The BOBBETTES "The Ultimate Collection - Mr. Lee and Others"

The Bobbettes were among the first successful girl groups of the rock era. In a field dominated by male artists, these five young girls from Harlem became the first all-girl doo-wop group to have a #1 R&B hit and a Top Ten pop hit with their first single, 'Mr. Lee,' in 1957. Originally dubbed the Harlem Queens, the group teamed sisters Emma and Jannie Pought with Laura Webb, Helen Gathers, and Reather Dixon. First meeting in 1955 while singing in the glee club at Harlem's P.S. 109, soon the girls were appearing at the Apollo Theater's legendary amateur nights, and through manager James Dailey, they landed a contract with Atlantic. Inspired by their fifth grade teacher, the Bobbettes' debut ‘Mr. Lee’ appeared in mid-1957 and was also their biggest hit. The song reportedly began as an insulting one until their label made the group change the lyric to something more upbeat. Four Atlantic follow-ups failed to chart, and after issuing the ballad ‘You Are My Sweetheart’ in 1959, the group left the label for the Triple-X imprint. There they released ‘I Shot Mr. Lee’, a song which returns to the original sentiment when the girls gleefully describe shooting Mr. Lee in the head. Despite (or perhaps because of) its graphic subject matter the song began to climb the charts, forcing Atlantic to release their own version and effectively killing the single's momentum. Although the subsequent ‘Have Mercy Baby’ and ‘Dance with Me Georgie’ both emerged as minor hits, in 1960 the Bobbettes moved to End Records, cutting the standard ‘Teach Me Tonight.’ 1962's ‘I Don't Like It Like That,’ an answer song to the Chris Kenner hit ‘I Like It Like That,’ was the group's last chart entry, although they continued recording for a series of labels, most notably Diamond and Mayhew, through 1974, touring oldies circuits in years to follow. The Bobbettes were a unique vocal group with an original style and a youthful energy that is contagious, particularly on their early cuts. As lengthy as it is, this 34-tracks collection doesn't have all of the Bobbettes' singles, but compiles so many of them that collectors can hardly complain. http://www.answers.com/

trax:
01 Mr. Lee 02 Look At The Stars 03 Speedy 04 Come-A Come-A 05 Zoomy 06 Rock And Ree Ah Zole 07 Um Bow Wow 08 The Dream 09 Don't Say Goodbye 10 You Are My Sweetheart 11 Untrue Love 12 I Shot Mr. Lee 13 I Shot Mr. Lee (Stereo) 14 Billy 15 Dance With Me George 16 Have Mercy Baby 17 Row Row Row 18 Teddy 19 Teach Me Tonight 20 Mister Johnny Q 21 I Don't Like It Like That (Pt. 1) 22 I Don't Like It Like That (Pt. 2) 23 I Cried 24 Oh My Papa 25 Close Your Eyes 26 Somebody Bad Stole The Wedding Bell 27 My Mama Said 28 Sandman 29 In Paradise 30 I'm Climbing A Mountain 31 Looking For A Lover 32 My Dearest 33 Are You Satisfied 34 Mama Papa
+ bonus:
35 Having Fun (RCA) 36 I've Gotta Face The World (RCA) 37 Good Man (Mayhew) 38 Happy Go Lucky Me
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CARL & PEARL BUTLER / JOHNNY & JONIE MOSBIE "Best Of Butler & Mosbie - A Family Affair" 1960's

Koch's 2005 release A Family Affair is not strictly a Carl Butler compilation. Instead, if features 14 husband-wife duets by Butler and his spouse Pearl and is rounded off with five cuts by the similar husband-wife team Johnny & Jonie Mosby. All of this material is straight-ahead honky tonk cut in the '60s, and while it doesn't break out of the genre -- it's all mid-tempo two-steps and barroom ballads, with the occasional breezy novelty number -- it's all well done and sometimes exceptional. Given that the Butlers have three times as many tracks on this comp as the Mosbys, it's not a surprise that they make a stronger impression -- there's simply more of their music to absorb -- but they also have the better songs, highlighted by the hits "Honky Tonkitis," "Too Late to Try Again," and "Don't Let Me Cross Over," as well as "We'll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning," later popularized by Gram Parsons (it makes its CD debut here). While the Mosbys don't have any songs quite as indelible as those, their five contributions are sturdy, engaging early-'60s honky tonk and are a nice additions to this enjoyable disc. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide) - more notes in the download

trax:
Carl & Pearl Butler
1. Honky Tonkitis 2. Don't Let Me Cross Over 3. Loving Arms 4. Too Late To Try Again 5. My Tears Don't Show 6. I'm Hanging Up The Phone 7. Forbidden Street 8. We'd Destroy Each Other 9. Just Thought I'd Let You Know 10. Our Ship Of Love 11. Little Pedro 12. Punish Me Tomorrow 13. I Never Got Over You 14. We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning
Johnny & Josie Mosby
15. Don't Call Me From A Honky Tonk 16. Trouble In My Arms 17. Who's Been Cheatin' Who 18. Keep Those Cards And Letters Coming 19. How The Other Half Lives
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JOHNNY ADAMS "I Won't Cry" (Ric Records '59 -'63)

Even on his earliest singles, Johnny Adams already had developed a velvety crooning style seemingly at odds with his raucous hometown. This 14-track collection of Adams' 1959-1963 work for Ric Records contains some stunning stuff, most of it in the big-voiced ballad mode (with an occasional nod to Ray Charles). "I Won't Cry," "A Losing Battle," and "Lonely Drifter" capture Adams' tender, mellifluous delivery beautifully. (Bill Dahl, All Music Guide) - more liner notes in the downloadtrax:
01 (Oh Why) I Won't Cry 02 Life Is A Struggle 03 A Losing Battle 04 Nowhere To Go 05 Oh So Nice 06 I Want To Do Everything For You 07 You Can Make It If You Try 08 Teach Me To Forget 09 Let the Winds Blow 10 I Solemnly Promise 11 Who Are You 12 Come on 13 Someone For Me 14 Lonely Drifter
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SCATMAN CROTHERS "I Want To Rock n' Roll"

The 50's R&B sides of this multi-talented artist.Though many people probably remember him for an appearance in the film The Shining or for his role as Louie in Chico and the Man during the '70s, Scatman Crothers had an extensive jazz and later R&B background. He performed in many clubs and on radio shows in the '20s,'30s, and '40s before making the move to television in 1948. But once he moved to acting, Crothers stayed busy the remainder of his life. He had roles in such series as The Governor and J.J., Kojak, Toma, and One of the Boys. He was also active as a voice for such cartoon series as Hong Kong Phooey and The Harlem Globetrotters. (Ron Wynn, AMG)trax:
01 Rock Roma Rock It 02 Woodchoppers Ball 03 Blueberry Hill 04 I Got Rhythm 05 Tell Me How Long The Trains Been Gone 06 Exactly Like You 07 Hound Dog 08 My Dearest One 09 Vancey Special 10 I'm Gonna Rock&Roll 11 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter 12 The Fool 13 Copenhagen. 14 Nobody Knows Why 15 Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone 16 The Best Things In Life Are Free 17 Pappa 18 My Blue Heaven 19 Undecided 20 Transfusion 21 Wrappi'n It Up 22 Be Bop Lula 23 Sweet Lips 24 Ghost Riders 25 Hey Lawdy Mama 26 Keep That Coffee Hot 27 The Gal Looks Good 28 I'm In Love Again 29 Nobody Knows Why 30 Kansas City
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RAY CHARLES "The ABC's of Ray Charles"

