Hope you feel the same way too.....

I haven't seen anyone pop this 45 up in a good long while. Which surprises me. The record may be cheap and easily found, but jeeze, if there was ever a tune worthy of multiple postings it's this one. Probably in my top 20 all time faves. Absolutely in my top 50.

I feel kinda bad about skipping over Clarence Carter's excellent original version, but Ted Taylor totally owns this song by the time the 45 is over. Even more accurately, he tears the original to shreds and then stomps what's left to dust. Just amazing.

Ya know, if this cut had originally been released as the flip-side to his "Ramblin' Rose" the world would have been blessed with one of the ten most perfect two-sided singles ever. Truth is, Taylor just doesn't get the respect he deserves.

I'm thinking this cut was recorded in Chicago [or Memphis?] but can't say for sure. Stan Lewis, who owned Ronn, leased a lot of records out of the midwest, but Taylor was on the Shreveport based label for almost 10 years and then later on recorded a number of sides with Wardell Quezergue for Alarm in Baton Rouge. Throw in the fact that Taylor also died in Louisiana and ya gotta figure he must have spent a good deal of time in the state.

Hope ya'll enjoy...

[Oddly enough, if you try to google producers R. Hawkins and J. Johnson, the first hits are for the song writing credits to "Iko Iko"....two thirds of the Dixie Cups, Rosa Hawkins and Joan Johnson. Not that they produced the 45, I just thought it an interesting coincidence.]

[As was pointed out in the comments, my thinking on where this 45 was recorded is wrong. Muscle Shoals is more like it. I totally missed the BMI publishing credit for Fame on the label. Roger Hawkins and Jimmy Johnson are the producers.]

I'm so happy just to see your face....

Ya know, I own at least 20 Ted Taylor 45's, but that's just a fraction of what's out there. If you include records on which he sang backup as part of the Jacks/Cadets and those on which he used the name 'Lucky Ivory', the man's voice shows up on something close to 200 sides issued on over 20 different labels. I doubt I've even heard half of them.

Which means that periodically I have the pleasure of 'discovering' yet another Ted Taylor recording that just knocks me out. Funny thing is, this time it's the b-side of Taylor's biggest hit.....not something that's especially hard to find. In fact, I looked around awhile before I picked up a copy, thinking I'd stumble on a nice original pressing. Which I did.

Anyway, this song is totally rockin' my house. While I'm a little surprised it hasn't shown up on my turntable sooner, I also know that everyone comes to certain songs in their own time.

My discography says it's from 1958, but I'm thinking that's wrong. I put it at 1959.

Enjoy....

Don't you lie to me...

Ted Taylor started off singing with several gospel groups, including the Mighty Clouds of Joy and the Santa Monica Soul Seekers.

The Soul Seekers soon mutated into the Cadets [also, the Jacks] and started to play the devil's music. As a solo act Taylor recorded a number of singles on the Okeh label before switching to Ronn records out of Shreveport. He died in Lake Charles in the late 80's

So, is Taylor's voice angelic or demonic?..... Regardless of the answer, the chill factor is very high.