1. Chuck Berry Run Rudolph Run 1958 2:45 Producers: 2. The Moonglows with Red Holloway’s Orchestra Hey Santa Claus 1953 2:24 Various 3. Jimmy Liggins and His Drops Of Joy I Want My Baby For Christmas 1950 2:41 Re-Issue Producer: 4. Oscar McLollie and His Honey Jumpers Dig That Crazy Santa Claus 1954 2:31 Bill Dahl 5. Jimmy Butler with Blues Express Orchestra Trim Your Tree 1954 2:02 Disc/Metalpart Transfer: 6. Cecil Gant Hello Santa Claus 1950 2:54 Victor Pearlin, Dave Booth 7. Mabel Scott Boogie Woogie Santa Claus 1948 2:19 Mastering: 8. Lowell Fulson Lonesome Christmas (Part 1) 1951 2:26 Chris Zwarg Liner Notes: 9. The Cadillacs Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer 1956 2:17 Bill Dahl 10. Titus Turner Christmas Morning 1952 2:41 Discographical Data: 11. The Penguins Jingle Jangle 1955 2:22 Richard Weize, Bill Dahl, 12. Charles Brown Christmas Finds Me Oh So Sad 1963 3:10 Russ Wapensky 13. Jesse Thomas Christmas Celebration 1951 2:34 Photos & Illustrations: 14. Amos Milburn Let’s Make Christmas Merry, Baby 1949 2:54 and more bears archive, 15. The Drifters White Christmas 1954 2:39 The Showtime Music 16. Jimmy McCracklin Christmas Time (Part 1) 1961 2:19 Archive, Toronto, 17. Huey ‘Piano’ Smith and the Clowns Silent Night 1962 3:03 Sven T. Uhrmann, Billy Vera 18. Chuck Berry Merry Christmas Baby 1958 3:13 Photo Scans: 19. The Orioles (It’s Gonna Be A) Lonely Christmas 1948 3:18 Andreas Merck 20. Big Bud Rock Around The Christmas Tree 1955 2:32 Photo Restoration: 21. Jimmy Witherspoon How I Hate To See Xmas Come Around 1947 2:59 Sven T. Uhrmann 22. Roy Milton and His Solid Senders Christmas Time Blues 1950 3:05 Artwork: 23. Solomon Burke Christmas Presents 1955 3:05 EsTe /Retrograph 24. Willie John and The Three Lads and A Lass Mommy What Happened To Our Christmas Tree 1953 2:30 25. Alex Harvey and His Soul Band The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot 1999 3:00 26. Little Willie Littlefield Merry Xmas 1949 2:57 27. The Five Keys It’s Christmas Time 1951 2:51 28. Johnny Moore’s Blazers with Frankie Ervin Christmas Eve Baby 1955 2:23 29. The Harmony Grits Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 1959 1:59

AMB 70080 available on CD on RWA Records

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The concept of Christmas blues songs variations on the theme, and the often-ribald harks back to the earliest days of recording. duo of Butterbeans and Susie checked in with Enterprising labels realized from the outset Papa Ain’t No Santa Claus (Mama Ain’t No the commercial value of such holiday fare. Christmas Tree) in 1930—just the thing to If an artist was tethered to a record company brighten a snowy Christmas morning. for any length of time, he or she would likely be contributing at least one timeless The postwar R&B generation was number to the Christmas canon. Shelf life particularly given to applying holiday fare was brief for such seasonal releases, but to wax. Jumping combos were turning out they were perennials and could always be swinging odes to Kris Kringle, romance under rolled out again a year down the road if the old mistletoe, and double-entendre- there was stock left over in the warehouse loaded sleaze, the latter only permissible to and a demand in the stores. spin on the trusty Victrola after the kiddies were safely tucked away in their beds with Bessie Smith memorably belted At The visions of train sets and baby dolls dancing Christmas Ball at a Columbia session in late in their sweet little heads. 1925, and Blind Lemon Jefferson chimed in with Christmas Eve Blues in 1928 for This collection is sure to make your Paramount. Pre-war bluesmen Bo Carter, Christmas merrier. It ranges from the Tampa Red, and Charlie Jordan came up with pioneering jump blues combos of Jimmy

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Liggins, Roy Milton, and Amos Milburn to 1. grittier blues fare from Lowell Fulson and Cecil Gant and the straightahead rock and Chuck Berry roll of Chuck Berry. Vocal groups are well Run Rudolph Run represented with sweetly harmonized gems (Chuck Berry-Marvin Brodie) by The Five Keys, Drifters, and Orioles and peppier items by The Cadillacs, recorded November 19, 1958; Ter-Mar Moonglows, and Penguins, and the king of Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, ‘em all, the perpetually mellow Charles Chicago, Illinois with Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/overdubbed Brown, is here with one of his more obscure guitar; Willie Dixon: bass; Odie Payne, Jr.: Christmas laments. drums; Ellis ‘Lafayette’ Leake: piano master 9167 So on Christmas morning, when you’re Chess 1714 unwrapping your presents in front of the 1958 tree and the family is near, slide this compilation into your CD player and Rock and roll’s chief architect usually luxuriate in the hip sounds of holidays long didn’t share authorship credit with anyone, past, when Mabel Scott sang so brightly of but it was unavoidable for Run Rudolph Run. a Boogie Woogie Santa Claus and the totally Since Chuck Berry incorporated Rudolph, unknown Big Bud socked out a ditty about The Red-Nosed Reindeer into his delightful rocking around the Christmas tree. There’s storyline, he reportedly had to pay a fee to no better soundtrack for celebrating the the original copyright holders that holidays. introduced the character in an illustrated children’s book back in 1939. Marvin Brodie Speaking of which, we wish you the was apparently a creation of Montgomery merriest Christmas and the happiest New Ward, the famous Chicago-based Year imaginable! department store chain and mail order firm

4 whose employee Robert L. May dreamed up the cute critter.

Berry was on top of the world at Chess Records when he waxed Run Rudolph Run on November 19, 1958. The lean, lanky duck-walker was born in St. Louis on October 18, 1926 and soaked up a blend of pop, big band swing, country, and blues influences as he grew up. After a stint in a Missouri reformatory, Berry returned to St. Louis, picking up an electric guitar and learning Carl Hogan’s licks from the smash platters of jump blues pioneer Louis Jordan. He’d already played around town with bandleader Tommy Stevens prior to receiving a fateful phone call from pianist Johnnie Johnson inviting Chuck to join him at a top East St. Louis nightspot, the Cosmopolitan Club, on New Year’s Eve of ’52.

“I employed him one night to work for me, because one of my original players couldn’t make it,” said the late Johnson. Berry’s predilection for country music made him stand out on the local scene. “It was something new, and everybody was very interested in it, especially coming from a black guy playing hillbilly music,” said Johnson. By May of 1955, Chuck was itching to record. He traveled up to Chicago and asked blues king Muddy Waters for advice. Muddy sent him to Chess Records. “I give him the address, told him they open at

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nine o’clock, be there at 10,” said the late Waters. “Tell Leonard Chess I sent him 2. there!’” The Moonglows Berry’s Chess debut release Maybellene with Red Holloway’s Orchestra shot straight to the top of the R&B hit parade Hey Santa Claus in the summer of ’55 and went Top Five (Harvey Fuqua-Alan Freed) pop, designating the guitarist as one of rock and roll’s primordial standard bearers. Berry recorded September 27, 1953: probably wielded his guitar like a scythe as he pranced Universal Recording, 46 East Walton around on stage. He racked up a non-stop Street, Chicago, Illinois string of smashes: Thirty Days (To Come Back with The Moonglows: Harvey Fuqua, Bobby Home) later in 1955; Roll Over Beethoven, Lester, Prentiss Barnes, Alexander ‘Pete Too Much Monkey Business, and Brown Eyed Graves’ Walton, vocals; Red Holloway: tenor saxophone; Louis Carpenter: piano; Handsome Man the next year; School Day ‘Hawk’ Lee: bass; Robert ‘Hindu’ (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell) and Rock And Henderson: drums Roll Music in ’57, and 1958’s Sweet Little master C-5061 Sixteen and the immortal Johnny B. Goode. Chance 1150 1953 Chess pressed up Run Rudolph Run just in time for the ’58 Yuletide season. Long before he took the New York radio Sounding nothing like typical holiday fare, airwaves by storm, deejay Alan Freed it was a full-scale Berry rocker, his championed The Moonglows. Without typically clever storyline abetted by his question one of the smoothest-sounding R&B slashing guitar and Willie Dixon’s vocal groups of the 1950s, the quartet thundering upright bass. The suits at specialized in ‘blow harmony,’ giving them an Montgomery Ward never envisioned this. extremely polished and very advanced sound.

6 Founder/baritone Harvey Fuqua (born July 17, 1929), nephew of The Ink Spots’ Charlie Fuqua, and tenor Bobby Lester (born January 13, 1930), were natives of Louisville, Kentucky. They met in high school and began performing together locally, working their way up to touring with saxist Ed Wiley’s band in the early ’50s. Fuqua relocated to Cleveland in 1952, and with tenor Danny Coggins and bass Prentiss Barnes formed a jazz-oriented vocal group, The Crazy Sounds. Singer Al ‘Fats’ Thomas recommended them to local deejay Freed, who renamed them The Moonglows and hired on as their manager. With Lester added, the newly minted Moonglows made their first record, the Fuqua-led I Just Can’t Tell No Lie, for Freed and Lew Platt’s new Champagne label. Local sales were all the platter could do and Coggins split, replaced by first tenor Alexander Walton (aka Pete Graves).

Freed introduced his protégés to Art Sheridan’s Chance Records, and on September 27, 1953, the quartet made its first session for the Chicago imprint. A half-dozen masters were done that day, including both sides of their Chance debut, pairing the bluesy Baby

7 Please and a swinging Whistle My Love. 1958 ballad Ten Commandments Of Love. Waxed at the same date were two Yuletide Fuqua and Lester also appeared as Bobby numbers, the Fuqua-fronted Just A Lonely Lester and The Moonlighters on Checker Christmas and a scalding jump, Hey Santa during the mid-’50s. Claus, sung by Lester (Harvey split its authorship with manager Freed) with Red The first iteration of The Moonglows Holloway tearing through a blistering two- broke up in late ’58. Fuqua drafted a young chorus sax solo. They were paired as the Washington, D.C. group, The Marquees, as group’s second Chance offering near the end their replacements. One of them was a then- of ’53. unknown Marvin Gaye, who led The Moonglows’ ’59 rocker Mama Loocie. Three more Chance singles brought the Lester briefly recorded as a solo the same group into the autumn of ’54, though only year for Checker. Following a handful of the intense I Was Wrong, their fourth release, solo singles and two duet hits with Etta stirred up regional sales. As soon as The James for Chess, Fuqua and Gaye split for Moonglows moved over to Chess later that Detroit, where Harvey teamed with Gwen autumn, they hit big with the stunning ballad Gordy to form the Tri-Phi and Harvey Sincerely, spotlighting Lester’s thrilling lead. labels. Motown absorbed the imprints in It soared to the top of the R&B hit parade 1963 and Fuqua came along, producing in early 1955 and cracked the pop Top 20 several big sellers along with Johnny Bristol (it no doubt would have done even better if by Gaye and Tammi Terrell. not for a saccharine McGuire Sisters cover). That opened the floodgates for more Music industry lifer Fuqua died July 6, Moonglows hits on Chess: Most Of All later 2010 after suffering a heart attack. Lester in 1955, We Go Together and the untypical had passed away long before that, in jump See Saw in ’56, and the lugubrious October of 1980.

