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NEWSLETTER #126
Rhythm & Blues, Soul & Doo Wop
The Aquatones -> The West Side
Horns
| FONTELLA BASS | Chess (UK) 19252 | Rescued | ● CD $10.98 |
| 16 tracks, 47 mins, highly recommended We've turned up some
copies of this U.K. issue of the long deleted Chess 9335. This release
collects much of Fontella's best material recorded for the Checker label
between 1964-'68, including her only #1 hit Rescue Me and the moving
The Soul Of A Man, often touted as her finest recording. Four duets
with Bobby McClure are included: Don't Mess Up A Good Thing/ You're Gonna
Miss Me and two of her biggest hits - the often overlooked gem Don't
Jump and Jimmy Reed's Baby What You Want Me To Do. The two best
reasons to get this particular set are 1) innately soulful voices as fine as
Fontella Bass' are hard to find, and 2) many of the cuts are previously
unreleased in the U.S., or not on U.S. LP, or in the case of the stunning
and mysterious Joy Of Love, just plain unreleased. (JC) |
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| THE BLUE STARS | Clifton 3030 | Rhapsody In Harmony | ● CD $15.98 |
| Acapella group performing versions of doo-wop classics. 16
of these tracks were issued on a Clifton LP in 1991 and the rest are from
previously unrelsaed sessions in the mid 90s - Sweet Was The Wine/ Hold
Me, Chill Me, Thrill Me/ Moonlight In Vermont/ Life Is But A Dream/ Six
Nights A Week/ Dream A While/ Gee/ Count Every Star/ Tenderly, etc. |
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| EARL BOSTIC | Classics 5039 | The Chronological Earl Bostic, 1949-1951 | ● CD $14.98 |
| 24 tracks, 68 mins, recommended The third volume devoted to the chronological survey of the recordings of this fine and important alto saxist and his band features 24 tracks recorded between, August 1949 and October 1951 including his two biggest hits Sleep and Flamingo. A mix of hot R&B, jazz and sultry ballads including vocals from Bostic, Helen Young and Clyde Terrell. Bostic's distinctive buzz toned alto sax is featured prominently in the company of such fine New York musicians as "Count" Hasting/ ts, Gene Redd/ t & vb, Clifton Small/ pno and others. Include Sugar Hill Blues/ Filibuster/ Serenade/ Portrait Of A Fool In Love/ Way Down/ Merry Widow Waltz/ Rockin' And Reelin'/ I Can't Give You Anything But Love/ Always/ The Moon Is Low. Chains Of Love, etc. |
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| EARL BOSTIC | Proper Pairs 100 | Flamingo | ● CD $12.98 |
| 2 discs,46 tracks, 136 min, recommended If you can find any Bostic on CD, it's usually the same collection of King recordings. This set covers Earl's career starting with a live 6 min Lady Be Good from a radio broadcast in '43-44 by the Lionel Hampton Orch, which besides Earl & Hamp included such greats as Cat Anderson, Arnett Cobb, Milt Buckner & Booty Woods. Next comes a rare session done for Parlophone (UK) as part of a Rex Stewart Orch, a fine conglomeration of Ellingtonians & Cab Calloway members including Tyree Glenn, Cecil Scott, Jr. Raglin & JC Heard! It's not till the 6th tune do we get to the Bostic band sides, beginning with a very rare '45 session done for Majestic, & then his long run of Gotham sides (1946-47), which find Earl in a more Cab-ish vein (That's The Groovy Thing/ That's The Heat You Gotta Beat/ Let's Ball Tonight). And finally the great King sides up through the end of '51, with Earl in his more familiar style - big back-beat with solo alto. Includes his 2 biggest hits, Sleep & the title tune. (GM) EARL BOSTIC: 845 Stomp/ All On/ Always/ Away/ Baby, You Don‘t Know It All/ Big Chief Pawnee/ Blip Boogie/ Bostic‘s Jump/ Cuttin‘ Out/ Disc Jockey Nightmare/ Don‘t You Do It/ Dreamer‘s Blues/ Earl Blows A Fuse/ Earl‘s Rhumboogie/ Filibuster/ Flamingo/ Here Goes/ Hot Sauce Boss/ Hurricane Blues/ I Can‘t Give You Anything But Love/ I‘m Getting Sentimental Over You/ I‘m The Guy Who Loves You/ Jumpin‘ Jack/ Lady Be Good/ Let‘s Ball Tonight - Pt 1./ Let‘s Ball Tonight - Pt 2./ Liza/ Lover Come Back To Me/ My Special Dream/ Serenade/ Seven Steps/ Shady Side Of The Street/ Sleep/ Swing Low Sweet Boogie/ That‘s The Groovy Thing, Part A./ That‘s The Groovy Thing, Part B/ That‘s The Heat You Gotta Beat/ The Barefoot Boy/ The Major And The Minor/ The Man I Love/ The Moon Is Low/ Three-horn-parlay/ Tippin‘ In/ Where Or When/ Who Snuck The Wine In The Gravy?/ Wrap It Up |