A fantastic collection of rare & unavailable material from Ray Charles' ABC- Paramount years. This stuff is really essential, I recommend it to everyone here at Twilightzone!trax:
01 Don't Set Me Free 02 My Baby Don't Dig Me 03 That's All I Am To You 04 Love's Gonna Live Here 05 I Like To Hear It Sometime 06 You're Just About To Lose Your Clown 07 Peace Of Mind 08 You've Got A Problem 09 I Don't Need No Doctor 10 The Train 11 Whatcha Doing In There 12 Something's Got To Change 13 Go On Home 14 That's A Lie 15 I Chose To Sing The Blues 16 I'll Be Your Servant 17 I'm Satisfied 18 I Won't Leave 19 Come & Get It 20 Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers 21 If It Wasn't For Bad Luck 22 The Same Thing That Can Make You Laugh 23 You Ought To Chnage Your Ways 24 I Can't Stop Loving You Baby 25 Tired Of My Tears 26 I May Be Wrong
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THE HAWKS / THE BEES "Chronological 53/54 Hawks/Bees"

Dave Bartholomew scouted both The Hawks and The Bees for Imperial Records of New Orleans. Originally built around Allen Matthews, The Hawks recorded four sessions with Imperial without much tangible success. Musically they remind one of the Apollo-era 5 Royales--a compliment. The previously unreleased School Girl is almost as good as anything here, which is pretty good. It Ain't That Way even crosses over into greatness. And That's What You Are, with lead vocal by tenor Joseph Gaines, comes close. The (Four) Bees lead vocalist Billy Bland went on to some measure of success as a solo performer for Old Town Records. The Bees cut only two sessions (yielding only six songs) for Imperial with My Toy, an early version of Bartholomew's risque My Ding-A-Ling, garnering the most attention. But it wasn't all complimentary and it wasn't enough to sustain them. (JC,Down Home Music)

trax:
The Hawks
1. Joe The Grinder 2. It Ain't That Way 3. Candy Girl 4. I-Yi 5. Why Oh Why 6. Good News 7. She Is All Right 8. He's That Fat Man 9. Give It Up 10. Nobody But You 11. All Women All The Same 12. That's What You Are 13. It's Too Late Now 14. School Girl 15. These Blues 16. I Want My Loving Now 17. Can't See For Lookin'
The Bees
18. I Want To Be Loved 19. Darling Please 20. Get Away Baby 21. Toy Bell 22. Snathcin' Back 23. The Sunny Side Of The Street
The Hawks
24. I Can't See For Lookin' 25. Ever Since You've Been Gone 26. It's All Over
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THE EDSELS "Rama Lama Ding Dong"

A brief encounter with fame came for the Edsels when they recorded the doo wop masterpiece "Rama Lama Ding Dong." Originally released in 1959, the single became a hit some three years after its initial release, thanks to the efforts of diligent record collectors and disc jockeys.Taking their name from Ford's legendary failed automobile, the Edsels formed in the tiny mill town of Campbell, OH, in the late '50s. The group consisted of lead vocalist George Jones, Jr., James Reynolds, Marshall Sewell, Harry Greene, and Larry Greene. The group auditioned for a local Ohio music publisher in 1958. Through the publisher, the group landed a record deal with the small Dub Records. The Edsels' first single was a song Jones had written, "Rama Lama Ding Dong." The first pressings on Dub Records were mislabeled "Lama Rama Ding Dong." 
"Rama Lama Ding Dong" became a local hit, but made no impact nationally. In 1961, disc jockeys began playing the song again because it sounded similar to the Marcels' current hit, "Blue Moon." Within a few months, the single was re-released on Twin Records -- this time with the correct song title -- and it quickly scaled the pop charts, peaking at number 21. Ironically, the group had broken up by the time "Rama Lama Ding Dong" became a hit in 1961. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Cub Koda, All Music Guide)

trax:
01 Rama Lama Ding Dong 02 Three Precious Words 03 Born In Mexico 04 Don't Know What To Do 05 Love Makes The World Go Round 06 Could It Be 07 Hide And Seek 08 Let's Go 09 My Whispering Heart 10 Count The Tears 11 Twenty Four Hours 12 What Brought Us Together 13 Got To Find Out About Love 14 Give Me Love 15 Count The Tears 16 Bells 17 Rink-A Dink-I-Do 18 Hide And Go Seek 19 Do You Love Me
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The Buchanan Brothers "Atomic Power"

The Buchanan Brothers' biggest contribution to pop culture was the 1946 country hit "Atomic Power," a Cold War artifact on par with the Louvin Brothers' "Great Atomic Power" and Lowell Blanchard's "Jesus Hits Like an Atom Bomb." The attempt to reconcile science with religion -- or to view awesome "scientific" phenomenon through the lens of Christianity -- gave the Buchanan Brothers a few other Atomic Age masterpieces: "(When You See) Those Flying Saucers" argues that the appearance of flying saucers is a harbinger of the Judgment Day, and "There's a Power Greater Than Atomic" is a real fire-and-brimstone ditty that posits God as the ultimate power because he can wipe out not just lots of people, but every last person on Earth. Atomic Power is an 18-track anthology of this highly entertaining brother duo's RCA Victor sides, accounting for all but ten of the group's recordings for the label. Novelty songs were the Brothers' forte, but they also performed weepers ("Then You'll Be the One to Cry"), train songs ("The Silver Meteor"), and straightforward sacred songs like the Dixieland-flavored "(When I Put on My) Long White Robe." The disc is well mastered from original 78s. (Greg Adams, All Music Guide)

trax:
01 High Tempered Mamma 02 The Heartsick Blues 03 Atomic Power 04 (When You) See Those Flying Saucers 05 The Silver Meteor 06 There's A Power Greater Than Atomic 07 Just Hangin' On 08 Am I Still P-A-R-T Of Your H-E-A-R-T 09 Left By The Wayside 10 My Little Boy Blue 11 Hootin-Nanny Pappa 12 Then You'll Be The One To Cry 13 Singing An Old Hymn 14 Mama I'm Sick 15 I Got Worries 16 Don't Cry (My Coney Island Baby) 17 Shut That Gate 18 (When I Put On My) Long White Robe.mp3
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THE KODAKS "Oh Gee Oh Gosh"