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3. Jimmy Liggins and His Drops Of Joy I Want My Baby For Christmas (Jimmy Liggins)

recorded May 4, 1950, Universal Recorders, 6757 Hollywood Boulevard, Universal City, California with Jimmy Liggins: vocal/guitar; Maxwell Davis: tenor sax; possibly Clarence ‘Bo’ Cyphers: piano; Ralph Hamilton: bass; unknown: drums master JL 53 Specialty 380 1950

Jump blues ran deep within the Liggins Joe’s younger brother Jimmy Liggins family. Pianist Joe Liggins and his well- enjoyed plenty of success in much the same known combo, The Honeydrippers, horn-fueled groove with his suggestively racked up a slew of postwar hits including named band, The Drops of Joy, the guitarist two R&B chart-toppers, 1945s The scoring four chart entries for Los Angeles- Honeydripper and Pink Champagne in 1950. based Specialty Records.

9 Born James Elliott in Newby, Oklahoma of Jimmy’s career; he scored three national on October 14, 1918, Jimmy assumed the R&B hits, Tear Drop Blues, Careful surname of their stepfather as a kid (so did Love, and Don’t Put Me Down. On May Joe). Jimmy moved to San Diego in 1932 4, 1950 at Universal Recorders in and later boxed under the handle of Kid Hollywood, Jimmy contributed his self- Zulu, but a subsequent stint as a driver for penned blues I Want My Baby For Joe’s band apparently inspired him to follow Christmas to the Yuletide R&B lexicon the same career path as his sibling. Leon with the prolific Maxwell Davis manning Rene’s Exclusive Records was uninterested the tenor sax. in Jimmy’s fledgling songwriting efforts, so he brought them to Art Rupe at Specialty There was one last hit for Liggins in 1953. instead. Result: a recording contract (Jimmy The loopy one-chord rocker Drunk had learned to play guitar somewhere down benefitted from primitive vocal overdubbing the line). that Rupe emphasized by billing his veteran act as Jimmy Liggins and His 3-D Music. His impressive tenor sax section Jimmy was uncommonly resilient, comprised of Harold Land and Charles recovering fully from a shooting incident on ‘Little Jazz’ Ferguson, Liggins made his April Fool’s Day of 1949 in Jackson, first session for Specialty in September Mississippi that saw a bullet rip through his of 1947. He waxed some impressively wild lip, jaw, four teeth, and tongue before finally rockers for the label—Cadillac Boogie, cut halting in his neck. Jimmy left Specialty for that November, was a direct precursor to the Mesner brothers’ Aladdin label in 1954, Jackie Brenston’s Rocket ’88,’ and 1950s but Aladdin only did one session on him that Saturday Night Boogie Woogie Man was included the self-penned stormers I Ain’t just as raucous. 1948-49 was the height Drunk and Boogie Woogie King.

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By 1959, Liggins had established his own Duplex label in L.A. He made his last waxings there, still trafficking in jump blues. He died July 21, 1983 in Durham, North Carolina.

4. Oscar McLollie and His Honey Jumpers Dig That Crazy Santa Claus (Leon Rene-Albert Johnston-Rafael Rene)

Recorded 1954, probably Modern Studios, Culver City, California with Oscar McLollie: vocal; unknown band master 2126 Modern 943 1954

Though he played some cocktail drums on September 22, 1924) laid down a series in live performance, Oscar McLollie’s pipes of swinging jumps for the Bihari brothers’ were what attracted the attention of several Modern logo in Los Angeles. labels during the 1950s. His rich baritone was splendidly suited to stately ballads, McLollie first surfaced with a vocal yet the Kelly, Louisiana native (he was born group, The Bullets, at World War II USO

11 shows while serving in the military. Settling in Los Angeles, Oscar was signed by Mercury Records A&R man/pianist Austin McCoy, but his 1951 debut single I’m Hurt went nowhere. That left him free to hook up with Leon Rene’s fledgling Class logo the next year, issuing a two-part The Honey Jump in 1953 and christening his band The Honey Jumpers in honor of the song. There was enough response to merit Rene selling the masters and Oscar to Modern. More swinging ensued on McLollie’s Modern encores All That Oil In Texas, Lolly Pop, Mama Don’t Like It, Wiggle Toe, and the well regionally for Modern, and after he flat-out rocker Roll Hot Rod Roll. defected to Mercury in 1956, he continued to croon. There were a few exceptions— Christmas was a recurring theme on Hey Girl – Hey Boy, his ’58 duet with McLollie’s Modern release slate. He crooned Jeanette Baker for Class, swung hard Rene’s God Gave Us Christmas for the ’53 enough to merit a revival by Louis Prima holiday season and returned late the next and Keely Smith. year with the far jollier jump Dig That Crazy Santa Claus, written by Leon Rene, his It’s been reported that Oscar starred in piano-playing son Rafael (better known as some cheapie martial arts flicks later on Googie Rene), and Albert Johnston and likely down in the Philippines, but there are no laid down at Modern’s in-house studio in clips of his alleged kung fu skills around to Culver City, California. But Oscar’s future verify the rumor. McLollie died on July 4, lay primarily in balladry. His Convicted sold 2008 in Oakland, California.

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5. Jimmy Butler with Blues Express Orchestra Trim Your Tree (Jimmy Butler-Mitchell Leigh)

recorded November 11, 1954; New York City with Jimmy Butler: vocal; possibly Sam ‘The Man’ Taylor: tenor saxophone; other musicians unknown master G-6213 Gem 222 1954

There was just enough time for Jimmy Butler to wax one spectacularly lascivious double-entendre Christmas number for posterity before he faded back into the Gem Records only endured for a couple of woodwork. But what a gem it was, So it’s years but put out some quality jump blues entirely fitting that the houserocking Trim during its limited lifespan, including one of Your Tree was issued on an obscure indie sax blaster King Curtis’ first recordings with label of the same name. singer Melvin Daniels, several platters by chanteuse Joan Shaw, and a few centering Its headquarters located at 349 West around Frank ‘Two-Horn’ Motley’s combo 48th Street in Manhattan, Jack Bergman’s with various vocalists.

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Butler’s lone Gem release was one of the firm’s final offerings, cut November 11, 1954 in New York. Trim Your Tree and its non-holiday flip Cruelty For Kindness found the singer backed by The Blues Express, apparently Gem’s house band (the saxist aurally sounds like Sam ‘The Man’ Taylor). It’s a safe bet Jimmy’s hilariously ribald lyrics didn’t garner much radio airplay during the ’54 holiday season (‘my beautiful Christmas balls,’ indeed).

6. penned blues ballad I Wonder would change Cecil Gant the entire trajectory of what soon became Hello Santa Claus known as rhythm and blues. (Cecil Gant) Born in Nashville on April 4, 1913, ‘The recorded October 13, 1950, poss. Castle G.I. Sing-Sation’ quickly found himself with Studio at the Tulane Hotel, 206 8th a recording contract. Leroy Hurte’s L.A.- Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee based Bronze label first put the pianist’s I with Cecil Gant: vocal/piano; unknown two guitars, bass, drums Wonder on wax during the summer of ’44, master NA 2249 (80034) but Bill McCall and Dick Nelson’s Gilt- De 48185 Edge logo swooped in and had Gant quickly 1950 cut a soundalike rendition, and the remake embarked on a long journey to the top of During intermission at a 1944 war bond the R&B hit parade that autumn (Gilt-Edge rally on the corner of 9th and Broadway in even went to the expense of pressing up a Los Angeles, Private Cecil Gant sauntered lovely picture disc of I Wonder and its flip up to the stage and asked if he could play Cecil Boogie, a song that also charted big the piano. He must have been impressive. for Cecil). Roosevelt Sykes’ Bluebird cover Before long, Pvt. Gant’s melancholy self- of I Wonder battled Gant for supremacy

14 and paced the R&B charts in its own right. Even Woody Herman and Louis Armstrong chimed in with covers, testifying to the song’s across-the-board appeal.

Gant recorded extensively for Gilt-Edge and registered a couple more hits in 1945, The Grass Is Getting Greener and I’m Tired. He improvised many of his songs at his sessions, an enviable talent that proved a double-edged sword: he was a ceaseless source of material but couldn’t remember how to do a second take on them. But it was I Wonder that resonated so strongly with so many fans during the war years and beyond, opening the door wide for countless piano-playing acolytes.

Cecil bounced from label to label after leaving Gilt-Edge, charting for Jim Bulleit’s Nashville- based Bullet logo with Another Day – Another Dollar and Special Delivery for McCall’s Four Star imprint in 1948 and the often- covered I’m A Good Man But A Poor Man the next year, again for Bullet. He also turned up on King, Dot, Swing Time, and Imperial. Cecil was a pioneer in another way: he may have been the first African American artist to record in Nashville with an integrated band, even waxing an unissued duet with Red Foley.

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Gant’s last stop was the major Decca label in mid-1950. As Gunter Lee Carr, he anticipated rock and roll with his We’re Gonna Rock. At an October 13, 1950 session for Decca, the boogie piano specialist greeted old Kris Kringle with his original Hello Santa Claus. He died of a heart attack on February 4, 1951 at age 37 (he was a heavy drinker, likely hastening his demise).

7. Mabel Scott Boogie Woogie Santa Claus (Leon Rene)

recorded 1948, Los Angeles, California with Mabel Scott, vocal; unknown: trumpet; unknown: alto saxophone; Maxwell Davis: tenor saxophone; unknown: piano; unknown: bass; unknown: drums master EXC-1336-3/4 Exclusive 75x There are some classics that you just 1948 can’t live without on this kind of postwar R&B Christmas collection. Mabel Scott’s Boogie Woogie Santa Claus is one of them.

16 A native of Richmond, Virginia, where she was born on April 30, 1915, Scott moved to New York City in 1921 and took piano and singing lessons at her local church. At age 15, she was performing at Harlem’s Alhambra Theater, then hit the road with hoofer Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson. Despite her tender age, Scott made her mark during the ’30s on the Harlem circuit as a singer and dancer, often appearing with Jimmie Lunceford’s orchestra. She ventured across the pond to Europe for the first time in 1936, making history that November by being the first African American to appear on BBC-TV, and made her initial recordings for Parlophone with pianist Bob Mosley during an overseas jaunt in 1938.

The glamorous songbird moved to Los Angeles in 1943, starring at the Club Alabam and in various theater revues. Scott filmed three soundies the next year with backing by The Flennoy Trio, featuring Gene Phillips on guitar. For all her high-profile travels and romantic entanglements (she was married seven times in all), Mabel didn’t have a domestic recording out until she went into the studio for the Hub label in 1946 to wax Just Give Me A Man. She joined the roster of Leon Rene’s Exclusive

17 Records in early 1948 and thrived; When Stoller contributed two compositions to the Did You Leave Heaven didn’t do much session), and she completed her domestic business but the rollicking Elevator Boogie recording career in May of ’53 while she did, providing Mabel with her first national was in Chicago to star at the Club DeLisa, R&B hit (future hubby Charles Brown was making two singles for Chicago deejay Al on piano). Benson’s Parrot imprint (she was supported in the studio by drummer Red Rene provided Scott with Boogie Woogie Saunders’ band, the house orchestra at the Santa Claus around November of 1948. The DeLisa). bawdy jump blues, festooned with a Maxwell Davis sax solo, climbed to #12 on Even without fresh wax to promote, ‘Billboard’s’ R&B ‘Best Seller’ listings Mable co-starred in Larry Steele’s ‘Harlem during a two-week run at year’s end. The Blackbirds’ revue along with boogie pianist holiday perennial would be reissued in years Maurice Rocco and 30 more performers, to come on Swing Time and Hollywood. landing in Australia in June of 1955 and remaining down under until the following Mabel made more great jumps for February. The four masters Scott recorded Exclusive in early ’49 (Googie Woogie in Sydney for the Festival label, including a [Jungle Boogie]), King (1950s double- remade Boogie Woogie Santa Claus, were entendre-loaded Baseball Boogie), and Coral her last. She entertained around L.A. into (Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train in ’51) as the early ’60s, then retreated to the sanctity well as a host of smoldering blues ballads. of the church. Mabel received a Pioneer L.A. tenor saxman Maxwell Davis led the Award from the Rhythm & Blues band at her 1952 date for Coral and Foundation in 1995 and died on July 20, Brunswick (a young Jerry Leiber and Mike 2000 at age 85.