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| TINY BRADSHAW | Classics 5031 | The Chronological Tiny Bradshaw, 1949-1951 | ● CD $14.98 |
| The second volume devoted to this fine bandleader features
26 tracks recorded between 1949 and 1951. TINY BRADSHAW: After You've Gone/ Boodie Green/ Brad's Blues/ Bradshaw Boogie/ Breakin' Up The House/ Build Like A Railroad Track/ Butterfly/ Get Back On The Shelf Baby/ Gravy Train/ I Hate You/ I'm A Hi-ballin' Daddy/ I'm Going To Have Myself A Ball/ If You Don't Love Me, Tell Me So/ Knockin' Blues/ Long Time Baby/ One, Two, Three Kick Blues/ Snaggle Tooth Ruth/ T-99/ Teardrops/ The Blues Came Pouring Down/ The Train Kept A-rollin'/ Two Dry Bones On The Pantry Shelf/ Walk That Mess/ Walkin' The Chalk Line/ Well Oh Well/ You Came By |
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| TINY BRADSHAW | Proper Pairs 101 | Breaking Up The House | ● CD $12.98 |
| 2 discs, 43 tracks, 114 min, essential As far as I know, this is the 1st significant comprehensive Bradshaw compilation. If you can find any of Tiny's sides, it's usually his wonderful King sides including the classic original recording of Train Kept A'Rollin'. This set starts off with his rarely heard sides done for Decca ('34, including an early version of Shout Sister Shout, a huge hit 10 years later for Sister Rosetta Tharpe), Regis ('44), Manor ('45-47), & Savoy ('47), mostly heavily influenced by Cab Calloway & including such great musicians as Shad Collins, Russell Procope, Sonny Stitt, Wild Bill Davis & Curley Russell, + on trumpet, Henry Glover who would become a significant force at King Records. The 2nd disc has Tiny's classic King sides, in a much more R&B vein, with such classics as the aforementioned "Train" plus Boodie Green/ Built Like A Railroad Track/ Walk That Mess & the title classic. (GM) TINY BRADSHAW: After You‘ve Gone/ Boodie Green/ Bradshaw Boogie/ Bradshaw Bounce/ Brad‘s Blues/ Breaking Up The House/ Bride And Groom Boogie/ Built Like A Railroad Track/ Butterfly/ Butterfly/ Get Back On The Shelf Baby/ Gravy Train/ I Ain‘t Got Nobody/ I Found Out Too Late/ If I Had A Million Dollars/ If You Don‘t Love Me, Tell Me So/ I‘m A Ding Dong Daddy/ I‘m A Hi‘ballin‘ Daddy/ I‘m Going To Have Myself A Ball/ I‘ve Been Around/ Knockin‘ Blues/ Mister, Will You Serenade?/ Ol‘ Man River/ One, Two, Three, Kick Blues/ Salt Lake City Bounce/ Schoolday Blues/ She‘ll Be Coming 'round The Mountain/ Shout, Sister Shout/ Six Shooter Junction/ Snaggle Tooth Ruth/ Straighten Up And Fly Right/ T-99/ Take The Hands Off The Clock/ The Blues Came Pouring Down/ The Darktown Strutters‘ Ball/ The Sheik Of Araby/ The Train Kept-a-rollin‘/ These Things Are Love/ Two Dry Bones On The Pantry Shelf/ V-2/ Walk That Mess/ Walkin‘ The Chalk Line/ Well Oh Well |
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| MAXINE BROWN | Varese 66378 | 25 All-Time Greatest Hits | ● CD $16.98 |
| 25 tracks, 64 min, recommended. Fine uptown soul with her 2
early hits for Nomar in '63 - All In My Mind/ Funny, as well as all
her great solo singles & key LP tracks done for Wand/Scepter, including the
classic Oh No, Not My Baby (unfortunately, her duets with Chuck
Jackson aren't here). However, what may be the best is her legendary Muscle
Shoals side written & produced by Otis Redding, which were shelved after
Otis's death & unheard until now (Baby Cakes/ Slipping Through My Fingers).
