The Spiders - 2LPs Re-upped

Side 1:
01. I Didn't Want To Do It
02. You're The One
03. I'm Slippin' In
04. Mmm Mmm Baby
05. Walkin' Around In Circles
06. I'm Searching

Side 2:
01. That's Enough
02. Sukey, Sukey, Sukey
03. Am I The One
04. Don't Knock
05. (True) You Don't Love Me
06. Witchcraft

Download "I Didn't Wanna Do It" from here:

http://www8.zippyshare.com/v/oVHoDWSq/file.html

Side A:

01. Don't Pity Me

02. How I Feel

03. Bells In My Heart

04. For A Thrill

05. Lost And Bewildered

06. The Real Thing

07. Honey Bee

Side B:

01. That's The Way To Win My Heart

02. Goodbye

03. I'll Stop Crying

04. Tears Began To Flow

05. Dear Mary

06. A1 In My Heart

07. You Played The Part

Download "The Best Of The Spiders" from here:

http://www103.zippyshare.com/v/jgrUOGlJ/file.html

I've reposted the two Spiders' LPs in response to a request for a re-up of the 1961 Imperial LP "I Didn't Wanna Do It." The version posted on Be Bop Wino is a "reconstruction" of the original LP from vinyl rips sent in by Joan, so the version of "Mmm Mmm Baby" here is the original 1954 single release track (Imperial 5305), instead of the second hitherto unreleased version  (also recorded in 1954) which was used on the LP. Both versions can be found on YouTube.

For "The Best Of The Spiders Volume 1" I've added new cover and label scans. I've also run the tracks from both LPs through MP3 Gain to increase and normalize the volume.

There is no duplication of tracks between these LPs, so you get 26 primo sides by the number one vocal group in New Orleans, recorded between the beginning of 1954 and the end of 1956. "I Didn't Want To Do It", "You're The One", "I'm Slippin' In", "21", and "Witchcraft" were all top ten R&B chart entries. For the full story of The Spiders go over to Marv Goldberg's web site here:

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Spiders/spiders.html

"I Didn't Wanna Do It" was posted on Be Bop Wino on 19th March 2010. You can find the post here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/spiders-i-didnt-want-to-do-it-imperial.html

"The Best Of The Spiders Volume 1" was originally posted on 22nd March 2010. That post is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/best-of-spiders-volume-1.html

I see by the short review I wrote of the LP that I was really enthusiastic about it, singing the praises of Chuck Carbo's performance on the bluesy sax-laden "You Played The Part."

"I Didn't Wanna Do It" was ripped at 128 kbps and "The Best Of The Spiders" was ripped from a scratched bootleg LP, so the tracks aren't very Hi in the Fi, but nevertheless they demand attention!

Bobby 'Blue' Bland - Woke Up Screaming!

Side One:
01. No Blow No Show
02. Wise Man Blues
03. Army Blues
04. Lost Lover Blues
05. It's My Life Baby
06. Honey Bee
07. Time Out
08. Little Boy Blue

Side Two:
01. Woke Up Screaming
02. You've Got Bad Intentions
03. I Can't Put You Down Baby
04. I Smell Trouble
05. Don't Want No Woman
06. I Don't Believe
07. I Learned My Lesson
08. Farther Up The Road

Download from here:

http://www10.zippyshare.com/v/6K0VS738/file.html

"Woke Up Screaming" indeed! This 1981 Ace  compilation of Bobby Bland's early sides for Duke Records is a good follow up to the previous post of Little Junior Parker's early Duke sides. Like Parker, Bobby Bland had a rural upbringing before he moved to Memphis in the late 1940s and again like Parker his early musical involvement was with gospel music before becoming involved with the loose aggregation of blues musicians who would become known as the Beale Streeters.

Bobby's first record, "Crying" / "A Letter From A Trench In Korea" was produced by Sam Phillips at his studio on Union Avenue, Memphis, in early December 1951 and released on Chess 1489 credited to Robert Bland with Roscoe (sic) Gordon and his Orchestra. A month later Bobby recorded four sides in Memphis under the supervision of Ike Turner for release on the Bihari brothers Modern label - "Crying All Night" / "Dry Up Baby" (Modern 848) and "Good Lovin'" / "Drifting From Town To Town" (Modern 868), both discs being credited to Robert Bland.

A few months after these sessions, a new record label appeared on the Memphis scene. Duke Records was the creation of Memphis radio station WDIA program director David James Mattis who set about recording blues records by the musicians associated with the Beale Streeters. Early releases on the label included sides by Johnny Ace, Rosco Gordon, Earl Forest and Bobby "Blue" Bland, as he was now billed.

Bobby's first release on Duke was "Lovin' Blues" / "IOU Blues" (Duke 105), recorded in July 1952 but not released until November of that year, by which time Bobby had been called up for military service and James Mattis had lost control of Duke to Houston entrepreneur Don Robey.

