Ten fave unreleased tracks chosen from my yearly Favorites lists
Today………from 1951
WILLIE BROWN – EASTER BUNNY BOOGIE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwHj6QQpWAk
I show this title along with “Cadllac Boogie”,”Korea Blues” and “People
Don’t Understand Me” all recorded in Atlanta,Georgia for Decca on 30
August 1951 by bluesman Wille Brown who’d been around the block for
years and years before this (like a spell on Paramount way,way back)
Unlike “Cadillac Boogie” the “Easter Bunny Boogie” side went unreleased.
Apparently it was available for a time (1970’s?) on an Aladdin EP boot
(!!!) that I’ve never seen or heard that also contained “Make It Be Me” (Flares),”I Gotta Go Home” (Gene & Eunice) and “Steppn’ High” (Little Luther)
It was 1986 before the track was released more properly on the UK Ace
various artists collection “Jumpin’
The Blues Vol.3” that also contained Willie’s “Korea Blues” and “People
Don’t Understand Me”
THE CLOVERS – ALL NIGHT BOOGIE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byVYq7fUJPo
Recorded at an Atlantic session in New York City July 12 1951 with John “Buddy” Bailey (ld vcl) Matthew McQuater (ten vcl) Harold Lucas (bar
vcl) Harold Winley (bass vcl) and Bill Harris (gtr) which produced “Needless”,”Fool Fool Fool” ”Better Be On My Way” and “All Night Boogie”.
Whilst “Fool Fool Fool” b/w “Needless” formed the boys’ second Atlantic
single (and gave them their second #1 hit on the Billboard r&b chart)
“Better Be On My Way” and “All Night Boogie” remained unissued,
It was 1996 before “All Night Boogie” finally saw release when it
appeared as lead track on the Rhino various artists 2-CD collection “All Night Boogie:The Great Atlantic Vocal Groups Vol.2” (R2 7209)
FATS DOMINO – STAY AWAY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd1OMdQRL7s
The fourth recording session of Fats Domino in January 1951 at J&M
Studio,North Rampart St,New Orleans
with Fats Domino (vcl,pno)Walter Nelson (gtr) Billy Diamond (bs) Buddy
Hagans (ten sax) Wendell DuConge (alto sax) Cornelius Coleman (dms) in attendance produced four numbers – “Tired Of Crying” and “What’s The Matter Baby” which became Fats’ next single (Imperial 5114 released February 1951). The other two tracks “I’ve Got Eyes For You” and “Stay Away” remained unissued
Both are good but my preference is for “Stay Away” which remained in the can for some seventeen years until it surfaced on the LP “New Orleans
Bounce : Urban Blues Vol. 2” another entry in Imperial’s series of “Legendary Masters” albums compiled by various high profile r&b
collectors & fans like Henry Vestine, Bob Hite etc
H-BOMB FERGUSON – SUNDOWN BLUES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU7IDNzNo5Q
Recorded at a session for Savoy in New York City on December 12 1951.
Personnel : H-Bomb Ferguson (vcl)
J. Hawkins (tpt) Julius Watkins (tb) Pink Williams (alto) Purvis Henson
(ten) Kelly Owens (pno) Leon Spann
(bass) Jack Parker (dms). Other tracks recorded were “Slowly Going Crazy”,”Preachin’ The Blues” and “Good
Lovin’”
“Sundown Blues” was left in the can until 1986 when it finally appeared
on the Savoy Jazz LP “Life Is Hard” with H-Bomb sharing the billing with Varetta Dillard who appears on three tracks on the album
THE FIVE KEYS – GOIN’ DOWNTOWN (8-9-10)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUxlo-Fbmsw (@ 3.08)
Actually both sides featured here -“Darling”/”Goin’ Downtown (8-9-10)” -
are unissued gems by the fabulous Five Keys so you pays your money you
takes your choice. Personally I go (just) with the “Goin’ Downtown (8-9-10)” side that was recorded at WOR Studios New York on August 6
1951 with Maryland Pierce doing lead duties
A catalog number (Aladdin 3119) was assigned to both sides anticipating
an early 1952 single release but this never materialized and the tracks remained unissued.