(GM) |
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| MILT BUCKNER | Classics 5032 | The Chronological Milt Buckner, 1946-1951 | ● CD $14.98 |
| 20 tracks, 55 mins, recommended Though best known for his numerous recordings as an organist Buckner started his career as a piano player and established his reputation with Lionel Hampton's Orchestra in the 40s. The first ten cuts are small group sides made while he was still with Hampton. He left Hampton's band in 1949 and formed his own big band which included such fine musicians as Paul Quinichette, Billy Mitchell, and Charlie Fowlkes and this band is featured on seven tracks. With the demise in popularity of big bands Buckner returned to the small group format which is featured on three tracks here from 1951. The music on these sides is a fine mix of jazz, blues, R&B and a bit of boogie woogie - nothing really startling here but thoroughly pleasing music. (FS) |
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| THE CAMELOTS | Castle 1007 | The Camelots Want You to "Dance Girl" | ● CD $18.98 |
| 32 tracks from early/mid 60s by fine New York vocal group
who never had a big hit but had a strong local following. About half the
tracks are acapella including the popular local hit Dance Girl. There
are no notes but I think some of the tracks here are from when the group
reformed in the 80s. |
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| THE CORONETS/ THE PELICANS | Krypton 6003 | And Now Ladies & Gentlemen .. The Cornets Meet The Pelicans | ● CD $18.98 |
| 22 tracks, 56 mins, highly recommended The complete recordings of two fine vocal groups recording in the mid 50s. The Coronets from Cleveland had a big R&B hit in 1953 with the soulful ballad Nadine which is included here along with 13 other tracks - mostly ballads along with the occasional rockers - It Would Be Heavenly/ Should I/ I Love You More/ Hush/ Footsteps/ Don't Deprive Me, etc. The Pelicans were a West Coast group and their material is most bluesy rockers with solid backup including some particularly fine guitar work. Includes Chimes/ Miss lucy/ Drunk Drunk Drunk/ Down In Mexico (not The Coasters songs)/I Won't Be Back and others. (FS) |
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| THE CRYSTALS & THE MELLO MOODS | Show Time 101 | Let's All Go Doo-Woppin' | ● CD $18.98 |
| 11 tracks by The Crystals and 9 by The Mello Moods. THE CRYSTALS: Come To Me Darling/ Don't You Go/ Four Woman/ God Only Knows/ Have Faith In Me/ My Dear/ My Girl/ My Heart's Desire/ My Love/ Oh But She Did/ Squeeze Me Baby/ THE MELLO MOODS: And I Just Can't Go Through Life Alone/ Call On Me/ How Could You/ I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night/ I Tried and Tried and Tried/ I'm Lost/ The Christmas Song/ When I Woke This Morning/ Where Are You |
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| THE DEVOTIONS | Sting 8241 | The Lost Tapes And All Their 45s | ● CD $18.98 |
| 21 tracks from the early/ mid 60s - 10 tracks originally on
45s and 11 previously unissued tracks from the "lost tapes". Includes Rip
van Winkle (two versions - one acapella)/ Tears From A Broken Heart/
Zindy Lou/ Loking For My Baby/ How Do You Speak To An Angel/ Secret Love/
Sunday Kind Of Love, etc. |
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| H-BOMB FERGUSON | Big Bang 103 | Rock, H-Bomb, Rock | ● CD $18.98 |