trax:
01 Little Boy And Girl 02 Oh Gee Oh Gosh 03 Kingless Castle 04 Runaround Baby 05 Guardian Angel 06 Dance Dance Dance 07 Teenager's Dream 08 My Baby And Me 09 Little Boy And Girl (Alt) 10 Make Believe World 11 Teenager's Dream 12 Oh Gee Oh Gosh (Alt)
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THE JEWELS "B-Bomb Baby"

trax:
01 Big Wig Walk 02 Golden Girl 03 Hearts Of Stone 04 Runnin' 05 A Fool In Paradise 06 Oh Yes I Know 07 Living From Day To Day 08 Rosalie 09 I'm Crying 10 Enfold Me 11 Bad Habit 12 Sad Day 13 Hearts Can Be Broken 14 Angel In My Life 15 Please Return 16 Natural Natural Ditty 17 Keep Your Feet On The Floor 18 How 19 No Shoulder To Cry On 20 Rickety Rock 21 My Baby 22 Goin' Goin' Gone 23 Give Me Your Hand 24 Teasin' Me 25 She's A Flirt 26 B-Bomb Baby 27 I Had A Dream 28 Strawberry Peak 29 Pearly Mae 30 The Wind
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"THE FINE RECORDING STUDIO GOSPEL HIGHLIGHTS"

Great Raw Rockin' Gospel!As the moribund recording industry marginalizes itself into utter irrelevance, it warms the cockles to hark back to the heyday of the great independent labels across the country whose legendary bossmen cast their nets across all genres in search of hits. Syd Nathan in Cincinnati (King), Art Rupe in L.A. (Specialty), and Sam Phillips in Memphis (Sun), among others, were recording r&b, blues, country, gospel—whatever sounds they could reel into their studios that had a chance of making a buck or, better yet, catching a wave of national popularity. While these powerhouse labels were churning out legendary sides by the crateful, a number of smaller-time outfits in the boonies were following the same business plan, though with minimal chances of achieving more than just the occasional regional score.
One such enterprise that hummed along under the radar was Fine Records based in Rochester, New York, which produced spirited releases over the course of 30 years beginning in the late 1940s. The label was owned and operated by Vincent Giancursio, a dance-band saxophonist who began playing professionally in 1932 at the age of 12. After a frustrating 15-year run traveling the dead-end nightclub circuit in upstate New York, Vince Jan (his preferred music-biz moniker) decided that if he couldn't hit the big time making music, maybe he'd record someone else who could. After the War, Giancursio studied audio engineering for a year, then opened Fine Recording Studio. He started off cutting mostly custom recordings, but then began to release 45 rpm discs on his own label, which he did up until his death, at the age of 58, in 1977.
During his three decades in the record business, Giancursio supported the music passionately, producing over 3,500 sessions single-handedly, most resulting in limited pressings of rarely more than a thousand copies, though usually a lot less. The sessions he engineered were wide ranging and eclectic, mostly one-offs by an assortment of jazz bands, garage rock combos, Elvis wannabes and even a few country & western acts. In addition, for a fertile stretch in the '60s and '70s, Fine Records captured on tape a string of electrifying performances of soulful gospel as good as any from the era.
Surely the most accomplished performer ever to buzz the amps at Fine Recording Studio was future Rockabilly Hall of Fame inductee Ersel Hickey, who released one single for Fine under the name Mickey Evans. (A second single was recorded, but apparently only one copy was pressed!) Hickey died in 2004, but two of the gospel groups Ciancursio recorded nearly 40 years ago, the Bright Clouds and the Spiritual Jubilators, are still active today.
In 2002, 15 years after Vincent Giancursio's death, a fire gutted the old Fine studios at 114 St. Paul Street in Rochester. Shockingly, it still contained thousands of reel-to-reel tapes and 45s, along with promotional items and other historical documents—much of which was destroyed. Through a series of connections, the studio's remnants were purchased by a garage-rock historian, and one-time guitarist for the Sydney band Lipstick Killers, named Mark Taylor. The whole shebang was shipped to Australia where Taylor meticulously sifted through the singed and sodden artifacts, and what emerged from the wreckage was nothing less than a history of the recorded music of Rochester. A major component of the recordings that survived are more than two dozen glorious gospel singles, which, through Taylor's generosity—and, of course, Vincent Giancursio's lifelong devotion to music—are available for downloading here:
(WFMU'S BEWARE OF THE BLOG)

trax:
1. My Work Will Be Done - Sons of David 2. You Ought to Been There - The B. C. Harmonizers 3. Precious Lord - The Spiritual Jubilators 4. Caught Up to Meet Him - The Sensational Zion Seekers of Paterson, New Jersey 5. Jesus Delivered Daniel - The Mighty Sons 6. I Feel the Spirit - The Inspirational Gospel Singers 7. What Manner of Man Is This? - The Gospel Tone Spiritual Singers 8. Ease My Troublin' Mind - The Gospel Hi-Lites 9. You Better Get Ready - The Bible Aires Spiritual Singers 10. Glad News - The Radio Gospel Kings 11. Sinners Run to Jesus - The Gospel Echoes 12. I Want to Know - The Royal Harmonier Singers 13. The Same Thing It Took - The Inspirational Gospel Singers 14. Sinner Man! - The Gospel Tone Spiritual Singers 15. Servant of the Lord - J. J. & J. Modernaires Singers 16. Too Far to Turn Around - The Gospel Hi-Lites 17. No Graves - The Spiritual Jubilators 18. I Claim Jesus - The Gospel Echoes 19. There's a Man Taking Names - Sons of David 20. Certainly Lord! - The Bright Clouds 21. Stand By Me - The Mighty Sons 22. Where Could I Go, But to the Lord! - The Gospel Tone Spiritual Singers 23. Dry Bones - Radio Gospel Kings 24. Someone Is Knocking At Your Door - The Bright Clouds 25. I Know I've Been Converted - The Sensational Zion Seekers of Paterson, New Jersey
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ALLEN TOUSSAINT "The Toussaint Touch"

• 22 Classic recordings Produced by the legendary New Orleans Soul man Allen Toussaint.
• Mr New Orleans! The man who in the 60's shaped the new 'Soul Sound' that was emerging from the Crescent City.
• Following his apprenticeship as a pianist with Shirley & Lee's touring band, Toussaint took on work in 1960 as producer/arranger/writer/composer for the Minit and Instant labels producing at aged 22, hits for Jesse Hill, Ernie K-Doe and Chris Kenner amongst others.
• His songwriting yielded further hits for Benny Spellman, Betty Harris, Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas and many more.
• This album collects together 22 of the most representative sounds of Toussaint’s production & writing, which are taken from the vaults of the Instant and Alon labels.
• First overview of this very well known soul producer / writer / arranger and is a finely balanced compilation to present an enjoyable mix of known and rare tracks. • Compiled and essayed by Clive Richardson (Amazon)This lovingly compiled collection salutes the genius of Allen Toussaint, writer, producer, singer and all-round very important musical presence whose talent is written in the stones of New Orleans. Along with well-known Toussaint songs - Benny Spellman's "Fortune Teller" covered by the Stones, Plant and Krauss and many others, Irma Thomas' "Ruler Of My Heart" and Jesse Hill's "Oo Poo Pah Doo", all N'Awlins standars, this CD also gathers lesser known Toussaint treasures such as Sonny Fisher's magnificent "Oh Love This Is Sonny" and the driving soul train of Willie Harper's "Here Comes The Hurt Again". We get the original of Herb Alpert's "Whipped Cream" and Zilla Mayes sings "All I Want Is You" in a lush arrangement of pianos horns and plangent guitars, all courtesy of the Toussaint touch - he writes and produces every song. The heart and soul of 1960's New Orleans pop, rhythm and blues and boogie, all this and Aaron Neville too !(MagicMan, Amazon)