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Another genuine blues holiday smash, guitarist Lowell Fulson’s two-parter 8. Lonesome Christmas peaked at #7 on Lowell Fulson ‘Billboard’s’ R&B ‘Best Seller’ charts at the end of 1950. Fulson’s gritty treatise was Lonesome Christmas Part 1 waxed in Los Angeles with his usual cohorts, (Lloyd Glenn) superb pianist Lloyd Glenn (who wrote the recorded 1951; Los Angeles, California after-hours number) and alto saxist Earl with Lowell Fulson: vocal/guitar: Brown. Earl Brown: alto saxophone; Lloyd Glenn: piano/celeste; Billy Hadnott: bass; Born on Choctaw land near Tulsa, Bob Harvey: drums Oklahoma on March 31, 1921, Fulson had Swing Time 242 musical blood in his family—his granddad 1951 was a fiddler, and Lowell’s brother Martin also played guitar and would later record with him. They weren’t the only ones offering early inspiration. “I was just looking at my uncles play. Two or three of ‘em around there had guitars and played. It was about the only instrument there was, that and violin. So I just picked it up,” said the late Fulson. “As far as the blues, that’s about the only thing you’d hear, unless it was country and western.” In 1940, the teen hooked up with veteran blues singer Texas Alexander as his accompanist. “Texas Alexander came

19 through there,” he said. “I stayed out there with Texas about, I don’t know, six or eight months, and then I went home.”

World War II swept Lowell west to Oakland-Alameda Naval Air Station, and he returned to northern California after his Naval discharge in December of ’45. There he ran into fledgling Oakland record producer Bob Geddins. “Just happened to be walkin’ down th 8 Street. I heard some music and stuff, a record player, and I stopped in there and looked,” said Lowell. “He had a one-man press, pressin’ records, up and down, pressing one record at a time. So he had an old beat-up guitar, and I picked it up and went to banging on it. So he looked at me and quit pressing. He said, “Have you ever recorded?” I told him no. He said, “You want to make a record?” I said, “I don’t care.” He said, “I’ll give you $100!” “Let’s go’”

Geddins recorded Fulson extensively for his Big Town and Trilon labels, and in late ’48 the guitarist scored his first national R&B hit with Three O’Clock Blues, later an even bigger seller for B.B. King. Lowell’s career really ignited after he switched to Jack Lauderdale’s Down Beat and Swing Time logos; taking more of an urban approach than with Geddins, thanks in part to Glenn and Brown. 1950 was Fulson’s year—he nailed four Top Ten R&B smashes, beginning with the immortal Everyday I Have The Blues. “That was Memphis Slim’s ‘Nobody Loves Me,’” admitted Fulson. “He gets the credit for writing the thing.” Next came the chart-topping Blue Shadows, followed by Lonesome Christmas. “That sold

20 ○○○ over 30 years,” marveled the guitarist. The instrumental Low Society Blues rounded out 9. a very successful year. The Cadillacs Chicago’s Checker Records landed Rudolph, Lowell in 1954. He immediately came up The Red-Nosed Reindeer with another huge hit: the mid-tempo (Johnny Marks) Reconsider Baby. “(Chess) let me cut it in Dallas. I was used to the boys,” he said. recorded October 11, 1956; New York City “They was youngsters, and played what I with The Cadillacs: James ‘J.R.’ Bailey, wanted to play. (Saxist) David Newman and Charles Brooks, Earl ‘Speedo’ Carroll, Bobby Phillips, Earl Wade: vocals; Jesse the rest of ‘em, they all wound up with Ray Powell: tenor saxophone; unknown band Charles later on.” Charles himself had been master JOZ-145 with Fulson’s touring band before that. Josie 807 1956 After nine years on Checker, Fulson ended up on the Bihari brothers’ Kent logo, Unlike Chuck Berry, who wrote a whole experiencing success in 1965 with Black new narrative around the glowing-nosed steed, Nights and the funky ’67 grinder Tramp The Cadillacs simply transformed Johnny (the label spelled his surname ‘Fulsom’ the Marks’ beloved ditty Rudolph The Red-Nosed whole time he was there). The guitarist Reindeer into jumping rock and roll. remained contemporary when many of his peers found it impossible, even covering At a time when dreamy balladry was a the Beatles’ Why Don’t We Do It In The prime focus of R&B vocal groups, The Road for Jewel in 1969. He was musically Cadillacs specialized in rip-roaring jump active until shortly before his March 7, 1999 material. They hailed from Harlem and were death in Long Beach, California. led by Earl ‘Speedo’ Carroll, born November

21 Blazers with Charles Brown and The Mills Brothers. Gloria was a spine-chilling street corner ballad, but Carroll’s pipes were more suited to upbeat numbers, so they veered in that direction.

By the time The Cadillacs returned to the studio for their encore session in the autumn of ’54, their lineup had solidified with Carroll, Earl Wade, Charles Brooks, LaVerne Drake, and pint-sized bass singer Bobby Phillips. Navarro supplied most of their material, including their romping early ’56 smash Speedoo, a tribute to their limber little lead singer (the quintet’s acrobatic stage moves, choreographed by hoofer 2, 1937. The quintet came together as The Cholly Atkins, were influential to countless Carnations when they were still in high groups). Unfortunately, their equally school, but when Esther Navarro, a energetic followup Zoom didn’t equal its secretary at Shaw Artists Corporation and predecessor’s impact. In fact, their next hit fledgling songwriter, took over as their didn’t come along until the holiday season manager, she renamed the group The of 1956. Cadillacs. Navarro took credit for penning Gloria, their 1954 debut single for Jerry Johnny Marks wrote Rudolph The Red- Blaine’s Josie label, but it had roots in Nosed Reindeer based on a popular 1939 previous versions by Johnny Moore’s Three children’s story written by his brother-in-

22 October 11, 1956 at a New York studio, abetted by the lusty tenor sax of their Fort Worth, Texas-born bandleader, fellow Josie artist Jesse Powell. The result was a #11 entry on ‘Billboard’s’ R&B ‘Jockey’ charts. Perhaps it even helped to inspire The Temptations’ 1968 Rudolph remake. “We got our influences from The Cadillacs and Frankie and Hank Ballard and The Midnighters and The Flamingos,” noted Temptations founder Otis Williams, an unabashed fan of the group.

Unfortunately, internal strife led to the group breaking in half the next year, recently acquired member James ‘J.R.’ Bailey fronting one aggregation while Carroll’s remaining crew took on billings that included The Original Cadillacs and The Caddys. Earl was still there when the group next hit in early 1959 with Jack Hammer’s Peek-A-Boo, but law, Montgomery Ward employee Robert he was gone before the year was over (he L. May. It had topped the pop hit parade joined The Coasters in 1961 and stayed for in 1949 for cowboy crooner Gene Autry, a couple of decades before reforming his but that didn’t stop The Cadillacs from Cadillacs for oldies shows). Carroll died doing the charmer their own way on November 25, 2012 after suffering a stroke.

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10. Titus Turner Christmas Morning (Titus Turner)

recorded October 29, 1952 (14:00-17:00) Columbia Recording Studio, 49 52nd Street, New York City with Titus Turner: vocal: Leroy Kirkland: leader; Alfred Cobbs: trumpet; Sam ‘The Man’ Taylor: tenor saxophone; David McRae: baritone saxophone; Fletcher Smith: piano; James Cannady: guitar; Grachan Moncur II: bass; Marty Wilson: drums master CO 48518 OK 6929 1952

Atlanta teemed with young R&B talent during the early 1950s. Tommy Brown, Chuck Willis, Billy Wright, Melvin Smith, Zilla Mayes, and plenty more belted the blues up and down Decatur Street and at the Royal Peacock over on Auburn. At age 16, the booming vocals of Titus Turner shook that scene, tabbing him as a young talent to be reckoned with. And not just for his pipes: Turner’s compositional skills were equally formidable.

24 Born there on May 1, 1933, Turner was essayed by The Clovers and The Everly on the fast track from the outset. He made Brothers). A ’56 single of his own for Atlantic his first 78 for Aladdin in the waning days and a series of releases on King (1957’s Hold of 1949, when he was all of 16 (he was Your Lovin’ was a thundering stunner) billed as Mr. T), and he encored on Regal in brought Turner to the end of the decade and ’51 under his full name with his own Stop finally got him onto the charts with a ’59 Trying To Make A Fool Of Me. But things answer to Lloyd Price’s Stagger Lee entitled didn’t really get rolling until later that year, Return Of Stagolee. Titus wrote Leave My when Danny Kessler signed him to OKeh Kitten Alone for labelmate Little Willie John (Kessler managed Willis, also on the label). that same year. Recording exclusively in New York, Titus made eight singles in all for Columbia’s R&B Ex-King A&R honcho Henry Glover subsidiary, stretching into 1954—including brought Titus onto his new Glover logo, the rafter-rattling Christmas Morning, a and he hit on the pop side with another self-penned blues that he laid down October answer record—We Told You Not To Marry 29, 1952 with Leroy Kirkland directing the was a sequel to Price’s ’59 smash I’m studio combo and Sam ‘The Man’ Taylor Gonna Get Married. Turner’s boisterous on tenor sax. update on the World War II-era Duckworth Chant, Sound-Off, got him back on the pop From there, Titus moved over to hit parade in 1961 on Philly-based Jamie Mercury’s Wing imprint in 1955. Of his Records, but he was primarily destined to three singles there, two of them went on to write hits for others. be better-known via covers: Little Willie John hit big with Turner’s All Around The When Titus waxed his People Sure Act World, while Ray Charles memorably Funny (When They Get A Lotta’ Money) for picked up on his Get On The Right Track Bobby and Danny Robinson’s Enjoy label Baby (Turner also scribed Hey, Doll Baby, in 1962, it went nowhere, but Arthur Conley

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hit with it in ’68, and Shorty Long and several other soul stalwarts also tried it on for size. Turner tried again on Enjoy with Soulville, but Dinah Washington and Aretha Franklin snagged that one. Titus wasn’t deterred, making more singles for Columbia, Atco, Bell, OKeh, Philips, Josie, and Turbo. He died young at 51 on September 13, 1984, back in Atlanta where it all began for him.

11. The Penguins Jingle Jangle (Curtis Williams)

recorded November 12, 1955; The music business can be frustrating. New York City When The Penguins were on Dootsie with The Penguins: Cleveland Duncan, Curtis Williams, Dexter Tisby, Randy Williams’ little L.A.-based DooTone logo, Jones, vocals; unknown band they were the talk of the R&B field, thanks master 12410 to their chart-pacing ballad Earth Angel (Will Me 70762 You Be Mine). Then manager Buck Ram 1955 moved them over to Mercury Records. Despite the obvious benefits of being on a major label, The Penguins couldn’t buy a return to the winner’s circle.

