TODAY : 20 FAVORITE FEMME RECORDS OF....1957
1. MAYBE – THE CHANTELS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJhhlTtPxsc
This absolute classic femme gem featuring the great fivesome with a
simply stunning Arlene Smith lead was recorded for End in 1957 and
immediately became an all time classic in the girl group field (tho as
I’ve related here before the NME here in the UK ridiculously voted the
UK release (on London) as “worst recording of 1958* “according to some
poll they conducted). Charted #15 BBpop #2 BBr&b and unsurprisingly
failed to chart in UK (*where it appeared on London in early 1958).
Another thing the record DID do tho (along with Bo’s great “Who Do You Love”) was to start a life long love affair for me with the girls name “Arlene” ---tho I’ve yet to ever meet a UK female with that name 😊
2. WHAT KIND OF MAN ARE YOU – RAY CHARLES (MARY ANN FISHER)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4c8xPnltZ0
Recorded on the second day of a 2-day session in NYC in May 1957 this particular track (the last recorded) ís given over to The Raelets with
Mary Ann Fisher in powerful lead voice.carrying the number. Issued as
the flip of Ray’s “Talkin’ About You” single on Atlantic the number did not chart and there was no UK issue
3. AIN’T THAT LOVE – BRENDA LEE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XIOQIOI3ec
Brenda undertook her fourth recording session on 12 April 157 at Bradley
Studio
In Nashville.Backing crew included Hank Garland (gtr) Grady Martin (gtr)
Bob
Moore (bs) & Marvin Hughes (pno) + the inevitable Anita Kerr Singers.
Tracks recorded were “Dynamite”,”Ain’t That Love”,”Love You Till I Die”
and “One
Teenager To Another”. The Ray Charles song “Ain’t That Love” was chosen as
her next Decca single to follow her debut hit (albeit minor) hit single---it’s one of my very favorite Brenda tracks superior even to the
RC original IMO. Sadly there was no chart action on either Decca (USA)
or Brunswick (UK)
4. FUJIYAMA MAMA – WANDA JACKSON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IStr0Pfm-jk
Originally released by Anisteen Allen in 1955 also on Capitol and can be
heard here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swZZ94yAc7g
Wanda cut her version at Capitol Studio in Hollywood 17 September 1957
with
some pretty star studded accompaniment including Buck Owens (gtr) Billy
Strange
(gtr) and Merrill Moore (pno). The Capitol single was released that
December but
sadly did not chart. Not released UK
5. AW! SHUCKS BABY – TINY TOPSY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M3NEaXqs2w
Lively rockin’ number that was her debut single on Federal label. This
was my
fav+orite side of her “Miss You So” single which in turn was my favorite version of the song initially introduced by Lillan Offitt (see below for
both these performances).Group backing her here is The Five Chances (but
better known as The Charms).Did not chart in US and was not released UK
6. HE’S GONE – THE CHANTELS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9_3y6yA7hc
The debut of the Chantels on a great number penned by Arlene Smith
herself
with the able assistance of co-writer George Goldner (of course he
did!). On End
this immediately preceded their big “Maybe” hit (see above) . Charted
#71 BBpop
Not released UK
7. MR. LEE – THE BOBBETTES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUyufyU_y1M
Definitely the record in this list that I heard first---simply because
my cousin
several years older than me who used to buy most of the popular rock ‘n’ roll
singles of the day as they came out gave this one megaplay---I fell in
love with it instantly and that state of affairs has never abated. The
popular fivesome from NYC recorded their biggest hit for Atlantic
28.2.57 and immediately hit #8 BBpop with it and #1 BBr&b.UK release on
London but did not chart
8. HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY – THE TUNE WEAVERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_zEjggvKRc
Boston quarter on this memorable outing recorded for the small Casa
Grande
label before Chess moved in and took it over for national distribution
on their
subsid Checker label. The record did well on the BB chart scoring #5pop
and
#4r&b. Released on London in UK without charting
9. THE FOLKS WHO LIVE ON THE HILL – PEGGY LEE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_zEjggvKRc
Here’s where I guess I’ll part company with some on here since I’ve always
had a very large soft spot for Peg’s version of this old Jerome Kern
standard
and I make absolutely no apologies for including it. First included in
Peg’s
1957 Capitol LP “The Man I Love” in both US and UK it later appeared as
a Capitol single in UK in 1961 (b/w her old hit “Manana”). Incidentally
the
orchestra here is conducted by one “F. Sinatra” whoever he may be
10. MISS YOU SO – TINY TOPSY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYtCYAdmtOc
The flipside of Topsy’s debut single on Federal delivers a more strident
and
raucous version of the number originally introduced by Lillian Offitt on Excello number (see below). Did not chart in US and was not released UK
11. FINE AND MELLOW - BILLIE HOLIDAY (UNRELEASED)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaZiijPbnP8
Wonderful performance of a great song by Lady Day here backed by some
of the greatest jazz names of the day from the 1957 CBS-TV show “The
Sound
Of Jazz”
12. BABY LOVES HIM – WANDA JACKSON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gkg_WHcRwk
One of her very best rockers recorded back in September 1956 at a
session
at the Capitol Tower that also produced “Honey Bop”,”Silver Threads And Golden Needles” and “Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad” and that included Joe Maphis and Buck Owens both on guitar in the backing crew. Did not chart
and did not see UK release
13. IF IT’S NEWS TO YOU – LITTLE ESTHER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0swvnqXwgd4
The very first Esther record I ever owned after finding a second hand
copy
on some market stall for pennies and her last-but-one single for Grandpa
Herman at Savoy (there’ll be just one more Savoy single in 1959). Did
not
chart and no UK release
14. MISS YOU SO – LILLIAN OFFITT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDeXsWTmsG8
“LILLIAN OFFITT (Excello 2104) B “MISS YOU SO” (2:13) [Excellorec BMI—M.