While on leave in August 1952, Bobby recorded a second disc in Memphis "Army Blues" / "No Blow, No Show" (Duke 115) which was not released until October 1953. These were Bobby's last recordings until he left the military in 1955 when he signed on again with Duke Records which was now based in Houston.

Problems had arrived quickly for Mattis and his Duke label as he lacked experience in the ruthless cut and thrust of the recording business. One of his earliest releases (June 1952), "My Song" by Johnny Ace with The Beale Streeters, started to sell big, causing Mattis to pour more money into manufacturing more records to meet demand, while the distribution firms sat on the money brought in by sales. Duke was under capitalized and by July 1952 was facing financial ruin when Mattis turned to Houston night club owner and owner of Peacock Records, Don Robey, a man with a "robust" approach to business dealings.

Robey came up with the necessary cash to keep Duke going, but his help came at a price to Mattis who thought he was acquiring a partner but soon found that he had in fact been taken over. In November 1952 Mattis was definitively out, and Robey was the sole owner of Duke whose recording operations were moved to Houston, which turned out to be good news for Bobby Bland.

Robey may have been a ruthless business dealer, but he ran a highly professional music operation. When Bland resumed his recording career in February 1955 it was with a crack studio band led by Bill Harvey. The four tracks laid down ("Lost Lover Blues", "It's My Life Baby", "Honey Boy" and "Time Out") also featured the blues guitar of Roy Gaines.

The early Memphis recordings on Duke were primitive compared to the later Houston sides. This can be heard to good effect on another Ace LP "Earl Forest featuring The Beale Streeters with Bobby Bland and Johnny Ace", which includes Bobby Bland's first Duke single "Lovin' Blues" / "IOU Blues". The earliest sides on the compilation can make for tough listening but the later sides are recorded to a much higher standard. You can download the LP from the Blues Years blog here:

http://thebluesyears.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/the-beale-streeters-with-bobby-bland.html

Sometime in 1956 Roy Gaines left the Bill Harvey Orchestra for Chuck Willis but Harvey replaced him with the equally effective Clarence Holliman whose guitar licks feature heavily on many of Bobby's sides from the second half of the 1950s.

Mention must also be made of Joe Scott, trumpet player and arranger who was behind the developing sound of the Bobby "Blue" Bland records. This was a sound that started out as blues but was already becoming soul music before the 1950s were finished. "Little Boy Blue" from 1958 is as soulful as you can get - a gospel influenced blues ballad pleader with perhaps even a hint of country around it, which builds to a screaming, testifying climax. It was a hit (number 11 R&B) as was "Farther Up The Road" which reached number 5 in the R&B charts in 1957.

These are the only hits on this compilation, for Bobby's years of real chart success lay a few years in the future in the 1960s with tracks such as "I Pity The Fool", "Cry, Cry, Cry" and "Turn On Your Love Light", to name but a few.

"Woke Up Screaming" - Ace CH 41, 1981. Mastered by Bob Jones. Cover art by Waldo's. Sleeve-notes by Ray Topping.

These are the facts on the tracks, Mac:

01. No Blow No Show - Duke 115, recorded in Memphis, circa August 1952

02. Wise Man Blues - not issued, recorded in Memphis, circa August 1952

03. Army Blues - Duke 115, recorded in Memphis, circa August 1952

04. Lost Lover Blues - not issued, recorded in Houston, February 22nd or 26th, 1955

05. It's My Life Baby - Duke 141, recorded in Houston, February 22nd or 26th, 1955

06. Honey Bee - not issued, recorded in Houston, February 22nd or 26th, 1955

07. Time Out - Duke 141, recorded Houston, February 22nd or 26th, 1955

08. Little Boy Blue - Duke 196, recorded in Houston, 1958

09. Woke Up Screaming - Duke 146, recorded in Houston, 1955

10. You've Got Bad Intentions - Duke 153 - recorded in Houston, 1956

11. I Can't Put You Down Baby - Duke 153 - recorded in Houston, 1956

12. I Smell Trouble - Duke 167 - recorded in Houston, 1957

13. Don't Want No Woman - Duke 167 - recorded in Houston, 1957

14. I Don't Believe - Duke 160 - recorded in Houston, 1956

15. I Learned My Lesson - Duke 160 - recorded in Houston, 1956

16. Farther Up The Road - Duke 170 - recorded in Houston, 1957

Release information

Army Blues / No Blow, No Show - Duke 115 - "Bobby Blue" Bland and Orchestra. Released in October 1953.

It's My Life, Baby / Time Out - Duke 141 - Bobby Blue Bland w Bill Harvey Orchestra. Released in May 1955

Woke Up Screaming / You Or None - Duke 146 - Bobby Bland w Bill Harvey Orchestra. Released in September 1955

You've Got Bad Intentions / I Can't Put You Down, Baby - Duke 153 - Bobby "Blue" Bland w Bill Harvey's Band. Released in June 1956

I Don't Believe / I Learned My Lesson - Duke 160 - Bobby "Blue" Bland w Bill Harvey's Band. Released in November 1956

I Smell Trouble / Don't Want No Woman - Duke 167 - Bobby "Blue" Bland w Bill Harvey Orchestra. Released in March 1957

Above: Billboard ad, April 1957. Not much chart action, though label mate Little Junior Parker hit big at this time with "Next Time You See Me".

