This one goes out to Holly, who more or less requested it. It's the flip-side of one of the first records I posted on the blog.
Hep' Me was one of many small labels, including Black Patch, Jenmark, JB's, Shagg, Superdome [and probably a few others I can't recall atm] owned by Senator Jones. After the fall of Cosimo Matassa's various enterprises, Jones was one of the very few small independent operators able to make a go of the record business in the city.
By 1970, times were getting pretty tough for a lot of artists in New Orleans. The Senator deserves a lot of credit for putting out records on folks who might not otherwise have been able to record at that time......Johnny Adams, Bobby Powell, Chris Kenner, Charles Brimmer, Tony Owens, Tommy Ridgely, Chuck Carbo, Barbara George....the list is long.
But that's not all. Jones kept on issuing records on the Hep' Me and Mardi Gras labels until he died in 2008...giving a whole new generation of artists a chance to record. People like Sweet Miss Coffy, Marva Wright, George Jackson...etc...
Unfortunately, I have hardly anything on Bobby LaCour, except that he recorded one other very nice single for Hep' Me [seemingly much harder to find than this one]. I feel sure I had more info at one time but now can't seem to find it. I'm almost certain that LaCour also recorded with a group. The name of which is a total blank to me.
Anyone else got info?...
great hippy tune-
ReplyDeleteyour blog is GREAT- thanks for everything.
do you have "how can you babysit a man" by Ned Towns?
Thanks Anon. Sorry, I don't own that one, but Derek over at Derek's Daily 45 posted 'Bingo' by Towns 2 or 3 weeks ago...isn't 'How Can You Babysit a Man' the other side of that 45?
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should ask Derek if he'll post it?
ana...
Hi Ana -
ReplyDeleteYou're right, "Commandments of Love" is a MUCH better song... actually, it's now one of my faves, thanks to your sharing... but I do always love me a good novelty number ;-)
Thanks a ton for both of 'em!
Hey Holly, you might like LaCour's other single on Hep'Me. Unfortunately I don't own it or I'd post it. But, if you wanna contact me at singbones@yahoo.com I'll be glad to send you the mp3 I have of the a-side. It's a more along the lines of Commandments Of Love, but still a bit different. What ya might call mid-tempo. Softer than Hippie Joe. He sings rather than screams.
ReplyDeleteCommandments Of Love is one of my faves. I play it regularly.
ana..
Well, there is at least one other single by Bobby LaCour, All Platinum 2321, "If I Had My Life to Lve Over" b/w "Daddy Wants You Home", from 1970. He may be the 'Bobby Lu Cure' who recorded some unreleased sides for Toussaint and Sehorn in the mid 1960s, finable on the Sundazed CD, Get Low Down! (exclamation point, theirs).
ReplyDeleteDan...could be that's the record I was thinking LaCour did with a group and simply misremember.
ReplyDeleteOne of these days I need to buy the R&B Indies book....the only info I have on Hep' Me doesn't even include the Hippie Joe, Hep' Me 104...it only mentions I Found What I Wanted, Hep' Me 106.
Thats very interesting about the unreleased Toussaint sides. I'll have to look up the comp. Obviously, I'm a LaCour fan, it would be amazing if those sides were indeed him.
Thanks again Dan...your help is much appreciated.
ana..
I worte HOW CAN YOU BABYSIT A MAN ON THE
ReplyDeleteSUBWAY IN NEW YORK. I PUT ERICK GALE ON
GUITAR RICHARD TEE FROM MOTOWN ON ORGAN,
BERNARD PURDY ON DRUMS, WINSTON ON BASE.
MY FIRST RELEASE WAS ON MY LABEL: SKILLET RECORDS. GOT IT PLAYED ON WWRL IN NEW YORK
LATER MADE A DEAL WITH JERRY WEXLER.
NED TOWNS NEDTOWNS.COM
Harry said..Don't know much about Bobby LeCour,
ReplyDeletebut Jerry Wexler sure did. Talk about rape, loot, & pillage. Give a listen..Hippie Joe, then spin Wilson Pickett..Soul Dance #3.
Christ! they even spun the guitar lick a bit,
& got Funky Broadway!!
Hippie Joe is Soul Dance #3