Diddy Wah

Don't Forget About The Marvels

2012-01-26T18:02:00.005Z

mp3: The Marvels - Forget About That Mess Pt1
mp3: The Marvels - Forget About That Mess Pt2

When I began researching today's selection I initially drew a blank. This is not the first time that this has happened to me, but usually the record is more obscure, rare or weird. This recording seems to be reasonably well known, available and is definitely listenable but, even using my ninja-like Google searching skills, I've struggled to find out about it.

Of course, there are various leads. A label called the Sensation Records Company (SRC) was named after Lee's Sensation Lounge (or Club Sensation) in Detroit. It was around from the late 40s to the early 50s, notably releasing several John Lee Hooker records. Still, today's tunes come from a later era than that. I'm no expert, but I would place it towards the late 60s. It’s part soul-funk, part boogaloo and part girl-group. There is also a Sensation Records that released disco in Italy in the 80s, but I think we can safely rule that one out.

The names listed on the record label don’t help. Forget About That Mess was written by Herman Davis, probably not the Jamaican drummer of the same name known as Bongo Herman. Davis, U. Lee and C. Wills were the producers and Wills also owned the music publishing rights.

There seems to have been many groups in the 60s know as The Marvels. For starters, it was the original name of Motown’s The Marvelettes. Another The Marvels were from Jamaica but based in the UK. They do a really great version of Aretha’s Rock Steady on the Pama Supreme label -- which I must post up here sometime -- but I don't think this is them either.

There is a girl-group from Florida who were called The Mar-Vells before having their name changed by a record label to The Fabulettes. Apparently, they continued to perform up until the late 60s, sometimes as The Marvels. From its sound, I could believe that it was recorded by a group from Florida. Also, the vocals do bear a resemblance to The Fabulettes. Mystery solved?

Maybe. I should also mention a comment left on a YouTube clip of the song (about as unreliable a source as you get), which confidently states, “That is not The Marvels on that picture, I know because I'm one of them. The Marvels are three sisters from Detroit and the song was recorded in Detroit at United Sounds Studio.”

Feel free to enlighten me with new evidence, or even hearsay, about this record and, most of all, enjoy the tune.

Ay Caramba

2012-01-23T13:35:00.000Z

mp3: The Champs - Caramba

From 1959, here are The Champs who, in my estimation, are a fairly under-rated group. Everyone knows and loves Tequila, but I'm often faced with surprise when I tell people that they've got several other instrumental gems in their repertoire. Perhaps it's because none of them stray too far from Tequila in terms of their general sound, but when your first release -- originally the b-side -- sells millions and rockets to number one, it's not surprising that you might try and replicate it. Caramba, which, according to Google translate, is Spanish for wow, was written by guitarist Dave Burgess. It could be described as one of the follow ups to Tequila.

New DJ night - Jam Up Twist

2012-01-19T18:27:00.005Z

mp3: Thurston Harris - Be Baba Leba

In a couple of Friday's time, I'll be helping out behind the decks at a new night with DJ Andy Smith. It's called Jam Up Twist and is to be held in a brand new venue in Stoke Newington, the La Sera Club. I'm extremely thrilled about this as Andy Smith, through his seminal The Document mix CD, was a massive early influence on me as a Deejay.

I was introduced to him through the guy who did the show before me when I was doing a blues slot on student radio in Melbourne. This guy, let's call him Johann, traveled frequently to Hong Kong and often came back with dodgy street copies of the latest cool music on CD. He was so enamored by The Document that he burnt it for me and a few others to share the love. It blew our little minds away. I was particularly taken by the way it radically crossed genres and eras and made it work. I loved that it made me question where musical gems could be found. It had never occurred to me, before hearing The Document, to consider Tom Jones musically and it probably wouldn't have otherwise. When I first started being asked to DJ at friends' parties, I would play large chunks of The Document and either sit back and soak in the glory or join them on the dancefloor.

Naturally, when DJ Andy Smith would tour Australia, me and my pals would go. I recall a three-hour festival set he did with Dynamo Productions where it felt like every single one of the best songs ever recorded was included in the mix. The crowd started as about twenty people, mainly my mates -- Jamiroquai, very popular at the time, was on at the same time -- and steadily built into a huge crowd of maybe a thousand boogieing revellers.

