Don't you remember me?

The Ponderosa Stomp is about to get rolling. I can't imagine I'll be anything less than dog-tired come 10pm, but I have to get down to d.b.a. tonight for the Hip Drop dance party. Told ya this move is badly timed.

Tomorrow night is undoubtedly a complete wash....too bad, I really wanted to see the Excello label tribute with Carol Fran, Lazy Lester, and Classie Ballou. Which is of course followed by a tribute to Cos Matassa with Allen Toussaint, Dave Bartholomew, and Robert Parker...which is then followed by both Jean Knight and C.P. Love. Ugh.

We'll see what happens on Saturday. I'm gonna kick myself if I miss the Stax label tribute with William Bell, Sir Mack Rice, Otis Clay, Howard Grimes, Eddie Floyd, and Skip Pitts. The one, the only, Lady Bo will also be in the house along with Big Jay McNeely and Miss Lavelle White [who I ran into several weeks ago in Austin].

There are lots of other performers I've failed to mention, this is just my wish list.

I've had several Carol Fran records ready to post for some time. Here's her first 45, recorded in 1957 by Jay Miller in Crowley, La. According to the label, she wrote the tune.

Miller supplied many many recordings to the Nashville based Excello label. He's the source of all those fabulous Slim Harpo, Lonesome Sundown, Lightin' Slim, Lazy Lester, and Guitar Gable 45s. Yep, they's all Louisiana records.

Hope ya'll enjoy....

Here's a sweet little clip of Carol Fran running through a number in both French and English. Dig that poster of Cleoma Breaux on the wall.

Lesson No.1 in how to be patronizing and still get laid...

Ok, so I've closed up and sealed the boxes of records. No more digging allowed. Period. Which doesn't mean that I didn't pull a small carrying case full of 45s beforehand. Box up the stereo equipment? Forget it. That stuff gets loaded into the truck last so it can be unloaded first. Mama sez so.

Home is where the tunes are.

So we have a choice today.....either the 45 The Three Ladies Of The House have been wearing out all afternoon or one of the most amazing deep vocal records I own.

Very-hard-choice, but ya know...I really think the ladies rule today.

Hope ya'll enjoy....

Fyi, the artist is listed as Boby *cough* Franklin but is actually Bobby Franklin of Bobby Franklin's Insanity. Check the name in the sidebar or below if you'd like to hear more.

Once I was lost....

Yesterday was rough. A funeral in the morning followed by the arrival of a girlfriend from Upstate NY who's lost everything in recent flooding. Poor thing is still in shock.

Unfortunately we don't have much in the way of stability to offer given that we're in the midst of moving, but I suppose it's better than sleeping on a cot in a shelter. And it will get better soon even though I could personally strangle the idiot who planned this little misadventure with the movers [me]. The timing couldn't possibly be any worse.

Anyway, after re-scheduling twice, it looks like we'll finally be moving on Friday.

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I'm fairly sure this is another Wardell Quezergue effort but since he's not credited on the record label, I can't say for certain. I tried asking the good folks on the Southern Soul message board if they could confirm Mr. Q's input, but apparently the question is either too boring or nobody actually knows the answer.

Or maybe the answer is just too obvious? Seems very likely to me that Mr. Q was responsible for three of the four sides issued on Johnny Adams' two best selling singles for the SSS International label. Could be that's all that needs to be said.

This is from the local New Orleans pressing....hope ya'll enjoy.

Before I forget, I need to thank Alison Fensterstock of the Time-Picayune for mentioning the blog, here, along with Dan Phillips' Home of the Groove, Larry Grogan's Funky 16 Corners, and Red Kelly's blogs the A-Side, B-side, and Soul Detective. I'm totally flattered to be included in such fine company. A little bit of local attention ain't too bad either.

While I'm at it, here's a clip of Johnny Adams making it all look so very easy.

Each and every day, since you've been away...

Not that anyone needs my help in getting over to Funky 16 Corners, but Larry Grogan's posted a very nice piece on Wardell Quezergue....has a nice selection of tunes available as well [that Marie Boubarere 45 is very rare]. As is often the case with Larry's posts, I def learned a few things I didn't know before.

Mr. Q worked on Earl King's "Trick Bag"? That's news to me and makes me wonder if the same is true of King's other releases on Imperial. Hard to say for sure as he isn't credited on any of the 45s, including "Trick Bag".