Sometimes Tomorrow / Farther Up The Road - Duke 170 - Bobby "Blue" Bland w Bill Harvey Orchestra. Released in July 1957. "Farther Up The Road" peaked at number 5 in the Billboard R&B bestsellers chart in early September 1957

Little Boy Blue / Last Night - Duke 196 - Bobby "Blue" Bland. Released in July (?) 1958. Number 11 in Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart in October 1958

For further listening there are two CDs available on Ace:

Above: "The Blues Years: 1952 - 1959" Ace CDCHD 302. Covers the period of "Woke Up Screaming" but more completely. 25 tracks.

Above: "The Voice" Ace CDCHD 323. The big ones from the 1960s on Duke. 26 tracks including "I Pity The Fool", "Don't Cry No More", "Stormy Monday Blues", Yield Not To Temptation", etc. The hits are all here!

Little Junior Parker And The Blue Flames - I Wanna Ramble

Side One:
01. I Wanna Ramble
02. Please Baby Blues
03. Dirty Friend Blues
04. Can't Understand
05. Sittin' Drinkin' And Thinkin'*
06. Driving Me Mad
07. I'm Tender
08. Pretty Baby

Side Two:
01. Sweet Home Chicago
02. 5 Long Years**
03. Can You Tell Me Baby
04. Backtracking
05. There Better Be No Feet (In Them Shoes)***
06. Mother-In-Law Blues
07. That's Alright
08. Pretty Baby (version 2)

* Track 5 was identified wrongly by Ace. It is NOT "Sittin' Drinkin' And Thinkin'" (A Side of "Please Baby Blues"). This track is "Sitting And Thinking", which was the B Side of "Wondering."

** Track 10 (Side 2 track 2) - the  title on the original single release is "Five Long Years".

** Track 13 (Side 2 track 5) was wrongly titled on this LP. The title on the original single release was "There Better Not Be No Feet (In Them Shoes)".

An early Ace (UK) LP from 1982 of 1950s sides recorded by Little Junior Parker for Duke Records, Houston. As you can see from the notes above there were some errors in the compilation. Unfortunately I've tagged the tracks as they were listed on the LP sleeve, so sticklers for accuracy will have to change the tags after downloading. There are are a few clicks and pops on this album but they shouldn't prevent you from enjoying a terrific record.

Download from here:

I Wanna Ramble (Mega)

Facts on the tracks:

All sides recorded in Houston, Texas

01. I Wanna Ramble - Duke 137, recorded 10th June 1954.
02. Please Baby Blues - Duke 127, recorded 2nd December 1953.
03. Dirty Friend Blues - Duke 120, recorded 2nd December 1953.
04. Can't Understand - Duke 120, recorded 2nd December 1953.
05. Sitting And Thinking - Duke 184, recorded in January 1958.
06. Driving Me Mad - Duke 147, recorded February 22nd - 26th 1955.
07. I'm Tender - Unreleased, recorded February 22nd - 26th 1955.
08. Pretty Baby - 1st version, unreleased, recorded February 22nd - 26th 1955.
09. Sweet Home Chicago - Duke 301, recorded in January, 1958.
10. Five Long Years - Duke 306, recorded in January, 1958.
11. Can You Tell Me Baby - Unreleased, recorded 10th June, 1954.
12. Backtracking - Duke 137, recorded 10th June, 1954.
13. There Better Not Be No Feet (In Them Shoes) - Duke 147, recorded February 22nd - 26th 1955.
14. Mother-In-Law Blues - Duke 157, recorded 7th May, 1956.
15. That's Alright - Duke 168, recorded 11th December, 1956.
16. Pretty Baby (version 2) - Duke 168, recorded 11th December, 1956.

Session details:

Please Baby Blues
Dirty Friend Blues
Can't Understand
- recorded on 2nd December, 1953. Personnel: Little Junior Parker (vocal); unknown saxes; Bill Johnson (piano); Pat Hare (guitar); unknown bass and drums

I Wanna Ramble
Can You Tell Me Baby
Backtracking
- recorded on 10th June, 1954. Personnel: Little Junior Parker (vocal); Jimmy Stewart (trumpet); Joe "Papoose" Fritz (alto sax); Jimmy Johnson (tenor sax); Rayfield Devers (baritone sax); Donnie McGowan (piano); Pat Hare (guitar); Hamp Simmons (bass); Sonny Freeman (drums)

I'm Tender
Pretty Baby (1st version)
Driving Me Mad
There Better Not Be No Feet (In Them Shoes)
- recorded between the 22nd and 26th February, 1955. Personnel: Little Junior Parker (vocal, harmonica); Joe Scott (trumpet); Pluma Davis (trombone); Bill Harvey (alto sax); Rayfield Devers (baritone sax); Connie Mack Booker (piano); Roy Gaines (guitar); Hamp Simmons (bass); Sonny Freeman (drums)