Of course, the years have passed and Andy Smith's musical journey has included Northern Soul, Reggae, and New Orleans R&B. At this night we'll be playing a hot selection of Rockabilly, Northern Soul, 50’s R&B, Surf & Tittyshakers, Rock Steady & Ska. I recently acquired Thurston Harris's boppin' Be Baba Leba, so you can pretty much guarantee that, unless Andy drops it first, I'll be giving it a spin.

So, if you're in the London area on February 3rd, or the first Friday of any month, venture over to Stoke Newington and join us on the tiles for a night of top tunes and world class fun -- and be sure to say hi.

Don't You Know

2012-01-17T16:51:00.002Z

mp3: Johnny O'Keefe - Don't You Know
mp3: Johnny O'Keefe - Come On And Take My Hand

Okay, so, I'm back from the land down under. I didn't do much record shopping there, but did manage to pop into a great secondhand book and vinyl shop at the lower end of Smith Street. They had some very reasonably priced 45 bins and while getting my fingers dusty I happened upon today's selection.

If you've been paying close attention to this blog over the last year or so, you'll know that I've been chasing down tunes by a certain group of New Orleans raised musicians working in LA in the late 50s, early 60s. They include Earl Palmer, Rene Hall, Plas Johnson, Ernie Fields and Ernie Freeman. So, I was almost startled to find out that Australia's first rock'n'roller, Johnny O'Keefe (or simply JOK), had recorded some sides under the direction of pianist/arranger Ernie Freeman. Also, since it was 1960 and he recorded them in LA, there's every chance that the others, or some of them, were the faceless session musicians behind these rocking recordings.

Now, although JOK might have once been described as Australia's answer to Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, I think that's a little generous. I'm not even sure what question the King and the Killer were posing. But, he was wild and he had ambition. The reason he was in the states was that, like so many Aussie rockers to follow, he was trying to crack the tough US market. Unfortunately, apart from a number one in New Orleans (which is no mean feat and I for one am bloody impressed) he didn't really succeed. There was still a lot of love for him at home though, as evidenced by the two weeks this record occupied the top spot on the Australian charts.

Big Jay

2012-01-07T00:11:00.001Z

mp3: Big Jay McNeely - Big Jay Shuffle
mp3: Big Jay McNeely - The Goof

Today's choice cuts will be a real treat for fans of honking instrumental R&B. Californian saxophonist, Big Jay McNeely, is pretty much the master of the genre and this 1952 record is one of his finest. Big Jay Shuffle has a relentless swing that inspires me to take those dance classes where you twist your feet, grab your girl's hand and spin her round and round, under your arm and back again. The Goof just blazes wild, even the handclappers can't keep up.

Green Monkeys, Purple Tigers

2012-01-01T09:56:00.001Z

mp3: The Parkays - Green Monkeys
mp3: The Parkays - Purple Tigers

Everything about The Parkays draws comparisons with the similarly named The Mar-Keys. Green Monkeys, released in 1962, sounds a lot like The Mar-Keys' big instrumental hit from 1961, Last Night -- which is obviously good thing. I can't ascertain if there was a connection between the two groups, but I suspect not. It's probably just another case of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. I do like that the song titles on both sides of today's selection follow a colour-animal theme. Were oddly coloured creatures in vogue in the early sixties? The first Pink Panther film came out in '63, which makes me think that they were. Also, in case you were wondering, the grooves of this record, thankfully, aren't anywhere near as scratched as its labels.

Stay

2011-12-25T12:59:00.001Z

mp3: Maurice Williams - Stay

Just the other day I was in Nukuʻalofa, the captial of the Kingdom of Tonga. One night, I ventured out to a bar where a local cover band was entertaining the revillers. With a seemingly endless series of rotating vocalists, they were mainly dishing out southern rock staples; CCR, Lynyrd Skynyrd, etc. As I found out, swampy tunes suit tropical climes. But, when they slided into a version of today's selection, I knew what my next blog post had to be.

Stay is an absolutely georgeous song, albeit a little brief. It was written by a fifteen year old Maurice Williams after he unsuccessfully tried to convince his date to break her curfew. However, it was seven full years later when Williams and his group, The Zodiacs, climbed all the way to number one with it in 1960. Stay's inclusion on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack -- one of the best selling albums of all time -- ensured that William's gentle and sweet doo-wop pleading reached a new generation of listeners. My sincere hope is that this blog post will have a similar effect.