Larry also reminded me that Warren Lee's "Underdog Backstreet" is a Mr. Q production....just so happens that's the very first tune I ever posted on the blog. You can find it here.

I should mention that I sometimes use the terms "producer" and "production" in a modern sense, implying creative control, even though the effort received no such credit. Ya know, it's not like a production credit is always what it appears to be. As far as I'm concerned, the real question is: who was/is responsible for the sound of a particular recording?

When a man such as Mr. Quezergue is credited as arranger you can be assured his creative input was greater than some "producers". Every clip I've seen of him in the studio shows him leading the band, working to make it all sound right, helping musicians with their respective parts. If that's not a huge part of record production, then I don't know what is.

Cos Matassa has said several times that he doesn't know what a "record producer" is. And that's not just an old man being obtuse. He's speaking from his own extensive experience and at the same time sticking a well-honed pin in those who he sees as having garnered undue credit.

Ya see, there was a time when A&R men, arrangers, bandleaders, musicians, and engineers handled the entire recording process. Given that post-production work often amounted to very little and mastering was a physical process left to technicians and their lathes, the concept of a creative "record producer" has little validity when it comes to many 50s/60s RnB, RnR, and Country recordings.

Slightly off topic, but I just happened to notice that Josh Alan Friedman has recently added a great piece on Leiber and Stoller to his blog, "Black Cracker Online". In it he taps Leiber and Stoller as the first "record producers". An argument which has some validity, but only if you consider that garnering a "first" in anything is often dependent on one's skin color...a situation I'd think Mr. Friedman, if anyone, might be more sensitive to.

Johnny Otis, Dave Bartholomew, Paul Gayten, Sonny Thompson, et al, weren't "record producers"??? Oh, I forgot, they were only A&R men, composers, arrangers, bandleaders. Ya see, they didn't own record labels [at least not for some time to come].

Here's a fairly recent clip of Mr. Q in the studio. He's basically blind at this point. I'd post it but embedding is disabled.

While I'm at it, here's an incredibly stupid video of a great song by New Orleans' own Lydia Marcelle. Yep, Mr. Quezergue was responsible for this one too. The song title is actually "Everyone Dance" [the morons couldn't even get that right]. Why I don't own a copy of this 45 is a complete mystery to me.

Anyway, here's today's not-often-heard selection. Check the side bar for Warren Lee [yep, it's the same guy], there are several more of his recordings available. I even re-upped the link to "Climb The Ladder" just 'cause I love ya'll.

Enjoy....

I don't shake like jelly and I don't taste like jam....

I'm still working on a list of the Wardell Quezergue productions/arrangements I've posted in the past. They're even more numerous than I thought.

These Smokey Johnson instrumentals are totally part of the canon, as is this funk monster by Gus Lewis, along with this beauty by Willie Tee.

As of today, Derek See's posted yet another superb tune by Willie Tee, here, and both Darcy over at Feel It and Red Kelly at The B-Side have offered up utterly gorgeous sides by King Floyd. Those links are here, and here, respectively.

And there's still a whole lot more to come if I have anything at all to say about it.

I posted the flip-side of this record last winter. Unfortunately, I only owned a trashed copy at the time. This 45 is in much much nicer shape, in fact it's almost mint [except for some water damage].

So here ya go, yet another killer side from the hand of Mr. Q.

Hope ya'll enjoy....

Can't you see I'm in misery....

Wardell Quezergue died yesterday morning. A beautiful person...sweet, kind, totally humble. The world is truly diminished without him.

There are simply too many songs I could post. Actually quite a few I've already posted.

One of my fave Quezergue productions, "Patty Cake Shake" by Guitar Ray, has just been posted over at Jukeboxmafia. The link to my rip of that 45 is long dead so ya'll should just head on over there and pick it up.

The link to my copy of "Funky Soul Train" by Robert Parker continues to be active [still the only copy of that record I've ever seen]. It's another great Quezergue production. You can find it here. [Fyi, all Quezergue produced Parker sides can all be found on the comp "The Wardell Quezergue Sessions", a collection I consider essential]

While I'm at it, here's a link to my post of Parker's "Soul Sister" and another to Willie Harper's version of "A Certain Girl". Both relatively hard to find. Quezergue is listed as "Big Q" on the Harper 45.

Oh yeah, before I forget, you can find Raymond Parker's "Ring Around the Roses", here. It too is a Quezergue production.