Mother-In-Law Blues
- recorded on 7th May, 1956. Personnel: Little Junior Parker (vocal, harmonica); Connie Mack Booker (piano); Pat Hare (guitar); Hamp Simmons (bass); Sonny Freeman (drums)

That's Alright
Pretty Baby (2nd version)
- recorded on 11th December, 1956. Personnel: Little Junior Parker (vocal, harmonica); Connie Mack Booker (piano); Pat Hare (guitar); Otis Jackson (bass); Sonny Freeman or John "Jabo" Starks (drums)

Sitting And Thinking
Five Long Years
Sweet Home Chicago
- recorded in January, 1958. Personnel: Little Junior Parker (vocal, harmonica) accompanied by unknown brass, reeds, piano, guitar, bass and drums.

Original release details:

Can't Understand / Dirty Friend Blues - released on Duke 120, March, 1954. "Little Junior" Parker w Bill Johnson's Blue Flames.

Please Baby Blues / Sittin' , Drinkin', And Thinkin' - released on Duke 127, June 1954. Little Junior Parker with Bill Johnson Blue Flames.

I Wanna Ramble / Backtracking - released on Duke 137, July 1955. Little Junior Parker w The Blue Flames.

Driving Me Mad / There Better Not Be No Feet (In Them Shoes) - released on Duke 147, October 1955. Little Junior Parker and His Orchestra.

Mother-In-Law Blues / That's My Baby - released on Duke 157, September 1956. Junior Parker and Bill Harvey's Band.

That's Alright / Pretty Baby - released on Duke 168, December 1957. Little Junior Parker and His Combo.

Wondering / Sitting And Thinking - released on Duke 184, April 1958. Little Junior Parker and His Band.

Sweet Home Chicago / Sometimes - released on Duke 301, November 1958. Little Junior Parker And His Band.

Five Long Years / I'm Holding On - released on Duke 306, April 1959. Little Junior Parker And His Band.

A native of West Memphis, Arkansas, Herman Parker Jr, aka Little Junior Parker was born in 1927. He had a hard upbringing on a farm. His first musical interest was gospel - at a young age he sang with a quartet and was influenced by the Swan Silvertones and the Staples Singers. In his teens he came under the influence of Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) for whose band he played harmonica. When Sonny Boy moved out of the West Memphis area, Parker started playing with Howlin' Wolf. At the beginning of the 1950's he was associated with the informal Memphis group of young musicians known as the Beale Streeters whose shifting personnel also included Bobby "Blue" Bland, B.B. King, Earl Forrest, Johnny Ace and Rosco Gordon.

Parker's first recordings were for Modern under the supervision of Ike Turner in early 1952. His first hit record came when he started recording for Sam Phillip's Sun label in 1953."Feelin' Good" was a number 5 R&B hit and the follow up "Love My Baby" / "Mystery Train" was a big influence on Elvis Presley whose version of "Mystery Train" incorporated Pat Hare's guitar riff from "Love My Baby."

In 1954 Junior Parker signed with Don Robey's Houston based Duke Records. The label had started out as a Memphis independent before being taken over by Robey. Despite the move to Houston, Duke continued a strong Memphis connection and Parker's label mates included fellow Beale Streeters Bobby Bland, Johnny Ace, Earl Forrest and Rosco Gordon.

Parker had a string of good sellers on Duke including "Mother-In-Law Blues", "Next Time You See Me", "Sweet Home Chicago" and in 1961 his biggest hit "Driving Wheel." Together with Bobby Bland he toured the chitlin' circuit with a dynamite package show called Blues Consolidated. Although his blues roots went back to Sonny Boy and Howlin' Wolf, his own sound developed into a forward looking, horn laden, gospel drenched modern blues with a strong affinity to soul music. This was the music of the clubs where the black audience gathered and it can be heard to good effect on the classic 1962 LP "Driving Wheel" (Duke LP 76).

Above: CD reissue of the 1962 LP "Driving Wheel". Junior poses in front of his Houston home with a 1960 Cadillac Fleetwood. No "folk blues" type broken-down country shack for our man!

Junior left Duke in 1966 and continued to record for Mercury, Blue Rock, Minit, Capitol, United Artists and Groove Merchant. He died in November 1971 while undergoing an operation for a brain tumor.

Recommended purchase:

Next Time You See Me ... And All The Hits (The Complete Singles 1952 - 1962) - Jasmine 2CD set, 50 tracks. Includes the early Modern and Sun sides, plus those great Duke singles.

Otis Williams and His Charms - 16 Original Greatest Hits

Side 1:
01. Heaven Only Knows
02. Hearts Of Stone
03. Two Hearts
04. Ling Ting Tong
05. Bazoom (I Need Your Love)
06. Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)
07. Whadaya Want?
08. Gum Drop

Side 2:
01. Ivory Tower
02. In Paradise
03. Save Me Save Me
04. That's Your Mistake
05. United
06. Could This Be Magic
07. Little Turtle Dove
08. Panic

Download from here:

Otis Williams and His Charms 16 Greatest Hits (mega)

Track details:

Tracks 1 - 7 released as by "The Charms", other release credits noted beside each track.

