MusicXposed

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles perform on a "really big shue" for Ed Sullivan - March 31, 1968

noreply@blogger.com (Musicxposed) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:58:00 +0000

Note: The archives of William "PoPsie" Randolph (1920 - 1978) are being researched extensively and digitized for prosperity.

The first book, "PoPsie: American Popular Music Through The Camera Lens of William "PoPsie" Randolph" has been published and is available at Amazon.com

In a long and prolific career spent haunting the recording studios, jam sessions, concert halls and nightclubs of New York City, Randolph chronicled the raucous postwar transformation of American Music -- from swing and jazz to rhythm & blues and rock & roll -- more vividly and more avidly, than any photographer of his era.

The 60,000 negatives left behind after his death in 1978 span the giddy, glitzy heyday of swing in the Forties, the hot and cool jazz subsequently spawned in the clubs of Fifty-Second Street, the rumbling emergence of black R&B and doo-wop and the sudden explosion of rock & roll in the late Fifties, the rise of Brill Building pop and the British invasion of the Sixties, and the growth of rock into a multibillion-dollar industry by the Seventies.

1968 would be a very turbulent year for America. Assassinations, The Vietnam war and the fallout from "The Summer of Love" were broadcast into living rooms all across the nation in the early part of the year. The one welcome spot on the dial was CBS and "The Ed Sullivan Show" which aired from 8-9 PM every Sunday night.

On March 31, "PoPsie" was on hand to photograph Smokey Robinson & The Miracles who were there to perform their latest hit "I Second That Emotion". Their smooth deliveries and timeless performance of their classic soothed the nerves of a nation that was struggling with a world that was rapidly shrinking before their eyes.

"PoPsie" captured Smokey and the Miracles backstage as they worked on their routine as well as their meticulous grooming standards in getting ready to perform for the millions who tuned in weekly. This was well before music videos and the Sullivan show was essentially the only way that mainstream America got to see acts like this without making a trip to NYC or any other large city.

The Sullivan show did very well in showcasing acts from various musical backgrounds from Broadway to R&B and everything in between. Motown Records had The Sullivan Show to thank for the popularity of most of it's acts and they were responsible for bridging the color gap on Television. The dream of equality was alive and well on The Sullivan Show.

Little did "PoPsie" and the rest of America realize that the dream of Martin Luther King and the fragile psyche of America would be shattered less than a week later on April 4th in Memphis, TN.

The Rolling Stones Find Satisfaction in New York City - June 2, 1964

noreply@blogger.com (Musicxposed) — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 02:38:00 +0000

Note: The archives of William "PoPsie" Randolph (1920 - 1978) are being researched extensively for an upcoming book "Photography by PoPsie - The Legend of Broadway".

In a long and prolific career spent haunting the recording studios, jam sessions, concert halls and nightclubs of New York City, Randolph chronicled the raucous postwar transformation of American Music -- from swing and jazz to rhythm & blues and rock & roll -- more vividly and more avidly, than any photographer of his era.

The 60,000 negatives left behind after his death in 1978 span the giddy, glitzy heyday of swing in the Forties, the hot and cool jazz subsequently spawned in the clubs of Fifty-Second Street, the rumbling emergence of black R&B and doo-wop and the sudden explosion of rock & roll in the late Fifties, the rise of Brill Building pop and the British invasion of the Sixties, and the growth of rock into a multibillion-dollar industry by the Seventies.

1964 was a huge year for performers from the UK to come over to America and achieve stardom. In February, The Beatles blew the door wide open and Americans were left hungry for more of the R&B flavored rock that the Brits perfected.

The Rolling Stones were one of the many bands that had followed in the wake of Beatlemania and their arrival in New York was nothing short of spectacular. They arrived on June 1, 1964 at the newly rechristened JFK airport and were greeted by shouting fans and Murray the "K" Kaufman himself.

"PoPsie" was contacted by CashBox Magazine to capture the event for prosperity and he got to spend the next 2 days following the Stones as they held court at the Astor Hotel and met with the press. Phil Spector and Gene Pitney showed up as well and they witnessed first hand the Rolling Stone "mystique".

The photo that PoPsie captured in Times Square is one of the most requested of "PoPsie's" images. It's easy to see why... This image captures the spirit of the Stones and shows that they were ready to take on the world head on.