trax:
01 I'm Waiting At The Station 02 Wrong Number 03 Lipstick Traces (On A Cigarette) 04 Fortune Teller 05 A Certain Girl 06 T'aint It The Truth 07 It's Raining 08 Ruler Of My Heart 09 Ooh Poo Pah Doo 10 Scoop Scoobie Doobie 11 In The Night 12 All These Things 13 Get Low Down 14 Blues Tears Sorrow 15 Fair Child 16 Oh Love This Is Sonny 17 Here Comes The Hurt Again 18 Lovely Woman 19 Star Revue 20 Gossip Gossip 21 All I Want Is You 22 Whipped Cream
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THE CELLOS "Rang Tang Ding Dong"

trax:
01 Rang Tang Ding Dong (I Am The Japanese Sandman) 02 Under Your Spell 03 Love That Girl (Unreleased) 04 Juicy Crocodile 05 You Took My Love 06 What's The Matter For You 07 Rang Tang Ding Dong (Unreleased Version) 08 The Be Bop Mouse 09 Doo Doo Wah (Unreleased) 10 What's The Matter For You (Unreleased Version) 11 Don't Wait (Featuring Dolly Lyon) 12 I Beg For Your Love 13 Buffalo Bill (Unreleased) 14 Girlie That I Love
...served by Gyro1966...

"Northern Soul Of New Orleans"

Nice collection of obscure upbeat soul from New Orleans. (This collection is out of print and very hard to find now.)trax:
1. Being Without You - Maurice Williams 2. Who Can I Run To - Gerri Hall 3. The Good Got To Suffer For The Bad - Pat Brown 4. Do You Love Me - Senator Jones 5. You Don't Mean It - Curly Moore 6. Mean Man - Betty Harris 7. I Caught You In A Lie - Robert Parker 8. Without A Word - Eldridge Holmes 9. I'm A Devil - Elliot Small 10. Omar Khayyam - The Rubaiyats 11. Don't Pity Me - Curly Moore 12. Going On Down The Road - The Sonatas 13. In My Corner - Ray Algere 14. As Sure As You're Born - The Barons 15. I Can't Do Without You - Marty Lewis 16. Lucky Fellow - The Jades 17. Please Don't Go - Willie Tee 18. Take Me Home - Donna King
...served by Gyro1966...

PATTY & THE EMBLEMS "Mixed-Up, Shook-Up, Girl" 64-68

Patty & the Emblems were the contemporaries of acts like the Sapphires, and just as distinctive. They were formed in Camden, NJ, around lead singer Pat Russell; The Emblems were Eddie Watts, Vance Walker, and Alexander Wilde. Russell was a soul belter on a par with any woman who ever stepped up to a microphone for Motown (check out her performance on 'What's the Use'), and her group could harmonize as sweetly as the Miracles. What's more, they had access to the songwriting talents of Leon Huff, who got them their one big hit 'Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl' (#37 on the Billboard Chart) and brought them a lot of other worthy material ('Showdown,' which sounds a bit like 'Heat Wave'; 'You Can't Get Away,' 'The Sound of Music Makes Me Want to Dance' (which sounds a bit like 'Dancing in the street'), usually with clever hooks. Listening to the 32 sides here, it's impossible to fathom why they didn't last. Even where the songs weren't exactly first-rate, the group's style and Russell's voice were capable of carrying the material and making something special out of it. Their sound was not only sweet but bold; Russell projected angst in portions ranging from a trickle to a torrent of emotion, as well as a sultriness that would manifest itself at the strangest, most striking times. The rest of the group were impeccable in their singing, and the backing band always has a great beat and a good, heavy sound - even augmented with strings - that should have made the group a natural for radio play and discotheques. The collection is awesome throughout, and there isn't a bad song here, with the soaring 'I'm So Confused' saved for last. (Soul Sisters)

trax:
01 ordinary guy 02 mixed-up, shook-up, girl 03 she's so confused 04 the sound of music makes me wanna dance 05 you took advantage of a good thing 06 and we danced 07 what's the use 08 she said, he said 09 i've got nothing to lose 10 try it, you won't forget it 11 all my tomorrows are gone 12 please don't ever leave me baby 13 i'll cry later 14 one man woman 15 gonna love you a long, long time 16 my heart's so full of you 17 love will come 18 it's the little things 19 give me time 20 You Can't Get Away 21 Try It, You Won't Forget It 22 Showdown 23 He Said-She Said 24 Billy Boy 25 A Woman Knows Her Man 26 Let Him Go Little Heart 27 I'm So Confused 28 I'm Gonna Love You A Long Long Time 29 He Brought Sunshine In My Life 30 Gotta Get You Into My World 31 Dreams Do Come True 32 Don't Put Me Down
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PHIL FLOWERS "Rockin' Dance Party" (with Bonus Tracks)

Phil Flowers was a Washington DC area vocalist who recorded for a number of labels (including Hollywood, Dot, A&M, and Epic) from the mid-50’s until the 70’s. He always added a “rock” edge to his performances (he ended up in a rock band called Jebediah), and that's evident on his cover of ‘Like A Rolling Stone’. He lays into the tune with a high energy, ‘Billy Stewart meets Wilson Pickett’ attack backed by blaring horns and hard drums. (Funky 16 Corners)trax:
01 No Kissin' At The Hop 02 Walking At Night 03 You Stole My Heart 04 Rosa Lee 05 Chapel On The Hill 06 Workin' Man 07 Big Legged Woman 08 Early One Morning 09 Twistin' Beat 10 I Need You Baby 11 Come On Baby 12 Shimmy Baby 13 Let Me Come Back 14 Right Combination 15 Tick Tock 16 You Got Me Walkin' 17 Hello Mr. Blues 18 You Shouldn't Like Me 19 The Dances 20 Come Home 21 It's Up To You 22 Carol Lee 23 Little Devil 24 Right Through Your Fingers
25 Satan's Little Baby.mp3
Bonus:
01 The Dances 02 Like A Rolling Stone (4 Minute Version) 03 Ham 'n' Eggs 04 Move On.m4a
...served by Gyro1966...