01. Heaven Only Knows - Rockin' 516, July 1953; DeLuxe 6000, September 1953
02. Hearts Of Stone - DeLuxe 6062, September 1954
03. Two Hearts - DeLuxe 6065, November 1954
04. Ling Ting Tong - DeLuxe 6076, December 1954
05. Bazoom (I Need Your Lovin') - DeLuxe 6076, December 1954

Above: review in Billboard, 11th December 1954. The Charms were top of the R&B charts that week with "Hearts Of Stone." The Charms were the 9th best selling R&B act in 1954 and "Hearts Of Stone" was the 2nd best selling R&B record of that year, with "Work With Me Annie" by The Midnighters being the year's top R&B seller.

06. Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So) - DeLuxe 6080, January 1955
07. Whadaya Want? - DeLuxe 6080, January 1955
08. Gum Drop - DeLuxe 6090, June 1955, Otis Williams and His New Group
09. Ivory Tower - DeLuxe 6093, March 1956, Otis Williams And His Charms
10. In Paradise - DeLuxe 6093, March 1956, Otis Williams And His Charms
11. Save Me Save Me - DeLuxe 6090, June 1955, Otis Williams and His New Group
12. That's Your Mistake - DeLuxe 6091, January 1956, Otis Williams and His New Group
13. United - DeLuxe 6138, June 1957, Otis Williams And His Charms
14. Could This Be Magic - DeLuxe 6158, December 1957, Otis Williams And His Charms
15. Little Turtle Dove - King 5455, February 1961, Otis Williams And His Charms
16. Panic - King 5527, August 1961, Otis Williams And His Charms

The full story of The Charms, Otis Williams and His New Group, and Otis Williams And His Charms is told on Marv Goldberg's site here:

http://www.uncamarvy.com/Charms/charms.html

This is a re-up of an LP originally posted in January 2008. Cover and label scans are new, as the original cover scans were "incomplete", i.e. they didn't capture the whole front and back covers. While working on the new scans I noticed that the price label was from Saturn-Hansa in Munich - 7.95 Deutschmarks. Them were the days! (Das war Zeiten!)

Original post is here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2008/01/otis-williams-and-his-charms-16_8803.html

Posts will be somewhat shorter for a while as the new academic term has started and I've returned to my studies. Thanks to everyone who has expressed support regarding the rip-off merchants who try to sell material posted on this blog. The fight for truth, justice and the true spirit of rock'n'roll goes on!

Bobby Smith & Orchestra - Jazz At The Apollo

Side 1:
01. Tippin' In
02. Station Break
03. After Hours
04. Bess Boogie
05. Dash Hound Boogie
06. Blue Keys
07. Flip A Coin
08. Cinder Bottom

Side 2:
01. Buffalo Nickel (part 1)
02. Desert Night
03. Danny Boy
04. Skippin' And Hoppin'
05. Night Watch
06. Tread Lightly
07. Lightfoot
08. Don't Shake Those Hips At Me

Download from here:

Jazz At The Apollo (Mega)

Good collection of small group jazz / boogie / jump by alto sax man, composer and arranger Bobby Smith. This was a spin-off project from the Erskine Hawkins big band, the Smith group consisting entirely of Hawkins band members. It wasn't a breakaway group as the musicians continued to play with and record with the parent big band while the small group acted as house band for Apollo Records of New York.

Bobby Smith was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1907. Born into a musical family, he learned piano, drums and saxophone. While on tour with Banjo Bernie's band he found himself stranded in
Florida. This turned out to be a career defining stroke of fortune, for he then joined the Original Sunset Royal Serenaders with whom he stayed for nearly ten years. When trombonist and singer Doc Wheeler took over as band leader the outfit was renamed Doc Wheeler and his Sunset Orchestra under which name the band recorded for the Victor subsidiary label Bluebird in late 1941 / early 1942.

Among the sides recorded were a Bobby Smith / Cat Anderson composition, "How 'Bout That Mess" and a Bobby Smith arrangement of Jesse Stone's "Sorghum Switch", a number which would be revived in the R&B years as "Cole Slaw" by Frank Culley, Louis Jordan and Jesse Stone himself. Also noteworthy is the version of "Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well" recorded by the band in March 1942, more than two years before the Lucky Millinder / Wynonie Harris version.

Somewhere around 1943 or 1944 Bobby moved over to the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra, a much better established band which had enjoyed long residencies at the Savoy Ballroom (often side by side with the Chick Webb Orchestra) and a long series of hit recordings, including the original version of "Tuxedo Junction", "Whispering Grass" and "Don't Cry Baby." The Sunset Orchestra seems to have been a source of musicians for the Hawkins band, for among the musicians who made the transition were Ace Harris, who replaced Avery Parrish (composer of "After Hours") on piano, guitarist Leroy Kirkland, trumpeter Jimmy Harris and drummer Joe Murphy.