42 years later, we are still in awe of the power and the majesty of the world's greatest touring band, The Rolling Stones. Once again, PoPsie had the gift of foresight in capturing the band for the ages.

Ella Fitzgerald shows Billie Holiday how to scat at Bop City - July 20, 1950

noreply@blogger.com (Musicxposed) — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 06:23:00 +0000

Bop City was one of the many clubs that sprang up during the early 1950’s in the New York City area and it was the launching pad for many of the early practitioners of the genre known as be-bop.

The club served fair warning to its patrons that they could expect a change from the syncopated rhythms of Swing and often looked for those performers who wanted to embrace the new sound.

One of the first vocalists who picked up the gauntlet of the new sound was Ella Fitzgerald. Ella had married bassist Ray Brown in 1948 and was touring with his band in 1950 when they stopped in New York City for a stint at Bop City.

It was under these conditions that Ella perfected her scat vocalizations that influenced many a singer and later became her calling card when she did commercials for Memorex tape in the 1970's.

“PoPsie” was present to take some photos for Downbeat Magazine and to see if the new sound had a future. Also stopping by that night was another legendary vocalist, Billie Holiday, who was banned from performing in New York City nightclubs due to her conviction for heroin possession back in 1947.

“PoPsie” always loved to get unique duos together for photographs and this was a golden opportunity to get two of the leading female Jazz vocalists together for a special photograph.

The resulting photo turned out so well that “PoPsie” kept the negative in a bank vault to make sure that no one would ever damage or lose this image. He also made sure that the photo was proudly displayed in his studio whenever potential new clients visited him to show that he had golden touch when it came to photography.

"PoPsie" truly had the gift of timing and for being at the right place at the right time.

The Bob Seger System rambles and gambles in New York City, January 8, 1969

noreply@blogger.com (Musicxposed) — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 03:33:00 +0000

Note: The archives of William "PoPsie" Randolph (1920 - 1978) are being researched extensively for an upcoming book "Photography by PoPsie - The Legend of Broadway".

In a long and prolific career spent haunting the recording studios, jam sessions, concert halls and nightclubs of New York City, Randolph chronicled the raucous postwar transformation of American Music -- from swing and jazz to rhythm & blues and rock & roll -- more vividly and more avidly, than any photographer of his era.

Bob Seger and Capitol Records were ready to gamble in the early part of 1969. The sound of rock had changed drastically in the last few years and Capitol was ready to roll with the punches.

Both the Beach Boys and the Beatles were moving away from the corporate confines of Capitol Records in early 1969, so the brass in New York City wanted to showcase Bob Seger to the press to show them that they still had their hand on the pulse of rock and roll music.

There was a heavier sound coming from Detroit and Capitol wanted to show the world what was in store for the future. They wasted no time signing Bob from the defunct Cameo/Parkway label and getting him into a recording studio to lay down the tracks of a dynamic new single.

Capitol naturally called "PoPsie" and asked if he had some free time to take some shots of their new discovery and he agreed to meet them at the Cheetah Club on Broadway and 53rd, right down the street from his studio.

"PoPsie" captured the primal spirit of Seger right down to his powerful scream during the playing of the new single and took over 100 more photos to document the occasion.

"Rambling Gambling Man" took off like a shot and made it up to # 17 on the national charts and the LP peaked at # 62.

Unfortunately, the momentum started in New York didn't carry over to his next LP "Noah", and Seger actually quit the music business for a while and attended college.

You can't keep a good man down for long and sure enough, Seger rebounded a few years later with a long and illustrious career with Capitol Records. Finally, the rest of the world got to see what "PoPsie" saw on that winter day in early 1969 at the Cheetah - The future of Rock music at Capitol Records.

John Coltrane with Dizzy Gillespie - One last time with the band - January 19, 1951

noreply@blogger.com (Musicxposed) — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 00:40:00 +0000

PoPsie loved Jazz, but he had a real affinity for trumpeters. He himself was a frustrated trumpeter who couldn't quite get his chops down, so he often lived vicariously through those who excelled at the instrument.

One of his favorites was Dizzy Gillespie. Dizzy often was surrounded by the best young talent of the Jazz world and at the time of this photo session he was ready to disband yet another band that didn’t quite catch on. Gillespie always was ahead of the Jazz curve and was often frustrated by indifferent audiences who didn’t always quite get “it”.

