Selects - Volume 18, emanates from the musical gold-mine that is New Orleans. In fact most all the selections here-in presented were recorded at the legendary J & M recording studios under the astute and gifted direction of Cosimo Matassa.

America's sweethearts, Shirley and Lee lead off Volume 18, with a song that's been recorded in various forms by a whole host of artists, Let The Good Times Roll (Laisse Les Bons Temps Rouler) for the Mesners’ Aladdin record company.

A New Orleans slant on an old 1930's blues theme Stagger Lee, is provided by Archibald (Leon Gross) for Lou Chudd's Imperial Label. Imperial and Aladdin made heavy use of New Orleans artists through out the late 1940's and 1950's.

James "Sugarboy" Crawford, with Snooks Eaglin on guitar, provides one of two Mardi Gras standards - "Jock-A-Mo", recorded for the Checker Label. Producer and band leader Dave Bartholomew, in addition to the other artists he produced and orchestrated, chipped in with occasional recordings of his own - two of which are presented here: "Who Drank My Beer While I Was In The Rear" on Imperial and the privately recorded "Good Jax Boogie" actually an early 1950's advertisement for the Jackson Brewery's main beer: Jax Beer.

The luminary Roland Byrd, more commonly known as Professor Longhair is rep-resented by three selections, here spanning from the earliest for the Mercury recording label: "Bald Head", to the other of the Mardi Gras staples herein presented "Going To The Mardi Gras" and finally the amazingly complex hand stretching piano workout from Professor Longhair, on the Watch Label, "Big Chief, Parts One and Two".

The immensely gifted Aaron Neville is included here with a magical ballad "Every Day" recorded on the Minit Label. Neville's vocal dexterity must be heard to be believed, as he closes out Jazz Fest annually with Amazing Grace.

Several (certainly not enough, in my estimation) zydeco selections are included in volume 18, Clifton Chenier's "Ay-Tete-Fee" (Et Petite Fille) from Art Rupe's Specialty marque is a hard moving accordion based beauty of a song, and from Louisiana's home grown Goldband label comes Cleveland Crochet with "Sugarbee" featuring the vocals of Jay Stutes.

Speaking of vocals New Orleans balladeer Johnny Adams is also a mandatory Volume 18 selection, with his huge hit: "I Won't Cry". New Orleans Doo Wop groups - Chuck Carbo and the Spiders, Bobby Mitchell and The Toppers, and the Pelicans are included (all from the Imperial label).

And of course, Antoine “Fats” Domino, who embodies New Orleans and the 9th Ward, where he continued to live right up until Hurricane Katrina, is represented with one of his major Imperial hits: "I'm Walkin".

Hope that these representative 33 cuts impart some sense of the gifted and multi-talented musicians from New Orleans = The Music City!
Thank you, Joan, for an outstanding selection of New Orleans music and also for a folder of 31 (!) label scans.

Ripped from vinyl at mostly 128 kbps.

Download from here:

http://www13.zippyshare.com/v/R8ExHKEw/file.html

01 Shirley and Lee - Let The Good Times Roll - Aladdin 45-3325
02 Huey Smith and the Clowns - Having A Good Time - Ace 548
03 Earl King - Those Lonely, Lonely Nights - Ace 509
04 Archibald - Stack-a-Lee, Pts. 1 & 2 - Imperial x5358
05 Sugarboy - Jock-A-Mo - Checker 787
06 Wee Willie Wayne - Travellin' Mood - Imperial X5355
07 Paul Gayten - The Music Goes Around and Around - Argo 5257
08 The Hawkettes - Mardi Gras Mambo - Chess 1591
09 Dave Bartholomew - Who Drank My Beer While I Was In the Rear - Imperial 5210
10 Bobby Mitchell and the Toppers - 4 - 11 = 44 - Imperial 45-4250
11 Roy Byrd - Bald Head - Mercury 8175-X45
12 Eddie Bo - We Like Mambo - Ace 515
13 Larry Darnell - For You My Love - Regal 3240 (11/1949)
14 Fats Domino - I'm Walkin' - Imperial 5428
15 Chris Kenner - Sick and Tired - Imperial X5448
16 Jewel King - 3 x 7 = 21 - Imperial 5055 (3/1950)
17 Professor Longhair - Going to The Mardi Gras - Ron 329
18 Dave Bartholomew - Good Jax Boogie - JAX 1-2
19 Johnny Fuller - Sister Jenny - Imperial X5382
20 Frankie Ford - Roberta - Ace 554
21 The Spiders - Witchcraft - Imperial X5366
22 Aaron Neville - Every Day - Minit 612
23 Bobby Charles - Put Your Arms Around Me Honey - Chess 1647
24 Clifton Chenier - Ay-Tete-Fee - Specialty XSP-552-45
25 Johnny Adams - I Won't Cry - Ric 961 RIC
26 Smiley Lewis - Shame, Shame, Shame - Imperial X5418
27 Roland Cook - I've Got A Girl -
29 The Pelicans - Chimes - Imperial x5307
30 Lee Allen - Rockin' At Cosimo's - Aladdin 45-3334
31 Cleveland Crochet - Sugarbee - Goldband S-1055
32 Rod Bernard - This Should Go On Forever - Jin 45-101
33 Professor Longhair - Big Chief 1 and 2 - Watch 45-1900