Bobby composed one of Erskine Hawkins' biggest hits, "Tippin' In" which was an R&B number one in 1945 and which was revived twice more by Bobby and the small group on Apollo - in the 1950 instrumental version on this LP and in a vocal version by The Larks in 1954 with the Smith band providing accompaniment.

The Bobby Smith Orchestra recorded under their own name for Apollo between 1949 and 1954, as well as accompanying acts like blues shouter Eddie Mack and the top notch bluesy vocal group The Larks. The latter recorded the superb B Side of "Little Side Car" with Bobby - "Hey Little Girl" which is one of my favourite R&B records

This LP features sides from the 1949 - 1950 Apollo sessions, plus both sides of two singles for Apollo subsidiary Ruby which Bobby recorded with Sam "The Man" Taylor in 1951. This was something in the way of a reunion, for Sam was a fellow graduate of The School Of Cool aka The Sunset Orchestra.

Recommended further listening is the Delmark CD "That's For Sure!" which has 22 sides recorded by The Bobby Smith Orchestra between 1949 and 1954. From the mastertapes!

Information sources - Dave Penny: notes to "Jazz At The Apollo" and to the CD "Erskine Hawkins Jukebox Hits 1940-1950" (Acrobat). Stanley Dance: notes to the Delmark CD "That's For Sure!"

Caveat emptor ... let the buyer beware

You may notice that there's something familiar about the above LP covers ... and there's also something different about them.

These covers originate from this blog and they all have a rather large and intrusive logo plastered across them:

I found all of the above albums for sale on the digital download section of Amazon. Material from this blog is not only for sale on that site but also turns up on Napster and streaming music services like Spotify and even iTunes.

A while back I became aware that the occasional home made compilation from this blog was turning up on commercial sites, either for streaming or downloading. "Jump & Jive On 78" turned up on Spotify, and El Enmascarado (who ripped the sides from shellac discs) and myself had a bit of a laugh about the spread of a download-for-free comp into the commercial world. 

It's maybe not so funny when you notice that an outfit called Git It Records claims they own the copyright on the collection. And it's even less funny when you find the same comp is being sold by Git It Records on Amazon.

Still, it was only an isolated incident, and little harm done. In fact I felt flattered to see my home made cover up there among genuine commercial releases.

Within the last few days I have discovered that the selling-on of albums from this blog for commercial gain is no longer an occasional occurrence. It is now happening regularly and systematically. Most of the albums I have posted in the last few months are being offered for sale by a company called TP4 Music.

I was on Spotify the other night, hoping to listen to some Mar-Keys tracks to help me decide whether or not to buy a CD, when I came across the Al Sears "Ride The D Train" album, which I had posted on Be Bop Wino last April 1st.

I was puzzled, as this is an album which has never been commercially available. It was actually a home made compilation made up to look like a Saxophonograph LP as an April Fool joke. Examination of the cover on Spotify showed that a large, ugly logo had been superimposed on the cover and the "Saxophonograph" label had been removed.

Further searches around Spotify uncovered more albums from this blog, all with the original issuing company logos removed and the TP4 logo superimposed. Google searches showed that more than 30 albums from this site are on various streaming services or are even being sold for download.

I also came across a post from the "Forgotten Masterpieces" blog (31st August) in which the blogmaster called out TP4 Music for selling albums from his blog. "Forgotten Masterpieces" specializes in 1950s and 1960s light orchestral pop (Semprini, Frank Chacksfield, Mantovani, etc) and big band music from the same era (Ray Anthony, Ted Heath, etc).

A search for TP4 Music in the digital music section of Amazon (UK branch) yields 4,175 results. That's 169 pages of mp3 albums for sale. The vast majority are recognizable as vintage 1950s / early 1960s LPs with that intrusive logo splashed across the front. Many are of the kind of music posted on "Forgotten Masterpieces", while others are jazz, r&b, exotica, pop, rock 'n' roll, and even early surf music.

I've looked through all the search results and I suspect that some of these albums may have been downloaded from blogs. I've also come to the conclusion that most of the music being sold by TP4 is probably at least 50 years old. In the UK music released in 1962 and before is in the public domain.

Some might say, "so what?" After all, when I upload music to Be Bop Wino it is "out there" on the web, and anything can be done with it. However, there are a few reasons why I'm feeling a bit fed up.

1. Selling these rips and scans runs contrary to the ethos of this blog. The music posted here is available for free. It is posted with the intention of raising interest in largely forgotten styles of music. I frequently try to steer readers towards legitimate commercial releases.

2. There is no commercial intent in this blog. It is advert free and I do not solicit donations. The contributors to this blog are here to "educate and entertain."

3. The mp3s posted on this blog are ripped from vinyl and shellac (often in not very good condition) by non-professionals using basic equipment. They are for home use and are not of a standard which is suitable for selling. Anyone paying for these mp3s would be justified in feeling that they were not getting value for their money.