Diddy Wah

2011-12-08T11:35:00.005Z

mp3: Bo Diddley - Diddy Wah Diddy

This is a multifaceted blogpost. Firstly, I recently became aware that I've neglected to provide you with a rip of Bo Diddley's 1955 recording of this blog's namesake song, Diddy Wah Diddy. So I'm hereby correcting that.

Secondly, a few weeks ago, a very nice hardcover book of Robert Crumb's music related drawings was delivered to me, unannounced. It includes the classic Cheap Thrills cover and some of his Heroes of the Blues, naturally, but there's also much more. The Complete Record Cover Collection now sits proudly on one of my shelves, next to another R. Crumb book.

Thirdly, I need to let you know that I've started doing radio again. I've been given a slot on a station that popped up earlier this year in Dalston, London. It's called NTS and my show is imaginatively titled Diddy Wah. So far I've presented two programmes, both show-specials. The first one is all tunes used in John Waters' flicks, the second is all about girls names. You can listen to them here.

Finally, I wanted to give you a heads-up that for the next month I'll be about as far away from my records as is humanly possible. I'm going to Australia. So you might notice the post frequency dropping a little below the level you've grown accustomed to. Stick with it though, I'll be back in full effect early in twenty-twelve.

Rockin-On-'N'-Off

2011-12-05T17:47:00.001Z

mp3: B. Bumble & The Stingers - Mashed #5
mp3: B. Bumble & The Stingers - Rockin-On-'N'-Off

Can't believe it's taken me so long, a matter of months, to post this -- one of my favourite recent vinyl acquisitions. If you're familiar with the work of B. Bumble & The Stingers, it's possibly through their biggest hit, a UK #1, Nut Rocker -- which was a rockin' interpretation of the most familiar part from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. This time the same group (read about them here and here) decided to take classical inspiration from Beethoven, with Mashed #5, and Rachmaninoff, with the ingeniously named Rockin-On-'N'-Off.

Released in 1962, for my money Mashed #5 should have been the A-side. Beethoven's Fifth just has that natural swing, something that didn't pass Walter Murphy by -- he turned it into a disco hit in '76. Prelude In C Sharp Minor on the other hand is a darker, more serious affair and this comes shining through on Rockin-On-'N'-Off. Anyway, if you love hearing rock interpretations of classical themes, you're going to dig both of these, a lot.

Who put the ram?

2011-12-02T15:53:00.002Z

mp3: The Edsels - Rama Lama Ding Dong

Here is a very welcome new addition to my collection of great fun doo-wop boppers. The Edsels originally named themselves The Essos, after the oil company, before settling on being named after a model of Ford car -- perhaps they were hoping for an endorsement deal. They recorded and first released their biggest hit, Rama Lama Ding Dong, in 1958, but it didn't catch on until 1961. It's referenced in Barry Mann's Who Put The Bomp, also from 1961, which in turn is referenced in Le Tigre's superb Decepticon. You would have to try quite hard to not enjoy today's selection.

The Hokey Pokey

2011-11-24T12:12:00.002Z

mp3: Ray Anthony - The Hokey Pokey
mp3: Ray Anthony - The Bunny Hop

I reckon today's offering will be the last in this series of songs used in John Waters films, but maybe the most fun. I bought this record especially, and somehow accidentally ended up with a re-issue, which other vinyl collectors might be able to sympathise with. For the purpose of this post, however, it doesn't make a lick of difference. This version of The Hokey Pokey was used in a hilarious dance scene in 2004's Dirty Shame, where Tracey Ullman's character really gets into it in a retirement home.

Of course, Ray Anthony isn't the singer, that's Jo Ann Greer; Anthony is the bandleader. The flipside track, The Bunny Hop, is a cool tune too -- an easy paced big band swinger from 1953. It was featured in another Waters film, Cry Baby, making this post is a real two-for-one.

Go, Jim Dandy!

2011-11-23T18:50:00.003Z

mp3: LaVern Baker - Jim Dandy
mp3: LaVern Baker - Tra La La

This record is what I refer to as a double-sider. Both sides are great. LaVern Baker captures the 50s Atlantic Rhythm & Blues sound, which is very close and related to Rock'n'Roll. Today's selection came out in 1956 and Jim Dandy, written by Lincoln Chase, climbed to #1 on the R&B charts. It has the basic beat of a swinging Rockabilly track and was used in the trashy (in a good way) John Waters flick, Pink Flamingos.