Joan Selects, Volume 17 – Joanie

We’re at volume 17 of Joan’s unmissable series of vinyl rips, with doowop once more to the fore. Joan promised 20 volumes, so the end of “Joan Selects” is looming on the horizon. My own personal favourite from this selection has to be “Ooo Wee Baby” by the Ivy Tones, but move over Rover, let Joanie take over:

The Joan Selects series visits the world of rare and unreleased group harmonies one final time. Highlights in this volume include the exceedingly rare "Sitting By My Window" by the Five Tinos, one of a very precious few doo wop groups recorded by Sun Records, the other of more widespread note being the Prisonaires. Both the Diadems and the El Capris records emanate from the late 1950s from the Pittsburg, Pennsylvania music scene while from across the state, the unbelievably smooth and polished Lee Andrews and the Hearts recorded "Show Me The Meringue" for the Philadelphia based Gotham label.

Bill Gordon and the Colonials "Two Loves Have I' Served as one of the very first singles to be issued on George Goldner’s Gee Label, and saw the label with a very uncommon yellow and green color format. Much more common for the Gee Label was the red paper with black print. The legendary Bobby Mansfield and the Wrens are represented here with the unreleased "Wreckless". The Maples (Blue Lake), the Cabineers (Prestige) and the four Shades of Rhythm (Old Swingmaster) harken back to the early days of group harmony as can clearly be heard on the tracks.

The Jets "Gomen Nasai" a highly polished and well produced effort, was released by the Mesner Brothers on the short lived Aladdin subsidary 7 - 11. Of special note in this volume is an acapella masterpiece by Leroy Griffin and the Nutmegs called "Down In Mexico", not to be missed.
Thank you Joan for yet another outstanding collection!

Ripped from vinyl at varying bitrates, mostly 128 kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download from here:

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01 The Tops - An Innocent Kiss - Singular 712
02 The El Capris - Dance All Night - Fee Bee FB-216
03 The Re-vels - False Alarm. - Chess 1708
04 Lee Andrews and the Hearts - Show Me The Meringue - Gotham G-318
05 The Minors - Jerry - Celeste 3007
06 The Crescents - Everybody Knew But Me - JoYce 102
07 Bill "Bass" Gordon and His Colonials - Two Loves Have I - Gee GG-12
08 The Five Discs - Never Let You Go - Cheer 1000
09 Richie and the Royals - And When I'm Near You - Rello RST-1
10 The Superiors - Don't Say Goodbye - Main Line M-104B
11 The Diadems - Why Don't You Believe Me - Star 514
12 The Five Tinos - Sitting By My Window - Sun 222
13 The Jets - Gomen Nasai- 1953 - 7-11 2102
14 The Victorians - Please Say You Do - Selma 1002
15 The Gaynotes - Plea Of Love - Zynn 504
16 The Wrens - Wreckless Rama (unreleased)
17 The Tempotones - Ride Along - Acme 713
18 The Rockers - Count Every Star - Carter 3029
19 The Versatiles - Cold feet
20 The Bay Bops - Joanie - Coral 61975
21 The Nutmegs - Down In Mexico - Relic 528A
22 The Orchids - Oh Why - King 45-4661
23 The Ivy Tones - Ooo Wee Baby - RT 105
24 The Five Echoes - Tastee Freeze - Veel Jay VJ 156
25 The Keystoners - Magic kiss - G&M 102
26 The Cabineers - Whirlpool - Abbey 3003 (1949)
27 The Maples - I Must Forget You - Blue Lake 111
28 The Jets - Drag It Home Baby - 1953 - Rainbow 201
29 The Victorians - Heartbreaking Moon - Saxony 103
30 The Four Shades Of Rhythm - Baby I'm Gone - Old Swingmaster 13

Joan Selects, Volume 16 - More Answers and Sequels

Joan presents a follow-up to her previous volume on answer records (Volume 12), or is this an answer compilation to the previous answer compilation? Send your answers via the comments section, please. And it’s over to Joan …

Volume 16 of the Joan Selects series represents a second and final visit to the world of sequels and answer songs. There were several long sequences that at the time seemed to extend for years - the "Annie-Henry" series, a good natured banter between Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and Etta James and Her Peaches, not visited here, and the "Daughter" sequence, which is sampled in this Joan Selects. It was instigated by Ruth Brown with her giant R&B hit for Atlantic in the early '50s with "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean" - The size of sales of this record kicked off a sequence of "answer songs" from the likes of Wynonie Harris and the Five Keys, both represented here.

