The Continuing Story of Washboard Bill ...

My plea for information on Washboard Bill brought a reply from none other than Marv Goldberg whose R&B website (the site for R&B vocal groups) is on the links panel on the right of this page.

Marv came up with the info that King Curtis plays sax and Mickey Baker plays guitar on "In The Morning". He also provided a couple of web links.

There's a link which leads to a myspace profile dedicated to Washboard Bill. I would urge you all to get yourselves over to that page to check out the sounds, pics and words of wisdom. There's four Washboard Bill tracks to listen to, some YouTube clips, some amazing pictures (including the one above) and a biography of Bill.

Somewhere on the page you'll find a link to scans of a letter written by Bill which tells a pretty heartbreaking story of how he earned no royalties from his King recordings despite the fact that the tracks sold pretty well. He talks of finding "In The Morning" featuring on an LP which must be "After Hours". Unfortunately these are circumstances with which many of the artists featured on this blog were familiar. The myspace page is here:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=203795247

Marv also provided another link confirming the presence of Mickey Baker and King Curtis on "In The Morning":

http://books.google.com/books?id=OGyWw-M5wFsC&pg=PA142&lpg=PA142&dq=%22washboard+bill%22+%22in+the+morning%22&source=web&ots=4fwmd9DhUI&sig=FPLlC4DVYu3fJZ5hUKShl_BWLeI&hl=en

Thanks for these links Marv.

Check out the Comments section on the "After Hours" post for further links from "Anonymous".

Lastly, this Ace CD of King and Federal R&B instrumentals has four Washboard Bill Tracks plus plenty of music from many of the artists on "After Hours", so if you dug my previous post, why not splash a bit of cash on "Honky Tonk!"? (Ace CDCHD 761)

After Hours (King 528)

This is a 1987 reissue of the 1956 King LP “After Hours”. It’s a great collection of moody late night R&B instrumentals recorded from the late 1940s to the mid 1950s. I like all the tracks on this album but the one that really gets me is “In The Morning” by Washboard Bill. There’s washboard scraping going on in the background but it’s mainly a sax instrumental punctuated by the occasional drunken yell of “In the morning!”

I’d really like to know who Washboard Bill is or was and who is playing the great sax on the track, but as with so many early R&B albums the packaging is cut-price with no session details whatsoever on the sleeve. Instead you get a brief generalised essay and a few artist photos ALL of which are wrongly attributed. Of interest is the list of other King albums available back in the 50’s. Apart from the inevitable Earl Bostic and Bill Doggett albums, there are a few exotic (or cheesy?) titles such as “Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland” by “Paul Renard At The Hammond Organ” and “Love Is Here To Stay” by “Shura At The Piano”. What on earth did they sound like? Perhaps it is as well that I’ll never find out.

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download link:

http://rapidshare.com/files/98810970/After_Hours.rar

1. Long Gone Part 1 / Sonny Thompson
2. Long Gone Part 2 / Sonny Thompson
3. After Hours / Ace Harris
4. Midnight To Dawn / Earl Bostic
5. What's New / Bill Jennings
6. Ooh Midnight / Pete "Guitar" Lewis
7. After Hours / Jimmy Nolen
8. Eventide / Bill Doggett
9. Blues For The Red Boy / Todd Rhodes
10. Mellow Blues Part 1 / Sonny Thompson
11. Mellow Blues Part 2 / Sonny Thompson
12. In The Morning / Washboard Bill

Chu Berry / Lucky Thompson - Giants of the Tenor Sax

Milt Gabler’s Commodore Records grew out of a New York music shop, at first pressing reissues of cut-out jazz classics from the back catalogues of the major companies, and then progressing to issuing discs cut from Commodore’s own recording sessions. From 1938 onwards Gabler recorded the small groups and musicians that were playing in the clubs of 52nd Street, thus providing us with a valuable record of the small group swing sound of the late 30s and early 40s which served as the midwife of both bebop and R&B.

The first four Chu Berry tracks were recorded in 1938 and the remainder in August 1941 shortly before his death in an automobile crash. The Lucky Thompson tracks are from March 1944 with the blues influenced Hot Lips Page band. Some of these tracks in particular sound like a template for early R&B with Page’s hoarse blues shouting and Thompson’s full toned tenor sax.

The full sleeve notes by Milt Gabler and Leonard Feather are included in the download.