26 Lead tenor Cleveland Duncan, born July Platters. They would take up a lot of Buck’s 23, 1934 in Los Angeles, and baritone/bass time once they hit spectacularly with Only Curtis Williams (then of The Hollywood You (And You Alone) and its many followups, Flames) brought in tenor Dexter Tisby and but The Penguins made some terrific sides baritone Bruce Tate to form The Penguins, for Mercury too, beginning with Be Mine named after Willie the Penguin, the mascot Or Be A Fool. for Kool cigarettes. They debuted in the spring of ’54 on DooTone with the Duncan- At a November 12, 1955 session in Los led No There Ain’t No News Today before Angeles, The Penguins cut a double-sided cutting Earth Angel (penned by Williams Yuletide single for Mercury. Williams wrote and Gaynel Hodge, a local vocal group and fronted the percolating Jingle Jangle, mainstay) and its catchy flip Hey Senorita. its irresistible Latin groove anticipating the Issued that autumn, Earth Angel made them one powering Elvis’ Viva Las Vegas nearly a stars. Not only did it pace the R&B listings, decade later. Duncan led its more sedate flip, it was a Top Ten pop blockbuster despite a A Christmas Prayer. By then Tate was gone, sanitized Crew Cuts cover on Mercury that replaced by bass Randy Jones. None of The bettered the original on those same pop Penguins’ eight releases on Mercury and its charts. Wing subsidiary cracked the hit parade. Neither did their ’57 Atlantic single Pledge But the euphoria was short-lived. Ookey Of Love, nor any of their offerings after they Ook, The Penguins’ next DooTone offering, rejoined Dooto, as it was by then known. went nowhere, and Tate was arrested for vehicular manslaughter. Ram took over their Despite remaining under the radar, The management at the start of 1955 and placed Penguins continued to record long enough the quartet with Mercury, using The to peddle nostalgia for the good old days of Penguins to strongarm Mercury into signing doo-wop. Memories Of El Monte, their 1963 another of his groups—the little-known single for deejay Art Laboe’s Original Sound

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label, was written by unknown entity Frank Zappa. Earth Angel continued to sell for Dootsie, who had acquired authorship 12. rights to the song in court by claiming Jesse Charles Brown Belvin had written it (Belvin then Christmas Finds Me relinquished his rights to Williams). Ah, the music business. Oh So Sad (Charles Brown) Duncan fronted one iteration or another recorded 1959/1960, Cosimo Recording of Penguins on the oldies circuit well into Studios, 523 Governor Nicholls Street, the new millennium. He died November 6, New Orleans, Louisiana 2012, secure in the knowledge he’d sung with Charles Brown: vocal/piano; Mac lead on one of the greatest doo-wop anthems Rebennack: guitar; Frank Fields: bass; of all time. Charles ‘Hungry’ Williams: drums master 1114-63 Teem 1008 1963

The dean of rhythm and blues Christmas songs didn’t quit after introducing just the classic Merry Christmas Baby. Charles Brown gave us several, his mellow, sophisticated vocals and classically trained piano technique establishing an entirely new school of blues during the mid-’40s with guitarist Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers.

28 “I said, “Papa, I’m going out to California. I’m going to make a record,’” said the late Brown, who found his way to the Lincoln Theater’s amateur show not long after arriving. “(The man in charge) said, “What are you gonna do?= I said, >I=m gonna play ABoogie Woogie On The St. Louis Blues@ by Earl Hines,’” he remembered. “I got on this piano and I started playing. And the house started rocking and the band joined in with me near the end.” Brown encored with Clair de Lune, Rhapsody In Blue, and Warsaw Concerto and won the $25 first prize. In the audience were Moore and bassist Eddie Williams, who tracked Brown down at his home in Sugar Hill and offered him the gig Brown was born in Texas City, Texas on with The Three Blazers. September 13, 1922. He was reared by his maternal grandparents; Swannie Simpson, The Blazers debuted on wax in 1944 his grandmother, was a church choir director with the velvety Tell Me You’ll Wait For who had him learning piano at age six. Me on Robert Scherman’s Premier logo, but Spirituals, pop, classical, and blues all it was the yearning Drifting Blues, their became part of Brown’s repertoire. After first offering on the Mesner brothers’ Philo graduating from Prairie View College and Records, that made them stars (Brown had realizing how little money a schoolteacher dreamed up the smooth blues in his youth). made, he headed to Los Angeles. Cut in September of ’45, it blasted up to

29 #2 R&B in early ’46. The trio made a slew of Vincent did his recording in New Orleans at subsequent hits for Exclusive, including Merry Cosimo Matassa’s studio, so when Brown Christmas Baby at the close of ’47. Then it waxed his original Christmas Finds Me Oh was time to call it a day with The Blazers. So Sad, eventually out on Ace’s short-lived Teem logo, that’s where the action was. “I decided to quit. My grandfather said, Brown moved to King Records for his next “Why don’t you organize your own group? Yuletide classic in 1960; Please Come Home You’re the one that’s carrying the Blazers, For Christmas was soon followed by a even though Johnny and them play well. But whole seasonal album on the same imprint. they think you’re doing like Nat Cole.’ They thought I was Johnny Moore, because I was The ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s were decidedly singing like Nat Cole was singing,” said lean for the rhythm and blues pioneer, but Brown. “So I left them in the Christmas of Brown made a wonderful comeback during ’48.” Charles’ solo career commenced in high the ’90s and beyond, dazzling audiences gear as he scored seven hits in 1949 alone for with his impeccable piano technique and Aladdin, notably Get Yourself Another Fool elegant vocals until his January 21, 1999 and the chart-topping Trouble Blues. There passing in Oakland, California. “I was was another number one seller in ’51 with always a kind of a romantic balladeer, and the doom-laden Black Night. But once rock I would suspect that what they call the blues and roll blasted off, Charles’ Aladdin sides was really ballad blues,” he said. “It was ceased selling in great numbers, even though taking pop numbers and giving them a little he remained on the label into 1957. twist around into a bluer mood than what the people were singing then. So that was A very brief stay on Atlantic’s new East- my perspective: to try to create a style, a West logo preceded Charles and fellow good musical cake that would be eaten by Aladdin hitmaker Amos Milburn landing at some of the people who would like what we Johnny Vincent’s Ace Records in ’59. were doing.”

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13. Jesse Thomas with Lloyd Glenn Combo Christmas Celebration (Lloyd Glenn-Jesse Thomas)

recorded April 30, 1951; Los Angeles, California with Jesse Thomas: vocal/guitar; Lloyd Glenn: piano; Billy Hadnott: bass; Bob Harvey: drums Swing Time 240 1951

Not many bluesmen boasted the staying Thomas, his older brother by nearly a decade, power of Jesse Thomas. The guitarist was a splendid blues guitarist and had left debuted on Victor way back in 1929 and home for the Deep Ellum district of Dallas was still going strong more than six decades (Ramblin’ would debut on shellac for later. He also did a remarkable job of keeping Paramount in 1928; tuberculosis killed him current, his ’50s sides demonstrating a in the mid-’40s). Jesse visited him in Dallas, thoroughly modern concept of lead guitar witnessed the great Lonnie Johnson perform, that was a long way from his country blues and was so moved that he picked up a guitar beginnings. to follow in his footsteps. Jesse got good fast. Victor’s Ralph Peer sat him in front of a Thomas was born in Logansport, microphone at Dallas’ Jefferson Hotel on Louisiana, outside of Shreveport, on August 10, 1929 to cut four solo songs, February 3, 1911. Willard ‘Ramblin’ including his classic Blue Goose Blues. The

31 label billed him as Jesse ‘Babyface’ Thomas Celebration, a rolling blues that certainly (he was only 18 years old). had legs—B.B. King revisited it for Kent in 1960 in a classy rendition that’s a lot Jesse wouldn’t surface again on wax for better known than Jesse’s original. nearly two decades. When he finally returned in 1948, he was still playing solo but Thomas cut scattered singles for Swing switched to an electric guitar for Same Old Time, Specialty, Elko, and Hollywood in Stuff and its rollicking, jivey flip D Double L.A. before returning to Shreveport in 1956. Due Love You on the Los Angeles-based Apart from a couple of mid-’60s obscurities Miltone logo (both sides of the 78 label for his own Red River label, little was heard sported the cartoon imagery of artist William from The Blues Troubadour until the ’80s, Alexander). Thomas expanded his when he mounted a comeback. Thomas made instrumentation to piano and bass on his next fresh CDs for several labels, including session for Club, deftly adapting to the Chicago’s Delmark Records, and toured postwar electric blues boom, and by 1949, prior to his August 15, 1995 passing in when he cut Guess I’ll Walk Alone for Shreveport. Freedom in Houston, Thomas had a full horn section and played guitar a la T-Bone Walker.

There was a session the same year for Modern that spawned two more singles, and then on April 30, 1951 in L.A., Jesse did a session for Jack Lauderdale’s Swing Time logo with pianist Lloyd Glenn, bassist Billy Hadnott, and drummer Bob Harvey. The guitarist collaborated with the estimable Glenn to write Christmas

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14. Amos Milburn and His Aladdin Chicken-Shackers Let’s Make Christmas Merry, Baby (Frank Haywood-Monroe Tucker)

recorded October 1, 1949 (10:30-15:50) Radio Recorders, 7000 Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood 38, California with Amos Milburn: vocal/piano; Don Wilkerson: tenor saxophone; Billy Smith: tenor saxophone; Willie Simpson, Jr: baritone saxophone; Johnnie Brown: guitar; Harper Cosby: bass; Calvin Vaughan: drums, Maxwell Davis: leader master R 911-2 Aladdin 3037 1949

Looking for the roots of rock and roll? “I really liked his piano style,” said The Fat You can’t do much better than piano- Man. pounding Amos Milburn, who came out of Houston with a lethal left hand and a Amos was born in Houston on April 1, penchant for piledriving boogies. Fats 1927 in Houston and reportedly could pick Domino considered him a prime influence. out the melody of Jingle Bells on the 88s at

33 age five. Boogie piano pioneers Albert A lot of Milburn’s greatest Aladdin Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis caught his sides were anything but mellow. He tore ear, and after serving in the Navy in World into Don Raye’s Down The Road Apiece War II despite being way underage, he came at his first session in September of ’46, back home and massaged the ivories at local unleashing that vicious left hand of his, clubs. Talent agent Lola Anne Cullum dug and many of his subsequent smashes were Amos’ act at the Keyhole Club in San along the same floor-shaking lines. He Antonio, and before long the two were on blasted up to number one on the R&B hit their way to Los Angeles in search of a parade in late ’48 with his unstoppable recording contract. The Biharis wouldn’t Chicken Shack Boogie (his band would meet her price at Modern, but the be billed as The Aladdin Chicken- Mesner brothers’ Aladdin Shackers) , and followed it with Records did. Cullum had Roomin’ House Boogie, done her job. another chart-topper, the next year and 1950’s Sax “She was a damn good Shack Boogie. manager,” said Milburn’s guitarist, the late Texas Not everything was taken Johnny Brown. “She was at such a torrid tempo. just like a mom.” Amos gave his ’48 smash Bewildered a gentle, late-night The similarities between vibe, and he caressed Frank Milburn’s mellow way with a Haywood and Monroe Tucker’s ballad and that of the hugely successful intimate blues Let’s Make Christmas Charles Brown were undeniable. “They Merry, Baby on October 1, 1949 in L.A. found Amos Milburn, who was close to being with Brown on guitar and Don Wilkerson me, like I was singing,” said the late Brown. on tenor sax (Milburn sounded as though

34 ○ ○ he knew exactly what he wanted for the 15. holidays). The Drifters Booze became Amos’ favorite subject White Christmas to sing about during the early ’50s as he (Irving Berlin) scored smashes with Bad, Bad Whiskey recorded February 4, 1954, Fulton Studios, (1950) and Let Me Go Home Whiskey, and 80 West 40th Street, New York City One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer (both Producers: Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler 1953). During a ’56 jaunt to New Orleans, with The Drifters: Clyde McPhatter, he recut Chicken Shack Boogie with a Gerhart Thrasher, Andrew Thrasher, Bill vengeance rivaling Little Richard at his Pinkney, vocals; Jimmy Oliver: guitar; Big fiercest. But Milburn was a bit too old to Al Sears or Sam ‘The Man’ Taylor: tenor cash in on rock and roll. When Aladdin cut saxophone; David McRae: baritone ties, he bounced from Ace to King (where saxophone; Jesse Stone or Howard Biggs: piano; Dick Hyman: organ; Mickey Baker: he did another holiday classic, 1960s guitar; Lloyd Trotman: bass; David Christmas [Comes But Once A Year]) and ‘Panama’ Francis or Connie Kay: drums then to Motown, making a ’62 LP that master A 1202 fused his trademark approach to the Atl 1048 Hitsville sound. His last years weren’t 1954 pretty. Amos suffered a stroke that silenced his lightning-bolt left hand, and diabetes Ray Charles gets all the credit, but Clyde stole away his left leg in 1979. On January McPhatter was as responsible for blending 3, 1980, Milburn was gone at age 52. sanctified influences into the R&B lexicon as The Genius. His high-flying, thoroughly melismatic tenor while singing lead first for The Dominoes and then The Drifters set the pace for countless front men to follow,

35 from Smokey Robinson and The Diablos’ Nolan Strong to Dee Clark, Marv Johnson, and Aaron Neville.