The date of this shoot was January 19, 1951 and at this time, his band featured a young saxophonist who had been with a few other bands but didn’t quite yet reach his full potential. Dizzy believed the kid had talent and would someday be a star in his own right so he talked PoPsie into getting a few shots with him and the kid as well as a few photos of the kid by himself.

The “kid” later turned the Jazz world on its ear and is remembered as an innovator who challenged his audience to get “it” as well. The “kid” was John Coltrane and these photo sessions show him as a young man who was quite happy to get an audience with “PoPsie”.

It was a good thing that “PoPsie” loved trumpeters and captured this moment for posterity or we would have never gotten "it".

Jackie Gleason Honeymoons at the Paramount Theater - 1955

noreply@blogger.com (Musicxposed) — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 06:17:00 +0000

"PoPsie" knew Jackie Gleason very well. Gleason utilized PoPsie often for many of his projects during the 50's from his early forays into television on the Dumont Network up to his later musical projects on Capitol Records.

Gleason was excited in 1955 to have his show broadcast on CBS and wanted PoPsie there to capture the occasion. PoPsie shot many images of Gleason doing his show that evening and from what I can tell from the photographs, Gleason was the ultimate showman.

For a man his size, he was amazingly light on his feet. He had very few peers when it came to his comedic timing and he also had a great rapport with the audience.

Today, I'll let the photos do the talking, because when it comes to seeing a master at work, I can only sit back and watch with awe and envy... and I can tell that PoPsie and Gleason respected each others work.

I would also love to tell you how Gleason used to play as hard as he worked and of the photos of Gleason hanging out with Frank Sinatra after hours at Toots Shore's place in New York City, but as you know, that is another story for another time.

May 5, 1966 - Jimi Hendrix wears a tuxedo onstage during one of the greatest soul shows ever

noreply@blogger.com (Musicxposed) — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 04:18:00 +0000

Sometimes you just happen to be present when the heavens align just right and you get to witness a one of a kind event that no amount of money could recreate. One of those events happened on the evening of May 5, 1966 at the Prelude Club in New York City.

One of the greatest collections of future Rock and Roll hall of famers were gathered under one roof to celebrate the arrival of a newcomer to the Atlantic Records family and it was a show for the ages.

The event was an Album release party for Percy Sledge, whose single, When a Man Loves a Woman was burning up the charts. Also present that fateful night were Esther Phillips, Don Covay and the one and only Wilson "Wicked" Pickett.

Representing the brain trust at Atlantic Records were Jerry Wexler and Neshui Etergun as well as other staffers at the label. PoPsie was the main photographer for Atlantic and most of the historical events of their label were captured in his images. This was no exception.

The backing band that night was led by "King Curtis" Ousley who with his group, The Kingpins, backed up many of the soul singers on Atlantic Records at that time. Sitting in with the Kingpins also that night was a wild haired guy who happened to play the guitar upside down.

As I reviewed the negatives for this session, I noticed that he looked vaguely familiar and I took a closer look at the negatives. I was shocked to see Jimi Hendrix smiling and wailing away alongside one of the greatest soul bands as a sideman in a tuxedo no less...

To say that you could knock me over with a feather would be an understatement. This happened to be one of his last gigs before he flew across the ocean in September of 1966 and became Jimi Hendrix, the legend.

All told there are over a hundred shots of this show and I'm currently trying to put together an article or book on this event so that the rest of the world can see exactly what a supernova looks like when it happens, but that's another story for a another time.

1957 - "PoPsie" Randolph's lifetime pass to Benny Goodman

noreply@blogger.com (Musicxposed) — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 19:03:00 +0000

It is said that luck is when preparation meets opportunity and in the first half of the 2oth Century, there were none who were more prepared than William "PoPsie" Randolph.

"PoPsie" first met Benny Goodman when he hanging around the New York City radio stations that broadcast the great Jazz players of the day. Benny had the kid help him with some band gear and tipped him 5 dollars. "PoPsie" never forgot Benny's kindness and vowed that he would someday join Benny's band.

"PoPsie" loved Jazz music and had purchased a trumpet and practiced on it until he was mildly proficient. But he wasn't good enough to crack the ranks of the Jazz world as a musician, so he decided to use his smarts to get in to the band in other ways. He hooked up with the Ida Ray Hutton all-female Orchestra as a band boy or "gopher" and became legendary among the musician ranks with his constant jabbering and random acts of signing his name any place his band would visit.