NATHANIEL MAYER "Village Of Love"

Early 60's raw Detroit R&B. Nathaniel Mayer is best known for "Village of Love," a 1962 hit for Detroit's Fortune Records, a small independent label run by Jack and Devora Brown. Mayer was only 18 at the time, yet his vocal on this classic track was a worldly and gritty croon, while his backing band, the Fabulous Twilights, exploded behind him with a sort of raw garage soul, making "Village of Love" somewhat of a magnificent lost nugget. This CD contains all of his early 60's recordings. (by Steve Leggett, All Music Guide)

trax:
01 Village Of Love 02 My Last Dance With You 03 Leave Me Alone 04 My Little Darling 05 I Had A Dream 06 From Now On 07 Hurting Love 08 Work It Out 09 My Lonely Island 10 A Place I Know 11 Well, I've Got News For You 12 I'm Not Gonna Cry 13 Going Back To The Village Of Love 14 Lover Please 15 I Want Love And Affection (Not The House Of Corrections) 16 Summertime 17 Mr. Santa Claus 18 Don't Come Back 19 Where Will You Be? 20 King Of Paradise 21 I Want A Woman
...served by Gyro1966...

"BILLY LAMONT MEETS CHUCK EDWARDS"

Two excellent obscure East Coast R&B vocalist who each recorded quite a bit in the 50s and 60s. Lamont is a powerful vocalist on his selection of 15 recordings from 1957 through 1968 taking in blues, R&B, black rock 'n' roll and soul. He is accompanied by top New York sidemen like Sammy Price, Kenny Burrell, King Curtis, Adolph Jacobs and others. Four cuts from 1959 & '60 feature him with Little Richard's band Grady Gaines & The Upsetters with hot guitar from Grady's brother Roy on I'm Gonna Try. Two tracks from 1968 feature him with Lonnie Youngblood's band with Jimi Hendrix on guitar. Chuck Edwards career goes back to the 40s when he worked as a guitarist for Charles Brown and with Sonny Thompson's band and there is one fine instrumental track from 1949 with Thompson. The first recordings under his own name come from 1953 and Edwards is featured on 12 vocals from '53 through '59 - also with top sidemen and on one track he has backup by Jimmy Ricks and The Ravens. Sound quality is very good. (Roots 'n' Rhythms)trax:
Billy Lamont:
1. I Got A Rock And Roll Gal 2. I'm So Sorry 3. Tom Cat 4. Millie 5. Country Boy 6. Can't Make It By Myself (w/Gibraltars) 7. Now, Darling (w/Gibraltars) 8. I'm Gonna Try 9. So-Called Friend 10. (Darlin') Please Come Home 11. Come On Right Now (w/Gibraltars) 12. Hear Me Now 13. Right Kind Of Gal 14. Please Don't Leave (w/Jimi Hendrix) 15. Sweet Thang (w/Jimi Hendrix)
Chuck Edwards:
16. I Got Loose 17. Bong Gone (Instrumental) 18. She Carried Me All Over Town 19. Just For A Day 20. You Move Me 21. If You Love Me (Like You Say You Do) (W/Vocal Group) 22. Let's Rock And Roll (To Auld Lang Syne) 23. I'm Wondering (W/Vocal Group) 24. Morning Train 25. Warm My Heart (W/Vocal Group) 26. Lucy And Jimmy Got Married (w/Five Crowns) 27. If I Were King (w/Five Crowns) 28. Harlem Rug Cutter (Sonny Thompson Band, Chuck Edwards, Gtr)
...served by Gyro1966...

JOE WEAVER & HIS BLUE NOTE ORCHESTRA "Baby I Love You So"

trax:
1. Baby I Love You So - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 2. Do You Wanna Work Now - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 3. Baby I'm In Love With You - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 4. 1540 Special - Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 5. Soft Pillow - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 6. Zoom - The Starlighters w/Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 7. Tootsie Roll - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 8. Too Hot To Trot - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 9. It Must Be Love - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 10. Lazy Susan - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 11. Cool As A Cucumber - Chet Oliver w/Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 12. J. B.'s Boogie - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 13. I'm On My Marry Way - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 14. I Wanna Know Why - Andre Williams & The Don Juans w/Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 14. Look-A Here Pretty Baby - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 16. I Am In Love - The Five Jets w/Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 17. That's What You're Doing To Me - The Diablos w/Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 18. Baby Child - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 19. Hard Working Mama - The Five Dollars w/Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 20. Going Back To Chicago - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 21. Loose Caboose - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 22. Weekend - The Five Dollars w/Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 23. Big Feet - The Starlighters w/Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 24. All I Do Is Cry - Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 25. Jailhouse Blues - Andre Williams w/Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 26. Not A Hand To Shake - The 5 Jets w/Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra 27. I Still Love You - Andre Williams w/Joe Weaver & His Blue Note Orchestra
...served by Gyro1966...

THE FIVE DOLLARS (w/Andre Williams) "Motor City Detroit Doo-Wops"

trax:
01 Harmony Of Love 02 My Baby-O 03 Yellow Moon 04 Bacon Fat 05 How To Do The Bacon Fat 06 You Know I Can't Refuse 07 It's All Over 08 So Strange 09 Going Down To Tia Juana 10 You Fool 11 Doctor Baby 12 Come On Baby 13 Weekend Man 14 My Mama Said 15 I'm Moving On 16 I Will Wait 17 Going Down To Tia Juana (alt) 18 The Bells 19 Hard Working Mama 20 Pulling Time 21 You Are My Sunshine 22 That's The Way It Goes 23 Just Because Of A Kiss
...served by Gyro1966...

Jimmy Johnson "Pepper's Hangout" 1977

When Jimmy Johnson recorded this back in March of '77, it was supposed to be his first full album. At that time, the title was "Chicago Roots." Well, things happened, and it didn't get released until now, making the re-named "Pepper's Hangout" Johnson's seventh album. In between, there was the Handy Award for Contemporary Blues Album for his work with Eddy Clearwater, Handy Award winning songs on both "Johnson's Whacks" and "North/South," Grammy nominations for his work on the Alligator anthologies "Living Chicago Blues," and my personal favorite, "Bar Room Preacher," among others. "Jimmy's fervent, high-register singing is just stunning; combined with his fluent, note-bending guitar work, those marvelous vocals invest the supercharged blues of Jimmy Johnson not just with deep emotion but also with a rare, anguished kind of beauty."
Having seen Johnson perform live, I can attest to the feeling of "supercharged blues." And this studio release gives you the same feeling as his live performance. It is Chicago Blues at its finest. With Jimmy on vocals & guitar, Bob Riedy on piano, David Matthews on bass, and Jon Hiller on drums, this is a tight, down in the alley recording showcasing some of the best that Chicago has to offer.
As a fan of Jimmy Johnson for years, it is certainly a pleasure to find these "lost" recordings, and be able to enjoy them. If you're a fan of Chicago Blues, or a fan of Jimmy Johnson, this will make a fine addition to your collection. If you're not a fan, this is the one that will make you one. (Inland Empire Blues Society)

trax:
01 Same Old Blues 02 Married Woman Blues 03 High Heel Sneekers 04 The Things That I Used To Do 05 Pepper's Hangout 06 Looking For My Baby 07 Riding In The Moonlight
...served by Gyro1966...