Clyde was a product of the gospel highway, born November 15, 1932 in Durham, North Carolina. The preacher’s son sang in the choir at age five and soloed at 10. The McPhatters moved to Harlem during the mid-’40s, and Clyde joined The Mount Lebanon Singers to sing spirituals. But secular pursuits beckoned. Billy Ward offered McPhatter a chance to audition for a new vocal group he was assembling, initially billed as The Ques. An appearance on ‘Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts’ led to a contract with King Records’ fledgling Federal label, with Ralph Bass in charge.

Clyde sang lead on the newly christened Dominoes’ ’51 debut hit Do Something For Me. His role was reduced to background work on Sixty-Minute Man, the quintet’s titanic blockbuster later that year, but he was front and center on The Dominoes’ ’52 R&B chart- topper Have Mercy Baby, as overt a sanctified raveup as could be heard on the secular side of the tracks. Despite that smash and the followup winners I’d Be Satisfied and The Bells, disciplinarian Ward and young McPhatter were often at loggerheads.

Atlantic Records’ Ahmet Ertegun was a major fan. “Ahmet loved the Dominoes,” said the late Jerry Wexler, Ertegun’s partner at Atlantic. “He went to Birdland to see Billy Ward. And Billy Ward used to run his band like James Brown did. There were fines for this and

36 fines for that—fines for unshined shoes, for quarters for its lascivious lyrics; the Latin- missing a note, whatever. So after they did tempoed chart-topper Honey Love; a their show, Ahmet went backstage and he supremely earthy Bip Bam (Clyde wasn’t said to Billy, ‘Where’s Clyde? I didn’t see shy), and at holiday time, a pristine treatment him this evening.’ He said, ‘I fired his ass!’ of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas opened So Ahmet went uptown and found him, and with Pinkney’s rumbling bass vocal before that was it.” he handed off to a rapturous McPhatter. Bing Crosby would have barely recognized it, but McPhatter put together a new group for The Ravens might have—Jimmy Ricks’ Atlantic that he called The Drifters. “(The groundbreaking group made a similar version name) was Clyde’s,” said Wexler. “We hated for National a few years earlier. it. We thought it was redolent of Western swing—drifting off into the sunset with my “I’m thinking, ‘This isn’t gonna fly!’ I’m good old pal. So we tried to get him to change waiting to hear Clyde sing, and Pinkney,” it, but he insisted.” After his first recording said Atlantic’s late engineer, Tom Dowd. “I session with his new group was deemed a thought, ‘We’ve lost it! Now we’re going after failure, Clyde upended the ranks and hired the Ravens! I mean, this is ridiculous!’” But Bill Pinkney, brothers Gerhart and Andrew Clyde knew best. Held February 4, 1954 at Thrasher, and bass singer Willie Ferbee Fulton Studios in Manhattan, the date (who wouldn’t last long) as his Drifters. produced three major hits: Honey Love, the The hits rolled immediately. euphoric What’Cha Gonna Do, and White Christmas, which made a #2 showing on House writer/arranger Jesse Stone ‘Billboard’s’ R&B ‘Best Seller’ list late in handed the group the stop-time rocker the year and charted several times more in Money Honey, a number one R&B sensation years to come. Clyde went solo in 1955. in late ’53. It was closely followed by the The Drifters would keep right on rolling bubbly Such A Night, banned in some without him.

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“I got in a big car wreck,” said the late McCracklin. “I hurt my shoulder, got kind 16. of knocked around, got cut around the eyes. So the doctor just advised me to get into Jimmy McCracklin something else.” Music was that Christmas Time Part 1 something. “I was in St. Louis, Missouri, (Jimmy McCracklin) and I used to listen to Walter Davis,” he said. “He was a good friend of my father’s. recorded 1961, Oakland, California I loved to see that guy sing.” with Jimmy McCracklin: vocal; unknown: trumpet; Wiley Kizart: tenor saxophone; Jimmy settled in California after serving Bob Geddins, Jr.: piano; Johnny Heartsman: guitar; unknown: bass; in the Navy there during World War II. He unknown: drums debuted on wax in 1945 on the Globe label master AT 826X in Los Angeles, then migrated up to the Bay Art-Tone 826 Area, where he met independent producer 1961 Bob Geddins, releasing 78s all the while. Geddins put him on his Trilon logo in Few postwar bluesmen were as prolific 1947—the same year he installed Robert as Jimmy McCracklin, or any more Kelton as his guitarist. Jimmy moved up to tenacious. It took the piano pounder 13 the Modern label in 1949, and for a time years to score his first hit in 1958 with boasted a savage two-guitar attack with The Walk, but there were plenty more after Kelton and Lafayette Thomas (Jesse that for the ex-boxer. Born James David Thomas’ nephew) sharing fret duties. Walker on August 13, 1921, probably in Helena, Arkansas. Jimmy spent time in “Lafayette was right there in Oakland Ohio and boxed in St. Louis until an auto with me,” said Jimmy. “We were just playing accident ended his pugilistic exploits. these little mosquito clubs. He happened to

38 39 run into me. I was working with an old fellow that really was the master of me when I first started, called Robert Kelton. Kelton, the type of guitar he played, he just wasn’t up in the modern stuff that I liked. After so long, I decided to try to use Lafayette.”

Bountiful stints at Modern, Swing Time, Peacock, Modern again, Hollywood, Irma, and Premium preceded McCracklin cutting The Walk on his own and peddling it to Checker. “I walked around Chicago for a couple of weeks with ‘The Walk’ in my arms, trying to get some of them companies to accept it,” he said. “All them people turned me down. So I went to Chess.” The Walk crashed the pop and R&B Top Ten in 1958, and all those years of struggling had finally paid off. Mercury picked Jimmy up later that year, but his blistering dance workouts The Wobble and Georgia Slop failed to ignite. So Jimmy took matters into his own hands, launching his own Art- Tone label, and promptly nailed a #2 R&B smash in late ’61 with his soulful Just Got To Know. “It was a really big blues record for me,” he noted.

The very next release on Art-Tone was the two-part original Christmas Time, another fine example of McCracklin’s mature, soul-tinged approach with Johnny Heartsman on guitar. The DIY strategy didn’t last for long; Jimmy pacted with Imperial in late ’62, settling in for a long stay (1965s Every Night, Every Day and Think and the next year’s My Answer were his big sellers there). McCracklin kept contemporary through the ’70s and beyond, remaining musically active until his December 20, 2012 death at age 91 in San Pablo, California.

“I don’t try to sound like nobody but me,” he insisted. “That’s all I ever sound like.”

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17. Huey ‘Piano’ Smith and the Clowns Silent Night (Public Domain) probably recorded 1962, Cosimo Recording Studios, 523 Governor Nicholls Street, New Orleans, Louisiana with Curley Moore, Gerri Hall, ‘Scarface’ John Williams, Mac Rebennack: vocals; Huey ‘Piano’ Smith: piano; unknown musicians Ace LP 1027 1962

Huey ‘Piano’ Smith and his Clowns were Born January 26, 1934 in New Orleans, the best time to be had in New Orleans. Huey’s dad provided money for piano Their zany, infectious platters for Johnny lessons, but the lad pocketed the cash and Vincent’s Ace Records were utterly picked up pointers from his sister. In 1950, irresistible. What’s more, without his 16-year-old Huey joined forces with the multiple contributions as songwriter, electrifying Eddie ‘Guitar Slim’ Jones. performer, and studio sessioneer and When Savoy Records auditioned talent at bandleader, Ace might not have emerged as Cosimo Matassa’s studio in 1953, Smith the Crescent City’s leading label during rock was there. “Huey and I recorded the same and roll’s late 1950s explosion. day,” said the late guitarist and Slim disciple

41 Earl King. “They were down there erased and Ford’s overdubbed on the rocking auditioning for songs.” Huey made his first track) before leaving Ace for the Imperial single as a leader for Savoy and added the label in 1960. But before long, he was right seminal 88s riffs to Smiley Lewis’ 55 hit I back on Ace. Hear You Knocking on Imperial, but Ace was where he thrived. Of all the hilarious sides that Huey and his rotating cast of Clowns cut for Ace, their Smith quickly emerged as Vincent’s 1962 album ’Twas the Night Before right-hand man in the studio, rolling the Christmas’ was easily the most bodacious. ivories on King’s ’55 hit Those Lonely, The growly vocals of young Mac Rebennack Lonely Nights. He officially commenced were evident, along with contributions by recording for Ace as a leader in 1956 with Hall, Williams, and newcomer Curley Little Liza Jane the label calling his group Moore. Nowhere did the aggregation push the Rhythm Aces. ‘Scarface’ John Williams the envelope farther than when they sang lead on Rockin’ Pneumonia And The deconstructed the beloved hymn Silent Boogie Woogie Flu, Huey’s first record to Night, recasting it as a genuine Crescent City co-bill the Clowns and his first national hit rocker. in the summer of ’57. After that, the flamboyant Bobby Marchan came in to Smith kept a lower profile after Ace front Huey’s Clowns. He shared mic time folded, and by the end of the decade he’d with lone distaff Clown Gerri Hall and bass become a Jehovah’s Witness, abandoning singer Billy Roosevelt on Don’t You Just rock and roll altogether. Apart from a Know It, the group’s top seller in 1958. momentary reunion with Marchan, he’s Marchan led the equally potent flip, High confined his musical exploits to the church Blood Pressure, on his own. Huey also ever since, living in Baton Rouge while trying wrote and played on Frankie Ford’s ’59 his best to retrieve lost royalties for his Ace smash Sea Cruise (Smith’s vocal was long-ago hits.

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18. Chuck Berry Merry Christmas Baby (Johnny Moore-Lou Baxter)

recorded November 19, 1958; Ter-Mar Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois with Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/overdubbed guitar; Willie Dixon: bass; Odie Payne, Jr.: drums; Ellis ‘Lafayette’ Leake: piano master 9166 Chess 1714 1958

There weren’t many covers in Chuck Berry’s repertoire, so when he did revive an oldie, the song likely meant something to him. The way he sings Merry Christmas Baby, the other side of his 1958 Yuletide offering Run Rudolph Run, it sounds as though he truly loved the cool, relaxed blues.