Ripped at 320 kbps from vinyl. Password = greaseyspoon

Download link:

http://rapidshare.com/files/98519179/Giants_Of_The_Tenor_Sax.rar

1. Body And Soul / Chu Berry "Little Jazz" Ensemble with Roy Eldridge
2. Sittin' In / Chu Berry "Little Jazz" Ensemble with Roy Eldridge
3. Stardust / Chu Berry "Little Jazz" Ensemble with Roy Eldridge
4. Forty Six West Fifty Two / Chu Berry "Little Jazz" Ensemble with Roy Eldridge
5. On The Sunny Side Of The Street No. 2 / Chu Berry Jazz Ensemble with Hot Lips Page
6. My Gal Is Gone / Lucky Thompson with Hot Lips Page Orchestra
7. Rockin' At Ryans / Lucky Thompson with Hot Lips Page Orchestra
8. Blowing Up A Breeze / Chu Berry Jazz Ensemble with Hot Lips Page
9. On The Sunny Side Of The Street / Chu Berry Jazz Ensemble with Hot Lips Page
10. Monday At Minton's / Chu Berry Jazz Ensemble with Hot Lips Page
11. Gee, Baby Ain't I Good To You / Chu Berry Jazz Ensemble with Hot Lips Page
12. You'd Be Frantic Too / Lucky Thompson with Hot Lips Page Orchestra
13. Blues Jumped A Rabbit / Lucky Thompson with Hot Lips Page Orchestra

Commodore Record Shop, East 42nd Street

Buddy Tate - Jumpin' On The West Coast!

Count Basie tenor saxman Buddy Tate cut these sides for Jack Lauderdale’s Supreme label in Los Angeles in two sessions in December 1947. The Basie band was in Los Angeles for an engagement at the Meadowland ballroom. A recording strike was due to start at midnight on December 31st 1947 and record companies were frantically stockpiling recordings. The front line of the small group backing Tate was recruited from the Basie band, Jimmy Witherspoon (at that time with Jay McShann) sat in on a couple of numbers, and Bill Doggett (with the Willie Bryant band) was on piano.

These recordings sit nicely in what I like to call “The Bebopwino Zone” – where jazz meets jump and blues. There’s a bit of a bop influence as well, so fans of bop, swing and early R&B should be happy with this one.

Ripped at 320 kbps from the 1972 Black Lion LP. Password = greaseyspoon

Download link:

http://www60.zippyshare.com/v/rgPa25KO/file.html

1. Tate's A Jumpin' (Take 4)
2. Blue And Sentimental
3. Vine Street Breakdown (Take 4)
4. Ballin' From Day To Day **
5. Six Foot Two Blues *
6. Kansas City Local (Take 3)
7. Kansas City Local (Take 5)
8. The Things You Done For Me Baby **
9. Vine Street Breakdown (Take 1)
10. Early Morning Blues *
11. Good Morning Judge **
12. Tate's A Jumpin' (Take 2)

* vocal – Jimmy Witherspoon
** vocal – Charlie Price

The El Dorados (with The Magnificents) - Crazy Little Mama

The first album released by VeeJay (in 1957) has ten tracks by the Eldorados, and when they ran out of title artist tracks, they added a couple of tracks by The Magnificents.

Sights and sounds on this post are by Joan K. There’s a great front cover scan of this very rare LP and plenty of label shots including some promos. Now the sound files are mostly ripped from original singles (not the album) so that means that there’s plenty of surface noise on some tracks. And yes, you can occasionally hear the needle hitting the groove! So just relax, crack open a can of beer, close your eyes and listen to these fifty year old slightly (!) scratchy discs. Sounds from the days when a record was a record.

Ripped at 192 kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download link (including folder of scans):

http://rapidshare.com/files/97074997/Crazy_Little_Mama.rar

Thanks Joan!

1. At My Front Door / The Eldorados
2. Now That You've Gone / The Eldorados
3. Rock'n'Roll's For Me / The Eldorados
4. A Fallen Tear / The El Dorados
5. Up On The Mountain / The Magnificents
6. There In The Night / The El Dorados
7. I'll Be Forever Loving You / The El Dorados
8. My Lovin' Baby / The Eldorados
9. Annie's Answer / The El Dorados
10. I Began To Realize / The El Dorados
11. Caddy Bo / The Magnificents
12. I Need You / The El Dorados

The El Dorados - Low Mileage - High Octane

Founded in 1952 by pupils of Chicago’s Englewood High as the Five Stars, this group changed its name to the El Dorados in 1953. They signed for VeeJay Records in 1954 and in 1955 recorded the smash hit (both R&B and Pop) “At My Front Door”. The group continued to record for VeeJay until 1957, but without any more chart success. A short lived new line up made further recordings for VeeJay in 1958 but again success remained elusive.

This 1984 Solid Smoke LP compiles El Dorados sides recorded between 1954 and 1957 and includes two unissued sides – “Lord Knows I Tried” and “Love Of My Own”.

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download link:

http://rapidshare.com/files/97067212/Low_Mileage_-_High_Octane.rar

1. A Fallen Tear
2. My Loving Baby
3. At My Front Door
4. There In The Night
5. Love Of My Own
6. Bim Bam Boom
7. Now That You've Gone
8. I Began To Realize
9. A Rose For My Darling
10. I'll Be Forever Loving You
11. It's No Wonder
12. One More Chance
13. Rock 'N Roll's For Me
14. Lord Knows I Tried
15. 3 Reasons Why

Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters - Bip Bam

In May 1953 Clyde McPhatter left The Dominoes (he either walked out or he was fired depending on who you believe) and started to get a new backing group together. They were signed by Atlantic president Ahmet Ertegun and had their first recording session on June 29th. McPhatter was unhappy with the results (of the 4 tracks recorded only “Lucille” was ever released) and recruited a new Drifters line up, which consisted of Bubba Thrasher, Gerhart Thrasher, Bill Pinkney and Willie Ferbee. This line up entered the recording studio on August 9th, and from the four tracks recorded, “Money Honey” was chosen as the group’s first single. Success came quickly with this first disc climbing to the top of the R&B charts and establishing Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters as the number one R&B vocal group for the rest of their short career together.

