Okay lets see how this series flies.....20 FAVE FEMMES
TODAY : 20 FAVORITE FEMMES OF....1954
These being favorite recordings by solo femme singers or artists,femme
groups (or femme-led groups) or otherwise femme dominated recordings
(you get the picture)
1. GOD ONLY KNOWS – THE CAPRIS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W_jXKYcUr0
Not to be confused with the later all male Capris of “There’s A Moon Out Tonight” fame these earlier Capris were a five piece vocal group (four
males with a female lead Renee Hinton) on the shimmering delicate and
above all beautiful ballad “God Only Knows” recorded for the
Philadelphia (from whence the group all hailed) label Gotham in 1954,
2. I SMELL A RAT – WILLIE MAE THORNTON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBPOuJQ9IsY
Early Leiber & Stoller (amusingly spelled “STROLLER” on the label)
number waxed
by Willie Mae (still riding her enormous “Hound Dog” success) for
Peacock tho my
personal favorite version remains that of Young Jessie However since Big
Mama wears the “female” description slightly better than Jessie it is
she who rides the song here
3. ANNIE’S ANSWER – AL SMITH COMBO (HAZEL McCOLLUM & EL DORADOS)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f2tsYc9A2c
Hoping to gatecrash the Midnighters’ enormous success with “Work With Me Annie” and “Annie Had A Baby” Vee Jay in Chicago paired newcomer Hazel McCollom (wife of blues man Robert Nighthawk) with The El Dorados for an
answer record aptly titled “Annie’s Answer”. Backing was by the Al Smith Combo who got top artist billing on the record
4. MERCY ME – LIL GREENWOOD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgZOjkdkHCU
Signed to the Federal label Lil Greenwood had already cut some sides for
them paired with Little Willie Littlefield and with The Four Jacks so it
came as no surprise when Federal decided to pair them with The
Lamplighters for this outing in 1954 on the strident “Mercy Me”
5. SICK AND TIRED – LULA REED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VyfKThLB7o
LULA REED (King 4748) © “SICK AND TIRED” (2:24) [Jay & Cee BMI—Sonny Thompson]
Lula Reed’s fed up and she’s gonna leave him. The thrush bounces the
lyric effectively and comes up with a smart piece of wax” (CASH BOX
REVIEW November 6 1954)
6. TWEEDLEE DEE – LaVERN BAKER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoqmtBKp1tY
Backed by “The Gliders” (the all purpose backup group who went under several aliases) LaVern scored her first appearance on the Billboard
charts with this one recorded for Atlantic. Scoring #14 BBpop and #4
BBr&b the song also attracted an even bigger hit cover from Georgia
Gibbs as well as versions by Vicki Young,Bonnie Lou and Teresa Brewer. LaVern’s version got UK release on Columbia but failed to chart.
7. OH WHAT A DREAM – RUTH BROWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPas18nwZmU
Ruth took this Chuck Willis penned number she recorded for Atlantic to
#1 BBr&b her fourth record to occupy that coveted #1 spot. She didn’t
manage to make the BB pop chart leaving that open for a Patti Page cover
(as “What A Dream”) to make all the running.
8. OOP SHOOP – SHIRLEY GUNTER & THE QUEENS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQAewxbjzMs
Here’s the sis of Cornell Gunter with her “Queens” group in tow on a simple yet ultra catchy melody that appeared on the Flair label. A #8
BBr&b hit for the girls it spawned several cover versions including one
by The Crew Cuts that hoovered up most of the pop sales reaching #13
9. BIG LONG SLIDIN’ THING – DINAH WASHINGTON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaFfJSC6uz8
Not just a double but a treble—if not QUADRUPLE entendre episode here
related by The Queen herself---Dinah Washington on one of my most
favorite offerings by her. I don’t imagine this Mercury offering would
have passed muster for radio play very much in the USA but it certainly
would have been totally verboten here in UK by the so-staid old BBC had
it been released here
10. SIT BACK DOWN – LITTLE ESTHER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc0a4kiSKOc
Here’s Esther on her last outing for Decca arranged by Leroy Kirkland
whose guys also provide the backing. It’s one I really like even tho it
sold poorly apparently paving the way back to where it all began for her---she’ll soon return to Grandpa Herman and Savoy Records
11. I’VE GOT A FEELIN’ – BIG MAYBELLE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxQVJGqvJyM
Strange kinda “voodoo-ey” number for Miss Mabel here but one I’ve always really liked and myfavorite from a very sparse year for her—just two
releases for Okeh (apparently this one is easily her rarest selling
these days for a three figure sum). Incidentally the other side is a
so-so version of the old torcher “You’ll Never Know”---the first song Barbra ever put on wax apparently
12. TAKE OUT YOUR FALSE TEETH DADDY – MARGIE DAY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A5YB_NJ9pw
“Take out your false teeth Daddy your Mama wants to scratch your gums……”
no they sure as hell don’t write lyrics like that anymore 😊. After a lengthy spell with the Dot label Margie is now in the Decca fold but
with no great success---but this is one by her I always liked
13. SEND ME SOME MONEY - VARETTA DILLARD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lZTW0RHyvo
Her sole release for 1954 was recorded August 20 that year for Savoy
under the auspices of Leroy Kirkland. The backing personnel included
Mickey Baker (gtr) poss. Bobby Donaldson (dms) with unknown ten sax,bar
sax and pno.