Here's an example of that last point. Two mp3 downloads of Buster Brown and B. Brown - one from a commercial reissue company, Jasmine. The other taken from this blog:

Jasmine version - 28 tracks, sleevenotes, professional production. Cost = £6.49 for a download or £6.55 for the CD from Marketplace.

TP4 version taken from Be Bop Wino - 15 tracks, many ripped from crackly 45s by Joan, this blog's longest standing contributor. Amateur cover art by myself which took about 5 minutes to produce. Cost = £5.49.

It's no contest. The Jasmine CD (which was recommended on the Be Bop Wino post) wins by a mile, as does the Jasmine download. In this case the TP4 download looks like a ripoff. Caveat emptor.

The rips on Be Bop Wino were never intended to be used for commercial gain. They were not created to compete with music reissue companies, and are not of a commercial standard.

There is no link whatsoever between this blog and companies offering music from here for sale. This was done entirely without my knowledge or approval. If asked, I certainly would not have approved of the selling of any material from this blog.

At the moment I am undecided on whether I should continue to post albums. The fact that people are waiting to scoop up the music and use it to profit from the efforts of myself and other enthusiasts is a real joykiller. It takes the fun out of blogging and fun was the reason I started Be Bop Wino.

Sonny Boy Williamson - Chess Masters

Side 1:
01. Don't Start Me To Talkin'
02. I Don't Know
03. All My Love In Vain
04. The Key (To Your Door)
05. Keep It To Yourself
06. Dissatisfied

Side 2:
01. Fattening Frogs For Snakes
02. Wake Up Baby
03. Your Funeral And My Trial
04. "99"
05. Cross My Heart
06. Let Me Explain

Side 3:
01. One Way Out
02. Too Young To Die
03. Trust My Baby
04. Checkin' Up On My Baby
05. Sad To Be Alone
06. Got To Move

Side 4:
01. Bring It On Home
02. Down Child
03. Peach Tree
04. That's All I Want
05. Too Old To Think

Download the 2LP set from here:

Sonny Boy Williamson (Mega)

As with so many of these early 1980s "Chess Masters" releases on PRT, absolutely no information on the artist or recordings is provided on this 2LP set. Of course the featured artist on this collection is the second Sonny Boy Williamson, whose real name has been thought to be William Miller, Rice Miller, or Aleck Ford. He could have been born in 1894 or maybe 1909. It's pretty certain that he was earning a living as a bluesman from the 1920s onward, and in 1936 he formed a long lasting partnership with guitarist Robert Jr. Lockwood.

In the 1940s while working on the "King Biscuit Time" radio show in Helena Arkansas he started calling himself "Sonny Boy Williamson" after the well known and influential Chicago based singer / harmonica player John Lee Williamson. It may have been an attempt to deliberately mislead the radio audience, but when the original Sonny Boy was murdered in 1948, the second "Sonny Boy" (who was in fact the older man) was left with the name.

His recording career started with Trumpet Records, Jackson, Mississippi in early 1951 and he recorded for this label until November 1954. Sonny Boy's first Chess recording session took place on the 12th August 1955, backed by the Muddy Waters band. Two tracks from this session, "Don't Start Me To Talkin'" and "All My Love In Vain" were released on Sonny Boy's first Checker single, the first of seventeen that he would release on the Chess subsidiary label.

O.K. sad sacks, here's the facts on the tracks that this album lacks!

First off here's the tracks with recording date and original release number:

01. Don't Start Me To Talkin' - 12th August 1955 - Checker 824
02. I Don't Know - 8th February 1957 - Checker 864
03. All My Love In Vain - 12th August 1955 - Checker 824
04. The Key (To Your Door) - 7th August 1956 - Checker 847
05. Keep It To Yourself - 7th August 1956 - Checker 847
06. Dissatisfied - 1st September 1957 - Checker 910
07. Fattening Frogs For Snakes - 8th February 1957 - Checker 864
08. Wake Up Baby - 27th March 1958 - Checker 894
09. Your Funeral And My Trial - 27th March 1958 - Checker 894
10. "99" - 1st September 1957 - Checker LP 1437
11. Cross My Heart - 1st September 1957 - Checker 910
12. Let Me Explain - 24th January 1956 - Checker 834
13. One Way Out - 30th April 1964 - Chess LP 1503
14. Too Young To Die - 14th December 1960 - Chess LP 1503
15. Trust My Baby - 15th September 1960 - Checker 963
16. Checkin' Up On My Baby - 14th April 1960 - Chess LP 1503
17. Sad To Be Alone - 30th January 1960 - Checker 943
18. Got To Move - 11th January 1963 - Chess LP 1503
19. Bring It On Home - 11th January 1963 - Checker 1134
20. Down Child - 15th September 1960 - Checker 1134
21. Peach Tree - June 1960 - Chess LP 1503
22. That's All I Want - 8th September 1961 - Chess LP 1503
23. Too Old To Think - 8th September 1961 - Chess LP 1503

Session details:

All sides recorded in Chicago with Sonny Boy Williamson on vocals and harmonica.