Babb] Lillian Offitt sings to “Johnnie,” telling how much she misses
him. Miss Offitt chants the easy swinging middle beat bouncer with a
smart performance. Groovy little deck that could grab off some action.”
(CASH BOX APRIL 7 1957)
15. HE’S MINE – THE PLATTERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYkKMYaMwJQ
Zola takes centre stage here on a nice little number “He’s Mine”
released on Mercury in January 1957. Shortly afterwards The Platters
were signed to appear in a low-budget movie “Rock All Night” for
American International wherein Zola croons “He’s Mine” to a night club audience (The Platters are the only musical act of any consequence in
this Grade Z potboiler whose poster graced the home wall of one Quentin Tarantino).Charted #15 BBpop #5 BBr&b. UK release on Mercury (but only
as 78RPM!) did not chart
16. COME ON COME ON COME ON – TINY TOPSY & THE CHARMS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-p2h17Kacw
At last The Charms get the backing billing they deserve behind the ample
Miss
Topsy (who in real life was anything but “Tiny”). Penned by Eddie Cooley this
number was her second release on Federal appearing in October 1957. No
chart
action but it did see UK release on a pre-Beatles Parlophone label in
early 1958
17. THE PLEA – THE CHANTELS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFSEdcEI8dA
The flipside to “He’s Gone” (see #6 above) their first release on End
and another gem by them—indeed I’ve met a few folk who consider this to
be the best thing they ever did. I don’t quite agree with that but its certainly a very good side and deserving of a place here. Again no chart
action no UK release
18. GOT MY MO-JO WORKING – ANN COLE & THE SUBURBANS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY9XvUc6xWE
The story of how Preston Foster wrote “Mojo” and how it found its way to Ann
Cole who sang it often on tour with Muddy Waters then got home to record
it
only to discover that Muddy had already beaten her to it and recorded it
first.
She went ahead and recorded it anyway for Sol Rabinowitz at Baton
Records (a
man whose tight fistedness was legendary and who made rival Herman
Lubinsky look
like a champion philanthropist) but it was Muddy who got all the glory
on the song. No chart action and no UK release
19. MA (HE’S MAKIN’ EYES AT ME) – THE JOHNNY OTIS SHOW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBBmkSwyG8M
Marie Adams & The Three Tons Of Joy take the honors here fronting the
Johnny
Otis Show on a rockin’ revival of the ancient 1921 Furman & Nash
recital. Waxed
for Capitol and released in September 1957 as part of a 3-record set of “Johnny
Otis Show” singles on the label. In the US nothing happened none of them charted
But here in the UK it was a totally different story. “Ma..” was released---on it’s own---on Capitol in the October. It started with
moderate airplay which got more and more intense until it charted in
that November. It eventually climbed to #2 where it stayed for no less
than FIVE weeks---kept from #1 by Harry Belafonte and “Mary’s Boy Child” then Jerry Lee and “Great Balls Of Fire” and lastly Elvis and “Jailhouse Rock”. It was an ENORMOUS UK hit and even MORE enormous in another chart where it did reach #1 (I was quoting NME chart figures)
20. WALKIN’ AFTER MIDNIGHT – PATSY CLINE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9Qg7_Z0GlM
Originally released by Lynn Howard & The Accents on the Accent label in
1956
here’s Patsy’s definitive take on the song as recorded for Decca in November 1956 at Music City Recordings in Nashville.Her backing crew
included Grady Martin (gtr) Bob Moore (bs) and Owen Bradley (pno). The
song saw Decca release in February 1957 rising to #12 BB pop and #2 on
the C&W chart. UK release followed in April 1957 on Brunswick but no
chart action.
Here’s that Lynn Howard original version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx7g8sist2I
And don’t even mention the Calvin Coolidge thing 😊
BUBBLING UNDER
21. JUST LIKE A DOG (BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE) – WILLIE MAE THORNTON
22. ONE STEP AT A TIME – BRENDA LEE
23. JIM DANDY GOT MARRIED – LaVERN BAKER
24. DYNAMITE – BRENDA LEE
25. DON’T CRY – CLEO & THE CRYSTALIERS
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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