‘Twas 1997 before this track (and “Darling” too) turned up on an album---and when it did it was the “Hucklebuck With Jimmy” CD set on
Lamp 7-11
ROY HAWKINS – ALBANIA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtIZcGSBW9Y
Following his big r&b hit “The Thrill Is Gone” Modern was keen to get
Roy Hawkins back into the studio to
cut some new material that will hopefully yield a similar followup hit.
So it was that a new recording session was set up for September 14 1951
in Los Angeles with the personnel
being Roy Hawkins (vcl) Maxwell Davis (ten sax) Willard McDaniel (pno)
Johnny Moore (bs) Jesse Sailes
(dms) and from whence the followup record for Modern “Gloom And Misery
All Around Me” will be taken.
This same session also produces “Albania” (with some really splendid sax work) ,that sadly goes unissued.
One thing both “Gloom And Misery….” and “Albania” have in common is that
both songs are penned by a
couple of newcomers on the songwriting scene---Jerry Lieber & Mike
Stoller---a couple of then teenagers
dabbling in penning r&b type songs. Good kids too…talented as well….too
bad they’ll never amount to anything
It’s 1984 before “Albania” sees release when it is included in the
lineup for the “Highway 59” compilation of Roy Hawkins tracks put out by Ace here in the UK
HOWLIN’ WOLF – CALIFORNIA BOOGIE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H13dMNJ9nmM
On December 18 1951 Howlin’ Wolf is at 706 Union Ave Memphis to cut some
new material to be sent to Chess
Five tracks are laid down including the forthcoming single “The Wolf Is
At Your Door”/”Howlin’ Wolf Boogie”.
“California Boogie” is one of the leftovers included in the package
which remains unissued for over two decades until it finally appears on
the Charly set “Sun : The Roots Of Rock Vol. 2 : Sam’s Blues” in 1976
B.B. KING – PRAY FOR YOU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2Dp_38oO6o
Recorded June 18 1951 at Memphis Recording Service,706 Union Ave with
Sam Phillips overseeing the session
the young B.B. King laid down several numbers that were all sent to RPM
records (who put out the rockin’ “Hard Workin’ Woman” b/w “She’s A Mean
Woman” as RPM 330 that September).
Sadly the driving “Pray For You” (with some solid sax work by Richard Sanders---and Johnny Ace doing the piano honors) fell by the wayside at
RPM and remained that way until the good folk over here at Ace
resurrected the number in 2002 and added it to the lineup for the CD set
“B.B King – The Modern Recordings 1950-1951)”
THE LARKS – ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAZYZHb5_88
On October 18 1951 The Larks attended their latest recording session
where “How Long Must I Wait For You”,
“My Lost Love”,”Christmas To New Years” and “All I Want For Christmas”
were laid down.
Surprisingly neither of the seasonal songs were released and so the
beautiful Gene Mumford led “All I Want For Christmas “ went into the
Apollo vaults until 1996 when it finally saw light of day on the Relic
LP “When I Leave These Prison Walls – The Best Of The Larks Vol. 2”
“All I Want For Christmas” struggled in the Unreleased Battle only finishing #238 but as you’d expect did better in the Christmas Champs
Battle at #110
THE ORIOLES – I MAY BE WRONG (BUT I THINK YOU’RE WONDERFUL)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TopDeTdcetM
On September 6 1951 right in front of a stint at the Apollo Theatre in
New York City,The Orioles fulfilled a recording session for Jubilee that produced their next single---“Baby Please Don’t Go” and “Don’t Tell Her
What’s Happened To Me” (Jubilee 5065).
The third track from the session was “I May Be Wrong (But I Think You’re Wonderful)” that went unissued
and stayed that way until 1983---when it was finally included in “The
Best Of The Orioles” 5-LP Murray Hill set (it appears on Volume 3)
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)