Don't Start Me Talkin' (Checker 824)
All My Love In Vain (Checker 824)
Recorded 12th August, 1955. Additional personnel: Otis Spann (piano); Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

Let Me Explain (Checker 834)
Recorded 24th January, 1956. Additional personnel: Otis Spann (piano); Robert Lockwood and Luther Tucker (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

The Key (To Your Door) (Checker 847)
Keep It To Yourself (Checker 847)
Recorded 7th August, 1956. Additional personnel: Robert Lockwood and Luther Tucker (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

I Don't Know (Checker 864)
Fattening Frogs For Snakes (Checker 864)
Recorded 8th February, 1957. Additional personnel: Robert Lockwood and Luther Tucker (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

Dissatisfied (Checker 910)
"99" (Checker LP 1437)
Cross My Heart (Checker 910)
Recorded 1st September, 1957. Additional personnel: Otis Spann (piano); Robert Lockwood and Luther Tucker (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

Wake Up Baby (Checker 894)
Your Funeral And My Trial (Checker 894)
Recorded 27th March 1958. Additional personnel: Lafayette Leake (piano); Robert Lockwood and Eugene Pierson (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

Sad To Be Alone (Checker 943)
Recorded 30th January, 1960. Additional personnel: Otis Spann (piano); Robert Lockwood and Luther Tucker (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

Checkin' Up On My Baby (Chess LP 1503)
Recorded 14th April, 1960. Additional personnel: Otis Spann (piano); Robert Lockwood and Luther Tucker (guitars); Unknown (electric bass); Fred Below (drums).

Peach Tree (Chess LP 1503)
Recorded June, 1960. Additional personnel: Otis Spann (piano);  Eddie King and Luther Tucker (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

Trust My Baby (Checker 963)
Down Child (Checker 1134)
Recorded 15th September, 1960. Additional personnel: Lafayette Leake (piano); Robert Lockwood and Luther Tucker (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

Too Young To Die (Chess LP 1503)
Recorded 14th December, 1960. Additional personnel: Otis Spann (piano); Robert Lockwood and Luther Tucker (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Odie Payne (drums).

That's All I Want (Chess LP 1503)
Too Old To Think (Chess LP 1503)
Recorded 8th September, 1961. Additional personnel: Otis Spann (piano); Robert Lockwood and Luther Tucker (guitars); Willie Dixon (bass); Fred Below (drums).

Got To Move (Chess LP 1503)
Bring It On Home (Checker 1134)
Recorded 11th January, 1963. Additional personnel: Lafayette Leake or Billy Emerson (organ); Matt Murphy (guitar); Milton Rector (electric bass); Al Duncan (drums).

One Way Out (Chess LP 1503)
Recorded 30th April, 1964. Additional personnel: Lafayette Leake (piano); Buddy Guy (guitar); Jack Myers (electric bass); Clifton James (drums).


Original release details:

Don't Start Me Talkin' / All My Love In Vain (Checker 824) was released in September 1955.

Let Me Explain (b/w Your Imagination) (Checker 834) was released in March 1956.

Keep It To Yourself / The Key (To Your Door) (Checker 847) was released in October 1956.

Fattening Frogs For Snakes / I Don't Know (Checker 864) was released in June 1957.

Your Funeral And My Trial / Wake Up Baby (Checker 894) was released in May 1958.

Dissatisfied / Cross My Heart (Checker 910) was released in December 1958.

It's Sad To Be Alone was the B-Side of The Goat, Checker 943, released in January 1960.

Trust My Baby (b/w Too Close Together) (Checker 963) was released in October 1960.

Bring It On Home / Down Child (Checker 1134) was released in February 1966.

"99" is an alternate take of "Ninety Nine" which was released as the B-Side of "Born Blind" (Checker 883) in February 1958. "99" was released on Checker LP 1437 "Down And Out Blues" in 1959.

Checkin' Up On My Baby, Peach Tree, Too Young To Die, That's All I Want, Too Old To Think, Got To Move, One Way Out, were all first released on Chess LP 1053 "Sonny Boy Williamson - The Real Folk Blues" in January 1966.

You can find El Enmascarado's rip of a 78 rpm issue of Sonny Boy's first record for Checker here:

http://bebopwinorip.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/dont-start-me-talkin-all-my-love-in.html

In fact here they be, Sonny Boy's first and considerably successful sides on Checker:

And to finish off, here's the cover of the only Sonny Boy Williamson CD I possess, from the Chess Legendary Masters series. Like the other CDs in this series it's in superb sound quality. If you ever come across any of these CDs in your local hepcat record shop, or in a jumble sale, buy 'em.

Note the bowler hat - Sonny adopted a rather eccentric interpretation of the English gentleman style during his British tours in 1963/64. He recorded with The Animals, The Yardbirds and Chris Barber during this time and also made a recording in London in April 1965 with a band that included Brian Auger and Jimmy Page. He died the following month back home in the USA.