The side I'm posting today is the b-side of "Soul Train" by Curley Moore.....but not off the same 45 I used when I posted "Soul Train" some time ago [it can be found here]. This is a Nola label pressing....which has a different b-side than the Hotline pressings.

Anyway, this isn't necessarily a "greatest hit", in fact it hardly ever gets spins. Which probably only means it's not quite as killer as it's flip side, but it's def got it's points. I actually like it a lot or I wouldn't bother to post it. Someone else must like it too because it's been comped on the terrific collection "Wardell Quezergue: Sixty Smokin' Soul Senders". If you don't have a copy of that comp you absolutely should check it out.

I'll wait and see what other bloggers pull out of their crates before I post anything else. I could run with this particular tribute a good long while.....and to good purpose.

Hope ya'll enjoy....

Deep down inside...

Too bad I've already posted both Irma Thomas' "It's Raining" and Lee Dorsey's "Rain Rain Go Away", either would be perfect for today. I suppose I could hunt up my copy of Gentleman June Gardner's "It's Gonna Rain" but I'm feeling lazy today.

At least the rain's put out the marsh fires that blanketed the city with smoke earlier in the week. That was just plain weird. [Correction: the fires aren't out yet, which is surprising given the amount of rain we've had. According to the "WeatherBug" system: 11 inches at one of the in-town stations, 15 inches in Metairie, close to 17 inches on the West Bank, about 9 inches at the Lakefront Airport, etc....]

This tune's been out for a good while....I really meant to post these videos earlier. That's of course Irma Thomas singing on the first clip. The second's a great sounding live version with vocals handled by Cyril Neville. That instrumental break in the middle is rather pointless, but Cyril slams it so hard when he finally steps out from behind the congas that all is forgiven.

Hope ya'll enjoy....

Everybody everywhere...

Time to funk shit up.

One of ten records I would hope is in my bag if I'm ever stranded in a cheap motel in far West Texas [my idea of a desert island]. Also one of the most sought after records on the True Soul label out of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Don't ya dare pass up Part 2......right when the band signals they're ready to hit that monstrous groove even harder, some extra heavy delay is laid on the vocals. The effect is spectacular. I can only wish these two sides had been released as an extended version on a 12 incher.

Down Home Funk Pt.1

Down Home Funk Pt.2

Whatever you had brought my heart down to my knees....

We're moving fairly soon. So, on top of everything else I'm having to sort through all our stuff. Actually two houses full of stuff, 'cause the one we're moving into is full of an older relative's treasured possessions. She died recently [bless her soul] and left me the house along with everything in it. Which is just amazing, even life changing....except for all the, uhmmm, stuff.

I thought of having a yard sale but there's really no time.

Anyone need a vacuum cleaner?

Basically, I'm beyond the point of exhaustion. Joe Jones, blah blah blah "You Talk Too Much", blah blah blah, "California Sun". Alvin Robinson, blah blah blah, love the man. Only 45 on the label, blah blah blah. Hope ya'll got that.

Oh yeah, turns out I was wrong in saying Robinson's sides for Leiber and Stoller owned labels were recorded in New Orleans.....NYC is more like it, but with a bunch of N.O. sidemen. Nobody's perfect.

"Whatever You Had" is Robinson's answer to his own version of "Something You Got". If anything the man cuts loose more on this side than the original. "You Brought My Heart Right Down To My Knees " is nothing short of terrific. Yep, another great two-sider. Can't beat it with a stick. Once again, Joe Jones is the man in charge.

Whatever You Had You Ain't Got It No More

You Brought My Heart Right Down To My Knees

[Oops, I said I would make a mention and then didn't. Ya'll should really check out the new blog, Shreveport Songs. It's off to a jaw-dropping start with a great piece on drummer Chico Chism and a listen to his super rare 45 on the Clif label. An amazing recording. Drumming like that, from that time, is always worth paying attention to. I can't wait till the next post.]

Searchin' for something you've got....

As luck would have it, Larry Grogan has done a far better job than I ever could of presenting both records I'd planned to post in honor of Jerry Leiber. No problem, Larry's the one who turned me onto the Coasters version of "Down Home Girl" in the first place. Credit where credit is due.

So, in case you haven't been over to Funky 16 Corners in the last 24 hours or so, you should check out what Larry has to say, here. In fact, you should probably head on over there before going any further.