In case you missed it, I'm posting a series of tunes featured in the film oeuvre of John Waters in the lead up to a Waters inspired evening event, Emerald Fontaine's Dirty Shame, which I'll be playing records at this Thursday. As well as several cabaret and burlesque performances, Pink Flamingos will be up on the big screen. It all should be a lot of fun.

Come on and do the fly with me

2011-11-22T12:48:00.003Z

mp3: Chubby Checker - The Fly

Here's one from Hairspray, the 1988 John Waters original version. The Fly was released in 1962, around the time Chubby Checker's uber-hit, The Twist, entered and then topped the charts for a second time as the twisting dance craze got crazy again (after it's initial burst in 1960). I just learned that Checker's name, it's a stage name, is a play on words on Fats Domino. Wow! Anyway, I dig this tune for the buzz and the drums. Enjoy.

Jungle Drums

2011-11-17T14:24:00.002Z

mp3: Earl Bostic - Jungle Drums

I like it when I google a record and it brings up an old Billboard magazine entry. This from 24 April 1954: "It started off strong in New York, Buffalo, St. Louis and Cincinnati, and was also reported good in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Nashville and Atlanta." It doesn't say anything about Baltimore, but Earl Bostic's Jungle Drums is another tune featured in John Waters' Cry Baby. The record was actually released in 1953 and has Bostic on alto sax and a young Stanley Turrentine on tenor.

I'm just a Bad Boy

2011-11-15T13:58:00.005Z

mp3: The Jive Bombers - Bad Boy

Next week, I'll be DJing as part of an evening dedicated to the filmmaker John Waters. Inspired by that, I've been digging out some of the records featured in his films. Since they've been gathered together at the front of my record box, several are going to pop up here in the next little while, starting right now.

Doo-wop group The Jive Bombers had their biggest success with today's selection, which was later used in the musical flick, Cry Baby. The song, originally entitled Brown Girl, was written and recorded in 1936 by Lil Hardin Armstrong, the second wife of Louis Armstrong. An earlier incarnation of The Jive Bombers recorded a version called Brown Boy for Coral in 1949. So, by the time they were recording their first single for Savoy in 1956, I guess they knew the tune pretty well. They also had the sense to change its title to the more politically correct, Bad Boy.

Teen Queens

2011-11-10T13:52:00.002Z

The Teen Queens - Eddie My Love

And now for a slow dance. As their name implies, Betty and Rosie Collins were just 16 and 14 respectively when Eddie My Love was released in 1956. Their elder brother, Aaron -- a founding member of West Coast doo-wop group The Cadets -- originally wrote the song (for his sisters) as a tribute to Johnny Ace -- the R&B singer who tragically, fatally and accidentally, shot himself in the head. There had been a spate of girls singing songs about Johnny, but Aaron eventually decided that the time for Johnny tributes had passed, so the song became an ode to Eddie instead.

Pretty Little Angel Eyes

2011-11-07T13:49:00.007Z

Curtis Lee - Pretty Little Angel Eyes

More super-fun doo-wop for you today. This time from Curtis Lee, a young singer who made a trip from Arizona to New York City in the late fifties to become a recording star. With the help of his songwriting partner, Tommy Boyce, and an up-and-coming record producer named Phil Spector, Lee achieved just that with Pretty Little Angel Eyes -- it went all the way to number 7 in 1961. The snappy beat, honking sax and glorious back-up vocals -- courtesy of The Bronx's The Halos -- give this track all it needs to capture that innocent 1950s malt-shop jukebox vibe. It might as well be the theme song from Happy Days.

Pretty Little Angel Eyes is a love dedication going out to my better half. Although she never finds the time to read this blog, I'm led to believe that she has finally subscribed via email. Now, every time I publish, she'll receive the post in her inbox. If that sounds appealing, you too can do the same; simply click Subscribe and enter your preferred email address.

Don't Hang Up

2011-11-04T13:18:00.001Z

The Orlons - Don't Hang Up

Here's a great doo-woppy track from 1962. The Orlons started off as an all-girl quintet in a school in Philadelphia, but had morphed into a three-girls-one-guy quartet by the time they left. According to Wikipedia, they took their name from a brand of synthetic, acrylic textile fibre, as a tongue-in-cheek nod to another group at their high school, The Cashmeres. It's this sense of fun that comes shining through on Don't Hang Up, helping it reach number 4 on the pop charts way back when. With a couple of original members, they are still performing almost 50 years later. The Orlons must be as wrinkle resistant as the material they named themselves after!