| 32 tracks, 79 mins, highly recommended If you like your R&B hot and rocking then Cincinnati based Robert "H-Bomb" Ferguson is your man. True to his name he explodes out of your speakers with his tough gravel voice and some wonderfully hard driving bands. This CD is crammed full of mostly up tempo sides recorded between 1950 and 1960 with the occasional slow but searing ballad. On his early sides H-Bomb sounds a lot like Wynonie Harris but his approach is even more uninhibited and apparently his stage act was more uninhibited still! Most of earlier sides were recorded in New York with top New York sidemen like Charlie Singleton, Big John Greer, Lou Donaldson, Jack "The Bear" Parker, Count Hastings, Mickey Baker and others - the later sides were recorded in Cincinnati with unknown but superb musicians and show that H-Bomb was perfectly at home with a more rock 'n' roll flavored material. No notes but sound quality is, with a few exceptions, excellent. (FS) |
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| CLYDE MCPHATTER | Spectrum 063 105-2 | The Essential Collection | ● CD $11.98 |
| Nice collection of 18 sides by this great R&B vocalist
recorded for MGM, Mercury, Deram and Decca in the 60s and early 70s
including some remakes of some his his earlier hits with The Dominoes &
Drifters - Sixty Minute Man/ Money Honey/ Without Love/ Twice As Nice/
Think Me A Kiss/ I'll Love You Till The Cows Come Home/ Lover Please/ Deep
In The Heart Of Harlem/ Only A Fool, etc. |
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| THE METALLICS/ THE STEREOS | Cub 8085 | The Metallics Meet The Stereos | ● CD $18.98 |
| 24 tracks, 57 mins, recommended 24 tracks, mostly from the
early 60s, from two fine groups. The Metallics were an obscure but excellent
group from Los Angeles who recorded 8 sides in 1962 - all of them here. They
feature the powerful lead vocals of John "J.D." Wright who does some
expressive falsetto work. The Stereos had a longer career, originally
recording as The Buckeyes whose four sides from the late 50s are featured
here. They changed their name to The Stereos and had a big hit (their only
one) in 1961 with the foot stomping I Really Love You. There are
several others in similar vein as well as some fine soulful ballads. (FS) THE BUCKEYES: Beggin' You Please/ By Only You/ Dottie Baby/ Since I Fell For You/ THE METALLICS: Drop By/ Get Lost/ I'll Conquer the World/ In the Middle of the Night/ It Hurts Me/ Itchy Twitchy Too/ Let Me Love You/ Need Your Love/ THE STEREOS: A Love For Only You/ Do You Love Me/ Echo In My Heart/ Good News/ I Really Love You/ Mumbling Word/ Please Come Back To Me/ Sweet Pea's In Love/ Sweet Water/ The Big Knock/ Tic Tac Toe/ Unless You Mean It |
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| FREDDIE MITCHELL | Classics 5034 | The Chronological Freddie Mitchell, 1949-1950 | ● CD $14.98 |
| 24 tracks, recommended Rockin' instrumental R&B featuring the hot tenor sax work of Florida born Freddie Mitchell. He is accompanied by top New York sidemen on a varied selection of material including some interesting rocking R&B versions of standards like Jingle Bells/ Auld Lang Syne/ Indiana and Easter Parade which became one of his few hits. His only other hit Doby's Boogie, a tribute to the first black baseball player in the American League, is here along with other tunes like Slider/ Hog Head/ Airmail Boogie/ Rockin' With Coop/ Fish Market Boogie and others. Excellent sound and informative notes by Dave Penny. (FS) |
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| BOBBY MITCHELL & THE TOPPERS | Bayou 1006 | New Orleans Doo-Wop | ● CD $18.98 |
| 31 track collection of this fine New Orleans artist. All
these tracks are also on the Bear Family two CD set issued some years ago.