14. SOMEBODY TOUCHED ME – RUTH BROWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjhWDINtlsE
The original (and best!) version of the number that was a big hit for
Buddy Knox later on in 1958.Recorded in New York City May 7 1954 with
backing personnel including Ed “Tiger” Lewis (tpt) Richard Harris (trbn) Arnett Cobb (ten sx) Sylvester Thomas (bar sx) Bu Pleasant (pno) Mickey
Baker (gtr) Benny Moten (bs) Noroddin Zafer (dms) + The Rhythmakers (vcl backing). Other tracks from this session were “Oh What A Dream” (see #7 above),”Old Man River” and “Please
Don’t Freeze”
15. STOP HOPPIN’ ON ME – WILLIE MAE THORNTON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4CcEJTzRso
“Willie Mae Thornton has a “hoppin’" piece of material and the gal belts it with an enthusiasm as big as the ample shoutress. “Stop Hoppin’ On
Me” is a driving mambo blues and the gal milks it. With the market
turning and girl singers beginning to sell again, this could be the one
to send Willie Mae into the charts again” (CASH BOX REVIEW September 9
1954) .
16. ANY DAY NOW – BUDDY JOHNSON ORCHESTRA (VOCAL : ELLA JOHNSON)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajLbU51p33g
Not of course the Bacharach song a la Chuck Jackson this is a much
earlier number—but every bit as good—penned by Buddy himself and sung immaculately by sis Ella recorded for Mercury. The Johnsons were a a
dynamite team with some excellent numbers to their name of which this is
one of the best
17. LOVE CONTEST – RUTH BROWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UckoOJtV5A
Recorded at a session December 16 1953 “Love Contest” had a backing personnel including Sam "The Man” Taylor (ten sax) Paul Williams (bar
sax) Kelly Owens, John Lewis (pnos) Mickey Baker (gtr) Lloyd Trotman
(bs) Joe Marshall (dms). The solid “Love Contest” became Ruth’s first 45rpm Atlantic single of 1954 in the January.
18. MAMBO BABY – RUTH BROWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFbPE-rA1y4
Ruth’s famous ode to one of Cuba’s most famous exports---the “Mambo” dance. Recorded at a New York City session on August 11 1954 that also
produced “Bye Bye Young Men” and “My Heart Is Breaking Over You”. It also became a tremendous r&b hit restoring Ruth to the #1 spot she had
only recently occupied with “Oh What A Dream” (see #7 above)
19. IT WAS MOONGLOW – THE CAPRIS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daPHyMeQ7vo
The direct followup to “God Only Knows” (see #1 above) and one more
young Renee Hinton delivers a wistful ballad in similar vein to their
first number and again released on the Gotham label of Philadelphia.
20. BYE BYE YOUNG MEN – RUTH BROWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsa1AU_uGag
Maybe not to everyone’s taste with the rather dopey male chorus behind
her doing a very “poppy” routine but Ruthie is in usual good voice and sprightly form with this number that closed off 1954 in fine style for her---restoring her to the r&b chart where she hit #13 with this (in
early 1955)
BUBBLING UNDER
21. BUMP ON A LOG – LULA REED
22. MR. THRILL – MILDRED JONES
23. IT USED TO HURT ME – BUDDY JOHNSON ORCHESTRA (ELLA JOHNSON)
24. DON’T HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THAT NO MORE – BABY DEE
25. WELL DO IT – ELLA JOHNSON
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