Bad Blood

2011-10-28T11:00:00.006+01:00

The Coasters - Bad Blood

It might not be the Monster Mash, but a song with a title like Bad Blood is perfect for your Halloween party playlist. This Leiber/Stoller creation was released as a b-side in 1961. The lyrics follow a similar vein to The Coasters first big hit from 1957, Young Blood. The main difference being that, at some point in the intervening years, the protagonist's perspective has changed considerably. So it goes.

Nocturnal

2011-10-27T14:23:00.003+01:00

The Viscounts - Harlem Nocturne

Hailing from New Jersey, The Viscounts scored a minor hit in 1960 with this version of the jazz instrumental standard, Harlem Nocturne. The recording was re-released in 1966 and again climbed the charts. However, it's best known to me from the film Christine, based on Stephen King's spooky novel about a killer car. Today's, maybe yesterday's, and definitely tomorrow's, posts are all loosely Halloween themed. Boo!

One Twitchy String

2011-10-26T11:38:00.005+01:00

Rene Hall's Orchestra - Twitchcy

I haven't posted a track featuring a man playing a one-string guitar since I did that Rollin' and Tumblin' special, which was over four years ago now. Guitarist Rene Hall brought Willie Joe Duncan into the studio in 1957 to re-record his one previous single, Unitar Rock. The result was Twitchy, which is as accurate a description of the tune as I can think of. If you're interested in knowing more about Willie Joe and his single stringed instrument, The Hound has already sniffed it out.

African Waltz

2011-10-20T18:28:00.002+01:00

Johnny Dankworth - African Waltz

I first found today's selection on a compilation, The Roulette Story, which I ended up repeatedly listening to through Spotify. Every time it came on, I was moved to find out more. After that occurred a few times, I tracked myself down a vinyl copy -- that's the way it works for me a lot these days.

Johnny Dankworth and His Orchestra's arrangement of African Waltz reached the number 9 spot on the UK charts, quite high for a jazz piece. It was written by Gait MacDermot (best known for the 1967 musical Hair) who had spent his early twenties in South Africa studying music, which is where he must have got the inspiration for this tune from. By 1961, when Dankworth's version was charting, MacDermot had already won a Grammy for the original Cannonball Adderley version. Dankworth, who passed last year, was an alto sax player and giant of English jazz. He became Sir John in 2006.

Things Ain't What They Used To Be

2011-10-14T13:11:00.001+01:00

Ernie Fields & Orch. - Things Ain't What They Used To Be

Lester Melrose, who Things Ain't What They Used To Be is credited to, was a prolific producer of blues music from the 20s to the 50s. He wasn't, however, a songwriter or musician of any kind, so the songwriting credit is his just because that's the way it was done back in the day. Today's selection was actually written in 1942 by Duke's son, Mercer Ellington -- although some have said that dad probably gave the young Mercer some assistance with the arrangement. Anyhoo, this version was arranged by legendary saxophonist, Plas Johnson. The Ernie Fields Orchestra is basically the Rendezvous Records house band, including drummer extraordinaire Earl Palmer -- about whom I've already written enough praise on this blog, at least for this year. Released in 1960, this jazz standard gets the crime-show makeover it was always begging for. Just listen to that first note growl.

Funniest sound I ever heard

2011-10-11T10:31:00.002+01:00

The Rivingtons - Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow

Some more super-fun early sixties doo-wop for you today -- LA's The Rivington's first hit, Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow. Like many successful vocal groups, The Rivingtons had been singing together for some time. In 1957, as The Sharps, they helped Thurston Harris climb the charts with his version of Little Bitty Pretty One.

About a year after Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow was released, a garage-surf band from Minnesota combined it with another Rivingtons hit, The Bird's The Word, to create their own signature tune, the unforgettable Surfin' Bird by The Trashmen.

Go Gorilla

2011-10-07T13:15:00.001+01:00

The Ideals - The Gorilla

Here's a massively fun party tune from a Chicago vocal group called The Ideals. It came out in 1963, apparently near the end of the monkey dance craze, which I'm personally very disappointed to have missed out on. Howard Pitman of Concord records wrote The Gorilla just as The Ideals were musically somewhere between doo-wop and soul. After it became a local smash, Pitman sold his label to Cortland records, who replicated that success on a national level. If you've come here looking for an infectious dance tune to go ape to, look no further.