ARTHUR GUNTER "Baby Let's Play House" The Best Of Arthur Gunter

Singer/guitarist Arthur Gunter will be regarded by many music historians as a no-hit wonder due to the fact he never had a Billboard Pop hit to his credit. Others may be more charitable, pointing to one lonely R&B hit in early 1955. The fact is, when you listen to these cuts you just know that, with the resources of a bigger operation behind him, he would have had a string of R&B hits at least, many of which probably would have easily crossed over to the Billboard pop charts. He was that good.
Born on May 23, 1926 in Nashville, he was among an older group of local musicians who had been playing juke joints and clubs in the area for years, and who often hung around Ernie's Record Mart, owned by Ernie Young whose target clientele were the young southern blacks. In 1952, many of the local artists were signed by the local Nashboro Records to cut discs for their new Excello subsidiary, an outgrowth of Young's operation.
Over the next 20-odd years they would go on to release some of the best music never heard - at least not on a national scale which would have put most of their artists on an equal footing with the likes of those toiling for Specialty, Imperial, Chess/Checker and Atlantic/Atco.
Names signed back then to Nashboro/Excello included Earl Gaines, Louis Brooks' Hi-Toppers, The Marigolds, Rudy Greene, Guitar Gable, Clarence Samuels, Johnny Jano, The Gladiolas, Lonesome Sundown [Cornelius Green], Al Ferrier, Joe Hudson & His Rockin' Dukes, Lazy Lester [Leslie Johnson], Lightnin' Slim [Otis Hicks], Lillian Offitt, Slim Harpo [James Moore], Hooks Coleman, and Thomas "Shy Guy" Douglas. Some, like Slim Harpo and The Gladiolas, you will recognize. Most you will not. All were, however, very talented, but with limited promotional funds Nashboro/Excello simply could not devote the same attention to all.
One who suffered from this was Arthur Gunter who, in January 1955, put Excello on the map, so to speak, when one of his cuts reached # 12 on the R&B charts. It never crossed over to the pop charts, but it was heard, and covered by, a young man named Elvis Presley who was then recording for Sun. The song was Baby, Let's Play House which also features pianist Skippy Brooks. That rocker, and the bluesy flipside, Blues After Hours, are both here along with 24 other cuts, most of which should also have been awarded with equal attention.
Arthur, after a brief stay with the label, relocated to Detroit where he got a regular-paying job in the auto industry. Until, that is, he won a state lottery and, for a brief while, settled down into a life of leisure. Unfortunately, in 1976 he contracted pneumonia and on March 16 passed away at the young age of 49. In this package Excello keeps his memory alive with 26 of the songs he recorded for them in the mid-1950s, a compilation with excellent sound reproduction and informative notes. (Amazon)
This compilation is long out of print and sells for a lot on Amazon!

trax:
01 Baby Let's Play House 02 Blues After Hours 03 Ludella 04 No Naggin' No Draggin' 05 Mind Your Own Business Babe 06 Honey Babe 07 No Happy Home 08 Workin' For My Baby 09 Baby Can't You See 10 Little Blue Jeans Woman 11 You're Always On My Mind 12 Baby You Better Listen 13 I Want Her Back 14 Carzy Me 15 Don't Leave Me Now 16 Letter To My Baby 17 Pigmeat 18 Falling In Love #1 19 Working For My Baby 20 Story Of Jesse James 21 She's Mine, All Mine 22 I've Got A Feeling Something Is Wrong 23 Who Will Ever Move You From Me 24 Just Take It Easy 25 My Baby's Taking A Day Off 26 My Heart's Always Lonesome
...served by Gyro1966...

James "Sugar Boy" Crawford "The Chronological 1953-1954"

Veteran New Orleans R&B artist James "Sugarboy" Crawford claims to have never gotten any royalties from the song "Iko Iko," despite what can only be described as too many cover versions. There may not be any other song from the New Orleans music scene that has suffered as much overexposure, with the exception of "When the Saints Go Marching In," a situation that is sometimes excused by fussy critics with the thought that somewhere the guy who actually wrote the song in question is living large. That this is not the case with "Iko Iko" is not because the checks have been delivered to the wrong people named James Crawford or Jimmy Crawford, a list that would certainly include a prolific country & western pedal steel guitarist and an even more prolific jazz drummer.
The lack of cash register jingle for the song -- usually attributed to a songwriting quadrangle of James Crawford Jr., Barbara Anne Hawkins, Rosa Lee Hawkins, and Joan Marie Johnson -- comes from its origins in the traditional music of Africa. Some version of the song, a hit for Crawford in 1954 and then again for the Dixie Cups a decade later, was certainly part of the chanting by slaves at Congo Square in New Orleans. When interviewed in the '80s, Crawford said: "I'd heard these chants and liked the sound of them, so I just put a little tune to them. I can't take credit for the words, obviously, but I guess the tune is mine." "Jock-O-Mo" is a similar ditty, considered by some to be interchangeable, but the Crawford songwriting catalog does not consist exclusively of adaptations of slave chants. "Oo We Sugar" and "She Got a Wobble When She Walks" present other aspects of his interests, basically in the mainstream of rock & roll culture.
The meaning of "Iko Iko," like "Louie, Louie," remains a subject for debate and analysis by musicologists. According to songwriter and producer Allen Touissant, the expression developed into local slang for "you can kiss my ass." Crawford says: "I don't think people outside of New Orleans knew what it was all about. But then, to be honest, I didn't, and still don't, have any idea what the words mean." Crawford led a band called the Cane Cutters in the '50s, but later became a gospel performer, suggesting that he might not approve at all of Touissant's interpretation of the lyrics. Singer Davell Crawford is this artist's grandson; grandpa provided some fine vocals on the former artist's 1995 CD entitled Let Them Talk. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide

trax:
01 I Don't Know What I'll Do 02 Overboard 03 Jock-o-Mo 04 You You You 05 I Bowed On My Knees 06 Wandering Baby 07 No More Heartaches 08 What's Wrong 09 Please Believe Me 10 Long Lost Stranger 11 Night Rider 12 For Me 13 Wondering 14 Honey 15 Get Away 16 You Know I Love You 17 Stop 18 Watch Her, Whip Her 19 Love, Love, Love 20 Troubled Mind Blues 21 Ooo Wee Sugar 22 There Goes My Baby 23 You Call Everyone Sweetheart 24 If I Love You Darling
...served by Gyro1966...