Originated by Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers with Charles Brown on vocals and piano in 1947, Merry Christmas Baby

43 endures as the ultimate R&B holiday theme. thing to do, because the (black) people don’t “We had a fellow named Lou Baxter, who have a Christmas song.” ‘Cause they were used to follow us everywhere we played in playing Bing Crosby’s Christmas numbers California. He was out there with his little and whatnot, ‘White Christmas.’ So when satchel. He was sickly. He had something they did this and sent it back east, it was an wrong with his throat, which came to be immediate hit.” cancer of the esophagus. And he wanted to get an advance,” said Brown. “So he wanted While Berry’s faithful remake didn’t me to look in his satchel and see what I scale the same lofty commercial heights as could find, ‘cause he had a lot of words. The Three Blazers’ original, it was yet another highlight in an incredible run at “When I looked through there that night, Chess Records that was interrupted by a I saw “Merry Christmas Blues.’ Well, that prison sentence stretching from February didn’t register. But I thought, ‘Merry of ’62 to October of ’63. The duck walker Christmas. If I put “Baby” on there and put his time in stir to good use; when he got make some new words, Leon Rene would back to Chess, he brought with him some like it. And I’ll give the credit to Lou Baxter!’ of the best material he ever wrote, songs And so I did this. I made up the words, that restored him to the upper reaches of because (black) people like diamond rings the pop charts in 1964: Nadine (Is It You?), or Cadillac cars, and all the sort of things No Particular Place To Go, You Never Can that they used to say. So I made it, ‘Gave me Tell, and Promised Land. a diamond ring for Christmas, and I’m living in paradise.’ So I made those words up. In retrospect, leaving Chess for Mercury Records in 1966 was a questionable move at “When I presented it to Leon Rene— best for Chuck. The money was great, but ’cause I had to do that, not Johnny Moore— Berry fell off the radar screen until he came he ate it up. He said, “This would be a great back to Chess in 1969. Chuck achieved his

44 ○○○○○○ only number one pop hit in 1972 when he revived Dave Bartholomew’s My Ding-A- Ling. By decade’s end, Berry’s recording career

was all but over, but he toured ○○○○○ incessantly over the next 30-plus years. Chuck’s status as the primary architect of rock and roll could never be challenged. When he died at age 90 on March 18, 2017 in Wentzville, Missouri, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame charter member was mourned worldwide.

19. The Orioles (It’s Gonna Be A) Lonely Christmas (P. Rose-S. Sprung)

recorded fall 1948, New York City with The Orioles: Sonny Til (Earlington Tilghman): lead vocal; George Nelson: The Orioles provided the catalyst for the second lead vocal/baritone vocal; Alexander R&B vocal group era. Their gorgeous Sharp: tenor vocal; Johnny Reed: bass harmonies on a string of romantically inclined vocal/bass; Lloyd Thomas Gaither, Jr: hit ballads inspired countless young guitar/second tenor aggregations to follow, and lead tenor Sonny master JR 164 Til quickly became a matinee idol to African Jubilee 5001 American bobby soxers. 1948

45 Earlington Tilghman was born in new signing. Cut that July, Chessler’s Baltimore on August 18, 1925 (his favorite tender, airy ballad It’s Too Soon To Know song as a child was Al Jolson’s Sonny Boy). was a very auspicious debut for the group, He sang in a group in high school, kept on renamed The Orioles just before its release. vocalizing while in the Army during World Til was the primary focal point, but Nelson War II, and picked up where he left off after stepped up front halfway through, a he got back home, singing in amateur shows. template that would hold for many Orioles While competing at the Avenue Café, Sonny hits. It’s Too Soon To Know was an R&B met first tenor Alex Sharp, baritone George chart-topper that November, rendering The Nelson, and bass Johnny Reed, who Orioles sudden African American doubled on upright bass. Along with guitarist/ superstars. It’s a Natural was promptly second tenor Tommy Gaither, they united retired; The Orioles were moved over to as The Vibra-Naires in the summer of 1948, Blaine’s established Jubilee label. although Reed had temporarily been replaced by Richard Williams when they That fall, The Orioles waxed (It’s Gonna journeyed to New York that May to appear Be A) Lonely Christmas, another intimate, on ‘Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts,’ a sparsely orchestrated ballad. Nelson handled network radio show, joined by their manager the bridge, but as before, Til was the star of Deborah Chessler, a fledgling Baltimore the show, providing the sex appeal with his songwriter. swoon-worthy tenor. The holiday charmer rose to #8 on ‘Billboard’s’ R&B ‘Juke Box’ The Vibra-Naires lost to British pianist charts as the quintet’s encore release. The George Shearing, but Godfrey invited the hits continued with another chart-topper, Tell group back to perform on his daytime show. Me So, then Forgive And Forget, What Are Chessler brought demos of her protégés to You Doing New Year’s Eve, and on the flip of veteran industry mover Jerry Blaine, who the latter, a reissue of Lonely Christmas, set up a fresh label, It’s a Natural, for his which did even better in 1949 than it did the

46 ○ ○○○○○○○ year before, peaking at #5 on ‘Billboard’s 20. R&B ‘Best Seller’ list. The Orioles found their way back to the top R&B slot in 1953 Big Bud with their devotional Crying In The Chapel, ○○○○○ Rock Around The making major pop inroads at #11. But the Christmas Tree market was changing. There were now (Richard Goodman) hundreds of R&B vocal groups. The Orioles were becoming old news. probably recorded 1955, New York City with Big Bud: vocal; unknown band The Orioles fell apart in 1955 (Gaither Royal Roost 615 had been killed five years earlier in an auto 1955 accident, and there was personnel turnover after that). Til hired The Regals, who had Along with his partner, Bill Buchanan, cut Got The Water Boiling for Atlantic, as Brooklyn-born Dickie Goodman invented an his new group. The Regals excelled at modern entirely new sub-genre in 1956: the ‘cut-in’ harmony, changing The Orioles’ sound noticeably on their final sides for Jubilee as well as their 1956 work for Vee-Jay. An attempt to launch Til as a solo act with singles on Roulette and Jubilee failed, as did subsequent shots at making fresh hits with later iterations of The Orioles. Til kept trying to right the ship until his December 9, 1981 death at age 56. The impact of his original Orioles on the future of R&B was immense.

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record. The duo dreamed up a zany two- 21. part retelling of Orson Welles’ ‘War of the Jimmy Witherspoon Worlds’ that they called The Flying Saucer, using a wealth of clips cadged from hit How I Hate To See records of the day that were stitched together Xmas Come Around with the pair’s clever narrative. Issued on (Al Patrick-Frankie Whyte) Goodman’s Luniverse label, it inspired countless copycat platters, including several recorded October 18, 1947; from Buchanan and Goodman (1957’s Santa Los Angeles, California with Jimmy Witherspoon: vocal; Forrest And The Satellite would be germane here). Powell: trumpet; Frank Sleet: alto saxophone; Charlie Thomas: tenor Prior to taking a ride to the stars on The saxophone; Frankie Whyte: piano; Louis Flying Saucer, Goodman tried his hand as Speiginer: guitar; Benny Booker: bass; an aspiring songwriter. He wrote both sides Edward Smith: drums of Big Bud’s seasonal 1955 single for Royal master AP 106 B2 Roost Records, a New York firm operated Supreme 1508; Swing Time 244 by Jack Hooke and Teddy Reig that was 1947 best known for its jazz output. Whoever he was, Big Bud’s platter paired Rock Around Of all the great postwar blues shouters, The Christmas Tree and Snow-Man Rock, none made a more successful play for the both of them swinging with abandon. Big jazz crowd than Jimmy Witherspoon. Bud’s recording career was over in a Blessed with a lusty baritone and a tendency heartbeat, but Goodman cranked out to lag so far behind the beat in his phrasing novelties and parodies for decades until his that you feared he might never catch up (he 1989 suicide at age 55. always did), ‘Spoon recorded for a dizzying array of logos.

48 Very few. You know, they didn’t give you that much money anyway. If you didn’t have a hit record, they didn’t need you no more.”

The Gurdon, Arkansas native got started young. “I’ve been singing all my life, in church, since I was about five years old,” he said. “In Calcutta, India, I was in the Merchant Marines in World War II, and I was singing there with Teddy Weatherford’s band. That was in 1943. In ’44, I came back to Vallejo, California, where my mother was living, and I joined Jay McShann then. That was my first job, really, I stayed with Jay for about four years.”

Bountiful years they were, too. Spoon replaced Walter Brown in McShann’s August Kansas City-based outfit, but he didn’t mimic his predecessor even though he debuted on the Philo label in 1945 with a version of Brown’s signature song, “Boy, I think I ran out of companies, I Confessin’ The Blues. Spoon was on was on so many,” laughed the late McShann’s 1946-47 sides for Mercury Witherspoon. “But that was because they before going out on his own with an October didn’t care too much about black artists. 18, 1947 session for the Los Angeles-based

49 Supreme label (Frankie Whyte held down next, both big and small, during the ’50s— the piano chair). One of the four numbers Federal, Checker, Atlantic, RCA Victor, Rip, laid down that day was the forlorn How I Vee-Jay—before turning his attention Hate To See Xmas Come Around. toward the jazz demographic. “I worked with Ben Webster for three years,” he said. A month later, Spoon waxed the two- “I worked with Miles Davis, with Dizzy part Ain’t Nobody’s Business, his eternal Gillespie.” The transition accelerated with signature song, for Supreme. It topped the Spoon’s acclaimed appearance at the ’59 R&B hit parade for him the following year. Monterey Jazz Festival. “Somebody came up with it—Al Patrick, who owned Supreme Records,” he said. “It was Harboring fans from both the blues and a Bessie Smith idea. Then I changed the jazz camps in his corner, Spoon recorded lyrics. It’s not a takeoff steal from it.” regularly for Reprise, Prestige, Verve, McShann came back to roll the ivories behind BluesWay, and other labels during the ’60s his former band vocalist on the recording. and ’70s. Even throat cancer couldn’t stop “I asked him to do it with me, which he him; he triumphantly battled back from the did,” said Spoon. “The changes and disease during the ’80s and always remained everything, that was his.” upbeat about his chosen genre.

Spoon encored later in ’49 for Supreme “Blues means a lot of happiness,” he with another revamped blues oldie hit, In said. “It’s not all sad. People say when I The Evening When The Sun Goes Down. sing a slow blues, it’s sad. It’s ridiculous. Before year’s end he registered a two-sided They don’t know the meaning. Most of my smash for Modern coupling the downbeat blues are happy.” Witherspoon’s throat No Rollin’ Blues and a torrid jump, Big Fine cancer eventually returned. He died Girl. Jimmy bounced from one label to the September 18, 1997 in L.A.

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22. Roy Milton and His Solid Senders Christmas Time Blues (Roy Milton)

recorded July 25, 1950 (16:00-19:00) Universal Recorders, 6757 Hollywood Boulevard, Universal City, California with Roy Milton: leader, vocal/drums; Charles Gillum: trumpet; Eddie Taylor: tenor saxophone; John ‘Jackie Kelso’ Kelson: alto saxophone; Willard McDaniel: piano; Johnny Rogers: guitar; Lawrence Cato: bass master RM 65 Specialty 381 1950

Perhaps only Louis Jordan played more of a role in defining the jump blues motif than Roy Milton. His stripped- down little combo, The Solid Senders— generally three horns and a rhythm section anchored by singing drummer

51 Milton—was a prototype for the rock and roll bands that would explode a decade later. But they didn’t have a smooth operator like Roy at the wheel.

Born in Wynnewood, Oklahoma on July 31, 1907 and mostly brought up in Tulsa, Roy was singing with Ernie Fields’ orchestra during the early ’30s when their drummer, Eddie Nicholson, was detained by the law. Milton deputized behind his kit while Eddie was MIA and never left, singing from behind the traps from then on. He settled in Los Angeles during the mid-’30s and soon put together the first edition of The Solid Senders. Boogie piano specialist Camille Howard was a crucial addition to the band, as was tenor saxman Buddy Floyd. After cutting a pair of 78s for Lionel Hampton’s Hamp-Tone label in the autumn of 1945, Roy moved over to the Juke Box logo, where his R.M. Blues rocketed to #2 on ‘Billboard’s’ race records chart in the spring of 1946 and actually made it to #20 pop as well (its flip, Milton’s Boogie, was also a major hit).