The breakup started in May 1954 when McPhatter was drafted into the Armed Forces. Towards the end of 1954 the parting of the ways was formally announced and the last Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters single, “Whatcha’ Gonna Do”/ “Gone” was released in February 1955. The continuing but separate stories of Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters will feature on future posts on this blog. Once more I can highly recommend Unca Marvy’s R&B pages for the Drifters story in detail.

This 1984 UK issued LP on Edsel features informative liner notes by Colin Escott. And once more I am indebted to Joan K for providing the period cover scans and label shots, a folder of which is featured in the download.

Ripped from vinyl at 320kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download link here:

http://rapidshare.com/files/85778020/Bip_Bam.rar

1. Money Honey
2. Let The Boogie Woogie Roll
3. Don't Dog Me
4. Gone
5. Such A Night
6. Lucille
7. Warm Your Heart
8. The Way I Feel
9. Bip Bam
10. Honey Love
11. Whatcha' Gonna Do
12. If I Didn't Love You Like I Do
13. There You Go
14. Try Try Baby
15. Everyone's Laughing
16. Three Thirty Three

A Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters album, “Rock & Roll” (Atlantic 8003) was released by Atlantic in 1956. The tracks were a mixture of McPhatter solo and McPhatter with the Drifters. There is also a cover scan of an EP (Atlantic EP534) from the 1950s (year unknown), plus various label shots from the folder of Joan’s scans.

Billy Ward & The Dominoes - 14 Hits

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

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

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

Ripped from vinyl at 320kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download from here:

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

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

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

Otis Williams And His Charms - 16 Original Greatest Hits

This is an album I have already posted twice on rockhall – the second time with an improved front cover scan. This time I’ve added a folder of Joan K’s remarkable cover scans – 1 album cover, 3 EP covers, 1 EP label shot and eight 45rpm single label shots – all in DeLuxe sleeves.

I’ve had a read at Unca Marvy’s article on The Charms (see links panel on right side of page) and if you want the full lowdown on this group get yourself over there. Find out about their first recording for Rockin’ in 1953 – “Heaven Only Knows” which was used by King (after they’d taken over Rockin’) to reactivate the DeLuxe label, the big 1954 hit “Hearts Of Stone”, the big split when Otis Williams left the group, the two versions of The Charms, further hits ("Ling Ting Tong", "Gum Drop", "Ivory Tower"), who recorded what (Otis Williams and his Charms, The Charms, Otis Williams' New Group), and the rest of the story (including The Escos). There’s also a full discography.

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download link -

http://www80.zippyshare.com/v/OyOMGnZK/file.html

1. Heaven Only Knows
2. Hearts Of Stone
3. Two Hearts
4. Ling Ting Tong
5. Bazoom (I Need Your Love)
6. Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)
7. Whadaya Want?
8. Gum Drop
9. Ivory Tower
10. In Paradise
11. Save Me Save Me
12. That's Your Mistake
13. United
14. Could This Be Magic
15. Little Turtle Dove
16. Panic

Two Charms LPs were released by DeLuxe in the 1950s – “Otis Williams And The Charms Sing Their All-Time Hits” (DeLuxe 570) in early 1957, plus “This Is Otis Williams” in 1959. You’ll find a scan 0f DeLuxe 570 below.

Three Charms EPs were released by DeLuxe in the 1950s. Below you’ll find scans of “Hits By The Charms” (DeLuxe 357) from 1955 and two versions of “The Charms Volume 2” (Deluxe 364) also from 1955. There’s also a sample of the 45rpm label shots included in Joan K's folder of scans.

Ruth Brown - Rock & Roll (Atlantic 8004)

This is a 1957 album from Atlantic which includes most of Ruth Brown’s biggest hits.

These are vinyl rips by Joan K complete with the atmospheric ‘noise’, so once again it’s like popping round to your friend’s house to listen to a few discs being spun on the gramophone. The download includes a folder of Joan's label shots, EP covers and one of those wonderful Atlantic singles still in its original sleeve. The download scans are more numerous and larger than can be shown here. A visual treat!

Converted to 192 kbps mp3s from m4a files.

Download link –

Ruth Brown Rock & Roll (Mega)


1. Lucky Lips
2. As Long As I'm Moving
3. Wild Wild Young Men
4. Daddy Daddy
5. Mambo Baby
6. Teardrops From My Eyes
7. Hello Little Boy
8. Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean
9. 5-10-15 Hours
10. It's Love Baby
11. Sentimental Journey
12. Old Man River
13. So Long
14. Oh What a Dream