James "Sugar Boy" Crawford "30 New Orleans Classics" (including the Shaweez)

New Orleans R&B legend James "Sugar Boy" Crawford was born in the Crescent City on October 12, 1934. He grew up singing in his Baptist church choir, additionally learning piano and playing trombone in the Booker T. Washington High School marching band. In 1950 Crawford and eight classmates formed the Sha-Weez; according to Marv Goldberg's profile in the September 1977 issue of Yesterday's Memories, the group's odd name derived from their theme song, Nolan Blackwell's "Cha-Paka-Sha-Wees," which roughly translates from the Creole "We are not raccoons." During an appearance on local radio, they were introduced as the "'Cha-Paka-Sha-Wees' musicians," and the moniker stuck. Producer Dave Bartholomew signed the Sha-Weez to New Orleans imprint Aladdin Records in late 1952, helming their debut session at Cosimo Matassa's legendary J&M Studios. Crawford was slated to sing lead vocal, but a previous live performance left his voice so strained that bandmate Edgar "Big Boy" Myles stepped to the fore instead. "No One to Love Me" appeared at year's end, becoming a local hit and earning the group live appearances throughout the Gulf Coast region.
Still, Aladdin resisted releasing the remaining material from the Sha-Weez's J&M session, nor did the label book another studio date. The group nevertheless remained under contract to the label, but in late 1953 Crawford and Myles began recording for Chess as Sugar Boy and His Cane Cutters. Their Chess debut, "I Don't Know What I'll Do," was the label's first release cut in New Orleans, and enjoyed strong local airplay. The follow-up, "Jock-a-Mo," appeared in early 1954 and also proved a regional favorite. A decade later, the Dixie Cups recut the song as "Iko Iko," one of the most popular and enduring Crescent City R&B records ever made (although Crawford claimed he never earned a dime for co-writing the tune). The third Sugar Boy and His Cane Cutters single, "I Bowed on My Knees," earned the group a residency at the Baton Rouge nightspot the Carousel Club, but brought an end to their Chess affiliation, leaving more than a dozen unreleased sides on the shelf; Myles left the lineup in 1955 to join Li'l Millet & His Creoles, and Crawford dissolved the Cane Cutters soon after in favor of a solo career.
In 1956 Crawford signed to Imperial, reuniting with Bartholomew and his ace session band of saxophonists Lee Allen and Herb Hardesty, guitarist Justin Adams, bassist Frank Fields, and drummer Earl Palmer. With his solo debut, "She's Got a Wobble (When She Walks)," Crawford clearly set out to cross over to white radio, and while he did indeed earn airplay on stations on both sides of New Orleans' color line, his efforts failed to translate into record sales. Both "I Don't Need You" and "She's the One" followed in 1957, but when 1958's "I Need Your Love" again tallied dismal sales, Imperial terminated his contract. By 1962, Crawford was working with the Little Raelettes, the quartet of singers Dianne and Linda DeGruy, Irene Williams, and Mary Kelly; during their debut performance, the group was erroneously introdced as Sugar Boy and the Sugar Lumps, and the name stuck. But while en route to their first Peacock label session in 1963, Crawford was pulled over by a policeman and pistol-whipped, missing the studio date and enduring a protracted hospital stay that largely soured his desire to continue performing. After an abortive 1969 comeback attempt, Crawford confined his singing to the church until 1995, when he lent backing vocals to grandson Davell Crawford's debut LP, Let Them Talk. - by Jason Ankeny (All Music Guide)

trax:
01 Jocamo 02 She Gotta Wobble (When She Walks) 03 You Gave Me Love 04 No More Heartaches 05 I Need Your Love 06 Overboard 07 I Don't Need You 08 The Facts 09 I Bowed On My Knees 10 It's Over 11 Ooh Wee Sugar 12 I Have A Feeling 13 I Don't Know What I'll Do 14 Stop 15 She's The One 16 Watch Her Whip Her 17 What's Wrong 18 Wandering Baby. 19 No One But You Dear 20 There Goes My Baby 21 Love Love Love 22 You You You 23 Morning Star 24 Trouble Mind 25 You Know I Love You 26 Night Rider
Files in .m4a! Lucky who uses i-Tunes!
...served by Gyro1966...

DON COVAY "Mercy!" 1965

In late 1964, Don Covay, then fronting Don Covay & the Goodtimers, scored a Top 40 hit with "Mercy Mercy." He and the record label decided to capitalize on the unexpected crossover success with this LP, one of the finest soul albums ever to come out of Atlantic Records. Given their first chance to stretch out on ten new tracks at once, Covay and his group (including keyboard man and songwriting collaborator Horace Ott) rose to the occasion and delivered an LP's worth of cuts that were as good as the single they were tied to. In addition to the hit, a gospel-blues amalgam of soulful vocals and bluesy lead guitar (which may be better known today to many listeners by way of the Rolling Stones' version from Out of Our Heads), Mercy! is filled with tracks that are never less than good and mostly a lot better than that: "I'll Be Satisfied," with its memorably passionate singing and crunchy guitar; the thumping dance number "Come on In" -- which, true to its origins, features a compendium of dance step references and nods to then-current hit songs; the gorgeous, falsetto-dominated "Can't Stay Away"; and the mournful, wrenchingly beautiful "You're Good for Me," which is too great a performance by Covay and all concerned to be buried at the end of an LP side. "Can't Fight It Baby" is a lost hit, a spellbindingly beautiful, exciting, and memorable cut that ought to have been a single, if not for Covay and company, then in a version by the 1965-vintage Drifters, who were probably working just down the hall in another studio when this side was cut. 
Side two is just as good as side one and, indeed, starts out as virtually a repeat of the latter, with "Take This Hurt Off Me" replicating "Mercy Mercy," though it has an unexpected crop of lost singles -- Covay's soaring "Come See About Me," which he'd previously recorded early in 1964 for the Landa label, with its epic-scale lyrical passion, dominates the side, though "You Must Believe Me" and "Daddy Loves Baby" could also certainly have rated a place on a 45-rpm platter. Given the currents rippling out to the Rolling Stones as well as serious soul fans, this record is obviously capable of striking resonant chords 40 years later, but fans of Jimi Hendrix may also want to make special note of Mercy! -- Hendrix played on a number of Covay sessions, and although the records are sketchy, was likely one of the guitarists on "Mercy Mercy" and possibly one or two other songs (the other guitarists present on the album, for the record, were Bob Bushnell, Wally Richardson, Harry Jensen, and Ronald Miller). It's no more significant in relation to Hendrix's later sound than the guitarist's work with the Isley Brothers from the same period, but it is great music that he happened to play on. (Bruce Eder, All Music Guide)

trax:
01 Mercy, Mercy 02 I'll Be Satisfied 03 Come On In 04 Can't Stay Away 05 Can't Fight It Baby 06 You're Good For Me 07 Take This Hurt Off Me 08 Daddy Loves Baby 09 Come See About Me 10 You Must Believe In Me 11 Please Don't Let Me Know 12 Just Because
...served by Gyro1966...

DON COVAY "See Saw" 1966

Don Covay rides his most creative crest as a solo artist with this hearty collection of songs. The settings are simplistic for Atlantic Records, which recorded similar artists in lusher settings. But rawness is what makes these recordings arresting. A guitarist as well as a singer, Covay's pickings aren't buried in the mix, and you don't need a Geiger counter to detect the grooves. Most impressive are "See Saw," "Mercy Mercy," "Sookie, Sookie," and "Boomerang," a call to dance with the feeling of Major Lance singing a Curtis Mayfield song. On "Fat Man," you wonder if he's singing about his old Washington, D.C., buddy Billy Stewart. The two began their careers with the Rainbows.(by Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide)

trax:
01 See-Saw 02 The Boomerang 03 Everything Gonna Be Everything 04 Fat Man 05 Precious You 06 Iron Out The Rough Spots 07 Please Do Something 08 I Never Get Enough Of Your Love 09 The Usual Place 10 A Woman's Love 11 Sookie Sookie
...served by Gyro1966...