1946 saw Roy recording for his own self-named label as well as the affiliated Miltone logo, but soon he was locked down on Art Rupe’s Specialty imprint, where he posted 17 R&B hits from 1947 to 1953, including True Blues, Everything I Do Is Wrong and its opposite side Hop, Skip And Jump, a vocal version of The Hucklebuck, a cover of Louis Prima’s Oh Babe!, and the #2 smash Best Wishes. The Yuletide spirit was likely in short supply on July 25, 1950, when Roy and His Solid Senders waxed Christmas Time Blues at Universal Recorders in Hollywood with Jackie Kelso on alto sax, Eddie Taylor on tenor sax, and guitarist Johnny Rogers (Willard McDaniel had temporarily supplanted Camille on the 88s)—but you’d never know it from the band’s crisp precision and Roy’s warm, burnished vocal.

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Rock and roll’s onslaught largely removed Milton from the R&B hit parade, though he and His Solid Senders made some great rockers for DooTone and King during the mid-’50s. Recording opportunities were comparatively scarce over the course of the next decade, but Johnny Otis helped keep his old pal out in the public eye long○○○○○ after The Solid Senders had disintegrated. Milton died on September 18, 1983 in L.A., his role as a founding father of R&B all too often overlooked.

23. Solomon Burke Christmas Presents (Solomon Burke-Kae Williams)

recorded December 1955, Apollo Studios, 45th and 10th Avenues, New York City Truly bigger than life in every possible with Solomon Burke: vocal; unknown band way, Solomon Burke was predestined to be master AP 3547 a preacher. Soul stardom just came as part Apollo 485 1955 of the package. “I was born in the church,” said the late Burke, and he wasn’t jiving. Born James Solomon McDonald on March 21, 1940 in Philadelphia (Burke was his

53 stepfather’s surname), he was consecrated co-writer. “I had just lost my grandmother as a bishop at birth by his grandmother, in 1954, and that changed so many things who had her own church, Solomon’s in my life,” he said. “The first record was Temple. Moore had the precocious lad ‘Christmas Presents From Heaven,’ which preaching from day one. was dedicated to the memory of my grandmother.” Authorship of his You Can “Seven years old, my first broadcast, and Run, But You Can’t Hide, out in late ’56, my first ministry started at 12,” said Burke. was partially credited to heavyweight “You had to sing. My grandmother had made champ Joe Louis. “It was originally written me a little cape, and I used to stand up on by myself and Charlie Merenstein, and we the fish box to get to the microphone. And had to give the rights of it to Joe Louis, then I’d try to play the guitar.” Burke sang because the original title was Joe Louis’s with The Gospel Cavaliers in high school, quotation,” said Burke. “I had the but the group split up shortly before Burke opportunity to meet Joe Louis, and for him hired local deejay Kae Williams as his to travel with me for a year as my manager and signed as a solo with Bess representative. So it was a blessing in Berman’s New York-based Apollo Records disguise. We did the Steve Allen Show in late 1955. He wouldn’t strictly do together, and we toured all over the East spirituals at Apollo; his output largely tread Coast, all the way up to Chicago together.” a fine line between sacred and secular Burke had nine Apollo singles in all, perhaps best described as quasi-religious. stretching into 1958.

The lilting Christmas Presents was the An argument with Williams led to some first song Burke ever wrote. It was his debut hard times for the young singer. “I had a single for Apollo, with Williams added as freeze on my career,” claimed Burke. “My

54 managers decided after I began to learn and material they gave me was a country and to understand the knowledge of what was western song called ‘Just Out Of Reach.’” going on in my career, my manager decided to blackball me, and to punish me for not Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms), being obedient.” He managed to squeeze out Solomon’s second Atlantic single in mid-1961, a couple of 45s for Philly’s Singular Records was a smash, and he was a non-stop hitmaker that were considerably closer to rock and after that for the label, his blockbusters roll than his majestic Apollo output. Then including Cry To Me (1962), If You Need Me fate smiled on Burke when he and manager (1963), the R&B chart-topping Got To Get Babe Shivian met with Jerry Wexler. You Off My Mind (1965), and Take Me (Just As I Am) (1967). Burke was named ‘The King of “We came to Atlantic Records for a Rock ‘n Soul’ during a ceremony at Baltimore’s meeting, and we were signed to Atlantic that Royal Theater in November of ’63 and took day,” he remembered. “We were sitting the honor quite literally, donning a crown and there, waiting to meet with them, and talk to cape and in later years sitting on a throne while them about me being on Atlantic. He says, he performed. ‘Solomon Burke? And you’re Babe?’ He says, ‘Yeah.’ ‘Well, listen, contracts are on Confinement to a wheelchair late in life their way in. Noreen? Bring me some didn’t stop Burke from recording well into contracts. You’re signed. We don’t need to the new millennium. He died October 10, hear nothing!’ We were shocked. 2010 on an airplane that had just landed in the Netherlands. “I believe that what you “They had no idea what they were going do in life, if you don’t give back, then nothing to do with us at all. Because number one, comes back to you,” said Burke, an ordained here I am, basically a gospel singer. What bishop from day one to the very end. “The do you do with this guy?” he said. “They more I give, the more I receive. It works picked up our masters, and then the first for me.”

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24. Willie John and The Three Lads and A Lass Mommy What Happened To Our Christmas Tree (Roy Barlow)

recorded autumn 1953, Detroit, Michigan with Little Willie John: vocal; The Three Lads and A Lass: background vocals; unknown band master 3000 Prize 7-6900 1953

How’s this for a coincidence? Little “We sung all over Detroit,” said his Willie John, another child prodigy with a brother, Mertis John. “We would sing for spectacular voice, also made his debut on just what people gave us. We didn’t sing wax with a Yuletide heartwarmer—and for money. We sang because we loved it.” practically no one even knows it exists. But Willie harbored secular ambitions. He won first prize at an amateur contest at Although born in Cullendale, Arkansas Detroit’s Paradise Theater with Dizzy on November 15, 1937, Willie grew up in Gillespie’s band backing him up, which got Detroit surrounded by a very musical and him in hot water with his parents since very religious family. “We all sang together he’d snuck out Mable’s bedroom window as a family group called the United Five,” to meet his pal, future Four Tops lead Levi said his eldest sister, singer Mable John. Stubbs.

56 John made Mommy What Happened To happened fast. “Henry was all business,” Our Christmas Tree for fledgling Prize said Mertis. Records in the autumn of 1953, when he was going on 15 years of age. Owned by On June 27, 1955, Willie waxed a cover Detroit deejay Bob Maxwell and A&R’d by of Titus Turner’s eminently swinging All Dave Usher, Prize debuted with Willie’s Around The World, and the diminutive belter sugary single, which saw him backed by a had his hit that autumn. And plenty more poppish vocal aggregation, Three Lads and a after that: the Mertis-penned Need Your Lass. A somewhat modernized treatment of Love So Bad and the R&B chart-topping Jingle Bells sat on the other side. “It was Fever (written by Otis Blackwell) in ’56; local in Detroit, and it did very well there,” 1958s Talk To Me, Talk To Me; a rocking noted Mable. Leave My Kitten Alone and the sweeping ballad Let Them Talk in ’59; a hip Willie’s folks wouldn’t allow him to hit Heartbreak (It’s Hurtin’ Me) the next year, the road with Dizzy, but they couldn’t deter and 1961’s sumptuous Sleep. Along the way, him from splitting with baritone saxman he helped define soul. Paul ‘Hucklebuck’ Williams. “By now, he’s close to 17,” said Mable. “And he said to Unfortunately, John had a violent me, ‘Mable, I’m goin’ on the road with Paul encounter with an ex-convict in a Seattle Williams. I won’t be back until I have a hit after-hours joint that left him unjustly record in my hand!’” It didn’t come when sentenced to a Washington state penitentiary he fronted Williams’ combo on the rocking in 1966. The little man with the mammoth Betty Ann (Ring-A-Ling), which came out pipes died of pneumonia while behind bars on the Rama imprint under Williams’ name on May 26, 1968. He was only 30 years in 1955. But when Willie auditioned for old. “He could basically outsing anybody he King A&R man Henry Glover in New York knew, and never admitted that he could,” after leaving Williams’ employ, things said Mable.

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25. Alex Harvey and His Soul Band The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot (Michael Carr-Tommy Connor -Jimmy Leach) recorded August 5, 1964, Lansdowne Studio, Lansdowne Road, London; producer: Paul Murphy with Alex Harvey and His Soul Band Bear Family BCD 16302 1999

In Scotland, Alex Harvey was closely associated with rhythm and blues during the early days of his career. Born February 5, 1935 in Glasgow, Harvey was a fan of skiffle and Dixieland jazz during his formative years (his early musical exploits transpired in a skiffle band). He put together his own outfit in 1958, and in May of ’60, Alex Harvey and His Big Beat Band opened for singer Johnny Gentle in Alloa, Scotland (three of The Beatles were in Gentle’s band).

Working as Alex Harvey and His Soul Band, the singer made his 1964 debut album for Polydor, sporting Muddy Waters, Josh White, and Chuck Berry covers along with his own I Ain’t Worrying Baby and Going Home. Not everything Harvey cut during this period

58 ○ ○○○○○○○ came out at the time. On August 5, 1964, Harvey suffered two heart attacks on producer Paul Murphy brought Alex and February 4, 1982 in Zeebrugge, Belgium, the His Soul Band into London’s Lansdowne second one proving fatal. Studio to wax the sentimental weeper The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot. Vera 26. Lynn tapped more than a few British tear ducts with her 1937 version, and Nat King Little Willie Littlefield Cole crooned it for Capitol in ’53. Alex’s Merry Xmas rendition would be vaulted for 35 years. (Willie Littlefield)

The Big Soul Band bit the dust in 1965, Probably recorded September 16, 1949, but Harvey persevered in the rock arena. Los Angeles, California The Sensational Alex Harvey Band put out with Little Willie Littlefield: vocal/piano; a 1972 album on the British Vertigo label Wilbert Brown: trumpet; Lorenzo ‘Buddy’ Floyd: tenor saxophone; John Handy: entitled ‘Framed,’ encoring the following saxophone; Don Wilkerson: tenor year with the aptly titled ‘Next.’ More long- saxophone; Johnny Moore: guitar; Bill players ensued with ‘The Impossible Davis: bass; Chuck Thomas; drums Dream’ in ’74, 1975’s ‘Tomorrow Belongs master MM 1221 To Me,’ and ‘SAHB’ in 1976. The band Modern 20-716 crashed the U.K. Top Ten in ’75 with a 1949 revival of Tom Jones ’68 hit Delilah and followed it up with two lesser chart entries, Modern Records’ Jules Bihari was Gamblin’ Bar Room Blues and The Boston scouring Houston for a young piano pounder Tea Party. Harvey exited the band before to challenge Amos Milburn in April of 1949 1976 was over but briefly reunited with when he strolled into The Eldorado them in ’78 for another album, ‘Rock Drill.’ Ballroom. He found what he was searching

59 for in 17-year-old Little Willie Littlefield, whose penchant for hammering out triplets with his right hand would prove influential to Fats Domino. What’s more, Willie was already a seasoned recording artist when Bihari came across him.

