Looking Back; The Jamaican Charts Of 1958 And 1959 CD2

...There's Philadelphian pianist Bill Doggett's instrumental Honky Tonk part 1 credited by the great Studio 1 keysman Richard Ace as inspiring the early "shuffle ska". The Trinidadian-led Cyril X Diaz Orchestra's cover of the Cuban rarity Tabu, would be absorbed into the melody of the Gaylads' 1967 Studio 1 side Africa We Want To Go. The "Whap Whap" refrain from Lee Andrews and the Hearts' It's Me would end up in Burning Spear's 1975 roots chant Travelling. Then there's the Rays' Silhouettes, a beautifully harmonized tale of mistaken identity and misplaced jealousy sung by Dennis Brown in 1972 for Derrick Harriott. Meanwhile, Little Willie John's original cut of Fever would be recut by Horace Andy and Junior Byles, whereas You Send Me was the first secular hit by Sam Cooke, who inspired singers from Slim Smith in the 60s to Lloyd Brown today.

Marriage appears to have been a popular lyrical theme as evidenced by Lord Tanamo's US-styled Sweet Dreaming, Gene and Eunice's The Vow, Milson Luce's Don't Break Your Promise, and Mighty Sparrow's long-suffering calypso Dear Sparrow. And there are two versions of the much covered ode Island In The Sun, one by the US singer and activist Harry Belafonte and a more Jamaican-flavoured take by Count Owen. Number crunchers may be miffed at the lack of any actual chart positions in the otherwise highly informative sleevenotes. But that aside, this is an essential purchase for all musical historians - as is the followup 'Easy Snapping', which collects the hits of 1960 when local artists began to dominate the airwaves and the dances began to change...

trax:
1. Island In The Sun - Count Owen And His Calypsonians Featuring Euton Gayle And His Banjo 2. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Platters 3. Sea Cruise Frankie Ford With Huey (Piano) - Smith And His Orchestra 4. Evening Rain - Earl Grant 5. Little Chickee Wha Wha - Huey "Piano" Smith & The Clowns 6. Charlie Brown - The Coasters 7. Sugar Wooga - The Three Playmates 8. Here I Stand Wade - Flemons And The Newcomers 9. Hey Girl - Hey Boy - Oscar McLollie And Annette Baker With Googie Rene And His Orchestra 10. Personality - Lloyd Price With Don Costa And His Orchestra 11. That's Why (I Love You) - Jackie Wilson 12. Riding West - Billy Hope, The Bad Men 13. I May Never (See My Baby Anymore) - Jimmy Scott 14. Live It Up (Aka Beardman Shuffle) - Ernie Freeman Combo 15. Dear Sparrow - Mighty Sparrow 16. It's Me (Aka Whap Whap) - Lee Andrews & The Hearts 17. Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison 18. No Buts No Maybes - Professor Longhair 19. No More Doggin' - Rosco Gordon 20. There Goes My Baby - The Drifters 21. Red River Rock - Johnny & The Hurricanes 22. Boogie Rock - Laurel Aitken & The Boogie Cats 23. GI Jive - Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five 24. Be My Guest - Fats Domino 25. Going Back To My Hometown - Hal Paige & The Whalers 26. I-Yi - The Hawks 27. Come Back Jeannie - Laurel Aitken 28. People Are Doing It Everday - Terry & Jerry 29. 1 - 11 (Aka Mambo No 5) - The Gone All Stars 30. Evening News - Fitz-Vaughn Bryan's Orchestra With Vocals By Kentrick Patrick
…served by Gyro1966...