Obviously my post was blown after I saw Larry's piece, so in trying to think of some other tune to feature it occurred to me that Alvin Robinson cut yet another Leiber and Stoller song, in fact one which was originally recorded by the Coasters. I'd like to think of it as 'tit for tat'.

This is a cheap and easily found 45 that occasionally draws confused/confusing reactions. Ya see, it's been my experience that some folks think they know this record when in fact they don't, and are surprised when they actually hear it. Could be confusion over who first recorded/wrote "Something You Got" [Chris Kenner] is to blame....or for that matter even a certain kind of blindness to cheap records. But those are just guesses, I wouldn't know for sure about either.

What I do know is that this is a great two-sider more or less hiding in plain sight.

Tiger was one of Leiber and Stoller's labels. All of the sides Robinson cut for the duo, including those on sister labels Red Bird and Blue Cat, were recorded in New Orleans. Joe Jones gets credit for "Something You Got".

Something You Got

Searchin'

Doin' it all night long....pt.2

Continuing with the oddities.....what better place to look than the Anla label?

This 45 comes courtesy of my ultra crabby friend C. who having recently reached "a certain advanced age" is now apparently immune to feminine wiles. Try as I might, I've been unable to get this bizarre slab of vinyl out of his [evil] clutches. In fact, my machinations look to have backfired. He's now threatening to leave his entire collection to the clutch of feral cats inhabiting his backyard ["to sharpen thier nasty claws on"] with the executor of the will instructed to poke each cat with a pin just to make sure none of the "little fuckers" is me in disguise. I love you too darlin'.

I've written several times about Chester Randle/Bill Parker, in fact I posted the original version of this song more than a year ago.

While the original version is great goofy fun....this later take comes very close to pure acid-damaged insanity. Sure, there's a big difference between 1962 and 1970 [?], but why would anyone think they could turn such an incredibly silly dance tune into a psychedelic freakout? The mind boggles. If there was even an ounce of irony [or a fake lisp] involved I'd be reminded of the Electric Eels. Repeated listening does nothing to solve the puzzle.

I could be wrong, but I don't think this 45 has ever been comped.

Here ya go, Sweet Potato Mash...with a side of LSD.

[Repost] I'll be there, wishing, waiting, hoping....

[Issac Bolden died a few days ago. Respect is due]

A record more often referred to than posted. In fact, I can't find where it's been posted at all. Could be the 45's a little hard to find.

Anyway, it's a great two-sider, including the original version of "Wishing,Waiting, Hoping", which was a local New Orleans hit, not once, but twice. The second time when it was covered by Lee Bates in 1976.

As fond as I am of Bates' version, I have to admit that when Owens recorded the song in 1967, he created a classic.

Isaac Bolden is one of the more under-rated arranger/producers to have worked in New Orleans. Both these songs are simply gorgeous. Even, gorgeous in their simplicity. Bolden had a knack for making everything sound just-right. Virtually no fluff, few stumbles, heavy on the atmosphere, yet still clean sounding. It's a tough trick to pull off.

"I'll Be There" is at least as much a favorite as "Wishing, Waiting, Hoping", don't overlook it. Both songs are quite different from each other. If you don't like one, be sure and try the other. Hopefully, you'll like them both as much as I do.

Wishing, Waiting, Hoping

I'll Be There

I'm glad about it...

[Oops, sorry about that. I've added a link.]

I'm sure I've read about the ACR "KNO BEL" label somewhere but can't seem to find any info at the moment. My impression is that it was the Austin Tx. equivalent of the New Orleans based Booker label. Or at least the business model was similar. Portable tape recorder for hire, church meetings a specialty.

Beautiful label design isn't it.

I particularly like the screams from the congregation.

Hope ya'll enjoy....

You are more precious than gold....

The Marvetts [also Marvettes] were a Jamaican group who worked in what's commonly known as the "revivalist" gospel style of the mid 60's. Laid back, folksy, totally earnest, decidedly un-hip, the style is not to everyone's taste....in fact, there are folks who'll tell you it's only appeal is it's strangeness.

The great Coxsone Dodd was behind the Tabernacle label. One source says the label was started before his Studio 1 label, but the info's a bit confusing so take it for what it's worth. While this is clearly a Jamaican issue [it was later released in the UK], the discography I have says the issue numbers are wrong....so I really don't know for sure what this 45 is.