TOMMY RIDGLEY "Mardi Gras Jam"

Classic 50's New Orleans R&B!TOMMY RIDGLEY'S roots, like so many other Rhythm & Blues artists, started in the church choir. Also being the offspring of a musicial family, he had the ability to sing. At age 17, he joined the Navy. During this time he developed an interest in learning to play the piano. In 1946, after World War II, he returned to New Orleans and studied music. Influenced by Roy Brown, a New Orleans' resident and one of the biggest Rhythm & Blues artists nationally, Ridgley began developing his own style. Being a much sought after performer, Ridgley began performing at The Dew Drop Inn, a New Orleans' most popular black live music venue.
TOMMY RIDGLEY'S recording break came in October 1949 with the release of "Shrewsbury Blues," and "Early Dawn Boogie," on Imperial Records with Dave Bartholomew's band. In 1952, TOMMY RIDGLEY signed with Decca Records which produced "TraLaLa," a Tommy Ridgley song covered by Pat Boone.
Soon after, Ridgley signed to Atlantic Records, where he enjoyed a four year association with Jerry Wexler. There were consistent moderate selling recordings, but no national hit.
Over the next years, Ridgley recorded for Herald Records, Ric & Ron Records where he was billed as the New Orleans' King of the Stroll. Joe Ruffiino wanted to make a stroll record in reference to a popular dance of that era. (Similar to Chuck Willis.)
In 1957, THE UNTOUCHABLES, were formed. TOMMY RIDGLEY and his band, THE UNTOUCHABLES, were much respected and got most of the best gigs in the area. Ridgley was firmly established during the late 1960's at the New Orleans' Municipal Auditorium as a resident bandleader with a hot-cookin' band, backing such greats as Little Richard, Solomon Burke, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Little Willie John, and the opening band for James Brown.
The turning point for Ridgley's career came with the Beatles. That was the big change in music. Tommy Ridgley's performances at college campuses and concerts turned to private clubs and older audiences.
It wasn't until the 1970's that New Orleans' Rhythm & Blues was revived with interests by the New Orleans' Jazz & Heritage Festival and other local festivals. TOMMY RIDGLEY continued recording, performing festivals, nationally and internationally. There were reissues on Rounder Records, with new singles on local labels such as Sound of New Orleans, TuDor (Ridgley's own label) and DuBat.

trax:
01 Jam Up 02 Booted 03 Boogie Woogie Mama 04 Wish I Had Never 05 Come Home Baby 06 Tra La La {(Version 1) 07 Lavinia 08 Junie Mae 09 Shrewsbury Blues 10 Ooh Lawdy My Baby 11 Once In A Lifetime 12 Lonely Man Blues 13 Looped 14 I Lived My Life 15 Good Times 16 Monkey Man 17 I'm Gonna Cross That River 18 Got You On My MInd 19 Early Dawn Boogie 20 Anything But Love 21 A Day Is Coming 22 Tra La La (Version 2) 23 Nobody Cares 24 Jam Up Twist
...served by Gyro1966...

NOLAN STRONG & THE DIABLOS "Motor-City Detroit Doo-Wops" Vol 1 + 2

Nolan Strong & The Diablos were a Detroit based R&B and doo-wop vocal group best known for its hit songs "The Wind" and "Mind Over Matter." The group recorded for Fortune Records, a small label in Detroit starting 1954 and did so through the early '70s.
Nolan Strong, the lead vocalist, had an etherially high, strong tenor voice.
Strong's smooth tenor, was influenced mainly by Clyde McPhatter and in turn, Strong influenced a young Smokey Robinson.
The group formed at Central High School in Detroit in 1950 and originally consisted of Nolan Strong (lead tenor), Juan Guitierrez (tenor), Willie Hunter (baritone), Quentin Eubanks (bass), and Bob "Chico" Edwards (guitar). Nolan Strong named the group the Diablos after a book he had read in high school called "El Nino Diablo." (From: http://nolanstrong.blogspot.com/)
In 1954 The Diablos began recording with Fortune Records, releasing a handful of 45 rpm records. By late 1956, changes were made to the Diablos line-up. Scott decided to leave the group about this time to join Hank Ballard & the Midnighters — and again the Diablos were in need of a bass. Enter Jay Johnson, who was introduced to Strong through fellow Fortune artist Andre Williams.
Nolan's career tapered off after 1965; Fortune Records' having him locked into an unprofitable contract is a rumored reason for his lack of recordings in the late '60s and '70s. Jimmy Strong passed away January 29, 1970, at age 34. His brother Nolan joined him on February 21, 1977, at age 43. Hunter, Edwards, and Eubanks are also deceased.
The Diablos were inducted into the United In Group Harmony Hall of Fame in 2003. In March 2008 the group was inducted into the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame of America.
Today, original Diablo and Fortune Records recording artist Jay Johnson performs with a new group under the name "Nolan Strong’s Diablos" - singing all the old hits.
Here is the group's MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/nolanstrongsdiablos
All Diablos recordings were on Fortune Records:
http://www.myspace.com/fortunerecordsdetroit
Add Nolan on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/nolanstrongtrax:
Vol 1
01 The Wind 02 Daddy Rockin' Strong 03 I Wanna Know 04 Blue Moon 05 I Really Love You 06 Hold Me Until Eternity 07 Route 16 08 Danny Boy 09 Mind Over Matter 10 The Way You Dog Me Around 11 Yeah Baby, it's Because of You 12 You're the Only Girl, Delores 13 Ooh Ooh Those Eyes 14 Adios, My Desert Love 15 Everything They Said Came True 16 Beside You 17 If I Oh I 18 Someday 19 You Are 20 Baby Be Mine 21 A Teardrop From Heaven 22 That's What You're Doing to Me 23 The Mambo of Love 24 Since You're Gone 25 Try Me One More Time
Vol 2
01 For Old Time Sake 02 Jump Shake & Move 03 An Old Fashioned Girl 04 I Am With You 05 What You Gonna Do 06 Harriet 07 My Kind of Lovin' 08 I Wanna Know 09 Daddy 'Nolan' Strong 10 Ali Coochi 11 The Wind (Outtake) 12 Adios, My Desert Love (1953 Demo) 13 Harriet, it's You 14 Remember Me 15 Do You Remember What You Did 16 White Christmas 17 Come Home, Little Girl 18 Can We Talk This Over 19 My Heart Will Always Belong to You 20 Village of Love 21 The Way You Dog Me Around (Acappella) 22 Goodbye Mathilda 23 Are You Sincere 24 Rockin Robin 25 I Don't Care 26 So Long
...served by Gyro1966...