The theme of sexual prowess was the veiled subject matter of the Dominoes when they recorded Sixty Minute Man for Cincinnati's Federal Records in 1951, and then saw various of the early 1950's doo wop groups chime in with their sequels - one of which (The Du-Droppers - I Can't Do Sixty No More for Bobby Robinson's Red Robin marque) is included here along with the original Dominoes recording.

Some very interesting "follow-ups" or sequels are included here ..., most of which sold poorly. It's worth noting that several of the noted blues men of the 1940's (Lonnie Johnson) and 1950's (Slim Harpo and Big John Greer) got into the act, and are represented here. Several high quality doo wop originals and follow-ups are here as well - "Everybody's Laughing" by Vee-Jay's Spaniels and "I Laughed" by the Jesters, and The Genie's "Who's That Knocking" and the answer "It's Me Knocking" by Jeanie and Her Boyfriends. The Bobbettes are here twice as they answered Chris Kenner's early 1960's New Orleans hit "I Like It Like That, Part 1" with their own "I Don't Like It Like That" and they "answered" their own biggest hit "Mr. Lee" with "I Shot Mr Lee".
Ripped from crackling vinyl at various bitrates. Password = greaseyspoon.

The download includes thirty label shots to die for. Thanks for everything Joan!

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Joan Selects Volume 16 - More Answers And Sequels


01 Little Caesar and the Romans - Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me Of You) - Del-Fi 4158
02 Little Caesar and the Romans - Memories of Those Oldies But Goodies - Del-Fi 4166
03 Slim Harpo - I'm A King Bee - Excello 45-2113
04 Slim Harpo - Little Queen Bee - Excello 45-2246
05 Billy Ward & The Dominoes - Sixty Minute Man - Federal 45-12022-AA
06 The Du Droppers - I Can't Do Sixty No More - Red Robin 108-X45
07 Hank Ballard and the Midnighters - Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go - King 45-5400
08 Hank Ballard and the Midnighters - Let's Go Again (Where We Went Last Night) - King 45-5459
09 The Silhouettes - Get A Job - Junior 391
10 The Heartbeats - I Found A Job - Roulette R-4054
11 The Miracles - Got A Job - End E-1016
12 Ruth Brown - Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean - Atlantic 45-986
13 The Five Keys - Mama, Your Daughter's Told A Lie On Me - Aladdin - 3175
14 Wynonie Harris - Mama, Your Daughter's Done Lied On Me - King
15 J B Lenoir - What About Your Daughter - Checker 874
16 The Spaniels - Everybody's Laughing - Vee Jay VJ 246
17 The Jesters - I Laughed - Cyclone 5011B
18 Chris Kenner - I Like It Like That, Part 1 - Instant VR-3229
19 The Bobettes - I Don't Like It Like That - Gone 5112
20 Lonnie Johnson - Tomorrow Night - King 45-4758
21 Lonnie Johnson - Will You Remember (The Answer to "Tomorrow Night") - Rama RR-14
22 Chuck Berry - Maybelline - Chess 1604
23 Big John Greer - Come Back Maybelline – Groove 46-0119
24 Johnny Otis - Willie and the Hand Jive - Capitol F3966
25 Johnny Otis - Hand Jive One More Time -
26 The Tune Weavers - Happy, Happy Birthday Baby - Casa Grande 4037-45
27 The Tune Weavers - My Congratulations Baby - Casa Grande 3038
28 The Tune Weavers - Congratulations On Your Birthday - Checker 1007
29 The Orioles - Crying In The Chapel - Jubilee 45-5122
30 Sonny Till & The Orioles - Back To The Chapel - Charlie Parker 213
31 The Capris - There's a Moon Out Tonight - Trommers TR-101
32 The Capris - There's A Moon Out Again - Ambient Sound 02697
33 The Safaris - Image Of A Girl - Eldo 101
34 The Safaris - My Image Of A Girl Was You -
35 The Earls - Remember Then - Old Town 1130
36 The Earls - Remember Me Baby - Old Town 1181
37 The Genies - Who's That Knocking - Shad 5002
38 Jeanie and Her Boyfriends – It’s Me Knocking - Warwick 508
39 The Bobettes - Mr. Lee - Atlantic 45-1144
40 The Bobettes - I Shot Mr. Lee - Triple-X 104