This transcript of the radio show is an approximation of what I said in the show. The real spoken parts may differ slightly.
And a mixed bag of tunes for this 80st show of the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman. Well it goes pretty unnoticed how many shows I already did. Just multiply that number with some seventeen tracks per show, and I already sent out a whole lot of music. Well let's keep it that way and start of with a great blues of Lonnie Johnson. This is back from 1938 and it was released on Decca. Here is I Ain't Gonna Be Your Fool.
01 - Lonnie Johnson - I Ain't Gonna Be Your Fool
02 - Jimmie Gordon - Alberta Alberta
Also from 1938 on Decca you heard Jimmie Gordon and his Vip Vop band with Alberta Alberta. Jimmie Gordon is one of these pre-war bluesmen whose origins are unknown - the claim that he would be Peetie Wheatstraw's brother and came from St. Louis isn't true but it originated from a marketing gimmick of Decca, who had put a song of Gordon on the flip of a song of Wheatstraw. He was active in the Chicago blues scene in the thirties and entered the recording studio in 1934 for the Bluebird label for the first time. Until 1946 he recorded 67 titles, most for Decca, and all of them have been put together on a CD of the Document series, and after '46 nothing is heard of him anymore.
Next one of the great trumpeters of the pre-war era. Hot Lips Page and we're going all the way back to 1929 where he was a member of Walter Page's Blue Devils, a band that was around from the early twenties and came under Walter Page's direction from '25 until it disbanded in 1931 and most members went to Count Basie's orchestra.
Listen to the blue devil blues.
03 - Walter Page's Blue Devils - Blue Devil Blues
04 - George Crawford & The Four Blazes - The Big Leg Mama's Fine
(jingle)
05 - Paula Watson - A Little Bird Told Me
06 - Madonna Martin - Rattlesnakin' Papa
Before the jingle that were the Four Blazes, not the Chicago group but an outfit based in Los Angeles led by George Crawford. This was on the Melodisc label that I did a show on some time ago. You heard the Big Leg Mama's fine. Then after the jingle Paula Watson from 1948 with A Little Bird Told Me, released on the Supreme label. It's the cover of Evelyn Knight on Decca that made it to the hitparade and after a failed attempt of Supreme records to sue Decca the smaller label failed and Watson was signed with Decca.
Then finally you got Madonna Martin - from Indiana and she toured with Louis Armstrong when she recorded this for the pretty obscure Los Angeles based Selective record label. You heard one of the outcomes of that session - the Rattlesnakin' papa.
Next Nellie Lutcher with the Fine Brown Frame, one of her signature songs that made it to number 2 on the R&B hit list in 1948. Nellie was a talented singer and pianist and at the age of twelve she already had played as a stand in with Ma Rainey. Yet it wasn't until she was 35 years old when she was discovered on a talent show by a scout of Capitol records. Her style is easily recognizable for her somewat oddly exaggerated pronunciation.
Here is the Fine Brown Frame.
07 - Nellie Lutcher - Fine Brown Frame
08 - Goree Carter - Is It True
Off the Freedom label that was Goree Carter and his Hepcats with Is It True. Now Carter may be best known for his jump style pre-Rock 'n Roll songs - including his classic Rock Awhile - but he did many great blues too and this is just one of them. Some of his best material is collected in a CD titled Essential Blues that I for sure can recommend.
Next from 1951 on the Aladdin label Rock This Morning by Jesse Allen and Jimmy Gilchrist
09 - Jesse Allen & Jimmy Gilchrist - Rock This Morning
10 - Laurie tate With Joe Morris & His Orchestra - Rock Me Daddy
Joe Morris and his band fronted by Laurie Tate with Rock Me Daddy. Tate had been scouted by Atlantic co-founder Herb Abrahamson and teamed up with Joe Morris and that had yielded the hit ballad Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere earlier that year. The combination was pretty succesful when in 1952 Laurie got pregnant and quit singing. Joe Morris replaced her with Faye Adams who proved to be an even greater hit maker of her own.
Next from 1950 the Great Gates and his Hollywood All-Stars. Great Gates was the stage name for Edward Gates White and under this name he recorded for several labels from '48 to '52, including Columbia, Selective, Rex, Kappa and Miltone - the label of Roy Milton. He had studied music in a Los Angeles college but didn't pursue a professional career in music. As an amateur he did win several prizes in dance contest. When his colleagues in the dry cleaner company where he worked, heard him sing, they talked him into entering a talent contest, that he won, and still he was reluctant to start a musical career. Well none of his records became great sellers, but by 1950 he was popular in the Los Angeles music scene and still, it's a more exciting job than the dry cleaner's.
So here's the Great Gates with Rocking Time.
11 - Great Gates & His Hollywood All Stars - Rocking Time
12 - Saunders King - Long Long Time
From 1954 on the Flair label Saunders King with Long Long Time. By then he was among the veterans of Rhythm & Blues - his greatest hit was in 1942 with the S.K. Blues. His crooning style is pretty unusual for his kind of blues.
Next from 1945 on the Manor label the Schoolday Blues of Tiny Bradshaw. Bradshaw had led his own swing band from 1934 and recorded for Decca that year. This blues is from ten years later and he had developed a much different style since, or let's say, pretty much gone with the latest fashion. Here is the Schoolday Blues.
13 - Tiny Bradshaw - Schoolday Blues
14 - Pee Wee Crayton - Every Dog Has His Day
(jingle)
15 - Walter Brown - I'm Glad To Be Back
16 - Joe Thomas - You're buggin' me
You heard Joe Thomas with You're buggin' me - from a session that he did with Jimmy Lunceford's orchestra in 1945 for the King label. Thomas had been with Lunceford since 1932 and stayed with him until Lunceford died in '47, and afterwards co-led the band for another year. This '45 session masters ended up with the Melodisc label that I did a special on some weeks ago, and were released there in 1946.
Before that you got Walter Brown, also from 1945, released on the Queen subsidary of King records, with I'm Glad To Be Back, and then I have to tell you what was before the jingle, that was Pee Wee Crayton with Every Dog Has His Day, a release of the Imperial label from 1954.
Well I got another leftover of that show on the Melodisc label for you. Jack McVea and his All-Stars with Scrub sweep and mop and that was released in 1946, just before he joined the Black & White label where he made his immortal riff for the long-existing vaudeville act Open The Door Richard, transferring it into a Rhythm & Blues classic.
Here is Jack McVea with Scrub Sweep And Mop.
17 - Jack McVea All Stars - Scrub sweep and mop
18 - Jerry 'Boogie' McCain & Sonny Boy Williamson - Stay Out Of Automobiles
Young girls stay out of automobiles - that were harpist Jerry 'Boogie' McCain and Sonny Boy Williamson and that was from 1954 on the Trumpet label. The song makes a side reference to the big hit of Hank Ballard, Work With Me Annie as it says that the automobile made that Annie Don't work no more.
And with that this show of the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman has come to an end. Now as always I tried to entertain and educate you with the great music and the stories that come with them, and I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought of it and send me an e-mail to rockingdutchman@rocketmail.com. Or find me on the web, do a google search for the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman and my site will show up first. On the web site you'll find today's playlist and what will be on next, and you can read back all information that I told you today.
For the 80st time, time's up and so I wish you a wonderful, rocking day and I hope to see you next time, here on the Legends of the Rocking Dutchman.