Born September 16, 1931 in El Campo, Texas, Willie was influenced by boogie masters Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson and was a teenaged regular on wide-open Dowling Street when Eddie Henry, proprietor of Eddie’s Record Shop, launched Eddie’s Records to cut a session on his discovery in late ’48 (future Ray Charles saxist Don Wilkerson was also aboard). Three 78s were the result. But Littlefield’s big break came when Bihari helmed It’s Midnight on Willie in Houston, then whisked him off to Los Angeles. It’s Midnight was an R&B smash in the summer of 1949, and Littlefield was off and running. Merry Xmas was one of four sides probably done on September 16, 1949 (the pianist’s 18th birthday) in L.A. He found Modern and the City of Angels to his liking as a recording

60 ○○○○ home, hitting again with Farewell that year and I’ve Been Lost in ’51. 27. Willie defected to the Ralph Bass-helmed Federal logo in 1952. At his first date, The Five Keys Littlefield cut Jerry Leiber and Mike It’s Christmas Time Stoller’s K.C. Loving, which didn’t hit in (Ripley Ingram-Maryland Pierce-Dickie its initial incarnation but proved an across- Smith-Bernie West-Rudy West) the-board smash in 1959 when revived by Wilbert Harrison as Kansas City. recorded October 9, 1951, Littlefield’s seven Federal singles failed to RCA Studios, New York City with The Five Keys: Rudy West, Maryland crack the charts, and by 1954 he was a free Pierce, Bernie West, Ripley Ingram, Dickie agent, turning up on the San Francisco-based Smith, vocals; unknown band Rhythm logo in ’57. master X-52 Aladdin 3113 Nightclubs around San Jose, California 1951 were Littlefield’s province until people outside his immediate environs got hip to Two sets of brothers from Newport his continuing existence in the late ’70s. News, Virginia formed the original core of That led to Willie performing at European The Five Keys. lead tenor Rudy West (born blues festivals, and eventually he settled in July 25, 1932) and his bass/baritone-singing the Netherlands and got married. Littlefield brother Bernie and ‘octave tenor’ Ripley continued to perform until cancer claimed Ingram and his second tenor sibling Raphael him on June 23, 2013 at age 81 in started out singing gospel as The Sentimental Voorthuizen, Netherlands. Four in 1945. They expanded into secular

61 that summer in the Apollo Theatre’s amateur show helped get them on Aladdin Records, though whether Alabel boss Eddie Mesner was in attendance or not remains in question (they changed their handle to The Five Keys during this period). Hall left to get married in 1950 and was supplanted by Maryland Pierce (born in 1933), who would share lead duties with Rudy in years to come.

That was the lineup when The Five Keys made their first New York session for Aladdin in February of ’51. An unhappy Mesner deep-sixed the whole session and had them in RCA Studios a month later to try again. Their Aladdin debut, With A Broken Heart, fell through the cracks. But their sumptuous revival of The Glory Of material in 1948 and performed around Love, a 1936 smash for bandleader Benny Virginia before taking on second tenor Edwin Goodman, blasted up to the top of the R&B Hall to further distinguish their sound. hit parade as their Aladdin encore.

Raphael entered the military in 1949 (he While performing at the Apollo Theatre, would eventually join The Avalons, another The Five Keys ambled over to RCA Studios Newport News group), and was replaced on October 9, 1951 for a session that by second tenor Dickie Smith. A victory included the lovely Rudy West-fronted

62 ballad It’s Christmas Time, brainstormed next hit a couple of months later. Deejay by the quintet itself. It hit the snowy Alan Freed was down as co-writer on The streets that December, in plenty of time Verdict, their ballad hit that summer, and for Yuletide listening. Considering the both sides of their next one, ‘Cause You’re magnitude of their smash, it’s baffling that My Lover and Gee Whittakers, proved R&B The Five Keys failed to score another hit hits. But after one more chart entry, the Ivory during their Aladdin tenure (Rudy was Joe Hunter/Clyde Otis-penned Out Of drafted in 1952 and temporarily Sight, Out Of Mind, in late ’56, the Keys’ supplanted by Ulysses Hicks). Uncle Sam R&B winning streak was over, though dipped into their ranks again at the end of Wisdom Of A Fool and Let There Be You ’53, Smith departing and Ramon Loper stirred up a little pop action (the Keys got taking his place. A momentary mid-1954 increasingly pop-oriented towards the end association with RCA Victor’s Groove of their Capitol tenure). subsidiary proved entirely unproductive; it’s unclear whether their lone single for Rudy West left the group in late ’57. With the logo ever came out. Dickie Threatt taking his spot, the rest of the group signed with King Records in 1959 Capitol Records proved more (West made three solo 45s for the firm). The welcoming after the Keys joined the label label shifted The Keys back in more of an in late summer of ’54. Pierce fronted the R&B direction, though it didn’t help exotic upbeat novelty Ling, Ting, Tong, commercially, and midway through 1960 the which catapulted The Keys back onto the group fell apart with Maryland recruiting upper reaches of the R&B charts in early all new personnel apart from Loper. Various ’55. Rudy came back in time to share lead reunions after that only amounted to a duties with Maryland on the Chuck handful of additional 45s for small logos. Willis-penned ballad Close Your Eyes, their Rudy died May 14, 1998.

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28. Johnny Moore’s Blazers with Frankie Ervin Christmas Eve Baby (Frankie Ervin-York)

probably recorded early 1955, poss. Capitol Recording Studio, 5515 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California with Frankie Ervin: vocal; Johnny Moore: guitar; Prince Candy: piano; Eddie Williams: bass; unknown: drums master H 634 Hollywood 1045 1955

When velvet-voiced Charles Brown quit Christmas Day of 1912) were Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers near the end extraordinarily dexterous lead guitarists who of 1948, the veteran guitarist was left with helped to revolutionize the role of their a dilemma: who would take the hugely chosen instrument in the jazz and R&B popular pianist’s place behind the mic? fields. After they relocated to Los Angeles, Oscar teamed up with Nat King Cole’s trio Between Johnny and his younger brother and dazzled the world with his daring lead Oscar, there was some serious guitar talent work, while Johnny found Brown to front in the Moore family. Born October 20, 1906 his Blazers, each Moore enjoying huge in Austin, Texas, he and Oscar (born success with his respective fretwork. Oscar

64 left Cole in 1946 and joined the Blazers, Since Merry Christmas Baby had rendered leading to Brown and bassist Eddie Williams The Three Blazers prime purveyors of quitting when they were busted down to Yuletide R&B, Johnny, original Blazers salaried employee status instead of being bassist Eddie Williams, pianist Prince equal partners as they had been. Candy, and Ervin headed to Hollywood- Starday Studios on Pico Boulevard in L.A. Johnny tried out Lee Barnes, Billy to cut some fresh holiday fare in early ’55 as Valentine (he fronted The Blazers’ ’49 hit well as a posthumous tribute to a just- Walkin’ Blues for RCA Victor), and his own departed R&B hero, Johnny Ace’s Last Letter, girlfriend Mari Jones behind the mic after who killed himself on Christmas Eve of ’54. that. Singer Frankie Ervin came into the Don Pierce’s Hollywood label issued the Ace picture in 1953. Born in Blythe, California homage right away and it briefly dented the on March 27, 1926, Frankie and his guitar- R&B charts with Linda Hayes’ tribute to playing older brother Jesse arrived in L.A. the late balladeer, Why Johnny Why, sitting in 1944. Jesse hooked on with saxman on the flip. The Blazers’ Yuletide coupling Maxwell Davis’ combo, and Frankie made hit the shelves near year’s end, Ervin doing a High School Baby, his first single for fine Brown-style job on Christmas Eve Mercury in 1951. Frankie could do an Baby, which he was credited with co-scribing, excellent Brown imitation, so Moore and its flip Christmas Everyday. brought him into his orbit in 1953. Frankie fronted The Blazers’ clever Dragnet Blues, Ervin was headed upwards, albeit a tribute to Jack Webb’s hard-boiled TV briefly—he fronted The Shields’ hit cover cop show, and it was a national R&B hit on of You Cheated for Dot—while Moore and Modern in 1953. Ervin also made a solo The Blazers were on their way out. Johnny single for the Biharis’ RPM logo, False died in L.A. on January 6, 1969; Ervin passed Love, with Maxwell Davis. February 1, 2009 at age 82 in San Francisco.

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In late May of 1958, the last incarnation of the first group of Drifters hammered the ○○○○○○○ final nail into their professional coffin. The once-mammoth group had been on a downhill slide, with original baritone/bass Bill Pinkney getting the axe earlier that year by manager George Treadwell. Founding lead tenor Clyde McPhatter had exited to launch his highly successful solo career in 1955. And now the remnants of the once-proud Drifters were trying to hang on and failing. 29. “We had to go to the Apollo Theatre,” The Harmony Grits recalled lead tenor Bobby Hendricks, who Santa Claus had fronted The Drifters’ rocker Drip Drop Is Coming To Town a month prior “Bill Pinkney wasn’t there, (John Frederick Coots-Haven Gillespie) Andrew Thrasher, none of the brothers was there. We had this guy named Tommy Evans. recorded 1959, New York City Tommy Evans cursed out Frank Schiffman, with The Harmony Grits: Bill Pinkney, who owned the Apollo Theatre. Frank Gerhart Thrasher, Andrew Thrasher, Little Schiffman called George Treadwell and told David Baughan, vocals; unknown him he did not want that group the Drifters orchestra under the personal in there anymore.” Treadwell hired another supervision of Teddy Vann group on the same Apollo bill, The Crowns, master G-613 End 1063 to be the new Drifters. And that left 1959 Pinkney, who had recently cut After The Hop for Sam Phillips’ Phillips International

66 logo, in a position to pick up the pieces songsmiths Otis Blackwell and Bobby with his former mates. Stevenson wrote Am I To Be The One (Jerry Lee Lewis also tried the tune out at Sun, Pinkney reunited with brothers Gerhart though Phillips didn’t issue it at the time) as and Andrew Thrasher and McPhatter half of the new group’s End debut. imitator Little David Baughan, all of them ex-Drifters. They billed themselves as The The Harmony Grits’ End encore at year’s Original Drifters, which couldn’t have end was an intense Pinkney-led reworking thrilled Treadwell too much. So when End of the beloved Santa Claus Is Coming To Records boss George Goldner brought them Town, a relic created by John Frederick aboard in 1959, someone came up with a Coots and lyricist Haven Gillespie that hokey new handle, The Harmony Grits, for debuted in 1934 on Eddie Cantor’s radio the quartet. Ace New York R&B program and quickly developed into a

from left: Andrew Thrasher, Gerhart Thrasher, Bill Pinkney and David Baughan 67 ○ ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

standard. Teddy Vann, who would produce Although few buyers picked up The Johnny Thunder’s 1963 smash Loop De Harmony Grits’ modernization of Santa Loop, was credited as providing ‘personal Claus Is Coming To Town, the concept supervision’ on The Harmony Grits’ violin- was sound. Phil Spector produced a enriched revival of the Yuletide standard. similarly lavish version by The Crystals That was it for the group under that billing, for his ’63 Christmas album, that inspired but Pinkney kept them going for mid-’60s Bruce Springsteen to follow suit during singles on Fontana and Veep (they called the mid-’70s. themselves Bill Pinkney and The Original Drifters at Fontana) and a jaunt to Europe Bill Dahl (Hendricks was there for some of it).

SOURCES ‘The Billboard,’ December 5, 1953: ‘Music As Written: Jockey Forms Disk Company’ ‘Blues Records 1943 to 1970: A Selective Discography—Volume One A to K,’ by Mike Leadbitter and Neil Slaven (London: Record Information Services, 1987) ‘Blues Records 1943-1970, Volume Two, L to Z,’ by Mike Leadbitter, Leslie Fancourt and Paul Pelletier (London: Record Information Services, 1994) ’45cat.com’ website: http://www.45cat.com ‘Joel Whitburn’s Top R&B Singles 1942-1988,’ by Joel Whitburn (Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research Inc., 1988) ‘Marv Goldberg’s R&B Notebooks’ website: http://www.uncamarvy.com ‘Record Makers and Breakers: Voices of the Independent Rock ‘n’ Roll Pioneers,’ by John Broven (Urbana IL & Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2009) ‘Red Saunders Research Foundation’ website: http://campber.people.clemson.edu/chance.html Wikipedia website: http://en.wikipedia.org

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