He later hooked up with the Woody Herman band and was a valuable source of information about where the best places to eat were and what musicians were available to steal away from rival orchestras. But "PoPsie" wanted to be with the biggest and best band at the time... Benny's !

His opportunity came when word got around that Benny was putting back together his band after a long layoff and needed someone who was a real go-getter to put the word out. "PoPsie" heard through the grapvine that this position wasn't filled yet and he decided that he was the man for the job.

Goodman's secretary Muriel Zuckerman was in charge of personnel and "PoPsie" knew that she was a tough sell, so he did what he did best... He regaled her with tales of his exploits on the road with his previous bands and with an encyclopedic knowledge of Benny's previous bands and songs, she had no choice but to relent and let him have the job.

It was a decision that changed both Benny's and "PoPsie's" lives greatly. "PoPsie" and Benny became best friends and often acted like brothers. They laughed, fought and traveled together for years and "PoPsie" only left his side when he met a showgirl and decided to stay put in New York to raise his family. Benny bankrolled "PoPsie" when he started his photo business and purchased his first camera as a wedding present to "PoPsie".

In 1957, "PoPsie" quipped that as a youth he used to have to sneak into Benny's shows to see "The King of Swing". Benny decided to give the ultimate fan the ultimate ticket to see his shows. Benny often came by the Randolph household to see "PoPsie" and his growing family and ended up purchasing an electronics kit for "PoPsie's" eldest son, Michael.

Michael never forgot the gift and has told me that was the seed that got him into the electronics field which lead to a long career and lots of travel around the world... Just like "PoPsie" decades before, Benny helped a boy achieve a dream. Michael actually got to thank Benny personally in 1982 at an appearance when he used his dad's pass to get into a sold-out show and complete the journey that started 50 years before.

"PoPsie" was one of the luckiest men of the 20th Century... As I am quite lucky to bring you this story thru the "PoPsie" Randolph Archives.

Jan 31, 1956 - Elvis Presley at the William Morris Agency

noreply@blogger.com (Musicxposed) — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 20:42:00 +0000

On January 31, 1956, the face of music was changed forever. That's when Elvis Presley and Col. Tom Parker signed with the William Morris Agency and set into motion the series of events that caused the creation of Elvis Presley as an American icon.

This is also the starting point of my new online column "MusicXposed". This column along with the assistance of the greatest music photo archive known to man (The archive of William "PoPsie" Randolph, the Legend of Broadway) will recap the greatest musical moments of the 20th Century and give you access to the archive that up to now has been safely tucked away from public view. I started working with the estate a few years ago and I am AMAZED at the wealth of photos that "PoPsie" produced. I will during the course of time, shed light on the life and times of "PoPsie" as well and do my part to get him recognized as the great photographer he was.

Now, back to the event in question... Elvis at this time was just starting to make a stir and turn a few heads on the musical horizon. I won't recap all of the details here, but let's just say when RCA Victor contacted "PoPsie" about their new discovery; "PoPsie" was less than impressed.

According to his son, "PoPsie" was not crazy about Rock music or its impact on New York City at the time. Oh, sure he had a LOT of paying gigs from the new labels that sprung up like weeds around the city, but he was a Jazz cat at heart and his passions were placed with the musicians that kept in touch with him from his days as a band boy with the Benny Goodman Orchestra.

Looking at the negative sleeve from the session, I immediately noticed that Elvis' name was spelled wrong. It's always fascinating seeing this kind of thing in the archives 50 years hence and realizing that at one time in the entertainment universe, Elvis was a Persona non grata to the journalists and photographers that covered the industry.

"PoPsie" must have made a connection with the "kid" because he ended up shooting a recording session, a copy negative of his high school graduation photo and the back cover photos for the Elvis Presley LP. It was rumored that "PoPsie" also did the front cover of the LP as well, but that was just a long time misunderstanding by Elvis collectors who saw the caption "Photos by PoPsie" on the back of the cover and unduly gave him credit.

Almost exactly 8 years later, lightning would strike again as "PoPsie" would be enlisted by Capitol Records to do the same with a new British group of long hair kids who would be coming to New York to seek their fame and fortune as well, but that is another story for another time...