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| SAM MOORE | 2K Sounds 22003 | Plenty Good Lovin' | ● CD $16.98 |
| 10 tracks, highly recommended Superb session from 1970 from one half of Sam & Dave that was intended to be Sam's first solo album but, for various reasons (none of them having to do with the quality of the music), was never released. A couple of tracks appeared on the two CD Rhino compilation of Sam & Dave but this is the first time the album appears in its' entirety. Most of the album was produced by King Curtis at Atlantic's studios in New York with an all star line up that included Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Cornel Dupree and others. Sam does some new songs as well as bringing new life to covers of songs like Tennessee Waltz/ Get Out My Life and a particularly fine rendition of Part Time Love. A real find for soul fans. (FS) |
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| THE MOROCCOS & OTHER GREAT GROUPS | Delmark 761 | Bang Goes My Heart | ● CD $14.98 |
| Chicago doo-wop recorded for the United label between 1953 and
1955 featuring The Moroccos, Answers, Sheppards & Pastels. Includes 12
previously unissued sides and notes by expert Bob Pruter. |
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| THE SERENADERS | J-V-B 2001 | Someday We'll Meet Again | ● CD $18.98 |
| 27 tracks recorded in the early/ mid 50s by fine Detrot
based group including tracks released as The Royals, The Scooters and The
Royal Jokers. A nice mix of bluesy rockers and soulful ballads. |
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| JOE TEX | Kent 216 | From The Roots Came The Rapper | ● CD $16.98 |
| First CD reissue of classic 1971 Atlantic album by Joe with
nine bonus tracks from 1971 through '75 - one previously unissued. |
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| IKE & TINA TURNER | Stateside 537 960-2 | Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter | ● CD $16.98 |
| 21 tracks, recommended. A collection of 21 hot sides recorded
for United Artists and Liberty between 1969 and 1974. Avoiding the
frequently reissued hits this includes obscure but fine album tracks, often
with a funk flavor. Include the title song plus What You Don't See Is
Better Yet/ Young And Dumb/ I Love Baby/ Too Much Woman (For A Hen Pecked
Man)/ (Long As I Can) Get You When I Want You/ Tell The Truth/ The Chopper/
Doin' It and others. Also includes one side of the rare Ikettes single
I'm Just Not Ready For Love. (FS) |
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| THE VOLUMES | Chex 1002 | From Doo-Wop To Northern Soul | ● CD $18.98 |
| 34 track collection of sides from the 60s by Detroit group
who had their greatest success in 1962 with the fine doo-wop ballad I
Love You recorded in a garage studio. Their early 60s sides were mostly
doo-wop featuring the expressive lead vocals of Ed Union. Their later sides
were in urban soul vein and featured leads by Gerald Mathis and Jimmy
Burger. THE VOLUMES: A Way To Love You/ Aint' That Lovin' You/ Angel/ Come Back Into My Heart/ County Jail/ Dreams/ Gotta Give Her Love/ Hello Operator/ I Can't Live Without You/ I Cried For Your Love/ I Got Love/ I Just Can't Help Myself/ I Love You/ I Love You (outtake)/ I Love You Baby/ I Wanna Be Your Man/ Maintain Your Cool/ Miss Silhouette/ Monkey Hop/ My Kind of Girl/ My Road Is the Right Road/ Oh My Mother In Law/ One Way Lover/ Our Song/ Roly Poly/ Sandra/ Teenage Paradise/ The Bells/ The La La Song/ The Train/ Where Are You/ Why/ You Got It Baby/ You Put A Spell On Me |
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| THE WEST SIDE HORNS | Dialtone 007 | San Quilmas | ● CD $14.98 |
| 49 min, 11 tracks, recommended Three saxes, a trumpet, and a four piece rhythm including a B-3, this long-lived band is headed by the semi-legendary Rocky Morales, a longtime sidekick of Doug Sahm playing with Doug since '59 & as a sometimes member of The Sir Douglas Quintet & The Texas Tornados. The West Side Horns started in '69 & were named by Doug. This loose aggregation play out on their own & have recorded with a multitude of artists from their home base in San Antone. This is their first "solo" recording & really cooks! There's some originals, a couple of Jimmy Reed Covers, & a lot of covers of 60s soul-jazz, including Lou Donaldson's Alligator Boogaloo, Donald Byrd's Funky Mama, Mal Waldron's Blue Greens & Beans and Joe Zawinul's evergreen Mercy Mercy Mercy. (GM) |
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