The run out code refers to the Wirl label....but if there was an issue on Wirl, I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere.

From 1965 [?], possibly the first 45 on the Tabernacle label [?].

Hope ya'll enjoy....

Just you and me....

Can I get an Amen?

Take me by the hand.....

It's impossible to overestimate the influence of Napoleon Brown Culp. It was he that brought hard core gospel-style vocals into the secular realm, for all practical purposes inventing "deep soul".

I don't really need to write anything else 'cause that about says it all, but there's something of interest I'd like to point out. Much has been written about Brown's voice, his use of vibrato/melisma,/etc.....but I've yet to see anyone mention that the man regularly sang in what you might call a mid-range falsetto. His natural voice being very deep, sounding something like John Lee Hooker with considerably more lung power.

You can hear the shift between his natural voice and the falsetto on almost every one of his records. Quite suddenly he'll drop an octave [or two] time and again. At it's most exaggerated, this vocal shift can make the records almost sound like the work of a non-harmonizing duo.

On this cut, Brown starts off singing in the falsetto, then quickly reverts to his natural voice [pushing it about as far as it'll go], and then shifts back to the falsetto for a few seconds before finishing up the record in his natural voice. The shift isn't as obvious as it is on some records, but it's definitely there.

The word for today is, fascinating.

My tears was in vain....

Finally, a day off. Maybe I'll even get around to answering some of my emails....

One of four 45s recorded by Martha Carter [one as Martha Nelson]....all issued on Joe Ruffino's Ric/Ron labels....all apparently Eddie Bo related.

As I recall, several cuts by Carter [including this one], are included on a comp called "New Orleans Ladies". Ya'll should check it out.

Hope ya like it.

It comes and it goes....

I've only familiar with a couple of records by Nat Hall, the other being his fabulous "Why" on the D.C. based Loop label, but a friend tells me there several more around. Seems most, if not all, are worth checking out. Given how much I like this record [and the Loop 45] I'll def be keeping an eye open.

In poking around for info I was surprised to find only a few mentions of this tune. The superb flip-side, "Talkin' About Love", doesn't even show on any DJ playlists I could find. I would have thought both tunes had been played/comped to death. I guess not.

If anyone has info on Hall, I love to see it. I got nothin'.

Hope ya'll enjoy.....

She didn't say no....

One of two records by Big Daddy Green, both on Goldband sister-label, Anla, out of Lake Charles.

I'm usually right there with Sir Shambling, but in this case I couldn't disagree more. Big Daddy Green's first record is totally the one to have. "Lady In Red" is a long term major hit around this house. I like it so much I recently bought a second copy just 'cause I couldn't pass it by.

Check out what Sir Shambling has to say, here.

Hope ya'll enjoy....

Soul feeling....

Rather like a story with two possible endings.....

Make no mistake, my hand has been hovering over the delete button for the past several weeks. But there are all these extraordinary comments being posted. Surprisingly, not a one of which have I had to censor. Not a single one.

Popularity doesn't influence me, just as heartfelt appreciation most assuredly does. My sincere thanks to everyone who bothered to comment. I am, to put it mildly, nonplussed by your responses....even somewhat embarrassed....but more than anything, I am exceedingly grateful.

Ya'll think I'm good at this? Really? All I've ever thought I had to offer was some interesting records. And ya know, in my book that makes the this whole enterprise somewhat suspect. Anyone with the time, money, and interest can gather a nice collection. That I enjoy hunting up useless bits of plastic does not make me an authority on anything.....in fact, it probably means I'm an idiot.

I should also mention that I received some very nice emails concerning my last post. My thanks to you folks as well. One of those emails correctly noted that my life has changed a great deal over the last two years. This is God's Own Truth and of more importance than I care to go into except to say that I am very busy these days. I didn't so much take on a new job in May as I took on a new [and very interesting] life. I would never downplay Baby Girl's role, but compared with the job, she's just along for the [wild] ride.

Anyway, we'll see how this goes. There are situations which will likely make me cut this revival short. Specifically, harassment from any one of several quarters.

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Shall we make a party? [my mama taught me to go formal when in doubt]

I really wouldn't know if this is the rarest of Eddy Giles 45s, but folks do often want some serious cash for it. Luckily, I scored my copy for cheap. Don't pass up Pt.2, it's the side I play most often.

Soul Feeling Pt.1

Soul Feeling Pt.2